NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders

Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The NHL 2022-23 regular season games have begun and players will be evaluated. Now, with free agency moves mostly done, rumors are still around. Clubs are always working to improve their rosters for next season. Some teams are having difficulty creating enough cap space to make moves. Others are experiencing severe injuries to star players. Trade rumors/signings are still prevalent. In this Wednesday edition of NHL Rumors, we will take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and the New York Islanders.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Shaky Start

Rumor: Per – Steve Simmons – torontosun.com/James Mirtle – theathletic.com. The Maple Leafs 4-4-2 start to this season isn’t something to be taken lightly.

Simmons thinks that losing to the likes of the Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks could lead to some needed changes. The Toronto club has recorded a dismal 4-4-2 record placing them seventh in the Atlantic Division. Granted they started out slowly last season too but came roaring back to gather 115 points when it was all said and done.

Their schedule doesn’t help them in their efforts to shake off the early season blues. They must face the Philadelphia Flyers (5-2-2), Boston Bruins (9-1), Carolina Hurricanes 6-2-1), Vegas Golden Knights 9-2), and Pittsburgh Penguins (4-4-2).

Mirtle suggests the team may need a trade to get them out of their doldrums. He thinks GM Dubas could shop some of his underperforming players to free up more cap space. Justin Holl ($2 million), Pierre Engvall ($2.25 million), Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5 million) or Nicolas Aube-Kubel ($1 million) could be trade candidates, with bigger names perhaps becoming available if the losing continues. Given the Leafs need to address their puck-moving issues among their defensemen, Mirtle suggested Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun or Anaheim’s John Klingberg as possible options. Others included Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov, New Jersey’s Damon Severson or Arizona’s Shayne Gostisbehere.

If Jake Muzzin who is on LTIR remains there long-term, it will give Dubas $5.625 million to try to get some results. Losing doesn’t look good, especially in Toronto.

Ottawa Senators – Ottawa Senators Are For Sale

Rumor: Per – Steven Ellis – dailyfaceoff.com. According to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, the Ottawa Senators have retained New York-based investment bank Galatioto Sports Partners to help facilitate the sale of the team.

The Senators are owned by Olivia and Anna Melnyk, the daughters of Eugene Melynk who passed away in March. Garrioch also reported that the Melnyk daughters are taking their time doing due diligence before making any decisions. When things like this happen there are immediate rumors that the franchise could be moving. That is NOT the case here as the intention is to have the Sens stay in Ottawa.

The club is valued at $655 million but could sell for more than that. Their valuation is ranked 27th in the NHL. The organization’s business dealings are currently being conducted by the team’s president of business operations, Anthony LeBlanc, and CFO Erin Crowe. GM Pierre Dorion is handling the team’s hockey operations.

The Senators play at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, which is more than a 20-minute drive from downtown Ottawa. The team signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission and other investors this past summer to build a new downtown arena just west of Parliament Hill in LeBreton Flats.

Now with the “For Sale” out, will this off-ice drama cause the team to falter worse than their current 4-5 record with three straight losses? You’ll need to stay focused on the latest NHL rumors right here at Full Press Hockey.

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New York Islanders – Strong Week Paces the Team, But is There More?

Rumor: Per – Steven Rosner – nyihockeynow.com. “I have to tell you,” hockey insider Elliotte Friedman began. “Someone said to me they saw two Islanders people at a Vancouver game, and they were thinking, what could be going on here?”

“It’s so hard to tell with Lamoriello like you just have no idea what he’s up to,” Friedman said. “But at least now they can breathe a little bit. It was such a good week for him.”

Perhaps the New York Islanders are looking at a player like 26-year-old forward Conor Garland. He seems to be one of the few players on the Vancouver Canucks squad who has shown a pulse. He has three goals and two assists, playing in eight of the Canucks nine games.

The Canucks are off to a 2-5-2 start, and given how they have played, we could see Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford pull the plug sooner rather than later and start moving pieces. If the Islanders can take advantage of Vancouver’s lack of success in this early season, it can be assured that Lamoriello will be right there. A player like Garland can really supplement the sometimes meager offense the Isles display. With Garland in Bruce Boudreau‘s doghouse for some reason, we could see a trade get implemented.

That wraps up another edition of NHL rumors. Thanks for reading and be sure to catch our next article!