In an NHL news and rumors update, there is speculation in St. Louis as to what might be next now that Brayden Schenn has signed a lucractive eight-year deal. Could the Edmonton Oilers try and reunite Connor McDavid with Josh Ho-Sang? Is there more controversy in Toronto when it comes to their naming a captain?
Can Blues Get Pietrangelo Done?
The question is St. Louis will now be how much difficulty GM Doug Armstrong will have in trying to find a deal that works for Alex Pietrangelo? With Brayden Schenn locked up long-term and a great deal of money already allocated throughout the lineup, do the Blues have enough to get Pietrangelo to stay and not test free agency?
Expect there to be some shuffling, perhaps not throughout the season, but as soon as it ends to make room to get a deal done with the big defenseman. As Justin Faulk and Pietrangelo get comfortable with each other and if the production is there, it seems odd to think the Blues wouldn’t do everything in their power to keep their captain in the fold.
Related: Blues Sign Brayden Schenn to 8-Yr Deal
Oilers Interested in Ho-Sang?
While the New York Islanders try and find a new home for Josh Ho-Sang, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek wonders if a reunion with the Connor McDavid might work?
Ho-Sang doesn’t represent what Oilers GM Ken Holland says the team is actively looking for, but if a deal is there and it costs the Oilers next-to-nothing to acquire him, might he take a phone call from the Islanders? The trade likely wouldn’t include Jesse Puljujarvi even though things are quiet on that front.
And, if Puljujarvi plays well in Finland, the Oilers will need more from the Islanders than Ho-Sang if there’s something there.
Related: Josh Ho-Sang Requests Trade, Told Not to Report to Islanders
Honka Can Talk to Other Teams
Dallas Stars restricted free agent Julius Honka has permission to talk with other teams about a potential deal. The Stars are looking for a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick or a prospect for him in a trade and most people believe that’s too high an asking price.
Honka can potentially try to sell to teams what he’s worth if they take a flyer on him and maybe one franchise thinks he’s worth the risk.
Maple Leafs Captaincy Issue Not Over?
Friedman noted that there had been a rumor and it has been denied that the Toronto Maple Leafs had considered a plan to transition the team captaincy from John Tavares to Auston Matthews in a few years. As in, the Tavares captaincy is temporary to overcome the blowback that would come from naming Matthews captain now.
Don’t expect this to be a story that lasts long but also a story that doesn’t really ever go away. The day the Maple Leafs name Matthews captain (if that day ever comes) there will be people who say he doesn’t deserve it and others who say he should have been captain all along.
Expect More Pending RFA’s to Sign
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun writes that the quantity of recent RFA signings may signal a trend that more teams will try to get their 2020 RFA’s under contract sooner than later. Organizations don’t want a repeat of this summer where their big-ticket players held out and there was a ton of stress connected to getting them under contract.
Watch for names like Dylan Strome, Mathew Barzal, Nico Hischier, and Pierre-Luc Dubois to be the focus of a lot of the conversation.
Related: NHL Rumors: Bruins, Maple Leafs, Pietrangelo, More
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