NHL teams are preparing for next season, and NHL rumors will go hand-in-hand with their preparations. Here’s the latest NHL rumors to digest.
The Blues may want to get younger, and Schenn’s contract calls for a 15-team no-trade list on July 1st. He still has three years remaining on his deal, which pays him $6.5 million AAV through the 2027-28 season. One thing to note is that he refused to waive his no-trade clause at the trade deadline. That could have meant that the Blues were offered a deal from another team for his services.
A couple of teams that have shown interest are the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is a leader in the locker room, and both teams could use him. Schenn tallied 18 goals and 32 assists in 82 games this season. He is the current captain of the Blues. The Blues made it to the postseason, losing to the Winnipeg Jets in seven games. Schenn scored just two goals and one assist in the series.
It may be time for the Blues to consider getting younger, as Schenn will be 34 this summer. Look what happened to Brad Marchand.
He had a great season with 24 goals and 36 assists, a 20-point improvement from his previous season. Rossi’s beef may be legitimate in that he was second in scoring on the Wild but was relegated to fourth-line minutes in the playoffs. He had just two goals and one assist in six playoff contests. He is a restricted free agent without a contract and could be the subject of an offer sheet from other teams.
He may be looking for a contract in the $7 million range and could get it. Teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, and Philadelphia Flyers could show interest in Rossi. The Wild will have about $16.6 million in cap space. They also need to renew the contracts of two star players. Both Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello are unrestricted free agents, and Kaprizov will be costly to renew. And you know when Kaprizov re-signs, he will want his frequent linemate Zuccarello to remain in Minnesota.
Rossi can be a valuable addition to a team needing his youth and potential.
With two very talented defensemen on the left side ahead of Byram in Buffalo, will he be traded? There may not be room for Byram competing against Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on the blueline. Byram is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and could land a new contract worth $7 million. That price tag may be too high for the Sabres to consider with other free agents to sign. The Sabres will need to come up with a qualifying offer of $4.62 million to retain Byram’s rights. I smell a trade.
Byram had an excellent season with 38 points, yet the Buffalo club is hesitating to sign him to a long-term deal. The Sabres also will have the ninth overall selection in the NHL draft and can add more prospects to their potential roster.
All three of these NHL clubs have needs to fulfill. The Sabres, especially, are looking to improve and make the playoffs for the first time in… forever. Moving Byram may be a beginning. Rossi seems to be headed out of Minnesota, and who knows where he is headed. It seems doubtful that the Blues will move their captain, but you never know.
That concludes this edition of NHL rumors. Be sure to watch for future articles, and thanks for reading!
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