In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Minnesota Wild have emerged as a team interested in Patrik Laine. Could the Colorado Avalanche make a trade after the signing of Oliver Kylington? Will Sidney Crosby sign his contract extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow? Konsta Helenius, the Buffalo Sabres’ recent first-round pick is leaving Finland to play in Buffalo or Rochester next season. Finally, Stan Bowman provided an update on the contract status of negotiations with Leon Draisaitl.
Are the Wild Going to Make a Play for Laine?
According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith, Wild GM Bill Guerin is expected to reach out to forward Patrik Laine to discuss his possible interest in playing in Minnesota. Noting the team is looking for star power and share the offensive responsibilities, they write:
It is expected that Guerin will reach out at some point soon to Laine to gauge how he’s feeling mentally and physically and whether he’s interested in playing for the Wild.
source – ‘Patrik Laine to the Wild may be a no-brainer, but making it work is a head-scratcher’ – Joe Smith and Michael Russo – The Athletic – 08/05/2024
They do note that a major hurdle is a lack of cap space. They write, “The Wild can’t even afford two more league-minimum forwards, let alone Laine at $8.7 million.” The two scribes also point out Laine’s injury history as a roadblock.
Could the Colorado Avalanche Clear Out a Defenseman?
The Avalanche deepened their blue line with the signing of 27-year-old defenceman Oliver Kylington to a one-year contract worth $1.05 million on Monday. They now have a crowded defense corps with Erik Brannstrom and Calvin de Haan also as left-shot defencemen signed to one-year deals. If Kylington wins a spot and plays well, how long before the Avs choose to try and shop someone to add another forward?
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If the Avalanche don’t want to keep any of their depth defenders on the roster, each would need to clear waivers, thus a trade might make more sense. The alternative might be to trade a higher-priced defenseman to give the team some cap space they lack.
Will Crosby Sign His Extension Tomorrow?
A couple of different scribes are predicting that Wednesday might be a day for Penguins fans to watch for news on Sidney Crosby. Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review referenced the belief that Crosby will sign his contract extension on his birthday (Aug. 7). Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also thinks the superstitious Crosby may choose his birthday to sign his extension.
On this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X suggested that if Crosby didn’t sign on his birthday (after many thought he’d sign on July 1), there might be reason to worry about that the organization should consider a trade. He notes, “
“If he’s not signed, this is something that drags on all year. It’s gonna drive him crazy, so he will sign the contract, just to avoid that. Honestly, if he doesn’t sign the contract, they should trade him this year.”
source – ‘Madden Monday: Expect a Sidney Crosby contract soon — but if it doesn’t happen this week ‘we can start wondering’ – Tim Benz – Trib Live – 08/05/2024
Sabres’ Konsta Helenius Coming to North America
Konsta Helenius signed a rookie contract in the NHL in the summer and is going to try to start his North American hockey career with the Buffalo Sabres’ organization. He is leaving Finland to make the move this offseason. He will not represent his SM league club Tappara.
If he plays in the NHL next season, the basic salary will be $885K. If the season is spent on the AHL side, it will be just over $85K, as per Finnish news outlet mtvuutiset.fi. Because he was selected in the first round, he doesn’t need to be offered back to his Liiga team if the Sabres choose to assign him to the minors.
Nothing Negative on Draisaitl, Says Bowman
Oilers GM Stan Bowman confirmed this week that conversations are underway with Leon Draisaitl’s camp about an extension. “I had a good conversation (with agent Mike Liut), and we’re starting things off, and the timing on that will be what it will be,” the executive told NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest on Monday.
While there is nothing imminent to report, Bowman added, “I don’t have an update of where it’s going to be or the timing on that, but there is nothing negative to report, certainly.”
