The Hockey Writers Daily - July 18, 2023
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In today’s edition we have a hypothetical trade between three teams for Nylander and Karlsson, the Devils strength with Toffoli, Sweeney’s to-do list in Boston, Wild players down to their last chance, a “way-too-early” trade deadline proposal for the Oilers, and much more.
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Trade Hypothetical: Nylander & Karlsson 3-Team Blockbuster
The Toronto Maple Leafs want to make a push and win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1967. After advancing to the second round last season, the player they are looking to add this offseason is defenseman Erik Karlsson, who just won the Norris Trophy. The problem is that if they make a move for the star defenseman, they will have to move out some players to open up salary cap space and reports suggest that William Nylander would be a vital part of any Karlsson trade.
The New York Islanders meanwhile are one of the teams that would love to add Nylander to their top six. They reached the playoffs last year but their offense struggled and they need a boost offensively to make a Cup run next year. Nylander is a free agent after next season but the Islanders would eagerly add him with the hopes that he puts a veteran-heavy roster over the top.
The San Jose Sharks meanwhile are heading in the opposite direction. They are looking to rebuild from the ground up and will look to accumulate draft assets and prospects to help them contend in the near future. As a result, they will look to trade Karlsson this summer, at his peak value.
Devils’ Offense Will Be More Lethal With Tyler Toffoli
In a league that’s growing more offensively oriented, it wasn’t a surprise to see New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald target more scoring this offseason. When Elliotte Friedman reported that the Calgary Flames had made Tyler Toffoli available for trade, he was the ideal trade candidate for the Devils. A few days later, the Devils acquired Toffoli from the Flames for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick.
Coming off a 34-goal, 73-point season, Toffoli will add quite a bit of value at his $4.25 million cap hit. But what will he actually provide to the Devils’ lineup this coming season? He’s a bit of a different player than they had on their roster beforehand and will add some new elements, but he’ll also give the Devils plenty more of what they had before acquiring him.
NHL Rumors: Blackhawks, Penguins, Oilers, Red Wings
In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Chicago Blackhawks have announced the official signing of Connor Bedard’s NHL entry-level contract. Why did they wait until today? Meanwhile, are the Pittsburgh Penguins calling the bluff of the San Jose Sharks? Are the Edmonton Oilers interested in Brett Pesce, and are the Detroit Red Wings looking at locking up either Moritz Seider or Lucas Raymond this summer?
Bruins’ Don Sweeney Still Has Much Work to Do
After the Boston Bruins 2022-23 historic season came to an abrupt end in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers, it was clear that this was going to be a big off-season for general manager (GM) Don Sweeney. With a large amount of restricted free agents (RFAs) and unrestricted free agents (UFAs), part of Sweeney’s work was to figure out who was staying and who was going.
Two and a half weeks into the new calendar and the 2023-24 NHL season, things have certainly changed for the Bruins looking ahead to the upcoming season, but the work for Sweeney is far from done.
3 Wild Players Possibly Facing Their Last Chances in 2023-24
It’s already been discussed who the three breakout candidates could be for the Minnesota Wild this upcoming season, now it’s time to talk about who is on their last chance with the team if they can’t prove themselves worthy of a new contract.
Teams change every year and while it’s hard to watch players go, it’s a necessary evil. These players are fan favorites but they have to find a way to become irreplaceable or they will be gone. We’ll take a quick look at who these players are and why they find themselves on this list.
A Way-Too-Early Vital Trade Deadline Deal Oilers Could Consider
Allan Mitchell of The Athletic recently wrote that the Edmonton Oilers — outside of getting Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod signed to new deals — are likely done making major moves this off-season. He then suggested that the next big moves would come in a few months when teams are finalizing their rosters ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. That’s probably the window to watch for Oilers fans.
Cody Ceci’s name has been out there and Holloway, Broberg, and Lavoie would be future pieces the Oilers might move for immediate playoff help, but Campbell’s inclusion here is interesting. That’s not so much because the Oilers wouldn’t move him if the right deal came along, but at the deadline, the right deal might present itself in a big way to GM Ken Holland.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Buffalo Sabres - Rebuild Can Take Lessons From Devils & Lightning
Columbus Blue Jackets - 2022-23 Rookies Give Some Hope for the Future
New York Rangers - Rick Nash’s Tenure With the Rangers Was Underrated
From TSN - Canucks counting on bolstered blueline
From Sportsnet - Blackhawks sign Bedard to entry-level contract on his 18th birthday
From the NHL - Canadiens seek continued improvement after adding Newhook to young core
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