THW Daily - Bruins’ Contract Extension Candidates & Corey Perry Considering Signing With Oilers
Also, the success of the Canucks front office in turning the team around, why Maple Leafs aren't currently good enough to be buyers & more
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In today’s edition, we have a few contract extension candidates for the Bruins, why Corey Perry is considering signing with the Edmonton Oilers, more on the success of the Canucks, and much more.
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Check Out Some THW Premium Substack Content:
Vancouver Canucks: Canucks Prospect Report: Brzustewicz, Bains, Bloom & More by Matthew Zator
St. Louis Blues: Blue Note Weekly Audio Report: Blues Continue To Play Well in Tough Stretch of Opponents by Ethan Carter
Detroit Red Wings: Red Wings Prospect Check-In: Cossa Settling In & ASP Injured & Red Wings Weekly Recap: Third Line Gets Rolling for Red Wings by Jordan Orth
Tampa Bay Lightning: Lightning Prospect Check-In: Goncalves Earns Call-Up & Huuhtanen Hot to Start January by Jordan Orth
Chicago Blackhawks: Blackhawks: Dickinson & Foligno Signings Mean More than Points by Brooke LoFurno
Prospects & Draft: Reacting to the NHL's Midterm Rankings by Dayton Reimer
Check Out THW’s Professional Women’s Hockey League Coverage
Welcome to the THW Professional Women's Hockey League Substack
Introducing THW's Professional Women's Hockey League Substack Coverage
Yesterday’s Scores…
Canucks Front Office is Responsible for Team’s Turnaround
January 18, 2024 by Scott Clarke
As of Jan. 18, 2024, the Vancouver Canucks sit third in the NHL in points percentage, something that a majority of Canucks fans wouldn’t have even fathomed before the season began. There’s been loads of credit passed around to head coach Rick Tocchet, star players like Elias Pettersson and Thatcher Demko and even depth pieces, too.
However, the real stars of the Canucks first half of the season are president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and general manager (GM) Patrik Allvin.
Allvin and Rutherford both took the Canucks job in January 2022, and since then turned the franchise around, making the Canucks Stanley Cup contenders just two seasons later. Let’s see how they’ve done it.
Bruins’ Top Extension Candidates at Second Half of 2023-24
January 18, 2024 by Michael DeRosa
The Boston Bruins are officially in the second half of their season, having played 43 games at the time of this writing. So far, it is safe to call the 2023-24 campaign a success, as they have a 26-8-9 record and are at the top of the Atlantic Division. Given how the club has played, it is quite possible they will look to keep around a few of their pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) past this season. Therefore, contract extensions could certainly be on the agenda, so let’s discuss the three top candidates who could receive one now.
Maple Leafs Aren’t Good Enough to be Trade Deadline Buyers
January 18, 2024 by Peter Baracchini
When the calendar flipped to 2024, things were starting to look up for the Toronto Maple Leafs after ending 2023 on a low note. They swept their California road trip and dismantled the San Jose Sharks when they returned home, getting four straight wins in the process. After an average season with ebbs and flows, this was the kind of play many expected the team to have.
Then came the next stretch of games.They were up 3-1 on the New York Islanders and ended up losing 4-3 in overtime. They had a scorching start, going up 3-0 in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche. Then the Avalanche scored five unanswered goals. The Detroit Red Wings showed up two hours before their game because of weather issues. Instead of taking advantage of the situation and building off a 2-1 lead, the Maple Leafs lost it in the third, losing 4-2. The Maple Leafs seem to continue to never learn their lesson. They’re their own worst enemy right now and their play isn’t helping their case to make moves ahead of the trade deadline.
Blues Defense Could Be Wildly Different Next Season
January 18, 2024 by Ethan Carter
Over the past few seasons, the most maligned part of the St. Louis Blues has been their defensive unit, and rightly so. General manager Doug Armstrong has struggled to fix the unit since the departure of Alex Pietrangelo before the 2020-21 season. Losing players like Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Vince Dunn, and others has affected the potency of the unit.
There has been improvement in some areas of the blue line this season, but the unit still lacks the necessary consistency needed to win and make the playoffs. It would be wise for Armstrong to use the offseason to find avenues in fixing the unit and making it more flexible overall. Let’s dive into what it could look like in 2024-25.
Corey Perry Considering Signing With Edmonton Oilers
January 18, 2024 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
This season, the Edmonton Oilers have gone from the bottom of the league standings to fighting their way back into a Western Conference Wild Card spot. Recently, there was more good news, as the team has been connected to veteran forward Corey Perry. It has been reported the 38-year-old is interested in signing with the club.
Perry was recently given NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s permission to return to the league, making him free to sign with any team. His contract was terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this season following an incident they deemed detrimental to the organization and violated their code of conduct. With permission to return, several teams will likely be interested in his services. In 16 games with the Blackhawks before being terminated, Perry scored four goals and added five assists for nine points and was minus-5.
Marc-Andre Fleury Seen as Mentor for Oilers’ Skinner in Trade Talk
January 18, 2024 by Jim Parsons
According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, there are a handful of teams waiting for the Minnesota Wild to be out of the playoff picture so they can call Bill Guerin and make a trade pitch for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. That trade might never materialize if the Wild make the postseason or Fleury doesn’t want to be moved, but should they and he be open to a deal, the Oilers make a lot of sense.
In a recent chat on the Got Yer’ Back podcast, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, Mike Johnson and Pierre LeBrun on the possibility of Fleury being dealt before the trade deadline, listing potential landing spots for him and what role he could play. When Rishaug asked LeBrun to expand a bit on his article, LeBrun did and said a number of teams would have interest. Among them, “Go in there and be a mentor and a great insurance to Stuart Skinner in Edmonton,” the NHL insider suggested. He mentioned Carolina could use the same and New Jersey could use a goalie, period.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Toronto Maple Leafs - Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Nylander, Tavares & the Postseason
Carolina Hurricanes - Hurricanes Should Add Kasimir Kaskisuo for Goalie Stability
New York Rangers - Rangers’ Trade Deadline Will Be Dictated By Filip Chytil’s Health
NHL News & Rumors - Oilers, Jets, Senators, Canucks
From TSN - Wild captain Spurgeon to miss rest of season
From Sportsnet - NHL Power Rankings: A look at where each coach stands
From ESPN - Red Wings: Patrick Kane lower-body injury not related to hip
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