Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The focus has shifted toward the new season. Teams are always looking to improve, and the excitement of a new NHL season is upon us.
In this Wednesday edition of NHL Rumors, we’ll examine the Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, and Anaheim Ducks.
NHL rumors in this edition include:
Will the Habs try to trade Joel Armia with Conor Garland somehow involved? Two possible landing spots for Nate Schmidt. Which two teams could Frank Vatrano be traded to?
Montreal Canadiens – Joel Armia
Rumor: Per – David Pagnotta – thefourthperiod.com. Montreal Canadiens could broker a Conor Garland trade potentially involving Joel Armia.
The #GoHabsGo have recalled Joel Armia from the AHL. They tried trading him in the off-season, and word is they re-engaged in trade talks this week. We’ll see if any traction is gained. He’s got another year left on his deal at a $3.4M cap hit.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) October 21, 2023
Pagnotta appeared on TSN radio and stated“And anything more to what you tweeted over the weekend about Joel Armia in a potential move at some point?” Pagnotta: “I suspect those conversations will continue this week. I do know one team that they had spoken to were the Vancouver Canucks.”
Pagnotta went on to say, “And I suspect that, well I don’t suspect, I’m led to believe that Connor Garland was part of those discussions. Although I do not believe that Garland’s final spot would be Montreal. I think there was some word coming out last week, that there may be a third team that could get involved in the Conor Garland discussions and not necessarily from a salary retention perspective but maybe taking on a contract.” The San Jose Sharks could be the third team in using their cap space to barter some future assets.
Armia’s $3.4 million contract seems to be bothering the Habs, but taking on Garland’s $4.95 million through the 2025-26 is no walk in the park either. When a third team gets involved, it always complicates things. That’s not to say it won’t happen. Armia has 75 goals and 78 assists in 439 career NHL games.
Winnipeg Jets – Nate Schmidt
Rumor: Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. Two potential landing spots for Nate Schmidt.
Schmidt was a healthy scratch early in the new 2023-24 season, drawing speculation as to his future in Winnipeg. The left-shot defenseman could use a change of scenery, and here’s two places he could land.
- Chicago Blackhawks – If any team could use some help on the blueline, it is the Hawks. They have plenty of cap space with $12.9 million to pay Schmidt’s $5.95 million contract through 2024-25. The Chicago club has allowed an average of three goals a game. Schmidt could help with the power play and be a seasoned veteran on a young team.
- Philadelphia Flyers – The Flyers don’t have the cap space to take on Schmidt’s contract but are accumulating assets in their rebuild. If they could acquire Schmidt, he could be a trade candidate at the March deadline. At this point, the Flyers are looking for deals to add to their rebuild and Schmidt could fit right into those plans.
The Jets have made quite a few changes while still retaining their two star players, Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck. It seems that losing Schmidt may be the next move.
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Anaheim Ducks – Frank Vatrano
Rumor: Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. Two potential landing spots for Frank Vatrano.
While Vatrano remains a bright spot in the Ducks lineup, he also has increased his value as a trade candidate. In six games this season, he has tallied five goals and one assist to pace the Ducks. His $3.65 million contract through next season also makes him an attractive asset to dangle to other NHL teams. His name has appeared in NHL rumors in the past and he could be moved as the trade deadline approaches to a team needing his offensive skills.
The Ducks aren’t expected to be anywhere near a playoff spot and will be researching which players can be dealt to continue their youth movement and rebuilding process. Here are a couple of teams who could be interested in Vatrano.
- New York Rangers – The Rangers had Vatrano for 22 games during the 2021-22 season after the Florida Panthers traded him. He had 22 goals and 19 assists with Anaheim last season and the Rangers could use some secondary scoring with Blake Wheeler struggling so far this season.
- Buffalo Sabres – With the Sabres expected surge this season to make the postseason, Vatrano could fit right into their bottom six and provide some additional scoring punch, especially on the power play. Five of his 22 goals in 2021-22 were scored on the man advantage. The Sabres can certainly afford his salary with an estimated $9.57 million in cap space.
We will need to wait and see where or even if Vatrano gets moved. He certainly will be able to give the Ducks a good return if he continues his excellent play.
That concludes this edition of NHL rumors. Be sure to catch our next article, and thanks for reading!