In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is an update on the status of negotiations between the St. Louis Blues and Ville Husso. Are the issues in finding a coach for the Winnipeg Jets related to trade rumors?
Could the Edmonton Oilers move down in the NHL draft and are they close on Kailer Yamamoto? Finally, is Patrice Bergeron coming back to the Boston Bruins? It certainly appears that way.
Blues Trying to Sign Husso
According to Andy Strickland, “Been lots of chatter, but I expect the #stlblues to make a real effort to extend Ville Husso. He loves it in STL and has a great relationship with Jordan Binnington.” The goaltender is set to hit the UFA market on July 13 if he doesn’t sign an extension in St. Louis before then.
Most insiders expect that Husso will go to market, but Strickland is fairly plugged in to what the Blues might be thinking. The issue here will be money and many believe this extension can only happen if Husso is willing to stay for less than he would make on the open market. The expectation is that he can get four years times $4 million from teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings, or New Jersey Devils.
Nic Hauge on Trade Block
As per Ryan Kennedy, ”Hearing at least two Eastern Conference teams are seriously interested in acquiring Vegas defenseman Nic Hague. Golden Knights obviously in a cap crunch right now; Hague needs new RFA contract.”
Hague is a solid, two-way defender with some snarl to his game. There should be teams interested. He is currently an RFA and everyone knows the Golden Knights are consistently dealing with salary cap issues.
Jets Coaching and Connection to Roster
Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet were talking on the Jeff Marek Show about the Winnipeg Jets and how their coaching situation might be connected to the roster. After Barry Trotz declined to take the job, the candidates now include names like Jim Montgomery, Scott Arniel, and Rick Tocchet. Marek asked if the trade buzz surrounding Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, and Pierre-Luc Dubois was a concern for potential would-be coaches?
Friedman doesn’t necessarily think the coach they hire will be specifically chosen because they are good at working with young talent and he notes that anyone eyeing the job knows that not all of Scheifele, Wheeler, and Dubois are coming back. Friedman says there is some concern though. He notes, “if you’re the Jets, you can’t go from having Scheifele and Dubois, to not having either of them. I don’t think that has anything to do with coaching. I think that just makes sense from a team-building point of view.”
Oilers Talks With Yamamoto, and Potentially Trading Down at Draft
According to Kurt Leavins of The Edmonton Journal, he would be surprised if the Oilers don’t find a way to get an extension done with Kailer Yamamoto. That said, he’s not sure about Jesse Puljujarvi, particularly if an arbitrator gets involved and offers anywhere near $4 million. His qualifying contract of $1.4 million is one thing, beyond maybe $2 or $2.5 million, the Oilers aren’t sure he’s proved he’s worth it.
Related: Update On Potentially Massive Oilers and Sharks Trade: 4 Pieces Involved
Leavins also suggested the Oilers could be considering moving down in this year’s NHL draft and trading the No. 29 pick. He says he’s been asked and responded:
I would not rule it out. But even late 1st Round picks tend to have a higher success rate that later round selections. Do you “just” want organizational depth? Or do you want to pick the best player available and then fill remaining organizational roles via college and free agency?
source – ‘The Edmonton Oilers mission ‘get good people, keep good people’, on and off the ice: 9 Things’ – Kurt Leavins – Edmonton Journal – 06/26/2022
Bruins and Patrice Bergeron to Get Deal Done This Week?
As cited by Friedman, Sportsnet he notes Joe McDonald’s report that Patrice Bergeron could be signing a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins this week. Friedman says, that Bergeron is on vacation right now but will meet with the Bruins this week to finalize things. He notes, “I just think that him coming back is proof that … the Bruins are not ready to rebuild. They’re going to try to get through the first few months until everyone gets healthy and then bet on themselves in the back end.”
Jim Parsons is a senior THW freelance writer, part-time journalist and audio/video host who lives, eats, sleeps and breathes NHL news and rumors, while also writing features on the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a trusted source for five-plus years at The Hockey Writers, but more than that, he’s on a mission to keep readers up to date with the latest NHL rumors and trade talk. Jim is a daily must for readers who want to be “in the know.”
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