NHL Rumors: Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils

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 Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the New Jersey Devils.

NHL rumors in this edition include: 

Will the Vancouver Canucks trade for Morgan Frost? Is Rickard Rakell on the trading block? Are the Devils searching for upgrades?

Vancouver Canucks – Morgan Frost

Rumors: Per – James Wilson – nhltraderumors.me. The Canucks have shown interest in the former first-round pick. 

Even though Frost has struggled this season with only two goals, one assist in eight games, he is a talented forward who the Canucks could use. Last season, he collected 19 goals and 27 assists in 81 games.

MORGAN FROST BETWEEN THE LEGS GOAL pic.twitter.com/GoU4K0Q04D

— Nasty Knuckles (@NastyKnuckles) January 18, 2023

It seems once you are in head coach John Tortorello’s dog house (for whatever reason), it’s difficult, if not impossible, to escape that fate. Being out as a healthy scratch for seven games including a run of six games straight, can really destroy a young player’s confidence. The return of Sean Couturier can explain why there may be some competition for ice time, but Frost is not the only young player on the roster. His production last season should at least allow him time to continue to improve, but Torts doesn’t buy it.

He is a tough coach to play for and may have reasons to hold out Frost, but it doesn’t make much sense. So, with that being said, it seems that Frost will be dealt at some point. The Canucks have been playing excellent hockey this season. They are 11-3-1, good for 23 points, and right behind the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. Remember that saying, good teams continue to improve… that is what is motivating the Canucks to look at Frost. He would be a welcome addition to the roster.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Rickard Rakell

Rumor: Per – Dan Kingerski – pittsburghhockeynow.com. Rykell could wind up on the trading block… it all depends.

With the Pens needing more net-front presence, Rykell is more of a skills type of player. His $5 million cap hit has a lot to do with it as well. The fact that he has had a really slow start this season doesn’t help, but most players have slumps at some point.

With Rakell current production situation and a 5m cap hit, is it worth trading him and possibly funding a couple lower cost or one same cost replacement to give some new life to the team?

— PengWINS (@faci_nate) November 6, 2023

The Pens do need an upgrade to their defensive pairings and Rykell could be an instrument in that goal. He has already lost his spot on the power play unit, which demonstrates that his coach isn’t too confident in his abilities. Now, that could change, but according to Kingerski, look for Rykell to be shopped at some point this season. His contract is good through the 2027-28 season and he has scored 20 goals or more in five NHL seasons. With stats like that, some team will try to add him if the deal is right.

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New Jersey Devils – Upgrades needed

Rumor: Per – Jim Biringer – nhlrumors.com. GM Tom Fitzgerald looking to improve his defense and his goaltending.

So far, Akira Schmid and Vitek Vanecek have not impressed in net. Schmid has a 1-2-1 record with a .898 save percentage and a 3.09 GAA. Vanecek does have a 6-3 record, but only because the Devils offense has carried him to wins. His .887 save percentage with a 3.45 GAA must be giving Fitzgerald nightmares.

On defense, the loss of both Ryan Graves and Damon Severson has really hurt the blueline. That may put excessive pressure on rookie Luke Hughes to pick up the pieces. The Devils would be smart to look to acquiring a tough D-man like Chris Tanev to mentor young Hughes. The Flames seem to be looking to deal Tanev and Nikita Zadorov. With the Devils losers of three of their last four games looking for answers, the Flames just might a team who can help them.

In net, could John Gibson or Juuse Saros be available? Both could be way more expensive than upgrading the blueline. The Devils seek to go beyond a second-round elimination that was their fate last season. With a few tweaks, they could be there.

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