Today’s NHL rumor rundown, injuries Ryan O’Reilly It doesn’t seem likely that this will change the way the St. Louis Blues trade him. Are the Toronto Maple Leafs still looking at him as an option? Meanwhile, will the Carolina Hurricanes be among the teams taking a close look at Vladimir Tarasenko? The Seattle Kraken are likely among the buyers this offseason, but the GM is still waiting, and the Vancouver Canucks have a lot of money tied up in their coaching salary.
The Blues still think there will be a market for O’Reilly
Despite going on the injured reserve list, the Blues still believe there will be a trade market for O’Reilly, and insiders believe the Toronto Maple Leafs could still be a team that shows his path. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes that Doug Armstrong (Blues GM) will want a decent return.
LeBrun explained:
If O’Reilly returns and is able to show he’s healthy and productive, there should still be a market. He has no trade protection and was the 2019 playoff MVP. I think the Maple Leafs talked about him internally before the injury. Like Horvat, Avalanche will mean. Any competitor could.
Source – ‘NHL Trade Board 2022-23: Could Bruins Make Deal for Bo Horvat? Or a hurricane? Top Deadline Goals Updates – Pierre Lebrun – Athletic – 01/18/2023
Tarasenko could be in the trade corner
There is also such a belief Vladimir TarasenkoIts contracts will be easier to move than before. He is a pending UFA and has been fairly productive with 29 points in 34 games. Jeremy Ruthford of The Athletic wrote that Tarasenko could return quickly from the hand injury and noted, “The right winger’s return will be a showcase that he can prove to teams interested in the pending unrestricted free agent that he is healthy and can help in the playoffs.” whether competitor.”
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There is a question as to whether Taranchenko will waive his no-trade clause and elect for free agency, but if he allows a trade, the Carolina Hurricanes are a team that could be interested. Rutherford added:
For example, would a team like Carolina look to Tarasenko as a potential scoring replacement for Max Pacioretty, who recently suffered another Achilles tendon injury? If not the hurricane, who? Will he have enough time to show clubs who can be the man with 262 goals in his 11-year career? If he returns against Buffalo, again, there are only 14 games left before the deadline.
Source – ‘Rutherford: Blues trade deadline talks should intensify as Vladimir Tarasenko returns’ – Jeremy Rutherford – The Athletic – 01/22/2023
Kraken is ready to be a deadline buyer
Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times writes that general manager Ron Francis loaded up with three second-round picks this summer and is poised to use them to grab a talented player that few other clubs can afford. The Kraken have some cap space to work with and are playing well enough to try to make a playoff run.
Becker suggests that the concern is on the blue line where their depth is fairly thin. With Jamie Oleksiak out, the team switched to a 3-3-1. This was after a seven-game road winning streak. Baker wondered if the Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg Would be a good fit and suggests he’s linked to the Kraken of the trade rumor mill. Klingberg has a $7 million contract that expires this season and is a pending UFA.
Francis preached that there is still time to decide how active the group will be. He mentioned:
“It’s two months, so there’s time. It is neither today nor tomorrow. Time to see where we are and how we’re playing, what the lineup is like. And then all the other things at that point, and then making that decision.
Source – ‘Kraken GM Ron Francis eyes trade deadline as playoff push continues’ – Geoff Baker – Seattle Times – 01/17/2023
Tocchet’s new salary, Canucks total coaching salary
LeBrun tweeted, “Hearing Rick Tocchet’s salary is $2.75M per year, signed through the 2024-25 season. The Canucks are still paying Bruce Boudreau $2M and Travis Green $2.75M this season.” That means the Canucks are spending over $7.5 million in coaching salaries this season. That’s not even counting the assistants that have been let go and brought in new ones.
Rutherford said during the Canucks’ media benefit announcing Tocchet as the new head coach that the team never considered going through a transition period to bring in Tocchet using an interim coach. season.
Jim Parsons is a senior THW freelance writer, part-time journalist and audio/video host who lives, eats, sleeps and breathes NHL news and rumours, as well as writing features on the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a trusted source at The Hockey Writers for five-plus years, but more than that, he’s on a mission to keep readers up to date with the latest NHL rumors and trade talks. For those who want to be “in the know”, the gym is a daily must.
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