THW Daily - Reasons to Watch Blackhawks Without Connor Bedard & Goaltender Trade Targets for Devils Not Named John Gibson
Also, reports on Nylander's contract asking price, burning questions for the Avalanche & more
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In today’s edition, we have reasons to watch the Blackhawks without Connor Bedard, the trade targets for the Devils in net, reports on Nylander’s contract asking price, and much more.
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Yesterday’s Scores…
Is William Nylander Justified in Asking for $11.25 Million Contract?
January 7, 2024 by The Old Prof
By all reports, it appears that the contract talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander are going hot and heavy. If what we are hearing is correct from TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger who joined OverDrive to discuss Nylander’s ongoing contract discussions, the numbers that started lower in the summer have now moved higher to somewhere in the neighbourhood of $11.5 million-plus on an eight-year deal. If so, that would be the richest contract in the history of the Maple Leafs.
As cited in Bleacher Report, Dreger believes an eight-year extension could go as high as $11.5 million per year. As he noted Wednesday (Jan. 3) on TSN 1050, “I don’t doubt for a second that it is top priority for the Maple Leafs to get this guy extended. It’s getting to the place where I think he can appreciate as a star player, he’s likely earned it.”
3 Reasons to Watch the Blackhawks Without Connor Bedard
January 7, 2024 by Jim Bay
After the news broke on Saturday (Jan 6) that the Chicago Blackhawks placed Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno on the IR, I had a few choice expletive-filled comments regarding it. Upon hearing that, my wife commented, “Well, I guess there is no reason to watch the Blackhawks for a while.” I thought about that for a while before realizing she was incorrect. While it is true that watching Bedard has been the main attraction of watching Blackhawk hockey, his presence did not translate to a great deal of production from the team.
Entering Sunday’s (Jan 7) game against the Calgary Flames, the Blackhawks were 31st in the NHL in scoring, 31st in shots on goal, 29th on the power play, and 28th in shooting percentage. While this sounds like a case not to watch while Bedard is out, it is actually an opportunity to see what happens in Chicago while the 18-year-old recovers from his fractured jaw.
Hyman Labeled One of Great Free-Agent Signings in Past Decade
January 7, 2024 by Jim Parsons
The controversial and often extremely biased social account Editor in Leaf said when Zach Hyman left the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2022 that the Edmonton Oilers had just signed one of the worst free-agent signings in NHL history. Talk about one of your all-time terrible takes. The post (since removed, but living on in infamy via screen shots from fans) is gaining attention again because Hyman scored another hat trick on Saturday night in the Oilers 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.
In the account’s defense, when that wildly-inaccurate post was published, it seems clear that feelings were hurt and there was some lashing out going on. Anyone could see, even if you wanted to argue it was a slight overpay at the time, the deal Edmonton signed Hyman to wasn’t anything close to the worst free-agent signing in history. Hyman had been a useful player in Toronto and the Leafs wanted to keep him. They would have signed him for close to, if not the same money, had he wanted to stay.
3 Burning Questions for the Avalanche in 2024
January 7, 2024 by Kerry Collins
It’s been an interesting season for the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs were very busy with plenty of moves before the season, haven’t had captain Gabriel Landeskog for even one game, and have seen Nathan MacKinnon somehow take his offensive game to an even higher stratosphere.
With roughly half the season left, their eyes are still on a familiar prize – the Stanley Cup. However, there are plenty of question marks surrounding the club. The Avalanche are still dealing with some injuries, and have battled some inconsistent play. The calendar turned to 2024, and here’s a look at three burning questions for the Avs through the remainder of the season.
Goalies Not Named John Gibson for the Devils to Target
January 6, 2024 by JP Gambatese
It’s no secret that the New Jersey Devils have a major goaltending issue. In 2023-24, the Devils have one of the most potent offenses and, at worst, a league-average defense, and yet, as of Jan. 5, they sit at 16th in the NHL with a 20-14-2 record. As predicted Cup contenders, this season has been quite disappointing, though most of the blame can be put on the Devils’ goaltending. Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid simply have not cut it this year, and it’s cost the team a good chunk of points.
Their team save percentage of .879 is the worst in the NHL, which serves as a testament to how good this team can be if they acquire even a league-average goalie. Another issue pertaining to Gibson is his contract. Being that he’s been volatile, his $6.4 million cap hit for this and the next three seasons is a major risk. Finally, there’s the cost of acquisition. He’s previously been a top-three goalie in the NHL, and he’s been playing like it again this year. Pair that with a competitive goalie market, and it’s a recipe for a severe overpayment. With all this in mind, let’s take a look at some goalies other than Gibson that the Devils would be smart to consider trading for.
3 Trade Destinations for Flames’ Jacob Markstrom
January 7, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
Jacob Markstrom was fantastic once again on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 6), kicking aside 39 of the 42 shots he faced in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Such performances have become the norm for Markstrom, who has been arguably the league’s best goaltender since the start of December. Had it not been for Markstrom’s play, this game could have ended much worse for the Flames. They were outplayed from the get-go by the Flyers, with the final shots ending up 42-24 in favour of head coach John Tortorella’s squad.
With how well Markstrom has played lately, trade rumours have begun surfacing about him. The Flames are expected to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline and would likely garner a significant return for the 33-year-old netminder. Moving him would require some work, given that he has a cap hit of $6 million through the 2025-26 season, but it is far from impossible. If general manager Craig Conroy does elect to move him, these three teams would serve as great fits.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Edmonton Oilers - Oilers’ Trade Strategy May Shift if Holloway Succeeds at Center
Buffalo Sabres - Sabres’ Star Players Need to Have More Impact
Toronto Maple Leafs - Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Jones, Nylander & Defensive Symbiosis
NHL News & Rumors - Maple Leafs, Oilers, Flames, Red Wings
From TSN - Blackhawks acquire Pitlick from Penguins
From Sportsnet - The 'net front man': Oilers' Hyman keeps finding creative ways to score
From ESPN - PWHL game sets attendance record for women's ice hockey
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