Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 23, 2024
Updates on Linus Ullmark, Tyler Toffoli, Igor Shesterkin, and Tristan Jarry in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
WHAT’S HOLDING UP TRADING LINUS ULLMARK?
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Boston Bruins are in a good position to move Linus Ullmark now that Jacob Markstrom is off the trade market. However, the 30-year-old Bruins goaltender’s modified no-trade clause remains a hurdle.
Friedman noted the Ottawa Senators’ rumored interest in Ullmark. However, they’re believed to be on his no-trade list. He also thinks that interested clubs might prefer signing the netminder to a contract extension if they’re to pay the Bruins’ expensive asking price.
Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images).
Other factors include whether the Bruins might feel pressure to lower their price and if they’d be comfortable trading within their division.
Friedman took note of Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman saying he’s not interested in acquiring an older goaltender who might be a short-term fix. If Yzerman were interested in Ullmark, Friedman thinks he’d want him signed to an extension.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There is speculation suggesting Ullmark might accept a trade to Ottawa if the Senators and Bruins can finalize a deal. We could find out later this week if that’s the case. The Bruins would likely prefer moving Ullmark before the draft opens on Friday.
COULD TYLER TOFFOLI RETURN TO THE CANUCKS?
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Vancouver Canucks could have Tyler Toffoli in their sights as a backup option if they fail to sign Jake Guentzel when free agency begins on July 1.
Toffoli, 32, split last season with the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets, finishing with 34 goals and 55 points. He was acquired by the Canucks before the 2020 trade deadline, collecting 10 points in as many regular-season games and four points in seven postseason contests.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toffoli will be a more affordable free-agent target for the Canucks. Guentzel is hitting the UFA market for the first time and could seek around $9 million annually on a long-term deal.
LATEST SPECULATION ON IGOR SHESTERKIN’S NEXT CONTRACT
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks noted the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup last year with Adin Hill as their starting goalie while the Edmonton Oilers could do the same with Stuart Skinner. He wondered if the Rangers must invest $12 million annually in Igor Shesterkin’s next contract when other clubs are winning the Cup without Vezina Trophy winners in their lineup.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brooks pointed out that the 2011 Boston Bruins are the only team in the salary-cap era to win the Cup with a goaltender who won the Vezina, that being Tim Thomas. However, I doubt the Rangers play hardball with Shesterkin for a lesser deal or shop him in place of more affordable options.
ARE THE PENGUINS PREPARING TO TRADE TRISTAN JARRY?
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: Mark Madden makes the case for the Penguins to put Tristan Jarry on this summer’s trade block. He believes their recent re-signing of Alex Nedeljkovic with promising Joel Blomqvist waiting in the wings makes no sense unless they intend to move Jarry.
Moving Jarry won’t be easy. He’s signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5.375 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is preparing to move Jarry. However, it’s more likely he feels Blomqvist needs another year in the minors and intends to return with a tandem of Jarry and Nedeljkovic.
If Boston wants any involvement in this years draft they better deal Ullmark ASAP! Let s hope their scouts have not been sleeping Since all year their first pick won t come until the 4th round! If they do get a first round pick sit tight, Sweeney might include it in a trade!His history is much better trading and signing free agents than drafting!
That is why I want an established player like Chychrun or Necas.
Rumour I hear is Chychrun the 25th pick and a prospect.
I can’t help
Feeling that that is a steep price to pay for a tender and doesn’t address the bigger need in my mind and that is to balance out the defensive units and get our 2nd line centre healthy.
The article notes Aiden Hill and Skinner regarding vezna wins. I will also like to point out that Edmonton hadn’t changed from skinner. They improve the roster make up. Bringing in players like Ekholm and massive improvements from the Bouchards.
If it was my decision I’d address the roster in front of the tender before the tenders.
However it may be expensive but Ulmark and Korpisalo might be a quality duo.
*shrug* who knows
Joel needs another AHL season under his belt before moving up and there isn’t a lot of other UFA options in net.
Dubas should hang on to Jarry unless a GM offers something he just can’t refuse.
See my post below
Absolutely keep Jarry
Dubas has lost every single one of his Pens’ trades; he’d lose massively in a Jarry trade
I truly believe Jarry/Blomquist should have been this year’s tandem
Better than with Nedjelkovic and would have saved an extra (and valuable) $1.6 M in Cap space
8787 blaCk n gold here i think Jarry is going to be moved..
Honestly joh Gibson makes so much sense.
He is a Pittsburgh area guy.
He is o ly 30 jarry 29
He is big and makes big saves unfortunately on a crap team out here in La Anaheim.
Jarry p o Joseph and a 2925 second
Anaheim retains $ 1 million..
Gibson for 2 years if we dont make noise move him to a playoff team he will inly be 32 33
He is big athletic strong keeps Anaheim in so many games but gets beat down with this shit team
Or trade O’Reilly move Jarry to Detroit..jarry will b better somewhere else.
Need something different
Should b exciting Cup e ds mo day draft free agency trades
Go Penguins
4 or 5 years ago I’d be with you re Gibson coming here
Not now
Gibson’s game has fallen off a cliff
Last 2 years save percentage in the 890’s
He (now) is in no way as good as Jarry. He’s not even as good as Nedjelkovic
I’d love to have a hometown boy here in net; but we have to try and win
Not a chance even Dumb Dubas pays extra for Gibson. Ducks need to give us extra
I notice that in many many of your trade proposals you have P-OJ leaving
He is a very good keep. His next contract will be reasonable and he will have s permanent future in the top 4
He’s got great speed and joins the rush appropriately; his defensive game has improved
Just look at how well he did when paired with Letang
We should not be moving him
First exit absolutely needs to be Accairi; then Smith; then Eller; Nieto etc
This team needs to be younger, bigger; stronger; Grittier
Laine and 3rd (this year)
For
Smith, Accairi, Eller, Gruden and/Or Broz; 3rd in ‘26 certainly a move in yhe right direction
Yzerman has taken swings at younger goaltenders like Husso and Ned. He will go for someone like Knight or maybe Gustafon. Either that or an older tender with a couple of years under contract, who would be a mentor and placeholder for Cossa.
Korpisalo? 🙂
Maybe if Boston’s 1st comes back with him. 😁
One might say Tampa’s back to back Cups had alot to do with their goalie…
They could, with justification. However, they have the same goalie and have gone out out of the playoffs early twice, and three in a row.
One could thus also say their Cup wins had a lot to do with a very balanced line up, which they haven’t had during those playoff exits.
very true too.
Igor like Henrik before him is easily the the biggest reason the Rangers have made the ECF.
11-12million for Igor will make it hard to balance a roster though
It’s Larry Brooks what do you expect guys a bus shelter resident with useless opinions!
I understand Larry Brooks questioning the Rangers decision to pay Igor because his examples of past Stanley Cup winners supports his “question.”
With that said, Drury must negotiate a fair (hometown discount) salary and term that all parties are happy with.
The Hellebuyck contract at 8.5 million for 7 years with a NMC seems like a good comparable. Maybe the Rangers add an 8th year at slightly less.
Shesterkin will turn 30 in the 1st year of his next deal. Not sure why Rangers din’t lock him up for 8 years last deal, but there’s no way they can do 8 year deal now. At least not with a 12m cap hit. Perhaps an 8 year deal to lower cap hit. Brooks point about winning cup with a Vezina winner only applies to Boston and Thomas doing it in same season. How many teams won cups with a goalie who won Vezina in a different season? Or was a finalist?
Move Jarry?
WTF (to infinity and beyond)
That would be another trade Dubas loses (again badly)
He should not have re-upped Nedjelkovic.
Jarry/Blomquist should have been the tandem
Jarry Played very good for the first 2/3rds of the season. 6 shutouts (was leading league for a while); and literally stealing games for Pens
In March he came up against the surging Oilers (threw 42 shots at him; he stood on his head; two multi-bounce goals and a full screen goal…. Pens lose that game)
Then Pens lose in OT to Sens, wasting another stellar performance by Jarry; stopping 37/39
He was still shining
What happened then?
Games then against Rangers (final 4) ; Devils; Stars (final 4) where 14 goals got past him. All 3 opponents firing in all cylinders
What people not watching those games don’t know; those games were atrocious defensively by Pens. Atrocious!! Loaded with odd man rushes; uncovered men in slot, breakaways; full screening of Jarry; multi-bounce goals
Of those 14 ; 10 he literally had zero chance on (full screen, multi-bounce; own goals off skates; two on Oh up close). Of the other 4, 2 MAYBE he wants back(at least 2 of those were wicked plays)
Sullivan’s decision to ride Nedjelkovic:
Since Feb 20 Nedjelkovic save percentage was only .88 (59 goals against in 506 shots)
Nedjelkovic’s Last 18 games :
13 of 18 with save percentage of .89 or less .
7 of those .84 or less.
4 of those .81 or less;
2 in the 700’s
Pens in no way should move Jarry. An absolute guaranteed trade loss
Dubas should not have re-upped Nedjelkovic ; should have gone with the rising Blomquist (7 years younger; bigger; better IMHO, and just over 1/3rd the Cap hit of Nedjelkovic)
Dubas focus should be on extending Crosby
Trading Jarry and having Nedjelkovic as the starter; with the likes of Accairi, Smith, Eller still on the roster is NOT an incentive for Crosby to extend
In fact; were it not for his pure unselfishness to stay with our team; the above is a complete incentive to ask for an immediate trade to a contender. This won’t happen as Crosby is Crosby
If Crosby extends in Pitt. With that group,I fear his career will end like Jonathan Toews did in Chicago!
Unlike Toews, Crosby is still a great player this late in his career. He’ll be the one who chooses when and where he plays.
Toews got long Covid in 2020-21. Never been the same since.Still battling its draining effects.
With Randino on this
Crosby still a PPG + guy; 19 years in a row and counting
He may end his career on a poor non playoff team (yes I’m talking about my Penguins) ; but I can’t see his career end (performance wise) like Toews
Pat has excellent point re Toew’s and performance decline directly tied to long covid
He is likely to retire; but if he were healthy; I’d take him every day over Eller. Every day!
I was hoping he’d be over his illness just before the trade deadline earlier this year; and that he’d sign with Pens
Alas, a pipe dream now
Well Pengy, chew on this one:
Jarry, Smith (retain 1.5M), Philly’s 2nd and a 2025 1st to the Canes for Necas and Andersen
Where is Pen gy?
Goalies that can carry a team, season after season, with good and not-so-good teams in front of them are not always the goalies that play like superman in any given cup year, but are seldom the reason their teams lose and will likely, in their career, perhaps more than once, carry an undeserving team deep. It’s what set’s the HOF level player apart from the many who have great years at some point in their career and/or get on a run and win a cup. A few, like Bob in this year’s finals, have strange patchwork careers. Vezina years and years when they lose the net entirely to some journeyman, only to rise phoenixlike again.
What you can plan on and trade for is a hard worker who is above average and gives you team a chance to win 19 out of 20 nights, meaning there will only be half a dozen stinkers in a year.
The playoffs are different and seem up to the hockey gods,
Good news for Bruins the more teams involved in trading for Ullmark the bigger the return you would have to think …..
Ottawa’s interest in Ullmark is high, other clubs, including the Detroit Red Wings, are still in the goalie market. With Ullmark being the last big fish on the trade market, it would not be too shocking if the Red Wings stepped up their efforts to acquire him.
Wings should only be interested in Ullmark if his NTC allows him to be traded to at least half of the league, for when and if Cossa comes up.
Joe, above quote says “Steve Yzerman saying he’s not interested in acquiring an older goaltender who might be a short-term fix. If Yzerman were interested in Ullmark, Friedman thinks he’d want him signed to an extension.”
I think ANY GM looking at Ullmark would need to think that way.
From reports around Ullmark says he’s willing to sign a new contract to team he’s willing to go to …
That is not what Stevie’s track record suggests. He has gambled on younger goalies coming off a good year, signing them to 2-3 yr contracts.
Rangers also need to decide if Mika is truly their number 1 center.
Drury decided that 2 years ago when he gave him a full nmc for 8 years
I think that was a bad decision. He may have to rethink that move.
Zib had 6 points vs Canes before Burns broke his stick on his back. i give him a partial pass for the Florida series