Latest NHL Buzz
1. The year of what will John Tavares do?
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It’s going to be one of the top storylines for the 2017-2018 and is one of the closest situations a number of General Managers have their eyes glued on.
The New York Islanders’ star center is best friends with Steven Stamkos and the talk has been out there for years that if Tavares left New York, it would be to team up with Stamkos, wherever he’d be playing.
Whether that comes to fruition next July remains to be seen but what multiple NHL executives believe what Tavares will likely do is not sign an extension with the Islanders this season and take the Steven Stamkos route of going into the free agent interview period and then deciding what to do.
Stamkos met with Toronto, Buffalo and San Jose during the free agent interview period in June 2016 before deciding to resign with Tampa Bay prior to July 1.
Franchise players don’t hit the free agent market and not often the caliber of a player such as Tavares would ever hit the trade block.
General Managers who believe they could be a destination that interests Tavares intend to be very cautious with their cap space this season to not close any doors on Tavares becoming a target, were he to become available by the deadline or in the summer.
Montreal is one of those clubs and there are a number of others.
Chatter in league circles is the San Jose Sharks are a club that is confident they will be one of the select clubs Tavares will be open to playing for if he tests the market and are a strong possibility to get a seat at the table during the interview process if Tavares takes the expected Stamkos route and meets with teams next June before deciding his Islanders future.
There are a lot of if’s on the Tavares situation, who wouldn’t be leaving the Islanders because of money, and even the defending Stanley Cup champion [hide] Pittsburgh Penguins who are in position to open the season with some rare cap space that could grow as the season progresses, have had the internal To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
2. Biggest test for Sabres GM Jason Botterill in Year one?
Getting Jack Eichel locked up to a new extension for under $10 million a season. Rival executives have put the over-under at $10.5 million, where the thinking around the league seems to be it will be a big win for first year GM if he can get Eichel to sign for a deal that’s under $10 million.
It’s not that a lot of hockey folks believe Eichel is a $10 million + a year player, but The Eichel camp has put a $10.5-$11 million a year asking price on Eichel since talks began in July.
Buffalo is more in the $8.5 million neighborhood.
At the end of the day, the sense around the league is even by over-paying, Botterill has to get this done.
2. The Phoenix Coyotes addition of Jason Demers this month has first year Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet in position to ice a pretty good d-corps with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Demers, Alex Goligoski, Nick Hjalmarsson, Luke Scheen, Jakob Chychrun.
Tocchet isn’t going into a dire situation and what many had been wondering with Arizona before opening night is whether Jaromir Jagr would be wearing a Coyotes jersey.
The Jagr camp has had deep talks with the Coyotes this month and the Coyotes are one of three teams the agent Petr Svoboda has tried to strike a deal with but the momentum now looks back to Calgary or nobody for Jagr as the Flames and Jagr are getting there and could have a deal done by Tuesday.
4. As one league sources puts it, the Penguins have told other clubs the ‘ship has sailed’ on them trying to get in the mix for center To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
5. The Penguins view their second line left winger situation as one of what will be a revolving door.
There is an appetite to still appease Evgeni Malkin and bring in someone he wants to play with.
It had the Penguins giving strong thought to signing Danis Zaripov this month.
Another name to watch as the season progresses.
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You think D will wait till sam finds out about the trade before we get an “Instant Buzz”?
Pouliot to Vancouver for Andrey Pedan and a 4th. Should’ve drafted Forsberg.
How lucky is Pouliot, getting a chance to play with McDavid???!
HA! lol
Kind of weird… I mean I know his value is the shits but I was expecting him to be used as a trade chip for a 3C
Especially considering he was on waivers the other day
Same with this year’s first rounder.
Subban to vegas .mr stain
I have twitter, too, chubby.
Detroit must be proud with their new David Booth the other day
This Athanasiou thing is absurd…Holland doesnt have the fucking team for him to be playing hardball with one of his better assets but that asset doesnt quite have the numbers to justify much more than what they offered. JR paper this fucken kid give them a 2nd for the 3C and let Detroit rot
Doesn’t he have the exact type of team where you can play hardball with this guy? They’re going to miss the playoffs badly with or without him – no need to overpay a tertiary piece.
I dunno, if you are loaded with piss poor assets and run the risk of damaging the relationship to the point a potentially solid player will bail, this year to the K and potentially want out when he returns. He is young and could be an asset to hold as they try to rebuild… eventually. The offer is 1.9 per, the K has offered 2.5. While I wouldnt go right to the 2.5 I could see Athanasiou wanting at least 2-2.1 type a thing and is asking the Detroit GM to budge. It basically the exact dollar amount they would… Read more »
I would say their unwillingness to budge answers that question – they view him as a depth guy, that had one good year. Honestly, if this keeps Riley Sheahan away, i hope it carries on the way it is.
Not a fan? I know the risks are high but he apparently had a strong preseason and there is a question as to how he would look as a depth guy himself vs what they hoped he would be in Detroit.
I’m not a fan of Sheahan, no.
Welp… looking at the teams cap issues over the next 3 years and the NTCs given to some guys that have no business having them I would wager Holland doesnt understand asset management anymore lol. What a shit show, he is trying to retain a kid with actual value at a price that is roughly low-six figures below the ask while he had about 5-6 guys at 3 years or longer that are just not worth the money. He has picked a fine time to attempt a market correction lol
Worst day ever. Stuck in Canada and Tom Petty died. Throw in Las Vegas too, worst mass shooting in US history, until the next one.
How the fuckk did cross to Canada. Oh forgot Trudeau let’s in any jobless fat slobs crossing the border. Thanks to clowns like zeroTool voting for him
Irony is I have a great job while you live off your mother and welfare money passed on by my province taken from my cheques… #didcrossto
Because they let anyone in there who doesn’t have a DUI – what’s the risk? Nobody is stealing your maple syrup and horrible BO, sam.
Records were made to be broken.
RIP Tom Petty.
I was waiting for Sam to tell us on Wednesday.
It’s still a strong possibility he may
Apparently on life support. One of my favorite muscians ever 🙁
I know sad news.
Saw him a couple times. Always put on a great show. You could tell he put everything into it. Glad I had the luxury and will always listen to his stuff.
I blame Trump
Just for you shitstain Jagr to flames 1 year 1 m
per Dave Pagnotta
Nop it was Ian McLaren. Now go back to your part time miserable job and make some donuts you fat boy
Zinger sammich… but you were dead in the water before launch lol
“stanchion 4 hours 9 minutes ago
Sounds like Jagr to Calgary is close to done, per Bob McKenzie (sam – feel free to report the same thing 48 hours from now).”
God is your fat asss obsessed with donuts. I do get a good chuckle when you make these comments in one breath and then ask mommy for a $20 bill to go to the movies in the next, Fatty McFatt Fatt
Buckeye Donuts
10m range for Jackasss eichel with what proven track record? As for Duchene pens were out long time ago on him. Sens are front runner for him. Hopefully they can get rid of their fraud #9. For Duchene
Hey guys – sam talked to his inside sources – Pens were out a long time ago (must have been posted on thefourthperiod.com somewhere and the rest of us missed it).
Well, we know for sure that the Sens won’t get Eichel.
Is it just me or it it starting to feel like sams favourites are:
1. Montreal
2. Ottawa
3. Pittsburgh circa 2005?
Better than giving Price 10.5 million a year. He’ll never win anything as long as he’s with Montreal.
Well… he had 24 goals and 33 assists in 61 games last year. He improved a lot after spending a large part early on the shelf. This includes 10 goals and 23 points in his last 20 games. Over a full year he would have netted 32 goals and 77 points which is tied for the 9th highest goal total and tied him with Draisaitl in scoring. now you have to consider how strong he got as the season went on, his totals could have continued to jump. He is their franchise and capable of possibly 80 points at least… Read more »
Jimmy Murphy would disagree that the ship has sailed on Duchene. Said ask was Pouliot + 1st. Why didn’t Pens take that?
Well, first and foremost, because it’s going to take more than that. Colorado didn’t wait around a year and a half because nobody would offer them the equivalent of Derrick Pouliot and a 1st round pick. Additionally, the Penguins couldn’t make that deal as it stands now, as it’d put them over the cap by a cool $3M.
Agreed but you could move a Hagelin or Hornqvist contract pretty easily. I also wouldn’t blink at trading Maatta. Seems like there was a deal to be done and Pens didn’t do it.
What would you fill the nice hole left by Maatta with?
Orange pylon
He’s no Archibald.
Guess they should just blow it up then…
If Maatta is back to his old form he will be good this year. The kid has had a tough couple of seasons
…and Maatta! JR offered a 1st, Sprong & Maatta and that wasn’t enough bc Sakic views Olli as a 5th,6th Dman. He probably wanted an addi pick!
…and it’s not clear if Sakic would keep any salary!
Sounds like Jagr to Calgary is close to done, per Bob McKenzie (sam – feel free to report the same thing 48 hours from now).
Makes me happy, I have rode the emotional rollercoaster that is Jagr for a long time. I eased on my second round of Jagr hate after the attempted blackmail by the Czech model lol… It would have been sad to see the career end like it looked like it was going to there
I still don’t like the guy, given how he left here – but he belongs on a roster. The fact that it’s taken this long is shameful. ANd the fact that a knuckledragger like Ryan Reaves is playing wing in the league while Jagr is looking for a job is shameful.
Luke Scheen. Charlie’s brother.
LOL, were the Penguins every seriously looking at Duchene though? The price Sakic seems to be asking and the cost of holding him are both outrageous and would simply lead to other holes on the roster. It always seemed like there was a lot more interest from fans and the media than a feeling that the Pens were making any real inquiries outside just gauging how insane Sakic is.
I disagree with this – and that’s coming from someone that A) thinks Duchene is highly overrated not only by Sakic, but people in general, and B) had no real interst in him being here. But I’ve read far too many independent sources over the course of several months to think they weren’t at least seriously inquiring – and they keep popping up – Jimmy Murphy has been talking about it for weeks recently – Friedge in the past – they clearly were / are “in the mix.”
I generally saw the connection on the hockey writers and myNHLtrade rumours more than anywhere else. It’s why I dismissed them as more fan blogger shit. I just assumed there was a lot of chatter with the Pens involved moreso due to Rutherfords willingness to make the big deal and that Pittsburgh was the sexy location for Duchene.
Yeah – I don’t get why they think it makes sense here (they being the Penguins), but they clearly had interest – too many reliable sources over the course of far too many months confirm them poking around.