THW Daily - Hart Trophy Longshots & Latest on William Nylander Negotiations
Also, why the Oilers shouldn't trade for Conor Garland, Bruins' worst-case scenarios & more
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have Hart trophy longshots, the latest on the Leafs’ negotiations with William Nylander, a possible trade partner for the Habs, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
Yesterday’s NHL Scores…
Rangers’ Risky Jonathan Quick Decision Realized in Preseason
October 11, 2023 by Tom Castro
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, the tired old cliche goes. Cliches are cliches because they’re boring and overused. And they’re overused because they tend to be true.
With the New York Rangers’ season set to start Oct. 12 against the Buffalo Sabres, they’re about to find out just how much this adage applies to them when it comes to their backup goaltending situation – and the offseason decision to go in a different direction from what worked in 2022-23.
4 Longshots for the 2023-24 Hart Trophy
October 11, 2023 by Stephen Ground
A player outside of Canada hasn’t won the Hart Trophy since Nikita Kucherov won it in 2018-19. And if the favorites this year win it again — Connor McDavid (+100) or Austin Matthews (+1000) — then that will remain true for at least another season. But there’s plenty of talent in the NHL to go around, and plenty of teams looking for a most valuable player this season.
While McDavid might be the best player in the world, Matthews might be the best goal-scorer in the NHL, and Connor Bedard might be the most talked-about player this season, there are plenty of other players who could supplant them in winning the Hart Trophy. In this article, we’ll look at four of the best “longshot” bets (using these odds), limiting our scope to players ranked +2000 or more, trying to make the case for why each has a legitimate chance to win this coveted trophy.
Oilers Should Avoid Trading for Conor Garland
October 11, 2023 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The Edmonton Oilers start their season today (Oct. 11), and that means they’ve finally completed the finishing touches on what will be their opening night roster in a matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. Speaking of the Canucks though, a report came out on Tuesday (Oct. 10) stating that Conor Garland had been granted permission to speak with other teams around the NHL in an effort to help him facilitate a trade. Coming off of a solid season offensively and proving he can play sound defensively, he is still a good player and should get some interest around the league.
Garland can play both right and left wing, and that makes him a bit more valuable. When the Canucks do eventually trade him to a new team, they will likely be able to get a mid-round draft pick and a minor-league player in return. If the Oilers were interested, due to their lack of cap space, they’d have to get rid of someone with a cap hit that equals whatever Garland’s is after retention. This would likely be either Warren Foegele, Brett Kulak, or Cody Ceci, who all shouldn’t be moved for him.
Insiders Optimistic About Maple Leafs & Nylander Negotiations
October 11, 2023 by Peter Baracchini
It’s not easy to be the general manager of a new hockey team with a long list of things to do in order to work the phones and put together a roster. Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has been extremely busy since he was hired but has so far exceeded expectations in regards to what he has been able to accomplish in such a short time.
He signed a number of key free agents, he re-signed head coach Sheldon Keefe and locked up his franchise player in Auston Matthews. Since then, the shift has focussed to what lies in store for forward William Nylander as he’s looking for an extension himself. There has been a sense of nervous tension when it comes to Nylander’s contract as history shows. However, with some recent development, there could be a reason why fans could be optimistic that things won’t get to a worst-case scenario for Nylander. This could be the first bit of good news overall with this talking point.
Boston Bruins’ 5 Worst-Case Scenarios for 2023-24
October 11, 2023 by Scott Roche
The Boston Bruins begin the 2023-24 regular season at the TD Garden against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night (Oct. 11) with more questions than answers. An offseason of change saw franchise centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire and general manager (GM) Don Sweeney decided to fill their spots internally.
As the Bruins open the season against former teammates Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno along with first overall pick of the 2023 Entry Draft Connor Bedard, this season can go in many different ways. Recently I wrote a piece for the five best-case scenarios for the Black and Gold this season and here are five worst-case scenarios for Jim Montgomery’s team.
Canadiens Can Meet Blue Jackets Trade Needs
October 11, 2023 by Blain Potvin
The Montreal Canadiens enter the 2023-24 season with low expectations, but they are higher than those at the start of last season. So relatively speaking, more is expected of the club. Not just from the fans, but also from the general manager (GM) Kent Hughes. Like any other GM, Hughes is going to look for any move that can improve the team, especially in the long term.
Enter the Columbus Blue Jackets. As a whole, they were woeful last season, and the organization seemed embarrassed by the outcome. They suffered significant injuries over the season that they were unable to recover from in the standings. This season, their GM, Jarmo Kekalainen, has made a significant push to improve the club. Both teams are looking to improve, and both have assets that could help each other do just that.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Winnipeg Jets - 5 Keys to Winnipeg Jets Success in October
Calgary Flames - Breaking Down the Calgary Flames’ 2023-24 Roster
NHL News & Rumors - Oilers, Maple Leafs, Canucks, Bruins, Flyers
From TSN - Blackhawks rookie Bedard scores first NHL goal
From Sportsnet - Sabres sign Owen Power to seven-year, $58.45M deal
From ESPN - Knights' Brett Howden suspended 2 games for check to head
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