NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche

Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The 2022-23 regular season has 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’s edition of NHL Rumors, we will take a look at the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Colorado Avalanche.

Edmonton Oilers – Jack Campbell

Rumor: Per – Frank Seravalli – dailyfaceoff.com. The Edmonton Oilers will likely move Stuart Skinner into the starting role and place newly-signed Jack Campbell in a backup slot until he finds his game.

Would sending Jack Campbell to the AHL benefit the Edmonton Oilers?!

Campbell & the Pacific Division goalies discussed on the latest DFO Rundown with @JasonGregor & @frank_seravalli

🍎: https://t.co/lCjN8pZ6Fc
🟢: https://t.co/qDsSBlNwUm pic.twitter.com/WCxIi1YeDi

— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) December 2, 2022

When one considers the stats of Campbell this season compared to his career numbers, it’s pretty obvious he is playing at an all-time low. Over his eight-year career, he holds a 78-45-14 record. His .912 save percentage and 2.67 goals-against-average numbers are why the Oilers signed him as a free agent in July. Yet, this season he seems to be lost. He carries a dismal 7-6 record with a terrible .872 save percentage, only to be paired with a mediocre 4.12 goals-against-average.

An option would be to send Campbell to the AHL, but that could destroy his already injured confidence level. It really wouldn’t accomplish anything, yet as a backup to Stuart Skinner, he won’t be able to play himself out of his funk. It’s a wicked situation. The Oilers, who have had goalie issues in the past, thought that was all solved when they signed Campbell.

Perhaps the more central issue may be the defense in general. The Oilers allow 3.58 goals a game, ranking them 24th in the league. Their offense with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is exceptional. Maybe what they need is to look at trading for a defenseman like Jakob Chychrun. Since his return from injury, he has three goals and three assists in six games. A deal proposed by Rob Couch of thehockeywriters.com includes Philip Broberg and/or Evan Bouchard along with Jesse Puljujarvi and a first-round draft pick for Chychrun. Two Edmonton scouts were spotted at the Arizona Coyotes vs Calgary Flames game recently.

Something needs to be done. The Oilers who went to the Western Conference Final last season are floundering with a 14-12 record while just barely a wild-card team.

Vancouver Canucks – Brock Boeser

Rumor: Per – montrealhockeynow.com. Montreal Canadiens ideal suitor for Brock Boeser in a potential trade.

Now that he has requested a trade, should the Canadiens explore the possibility of trading for Brock Boeser?

It would take some salary cap gymnastics, but Boeser could make a positive impact on the #Habs rebuild.

Here’s how: https://t.co/MnFLyVDqXX

— Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) December 4, 2022

After an insensitive head coaching decision by Bruce Boudreau, the Canucks have decided to allow his agent to pursue a trade. With a variety of teams who may have interest, many may not be able to afford the three-year $6.65 million AAV contract he just signed. One team may be the Montreal Canadiens. They only have about $2.5 million in cap space, so some adjustments would need to be made.

Boeser has not played exceptionally well with just four goals and 16 points in 20 games. His less-than-desirable defensive play may be an issue. He sits last in the team’s +/- statistic with a -14. The Habs could offer players like veterans like Josh Anderson, Jonathan Drouin, Sean Monahan, Evgenii Dadonov, Christian Dvorak, and Mike Hoffman. Boeser is still only 25 years old and could mold right into the Montreal rebuild.

It would seem a change of scenery may do well for Boeser… sort of a fresh start, and what better place to do that than with the Canadiens? Let’s face it, the Canucks are a very unstable team and organization right now.

Around Full Press Hockey

NHL: Preseason Takeaways: New-Look Jets Have Much to Prove

NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers

NHL: NHL Training Camp Preview: Can Sharks, Blues Return To Cup Contender Status?

NFL: Best Bets For 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year

Full Press Bets: Early 2022 NFL MVP Odds: Bills’ Josh Allen Favored

PODCAST: Full Press Hockey Weekly Ep 38: NHL Season Preview: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Johnny Gaudreau

Colorado Avalanche – Nathan MacKinnon

Rumor: Per – Elliotte Friedman – sportsnet.ca. With the recent injury to MacKinnon, will the Avs be forced to find another forward?

While appearing on the Jeff Marek show, Friedman stated: “You could probably go out and get a Chris Tierney or something like that…I think at some point they will take a big swing whether it’s Jonathan Toews or Bo Horvat.” Of course, it all depends on how long MacKinnon could be out. After a big hit from the Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton, MacKinnon was in pain. He attempted to go on, but when he took a shot, the pain forced him to exit the game in the first period.

Here's the footage Altitude showed pertaining to Nathan MacKinnon's injury#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/azomltxUgw

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) December 6, 2022

The Avalanche have had their share of injuries to the forward lines. While they may not want to panic to replace MacKinnon, they are down quite a few players to even be competitive at this point.

The injury list grows for the defending Stanley Cup champions. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/jfAAH7vc7X

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) December 6, 2022

Keep a close eye on our coverage here at Full Press Hockey, as NHL rumors may be flying soon. The Avs have been linked in rumors concerning Jonathan Toews. He would be an excellent addition to the club if they could pull it off. MacKinnon carries a $6.3 million cap hit and if he goes on LTIR, that money becomes available.

**UPDATE: 

COL to be without Nathan MacKinnon (upper body) for approximately 4 weeks

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 7, 2022

That does it for this edition of NHL rumors. Be sure to catch our next article, and as always, thanks for reading!