NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators

Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The 2022-23 season is over, and players and front offices will be evaluated. Now, the focus shifts toward the new season.

This Wednesday’s edition of NHL Rumors will examine the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and the Nashville Predators.

NHL rumors in this edition include:

Will adding Brett Pesce make the Maple Leafs unstoppable? Three players the Red Wings may target as trade candidates. Is Tyson Barrie done in Nashville?

Toronto Maple Leafs – Brett Pesce

Rumor: Per – Tristin McKinstry – clutchpoints.com. One trade the Maple Leafs must make ahead of 2023-24 NHL season.

The Maple Leafs added such players as Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, and John Klingberg. Most everyone feels they are not done yet, even with limited cap space. Being nearly $3 million over the cap limit could be challenging, but the Leafs always manage to circumvent it. They could be looking to move such players as William Nylander ($6.9M), Nicholas Robertson ($796,667) , or Matt Murray ($4.69M), who all have expiring contracts after the upcoming season.

One player they have their eye on is Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes. He would definitely give the Toronto club some better options on the blueline, where they need to improve. Pesce could be teamed with Jake McCabe on their second blueline unit. He is a shutdown-type defenseman and a player who could help the Leafs surge toward a Cup.

McKinstry floats the name of Conor Timmins as a possible return, although the Canes will want more than that. The Maple Leafs are low on draft picks as of the eight they will have next year, five are in the 5th or later rounds. That means a prospect and Timmins may need to be included to make a deal work.

In any case, adding Pesce to the Leafs’ lineup would give them that defenseman they’ve been missing in past seasons.

Detroit Red Wings – Three players who could be traded

Rumor: Per – Rob Couch – nhltraderumors.me. The Red Wings have improved in the offseason, but maybe there are still some changes to be made.

To be in the playoff hunt during the upcoming 2023-24 season, the Red Wings may look at moving some players to improve their roster. These three players could find themselves packing for a new home.

• Shayne Gostisbehere – With the addition of Jeff Petry recently, it seems the Wings are overstaffed on the blueline. Gostisbehere signed for one year at $4.13 million and could be an attractive trade candidate for a contending team at the deadline. He runs the power play with the best of them and is more of an offensive-minded D-man. He would definitely bring in offers from other teams if the Wings decide to move him.
• David Perron – If the Red Wings are in the selling mode by the deadline, Perron becomes a perfect rental player for a contender. Even at 35, he still can play. Last season, he had 56 points, including 24 goals, so he is not ready to hang up his skates yet. He is, however, not going to be involved in a Red Wings youth movement, which is happening right now. That makes him a possible trade candidate.
• Daniel Sprong – He is an up-and-coming young player, and if the Red Wings are out of contention, he could be looked upon to be traded. After a successful season with the Seattle Kraken where he tallied 21 goals with 46 points, he signed as a free agent in Detroit. He may not get the opportunity to progress much with the Wings and could be moved.

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Nashville Predators – Tyson Barrie

Rumor: Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie was recently listed as a trade candidate by The Athletic. 

The Preds have a surplus of right-shooting defensemen, and Barrie is in the last year of his $4.5 million contract. He just turned 32, and his prime playing days may be dwindling. There are two teams where he could possibly be headed.

• Dallas Stars – The Stars need to improve the right side of their blueline and Barrie could certainly help. He could help out on the second pairing as well as the power play unit. The Stars were considering Matt Dumba before the Arizona Coyotes signed him and may still be in on adding Brett Pesce from the Carolina Hurricanes. So, it shouldn’t surprise many that they could also be interested in Barrie.
• Carolina Hurricanes – The Canes were in the running to acquire the grand prize of Erik Karlsson before the Pittsburgh Penguins grabbed him. If the Carolina club moves Pesce (*see above), then adding Barrie would be a no-brainer. His experience, as evidenced by his 768 career NHL games, could be what the Canes need. He also has dished out 172 power play assists. Keep a close eye on NHL rumors to see what happens to this veteran.

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