In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Minnesota Wild have announced that they’ll be buying out the contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter? What’s next for the team and for both players? Meanwhile, there is still mixed reaction in Edmonton after Oilers GM Ken Holland made a trade to land Duncan Keith but paid full price to do so. The New York Islanders are trying to trade Nick Leddy, the Vegas Golden Knights might be trying to move Reilly Smith and the Toronto Maples could look at trading Alex Kerfoot.
Wild to Buy Out Parise, Suter
Wild general manager Bill Guerin has made a huge decision for the franchise on Tuesday. He’s informed both Parise and Suter that their contracts will be bought out and each will become a free agent on July 28th. The move will save the Wild $10 million on the cap this season, but it will also require the team to take on $13 million in dead cap space in two years time and $15 million in three and four years from now.
NEWS: #mnwild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the club will buy out the final four years of the contracts of forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter.
More information » https://t.co/hd3D1naoA0https://t.co/04tHQ6T88p
Where each will end up isn’t known, but insiders are already connecting Parise to the New York Islanders. Rumors have surfaced the past couple of seasons that GM Lou Lamoriello would have been interested in acquiring Parise and reuniting with him (Parise played under Lamoriello in New Jersey).
Suter will have plenty of interest. He’s a veteran who played 22 minutes per game for Minnesota last season.
Oilers GM Taking Heat For Keith Trade, Not Confident About Larsson
The Oilers finalized a deal for the Duncan Keith, sending Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round pick to Chicago in the exchange. Where fans are really bothered is that Ken Holland absorbed all of Keith’s $5.5 million salary for the next two seasons, not using any leverage to save money on the trade.
The news of Suter’s availability will only frustrate Oilers fans more because this is a player that could have been just as useful without giving up any assets to acquire him and at a likely lower cap hit. Holland was quite defensive during his media available when asked if he could have pressure the Blackhawks more, saying, “What did you want me to do, get him for free?”
Holland suggests this wasn’t a numbers decision, arguing against the idea that analytics played a key role in his decision to add Keith. Instead, he looked at the “record book” and discussed what experience Keith brings and how he can help the team in a more limited role.
Holland also commented on how the Keith deal affects his negotiations with Adam Larsson and said, “I’m not pretty confident, but I’m not not confident.”
As per Jonathan Willis of The Athletic, the Islanders are shopping 30-year-old LD Nick Leddy. Willis writes, “He has one year left at a $5.5MM cap hit, and played 23 minutes per game for the conference finalists last year. It’s an expansion thing. ” Willis adds that the Islanders aren’t expecting a huge return because the team is needing to shed salary.
But two league sources indicated that the Islanders are shopping the 30-year-old defenseman this week so they would not have to leave him unprotected and potentially lose Leddy to Seattle for nothing…. but Leddy is still a useful top-four defenseman, so there almost certainly wouldn’t be any asset included in the deal, which is a plus.
source – ‘Is there interest in Vladimir Tarasenko? Could Nick Leddy be shopped? What we’re hearing about the Islanders as they enter the offseason’ – Arhtur Staple – The Athletic – 07/12/2021
Staple adds in that same article that two sources have indicated that Vladimir Tarasenko would indeed be open to an Islander trade. While his list of teams he’d accept a trade to isn’t small Tarasenko can control where he goes because of his full no-trade clause.
Rielly Smith on Move out of Vegas?
Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff suggests that Vegas Golden Knights winger Reilly Smith could be traded as the team tries to improve their depth at center. He is on Seravalli’s trade list at No. 6 this week. Smith has a year left on his contract with an annual average value of $5 million and posted 14 goals and 25 points in 53 games for the Golden Knights this past season.
Considering the Maple Leafs are likely to lose Kerfoot in the expansion draft, that he comes up as No. 20 on Seravalli’s trade list should not be a surprise. If Kerfoot is left exposed, he would be an attractive option. Seravalli wonders if the Leafs will try to trade him elsewhere before the expansion draft.
Seravalli writes:
“The trick is any return short of future assets would also require protection from Seattle. That may ultimately result in losing Kerfoot from the roster, plus whomever the Kraken decide to then take – which could be defenseman Travis Dermott. Like many teams, the Leafs are weighing that out at the moment.”
Jim Parsons is a senior THW freelance writer, part-time journalist and audio/video host who lives, eats, sleeps and breathes NHL news and rumors, while also writing features on the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a trusted source for five-plus years at The Hockey Writers, but more than that, he’s on a mission to keep readers up to date with the latest NHL rumors and trade talk. Jim is a daily must for readers who want to be “in the know.”
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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
