In today’s NHL rumors rundown, rumblings are that Matvei Michkov is planning to leave the KHL. Meanwhile, could another top prospect in Rutger McGroarty be on his way out of Winnipeg? Could the Montreal Canadiens consider a Patrik Laine trade? Finally, Sergei Bobrovsky and Aaron Ekblad were not on the ice for practice with the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Is something wrong with either or both players? What about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who wasn’t at practice for the Oilers?
Matvei Michkov Set to Leave the KHL
It looks like Matvei Michkov is leaving SKA and will be joining the Philadelphia Flyers, as per reports from several insiders. Hockey News Hub was the first to break the story and numerous outlets and personalities have commented on the tweet.
Frank Seravalli noted, “Everything is still fluid, which isn’t a surprise, but Anthony is on the right track – after a couple months of negotiation, expectation is that 2023 No. 7 overall pick Matvei Michkov will be on his way to Philadelphia.” Elliotte Friedman noted, “There is something to this…obviously nothing is done until it is done…but there is optimism Michkov/Philadelphia is closing in.”
McGroarty Doesn’t See a Future with the Jets; Wants Trade
First-round pick and top prospect Rutger McGroarty is looking for a trade out of Winnipeg. The talk is that he doesn’t see a future with the Jets and is suddenly involved in trade talks. On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman said, “His (Rutger’s) family advisor is not talking, and the Jets are not talking, but the one thing I can tell you is that I have heard his name has come up in trade discussions. The Jets have discussed trading him, and other teams have discussed acquiring McGroarty’s rights.”
Murat Ates of The Athletic explains:
This isn’t a situation where the player wants out of Winnipeg because of his views on the city. Instead, there appears to be a disconnect between how Winnipeg’s player development viewed and communicated its plan with McGroarty and McGroarty’s view of his own future. The desire to play in the NHL played a big role in McGroarty’s decision not to sign in April; put simply, he viewed himself as more ready than the team did. At first, this difference in opinion didn’t appear to necessitate McGroarty’s exit from the organization. The relationship has changed since the start of McGroarty’s offseason, though. He no longer believes his future is with the Jets.
source – ‘What I’m hearing about why Winnipeg Jets top prospect Rutger McGroarty is in trade talks’ – Murat Ates – The Athletic – 06/22/2024
McGroarty has spent the last two seasons at the University of Michigan and recently announced his decision to return for the 2024-25 season.
Patrik Laine to the Canadiens?
Speculation about a trade out of Columbus has led to Eric Engels of Sportsnet wondering about Patrik Laine potentially joining the Montreal Canadiens. While there’s interest, Laine has a no-trade clause allowing him to block moves to ten teams. It’s not clear if the Canadiens are on that list.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Giordano, Martin, Marner & Hyman
Montreal’s high-pressure environment might not be the ideal situation for Laine. Despite this, Laine would be a valuable addition to Montreal’s power play, offering significant shooting and scoring ability. Engels adds that in the right deal, it might be worth the risk for the Canadiens. He explains:
Columbus is willing to retain money on his contract and/or take back a contract (most likely of an underperforming player who’s making more than what he’s worth to the Canadiens), because I can’t see the Canadiens taking on the considerable risk Laine brings without doing it this way.
Bobrovsky and Ekblad MIA?
Sergei Bobrovsky was not among the two goalies warming up before the Panthers’ practice on Sunday. That got a lot of attention. Not long after, Dan Rosen of NHL.com tweeted, “The Panthers are practicing. Sergei Bobrovsky and Aaron Ekblad are the two who are not practicing today. They went right to work on the power play, which is 1 for 19 with two shorthanded goals against in the Stanley Cup Final.”
Anthony Stolarz and Spencer Knight were both on the ice and that created questions about the status of Bobrovsky for Game 7 on Monday night. His numbers have not been strong over the past three games of the Stanley Cup Final versus the Edmonton Oilers.
Following practice, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice said that everything is OK with Bobrovsky and Ekblad. Maurice said that normally during playoffs, Bobrovsky didn’t practice on the day before games, but with a two-day break between games, he had been practicing in the Stanley Cup Final. They wanted to get him back on his regular schedule and he’ll skate tomorrow morning.
No Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the Oilers
As per Ryan Rishaug of TSN, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was absent from practice on Sunday. Under the weather was the reason and Evander Kane was skating in his place with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. This would be a big loss for the Oilers if Nugent-Hopkins can’t go. He’s been a key part of the top six and a steady presence on the top-unit power play.
