Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Bob McKenzie

Josh Bailey Close To Long-Term Extension With New York Islanders

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The New York Islanders have some of the biggest names scheduled for free agency this summer, but now you can take one off the list. The team has reached a six-year extension with Josh Bailey that will carry an annual average value of $5.0MM.

Josh BaileyBailey was ranked #6 in our midseason free agent power rankings, and has done nothing to justify moving him from that spot over the last month. The 28-year old forward is in the midst of an outstanding season, already setting his career-high in points with 62 through his first 57 contests. That includes 47 assists, good for fifth in the entire NHL behind only Jakub Voracek, Blake Wheeler, Johnny Gaudreau and Claude Giroux. His point total itself puts him among the top-20 in the NHL, and had been setting him up for a huge ask on the free agent market.

The Islanders originally drafted Bailey ninth-overall back in 2008, but he didn’t quite break out until last season when he recorded 56 points. He’s become a perfect fit for John Tavares, the biggest fish that the Islanders are trying to get under contract before July 1st. They have to be hoping that retaining Bailey will help those contract negotiations when they begin in earnest, though we likely won’t get a read on that until the season is over.

For the time being, Bailey will be happy with the substantial raise on his 2017-18 $3.3MM cap hit. He could be giving up a little bit of money, but will now get to stay with the only organization he’s ever known for the majority of his career. The Islanders will get an excellent playmaker for the foreseeable future, one that can likely find a home alongside Mathew Barzal if Tavares doesn’t stick around.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to report a deal was close, giving us the salary parameters.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Speculation Continues To Increase Around Erik Karlsson

at CDT | by 1 Comment

“Erik Karlsson is in play.” That’s how Frank Seravalli starts his latest update to the Trade Bait board on TSN, after Bob McKenzie released a thorough examination of the market for the Ottawa Senators’ captain. Karlsson is still a long-shot to be traded by Monday’s deadline, but McKenzie writes that more than six teams are believed to have made contact (one way or another) with Senators’ GM Pierre Dorion.

Erik KarlssonThe return in any Karlsson trade would be astronomical, and could include getting Bobby Ryan’s contract off the Ottawa books. While McKenzie reports that isn’t absolutely necessary, it’s obviously something the Senators want to do in the coming days or months.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic chimes in on Twitter to add that a Western Conference GM believes the Senators might just be “laying down the framework” for an offseason move of Karlsson. That seems more likely, as a trade of this magnitude would take a considerable amount of work to pull off, something that teams are running out of as we approach the Monday deadline.

Still, the fact that the Senators are considering moving one of the best defensemen in the league will certainly change many team’s outlooks at the deadline. It could freeze the market until a real decision comes out of Ottawa, or could make deadline day one that drastically changes the playoff picture. Karlsson would immediately vault any playoff challenger to contender status, or cement a team like Tampa Bay as an absolute powerhouse.

Nothing that has come out over the last few days is definitive, and McKenzie himself states that a trade is still probably not going to happen. But it definitely makes rumor season a lot more interesting.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Deadline Notes: Kane, Grabner, Nash

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The latest edition of Insider Trading on TSN was enlightening, as panel members Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie discussed several of the top trade deadline names. In addition to the “king’s ransom” for Erik Karlsson that we wrote about earlier today, Evander Kane was one of the topics for the first time in a while.

Dreger believes that the Buffalo Sabres already have a few offers for Kane, but that those include roster players and the team is more interested in picks and prospects. Kane is mired in a terrible scoring slump just at the wrong time for Buffalo, who will hope that the fact he has just four points in his last 20 games won’t hurt their return too much when he’s eventually moved.

  • LeBrun was very clear when speaking about Rick Nash, saying that he “will get moved before Monday.” Nash is alongside Kane as the top rental options on the market, and LeBrun lists Nashville, Dallas, Columbus, Winnipeg and Boston as teams that have shown some interest in the veteran winger. The Jets might not be on Nash’s approved trade list, meaning the two sides would need to agree to waive his no-trade for any move to Winnipeg.
  • Nash’s teammate Michael Grabner has many more suitors according to McKenzie, who says there could be as more than 10-12 teams interested in the speedster. Grabner has 25 goals on the season and can play up and down a lineup, but doesn’t create much for those around him. McKenzie reports that a second-round pick and “something” is believed to be the asking price, which could be more palatable to contenders than the prices for Nash or Kane.

Snapshots: Johnson, Nash, Green

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking for a landing spot for Jack Johnson, after he requested a trade earlier this season and wants a chance to play a bigger role somewhere before hitting free agency. In tonight’s edition of Insider Trading on TSN with panel members Pierre LeBrun, Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie, they discuss where Johnson could land.

LeBrun even reports that Columbus is “comfortable they can go out and get a low first-round draft pick,” but that they’d still rather get a forward back for a playoff run of their own. That at least seems to increase the likelihood of Johnson being dealt by the deadline, as even a late first is very valuable for clubs on draft day.

  • Rick Nash is clearly on the market, now that the New York Rangers have effectively signaled a rebuild and asked for his no-trade list. Dreger lists the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars as the top two contenders for Nash, but that as many as ten teams have been in contact with his representatives. Nash is likely going to be one of the top prizes on deadline day, if he even lasts the next few weeks.
  • McKenzie chimes in with some news on Mike Green of the Detroit Red Wings, once again linking him to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are after a defenseman for their Stanley Cup run, but McKenzie reports that the Red Wings are after a return somewhere between the one they received for Brendan Smith last season (2018 second-round pick, 2017 third-round pick) and the one St. Louis received for Kevin Shattenkirk (effectively 2017 first-round pick, prospect Zach Sanford). Whether Tampa Bay wants to pay that much is unclear, but they do have quite the prospect pipeline already built up if they do start to sacrifice futures.

Asking Price High For Rangers’ Rick Nash

at CDT | by 9 Comments

When it broke earlier this season that the Buffalo Sabres were looking for three if not four assets in exchange for Evander Kane, many people scoffed at the idea. How would a players signed only for the rest of this season be worth that much, regardless of how skilled he was?

Well that price has popped up again, this time in regards to New York Rangers forward Rick Nash. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that a first-round pick, top prospect and a lesser pick/prospect is currently the ask for Nash, but notes that many league executive think this is an exorbitant price. Instead, McKenzie believes that Nash’s eventual market will resemble that of Martin Hanzal last season, who was acquired for essentially a 2017 first-round pick and 2018 second-round pick.

It’s important to note though that Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold went on the record saying he regretted supporting that deal, after his team was bounced early from the playoffs by a hot Jake Allen-led St. Louis Blues team. Arizona would eventually select Pierre-Olivier Joseph with Minnesota’s pick at #23, a dynamic puck moving defenseman that the Wild would certainly love to have in their system.

Though Nash isn’t a center like Hanzal, he does provide some of the same things with his size and defensive responsibility. The 33-year old winger comes with a hefty cap hit and diminishing offensive talents, but will still be sought after at the deadline. New York will be looking for the best return available, and why not start by asking for the moon.

Rick Nash Submits No-Trade List To New York Rangers

at CDT | by 3 Comments

It has been expected for some time that Rick Nash would be dealt at the trade deadline, the only question was where. Now, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the New York Rangers have some idea of where they can send their pending unrestricted free agent, as they’ve asked him to submit his 18-team no-trade list. New York can now trade him to the twelve teams not included on the list, or ask him to waive the clause in order to deal with any of the others.

Nash, 33, is an interesting case to follow as the deadline approaches. Though he’s not the same 40-goal scorer he was a few years ago, he does still have 15 goals and 25 points on the season and can skate well enough to contribute in several different roles. He could be a useful addition to several teams, but both the no-trade list and his prohibitive $7.8MM cap hit are obstacles for the Rangers to navigate in the coming weeks.

Despite being just two points back of a playoff spot, the Rangers woke up today in last place in the Metropolitan Division. Their struggles this season have given both front office and fans of the team an appetite for a rebuild, as evidenced by the overwhelming results in our latest poll and constant trade rumors surrounding Nash and captain Ryan McDonagh.

If the Rangers do end up selling, Nash looks like he’ll be one of the first assets out the door. Interestingly though, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet this weekend floated the idea that both Nash and Michael Grabner could be traded as rentals only to return to New York in the summer as free agents.

Calgary Flames Place Jaromir Jagr On Waivers

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Monday: Jagr has cleared waivers according to McKenzie, and will now have his contract assigned to Kladno for the remainder of the season. It very well could be the end of the line for a legendary hockey name, though there is always a chance of a return at some point down the line.

Sunday: The Calgary Flames have placed long-time NHL star Jaromir Jagr on waivers, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. While initially reported to have been placed on unconditional waivers with the intention of releasing him from his contract, McKenzie reports that the veteran has actually been placed through regular waivers. The 45-year-old Jagr hopes to continue his career in the NHL, but according to McKenzie, the plan is that if he clears waivers, the Flames can assign him to a European team to finish out his contract.

The Hockey Writers Ryan Pike reports that if he goes unclaimed, he’s expected to go to Kladno in the Czech league on loan. The writer adds that the difference here is that if Jagr is loaned to Kladno rather than go through unconditional waivers, then the Flames could still potentially use him in the playoffs.

Unless the veteran is claimed tomorrow morning, it could likely end the veteran’s NHL career. This move has been a long-time coming as rumors of a split between Calgary and Jagr were reported back on Jan. 6. However, a lower-body injury allowed the team to delay a decision while they placed him on injured reserve until he healed and was ready to go. Evidently, he’s ready to resume his career, just elsewhere. After signing a one-year, $2MM deal on Oct. 3 with Calgary, he has struggled fitting in with the Flames. Dealing with injuries and the fact he has slowed down quite a bit, Jagr hasn’t made the impact that many were hoping. He played in just 22 games with just one goal and six assists to show for it.

The question now is whether an NHL team is willing to kick the tires on claiming him and adding them to their roster. Perhaps several teams that might need help on one of the back lines could be interested, but considering the lack of interest this offseason from teams, there is a likelihood that he will not be claimed. A poll, back on Jan. 7, asked the question, “Should your team make a play for Jaromir Jagr.” The results were split with 52.35% suggesting that his NHL career is over, while 47.65% stated he still has something left.

Jagr, who is in his 24th year in the NHL, has played in 1,733 career games, putting up 766 goals, 1,155 assists for 1,921 points. He has also played in 208 playoff games, with 78 goals, 123 assists and 201 playoff points. Assuming he goes unclaimed and is loaned to Kladno, it’s a team he has played for before. He played 17 games there in 2004-05 and then returned in 2012-13 where he played another 34 games for them after that.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report the news.

Coyotes Notes: Perlini, Richardson, Draft Options

at CDT | by 4 Comments

While many would be quick to call Clayton Keller the Arizona Coyotes’ best young player, his teammate has quietly taken up the mantle of being the franchise’s all-time best young goal-scorer. AZSports’ Craig Morgan noted last night that Brendan Perlini’s 28th career goal in his 100th NHL game is most among ’Yotes alums in their first 100 games. Perlini passed up Peter Mueller, who had 27 in 100, a player who burned bright, but burned out young and was out of the NHL after his first five seasons. Arizona surely hopes that Perlini has more longevity and would especially be excited if he kept up his current level of play, having scored a goal in four straight games. Meanwhile, Keller surely has his eye on soon taking Perlini’s title; the 19-year-old has 14 goals through his first 53 games, so he’ll have to pick up the pace this season into next season.

  • Morgan was also the first to announce that Brad Richardson would not return to last night’s game after suffering an upper-body injury. There has been no update on Richardson’s status yet, but it would be no surprise if the veteran forward is out of the lineup for a substantial amount of time yet again. Richardson has had a tough go of it lately, missing six games due to injury this year after missing a whopping 66 games last year. Richardson has also struggled to produce with only nine points through 44 games. Nevertheless, the Coyotes are surely hoping that Richardson makes a speedy recovery with the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching. With so few pending unrestricted free agents on the roster – Richardson, Antti Raanta, Luke Schenn, Zac Rinaldo – GM John Chayka would like to be able to move out as many as possible, unless his plan is make some larger deals involving his plethora of younger players.
  • In reality, the 2017-18 has long been over for the Coyotes and their next event of note is the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Though the lottery could throw a wrench in their plans, Arizona is in the best position of any team to land the prize of the draft, Swedish phenom Rasmus Dahlin. TSN’s Bob McKenzie released his Mid-Season Draft Rankings today, in which he calls this the “Rasmus Dahlin draft” and makes of note of consensus that no player has a chance to go first overall besides the dynamic defenseman. With some doubt over the future of All-Star Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Chayka would like nothing more than to select a potential replacement in Dahlin. At the very least, the worst record in the NHL will guarantee the Coyotes a top-four pick and, as McKenzie specifies, one of the trio of forwards that make up the next tier of elite prospects behind Dahlin – Andrei Svechnikov, Filip Zadina, and Brady Tkachuk.

Snapshots: Rangers, Dahlin, Johnson

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The New York Rangers are currently just a single point out of a playoff spot, and two points out of second place in the Metropolitan Division, but according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post that won’t make them buyers at the deadline. In fact, Brooks writes that the Rangers are preparing to “blow it up” and are willing to deal Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello along with their rental options.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard McDonagh’s name mentioned, as he currently sits tenth on the TSN Trade Bait board, but is still might come as a surprise. The Rangers captain has logged 24 minutes a night again this season, and currently has 24 points through 45 games. While he may not match his career-high of 14 goals, he’s certainly a bargain at his $4.7MM cap hit this year and next.

  • Welcome to “the Rasmus Dahlin draft” writes TSN insider Bob McKenzie, who released his early rankings for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft today. Dahlin tops the board like everywhere else, but McKenzie’s rankings do differ from some of the other leading sources. Perhaps most notably is Ryan Merkley at #11, as the dynamic Guelph defenseman has slipped to the back half of the first round in most other rankings. McKenzie explains why, noting Merkley’s perceived attitude problem and temperament as potential reasons for his fall.
  • Darren Dreger was on TSN 1050 radio today, and said that he’d be “shocked” if the Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM Lou Lamoriello hadn’t called on Jack Johnson from the Columbus Blue Jackets. As noted in our most recent live chat, Johnson does seem like a pretty good fit for the Maple Leafs down the stretch as he tries to secure a long-term contract this summer. Johnson is looking for an opportunity to play a big role somewhere, and the Maple Leafs have had a revolving door in the back half of their defense corps. Still, with Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev returning from injury soon and Travis Dermott showing he’s ready for the NHL, the Maple Leafs aren’t guaranteed to be on the market any longer.

Marcus Johansson Suffers Second Concussion Of Season

at CDT | by 2 Comments

As Brad Marchand and the Boston Bruins await word of a potential suspension from the league, the New Jersey Devils will have to deal with another concussion for Marcus Johansson. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN the Devils’ forward suffered his second such injury of the season when elbowed by Marchand last night, and his third of his NHL career.

Johansson came over to the Devils in a trade last offseason and was concussed in November when he crashed hard into the boards against the Vancouver Canucks. That kept him out for a month, and has limited his impact on the Devils this season. Brought over to be a part of the offensive revolution in New Jersey, Johansson has just 14 points in 29 games. Seven of those had come in his last 11 games, though there is now no telling how long it will take him to get back to full strength.

As more and more is known about head and brain injuries, medical staffs are trying their best to keep players out until the risk of re-injury is extremely small. As we’ve seen with other players in the past, multiple concussions suffered in a short time period can cause long-term effects and take quite a bit of time to recover full from. Hopefully for Johansson’s sake that’s not the case here, and he’s able to get back on the ice with relative ease.

With the All-Star break coming up this weekend, New Jersey has four full days off after tomorrow’s game against the Nashville Predators. Hopefully we’ll know more about Johansson’s status afterwards, and when we can expect him back in a game.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top