In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Joel Edmundson comments on the likelihood he is moved by the NHL Trade Deadline. Max Domi also talked about the possibility of being traded and said he’s hoping to stay in Chicago. The Minnesota Wild have contacted the Vancouver Canucks about Brock Boeser and the Arizona Coyotes are going to play the role of third-party broker in at least one trade deadline deal.
Edmundson on Possible Trade
Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic discussed rumors that the Montreal Canadiens might trade defenseman Joel Edmundson, with Edmundson himself. The defenseman said that this is the first time since joining the team that he’s had to think about being dealt somewhere else.
He noted:
“It’s hard to avoid it in this market, you turn on TV or you go on social media. … Honestly, it’s something I’ve never really been through before. In St. Louis, I had a feeling I was gonna be traded and it happened. So no surprise there. Then I signed in Montreal, and that’s kind of the first time it’s happened to me.”
source – ‘Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson experiences trade rumours for first time in his career’ – Marc Antoine Godin – The Athletic – 01/06/2023
Edmundson said he hopes to be able to stay in Montreal and notes that GM Kent Hughes has had good communication with the players when it comes to what the organization is thinking about doing.
Wild Have Spoken to Canucks About Boeser
Rob Simpson of The Vancouver Hockey Insider reports that the Minnesota Wild are among the teams that have reached out to the Canucks about trading for Brock Boeser. Things have quieted down since the Canucks gave his agent permission to speak with other clubs about a deal and Boeser himself hasn’t been all that productive. He does have 22 points in 31 games.
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A source notes that the pressure of playing close to home (Boeser grew up in St. Paul) would not bother the forward. The Wild have $6 million in cap space and Boeser makes $6.5 million per season. It is not believed the Canucks want to retain any salary in a Boeser trade.
Coyotes Might Be Forced to Play the Role of Third-Party Broker
Frank Seravalli took a look at teams that might become third-party brokers to help facilitate some NHL Trade Deadline deals and noted that the Arizona Coyotes might have little choice but to get in on the action. He writes, “We know the ‘Yotes are eager to acquire as many draft picks as possible. If they trade Jakob Chychrun, they might be flirting with the salary cap floor, so getting involved in the retention game makes sense, plus they can take on bad contracts.”
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This means that Arizona would have to find a team that is looking to trade for a rental but can’t afford to make the trade straight across or even do so with 50% salary retained. The Coyotes would then have to work out a deal with that team to take the extra salary for a draft pick.
This also limits Arizona’s ability not to take salary back in any Chychrun trade. In other words, if they deal directly with another team, it won’t just be for draft picks and prospects.
Blackhawks Have Told Teams They’ll Take Bad Contracts
Seravalli also notes, “The Blackhawks have let it be known to everyone that they’re willing to act as a dumpster for bad contracts.” He adds, “They are ready to wield their cap space to the fullest extent possible.” It is expected Chicago will look to move Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou, and others. It’s not clear if either Kane or Toews have agreed to accept a trade yet and those conversations still need to take place.
Domi spoke to Scott Powers of The Athletic and said he wants to stay in Chicago and help the club through this rebuild, instead of just being a half-season footnote in it. Domi noted that he enjoys the challenge of working with the team when it is struggling and he wants to be part of their success. He explained:
I have really enjoyed my time here. I’m sure my agent and Kyle will continue to talk. But I’d like to be a part of this moving forward. If so, I’m going to do everything I can to help this out. If not, I wish them the best. My experience here has been nothing but awesome from top to bottom. The wins and losses have been tough. Everything else, the staff to (the media) to my teammates, coaching staff, really everyone has been amazing in this whole locker room. Hopefully it keeps going, but again, it’s a business.”
source – ‘Why Max Domi wants to remain with the Blackhawks beyond this season’ – Scott Powers – The Athletic – 01/08/2023
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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