NHL Rumors: Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers

Welcome to a special 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 special edition of NHL Rumors, we will take a look at the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and the Florida Panthers.

Chicago Blackhawks – Patrick Kane

Rumor: Per – Elliotte Friedman – sportsnet.ca. Patrick Kane linked to L.A. Kings. 

As the season progresses and the Los Angeles Kings have a goal to be in the playoffs again, they sit with an 11-9-2 record and could use a boost. They want to add a forward and Kane has control over where, or if he goes anywhere. He certainly wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to play for the Kings. if it happened. The Kings currently have the prospects to make a possible trade viable. Would the Kings part with 19-year-old defenseman Brandt Clarke? Tough to say, but acquiring a player of Kane’s caliber won’t come easily. He has 132 points in 136 playoff games. That production could catapult the Kings a long way.

Add in other prospects who could help a potential deal to go forward include Quinton Byfield, Jordan Spence and Helge Grans. It makes the Kings a top potential destination for the talented Patrick Kane. Will he be headed to the west coast soon? Be sure to stay tuned in right here with Full Press Hockey’s NHL rumors to learn the latest.

Vancouver Canucks – Bo Horvat

Rumor: Per – Frank Seravalli – dailyfaceoff.com. Let the bidding begin for Vancouver Canucks’ forward Bo Horvat.

Trade Targets 🎯 20 #NHL names in play – or soon to be – as we hit the quarter mark of the season.https://t.co/i0CCziRxNf

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 22, 2022

Horvat will certainly help whatever team he is heading to with stats like 16 goals and six assists in 20 games. Seravalli suggests four teams who could possibly land the productive forward.

• Colorado Avalanche – The Cup champs are sorely missing Nazem Kadri‘s production as a second-line center. They are also missing Valeri Nichushkin, due to injury. If some of Horvat’s salary can be retained, the Avs certainly must explore the possibility of adding a top scorer like Horvat.
• Detroit Red Wings – The Red Wings are improving at a good rate and adding Horvat to Dylan Larkin would assuredly help them going forward. They would want some guarantee that he would stay, so may ask for a sign-and-trade type of deal. This would give the Red Wings strong top-two center depth.
• Edmonton Oilers – The Oilers are definitely hurting without star forward Evander Kane in the lineup. If Horvat went to Edmonton they would have the top-two scoring centers in the NHL. Salary would need to be retained to allow the Oilers to swing a deal. This move, if consummated, would strengthen Edmonton’s chances of going for the Cup.
• Boston Bruins – The best team in the NHL this season may be looking to be even better. With the outlook of both David Krejci (36) and Patrice Bergeron (37) unclear, Horvat could come in and provide the depth needed to keep the Bruins in contention for a while. They are talented in net, on defense, and at forward. This would be an insurance policy to keep them in competition for a Cup.

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Florida Panthers – Anthony Duclair

Rumor: Per – Frank Seravalli – dailyfaceoff.com. A trade looms once Anthony Duclair returns, so who must go?

Ice Breakers 🧊🏒 Trade looming for #FlaPanthers as Anthony Duclair gets closer to returning.https://t.co/bC682fWvFG

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 22, 2022

According to Seravalli: “The Florida Panthers will have to make a move barring another injury, will have to make a trade, and I think if it’s not going to be Duclair, I think they might be able to find some value elsewhere, whether it’s Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, they have some different options. But it’s going to need to be someone that makes $3 million or more on their cap, and an important transaction to point out as some teams around the league begin to look at some vulnerable positions, the Florida Panthers certainly are in one.”

The only other option would be to unload Duclair for nothing and that’s not an option that is pleasing. Besides Bennett or Reinhart either Patric Hornqvist or Sergei Bobrovsky could be moved. Bobrovsky is signed through 2025-26 with a huge $10 million cap hit. The Panthers gave Spencer Knight a huge raise to the $4.5 million mark for three years beginning next season. That would mean the Panthers would have $14.5 million tied up in their goalies.

The other player who could be moved if Duclair isn’t would be Hornqvist since he is a free agent after this season ends. In order to move him, a sweetener would be needed to be added to attract another team.

That concludes this special edition of NHL rumors. Hopefully, all of our readers had an excellent Thanksgiving holiday. Check back for our Sunday article, and thanks for reading!