In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Jonathan Marchessault blasted the Vegas Golden Knights for the way they handled his departure before he signed with the Nashville Predators. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers have two key players dealing with injuries at training camp. Will either miss any significant time? The Pittsburgh Penguins are focused on getting Marcus Pettersson signed to a new deal. Finally, with Jani Hakanpaa signed to a deal in Toronto, who might be on the move to make room for his contract?
Marchessault Talks His Exit From Golden Knights
Andy Strickland reports, via an interview with Jonathan Marchessault, that the forward wasn’t happy about the way things ended in Vegas. Marchessault recently opened up about why he didn’t re-sign with the Golden Knights and he didn’t mince words about a lack of communication.
Marchessault explained that Vegas was only willing to offer a three-year deal, while he was seeking a four-year contract. Initially, his agent handled negotiations, but after no progress, Marchessault decided, thanks to what he thought was a great relationship with the GM, to personally call Golden Knights’ Kelly McCrimmon to discuss his future.
Marchessault emphasized his importance to the team both on and off the ice, highlighting the strong locker room chemistry he helped foster. Despite this, McCrimmon informed him that the team couldn’t meet his terms, ending his time with the Golden Knights.
When he said, “I need to know, are you guys actually letting me go, for real?” The team didn’t budge. It was then he knew he was done in Vegas.
Nurse and Kane Both Dealing With Injuries
Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane are both likely to miss the start of training camp for the Oilers as both are dealing with nagging injuries.
Tom Gazzola of Edmonton Sports Talk reported that Nurse and Kane will miss the “start training camp on the shelf due to injury.” For Nurse, the issue doesn’t appear to be long-term. He added, “Nurse has been on the ice for informal skates & continues to heal up a lingering injury from the playoffs. The projection is he will be good to go later in camp.”
For Kane, the prognosis isn’t as clear. There was a lot of chatter throughout the summer that Kane might wind up on LTIR. The fact he’s not at camp suggests he won’t be ready for camp and likely the start of the regular season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to prioritize extending defenseman Marcus Pettersson after they ultimately finalize a new contract for captain Sidney Crosby, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. While it’s not clear when Crosby will sign, the superstar did say he believed a deal would get done before the regular season.
Meanwhile, Pettersson, 29, is in the final year of a five-year, $20.13 million contract. It has proven to be a bargain for the Penguins. He is arguably one of the team’s most reliable defensemen and the team would like to keep him in the fold.
While there’s no official word on what kind of ask Pettersson has in mind, he could command between $5.5 million and $6 million per season on a long-term deal. Pettersson’s importance to Pittsburgh’s blue line makes him someone the team can’t really afford to lose, especially as the rest of their roster ages out.
Last season, Pettersson posted career-highs with four goals, 26 assists, and a +28 rating. He would get a nice payday if he hits free agency.
Something Has to Give in Toronto
With Jani Hakanpaa now signed, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to make a corresponding move on their roster to make cap space. Shane Seney of Leafs Nation suggested four names that could be trade candidates.
He listed Nicholas Robertson, Conor Timmins, David Kampf, and Timothy Liljegren as players the organization might consider moving. Seney writes, “Treliving added veterans Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and with Hakanpaa now on board, the numbers aren’t adding up at all for Timmins’ future with the Maple Leafs.”
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