BS Meter on the Latest 2024 NHL Draft, Trade and Free Agency Rumors
With the 2024 Stanley Cup Final underway, the focus of the hockey world is on the outcome of this series between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers.
However, that hasn't stopped the NHL media rumor mill from churning. As the Oilers and Panthers grapple for hockey's holy grail, the league's 30 other teams are preparing to make their offseason moves through the draft, free agency, and the trade market to better their rosters for next season.
Some of the speculation concerns what the Panthers might do with defenseman Aaron Ekblad this summer. Meanwhile, some observers wonder if winger Kaapo Kakko still has a future with the New York Rangers.
We're dusting off our trust B/R BS Meter to examine the latest notable NHL draft, trade, and free-agency rumors. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our analysis in the app comments below.
Could New York Rangers Winger Kaapo Kakko Become A Trade Candidate?
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This was a difficult season for Kaapo Kakko. The 23-year-old New York Rangers winger missed 21 games with a lower-body injury, limiting him to 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games. He struggled in the postseason with just points in 15 games and was a healthy scratch from Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers.
The second-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Kakko was projected to become a scoring right winger. He showed signs of a breakout performance in 2022-23 with 18 goals and 40 points in 82 games. However, the young Finn failed to move up on the Rangers' depth chart.
Speculation emerged about Kakko's future even before the Rangers' elimination by the Panthers. He's a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. That prompted Sportsnet's Luke Fox on May 28 to suggest contact negotiations could become tense. He believes rival general managers should look into Kakko's availability.
The New York Post's Ethan Sears felt Kakko still has top-six winger potential but moving him could be an obvious fix if they need to save salary-cap money. The Athletic's Peter Baugh believes the winger would have value in the trade market but suggested he might fetch a second or third-round pick.
BS Meter: Not BS
Rangers general manager Chris Drury said his club would do all it could to help Kakko improve. However, Sears' colleague Larry Brooks believes it might be best for the player and team if the Rangers traded Kakko this summer, but only for the right price. He rejected the notion of getting a second or third-rounder in return.
Will The New Jersey Devils Trade Their First-Round Pick For a Goaltender?
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Following the March 8 trade deadline, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald indicated his intent to go "big-game hunting" to improve his goaltending and other roster issues. On June 4, he stated his willingness to trade his 2024 first-round pick (10th overall) for a return that helps his team now and in the immediate future.
Fitzgerald acknowledged he's in the market for a goalie but also wants to improve his forward lines and defense corps. "We'd like to add up front, we'd like to add on the back end, so what are those pieces going to cost us? With the goaltending, what's that going to cost us?"
The Devils GM admitted he's focused on finding a goalie but wouldn't say which one. The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun cited league sources linking the Devils to the Calgary Flames' Jacob Markström, the Boston Bruins' Linus Ullmark, and the Anaheim Ducks' John Gibson.
LeBrun followed up on June 6 by reporting the Devils and Flames renewed their trade discussions about Markström. The two sides were close to a deal in February but it fell through in part over the Flames' unwillingness to retain part of Markström's $6 million annual cap hit through 2025-26.
BS Meter: Not BS
Fitzgerald sounds like he's keeping his trade options open with this first-rounder. However, that could be the key trade chip in a package offer that lands a reliable starter like Markstrom or Ullmark. Gibson has struggled behind a rebuilding Ducks blue line but could rebound on a deeper club.
Will The Florida Panthers Trade Aaron Ekblad This Summer?
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The Florida Panthers are in the midst of their Stanley Cup Final series with the Edmonton Oilers. However, management could face some difficult roster decisions during the offseason with 14 active roster players under contract for 2024-25 and a projected cap space of $19.7 million.
Eleven players will become unrestricted free agents on July 1, including 57-goal winger Sam Reinhart and puck-moving defenseman Brandon Montour. Both will seek hefty raises that could eat up most of the Panthers' cap room. Meanwhile, two-way center Anton Lundell is a restricted free agent in line for a pay bump this summer.
On June 2, the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons claimed the Panthers wanted to re-sign Reinhart and Montour. To do so, he believes they'll trade defenseman Aaron Ekblad and use the salary cap savings to keep Montour in the fold. He also thinks Reinhart will accept less than market value because of Florida's lack of a state tax.
Ekblad, 28, was the first-overall pick by the Panthers in the 2014 NHL Draft. The following season, he took home the Calder Memorial Trophy, becoming the linchpin of the Panthers' defense corps. He has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $7.5 million and a no-movement clause that becomes a 12-team no-trade list on July 1.
BS Meter: It's BS
Ekblad is the heart and soul of the Panthers' blue line so he's going anywhere. On May 31, Sportsnet's Luke Fox observed the Panthers prioritized re-signing defenseman Gustav Forsling rather than Montour, suggesting the latter could be playing his final games in Florida.
Could The Ottawa Senators Shop Brady Tkachuk?
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Expectations were high for the Ottawa Senators entering this season. Under new ownership and led by young captain Brady Tkachuk, the Senators hoped to emerge from their long rebuilding process to become a playoff contender this season.
Instead, the Senators missed the postseason cut for the seventh straight year. On Feb. 28, general manager Steve Staios told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun there was no truth to a rumor suggesting the club might be willing to trade Tkachuk.
Staios recently had to shoot down similar conjecture. On May 27, The Hockey News' Steve Warne cited a report out of St. Louis speculating whether Tkachuk was available, why such a big move wouldn't be out of the question, and what kind of haul the Senators could get in return.
"Complete BS," Staios told LeBrun the same day. "We are building this team around Brady. His leadership and unique skill set are rare." He concluded by stating there was "no validity" to the speculation.
BS Meter: It's BS...for now.
Tkachuk has four years left on his contract. Warne believes any trade discussion only becomes valid if the Senators haven't improved before the final year of his deal. The Toronto Star's Nick Kypreos and Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan share that view. If the Senators keep missing the playoffs, there will be more speculation about Tkachuk's future in Ottawa.
Could The San Jose Sharks Sign Jake Guentzel?
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Carolina Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. A two-time 40-goal scorer and winner of the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-17, the 29-year-old is completing a five-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million.
A reliable scoring winger, Guentzel was acquired from the Penguins by the Hurricanes before the March trade deadline. He played well for his new club with 25 points in 17 regular-season games and nine points in 11 playoff contests. The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported on June 3 that he could test the market while keeping the Hurricanes as an option.
Guentzel will draw considerable attention if he hits the open market on July 1. On June 6, San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng cited Sportsnet's Jeff Marek making an admittedly wild prediction that the San Jose Sharks could sign the veteran winger. Marek believes the rebuilding Sharks must surround their promising young players with veteran talent.
Peng admitted stranger things have happened. He noted the Sharks have plenty of salary-cap space for next season and are motivated to shore up their roster depth. However, he doesn't see Guentzel signing with a rebuilding club, suggesting he could prefer spending his 30s playing with a contending club.
BS Meter: It's BS
Marek's colleague Elliotte Friedman subsequently reported the Hurricanes were shopping Guentzel's rights. However, it's doubtful the Sharks will attempt to acquire him. The veteran winger will likely entertain contract offers from contenders (including the Hurricanes) and sign with one of them soon after free agency begins on July 1.
Stats via NHL.com and salary information via Cap Friendly.
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