NHL Rumors: Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, 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.

In this Sunday edition of NHL Rumors, we’ll examine the Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings and the Nashville Predators.

NHL rumors in this edition include:

Are the Boston Bruins interested in trading for Shane Pinto? What will the Kings mid-season goalie targets be? Should the Preds consider trading Dante Fabbro?

Ottawa Senators – Shane Pinto

Rumor: Per – Jimmy Murphy – bostonhockeynow.com. While the Sens are dragging their feet in signing the talented Pinto, the Bruins are standing in the wings for an opportunity.

The delayed signing of Pinto has other teams licking their chops in anticipation. You see, the Sens only have $895,953 of cap space. And even though they just signed Jake Sanderson to a huge eight-year $64.4 million contract, it doesn’t kick in until the 2024-25 season. The two parties are not close on what a new pact might be, but time is wasting. According to insider Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, “Whether Pinto, 22, will be signed before the club’s annual charity golf tournament on Sept. 19 remains anybody’s guess. General manager Pierre Dorion has held talks with his New York-based agent, Lewis Gross, but they haven’t led to a contract. The sense is the two sides have a significant gap to bridge. Both sides want to get something done so that Pinto is in camp, but the reality is he doesn’t have a lot of leverage, and it’s important for him to be there when players report for medicals.”

Pinto is ending a three-year, $2.7 million contract with a $925,000 salary cap hit. He tallied 20 goals and 15 assists in 82 games last season. He is just 22 years old and is not eligible for regular RFA rules since he hasn’t played enough games in the NHL. That limits his negotiation abilities and he can’t even be signed to an offer sheet. Unless GM Pierre Dorion can work some magic, he may need to trade the young center. And who needs a center these days? Oh yes, the Bruins do. They may dangle Fabian Lysell or Johnny Beecher as trade bait in a prospective trade for Pinto. Pinto may demand a contract in the $1M-$1.5M range.

Los Angeles Kings – Mid-season goalie targets

Rumor: Per – Rob Couch – nhltraderumors.me. If the Kings are expecting to advance further in the post-season, they may need a better goalie situation. 

We should know soon enough, and certainly by the trade deadline in early March, if the Kings will need to address their goalie situation. They failed to re-sign Joonas Korpisalo and instead re-signed Pheonix Copley and signed Cam Talbot. They also have David Rittich as their third-string goalie, and to tell you the truth, that may not cut the mustard. So, here are three possible goalie additions they may pursue by the trade deadline.

• Daniel Vladar – He really wants a chance to be a starter, and with Jacob Markstrom filling that role in Calgary, he’s pretty much out of luck. He earns a $2.2 million contract, and the Kings don’t have the cap space to pay that without making some moves. March is a long way off, and by then, GM Rob Blake will have a better idea if he needs to take action in between the pipes.
• Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – Another goalie in the same situation as Vladar, Luukkonen is the number-two guy since Devon Levi has clamped down the starter role. He will also be fighting for the backup role with Eric Comrie as he did last season. There’s only so much room in the crease, so he could be sent to LA if a deal can be worked out.
• Casey DeSmith – Ever since the Montreal Canadiens acquired him in the huge three-team trade involving Erik Karlsson going to the Pittsburgh Penguins, they have been attempting to move him. No luck yet, but there is plenty of time. He has some talent that the Kings could use. He possesses a career .912 save percentage along with a 2.81 goals-against-average. He could be the frontrunner for the Kings to acquire.

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Nashville Predators – Dante Fabbro

Rumor: Per – James Wilson – nhltraderumors.me. The Preds may look to move the former first-round pick by the trade deadline.

Fabbro is on a $2.5 million contract which expires after this upcoming season. He will need a $2.5M qualifying offer; if his performance is inadequate, he could be moved. Where might he go? The San Jose Sharks have emerged as a potential destination due to Fabbro’s history with his former college coach, Dan Quinn, now coaching the Sharks. He was a former first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

If he can collect more scoring plays like this, he will not be going anywhere.

DANTE FABBRO PICKS THE CORNER FOR HIS FIRST NHL GOAL!#Preds pic.twitter.com/v5b0nFdQ3D

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 7, 2019

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