NHL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Taylor Hall Contract, Tuukka Rask Trade, More

The start of NHL free agency on Friday has already seen swift movement by many of the league's 30 teams as they attempt to get their rosters set for the 2020-21 season. 

Even though a number of the marquee names quickly came off the board, there are still plenty of impact players available who can change the fortunes of any franchise lucky enough to sign them. 

In addition to potential signings, the trade market could also bear fruit for teams. It's a little more tricky to pull off trades, as teams have to be mindful of the salary cap staying flat at $81.5 next season because of the pandemic. 

Pre-existing contracts could be difficult for clubs to fit in under the cap, though that shouldn't stop general managers from at least trying to make something happen. 

Here are the latest market rumblings on the second day of free agency. 

Latest on Taylor Hall

Taylor Hall is the best offensive player still available, with a number of teams reportedly set to make a play for the 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner. 

Appearing on WGR 550's The Instigators (h/t Brayton J. Wilson of Radio.com), TSN's Darren Dreger said the Buffalo Sabres will be among many clubs making a pitch to Hall:

"Buffalo is on the list of teams that are expected to talk and present to Taylor Hall. Where Buffalo is on Taylor Hall's list? We will find out probably within the next few hours. That's interesting to me. That doesn't tell me that the Buffalo Sabres are a team here that are just simply cutting payroll and is going to roll over here."

Dreger previously told TSN 1260 the Montreal Canadians, Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators are the "top three" potential landing spots for Hall, but a decision may not come until after the weekend:

Hall split last season between the New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes. He finished with 52 points in 65 games, but his minus-14 plus-minus was the second-worst mark of his career.  

Speaking to reporters in August, Hall said one of his top priorities in free agency would be finding a winning organization: "I think, honestly, it's probably all winning."

Hall's teams have only made the playoffs twice in his 10 seasons. 

Among the rumored suitors for Hall, the Blue Jackets finished last season with the most points (81). They cleared $4.6 million in cap space by trading Ryan Murray to the Devils on Thursday. 

The longer that Hall lets this free agency go on, the less clear his destination will become. It's also possible a surprise suitor will emerge. But all things being equal right now, Columbus would make sense, especially after it finished tied with the San Jose Sharks for the fourth-fewest goals per game in 2019-20 (2.57). 

Tuukka Rask Trade Rumors

The Boston Bruins and goalie Tuukka Rask are doing a good job of trying to silence any notion they could be headed for a divorce. 

TSN's Frank Seravalli reported last week that Rask could be on the trade market:

"Many were wondering if there would be fallout from Rask’s decision to leave the bubble for family reasons, a decision that was certainly supported by teammates. But multiple sources indicate that Bruins GM Don Sweeney has initiated conversations with teams about Rask’s market value over the last number of weeks."

Sweeney dismissed the trade talks while speaking with reporters earlier this week: "As a matter of fact, our staff has communicated with Tuukka. As I said before, he remains a big part of our roster planning going forward."

In an interview with Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Rask said he doesn't "want to play for anybody else but the Bruins."

Trading Rask wouldn't seem to make much sense for the Bruins. For starters, this market was so flush with goaltenders at the start of free agency that it's hard to envision a scenario in which they could get full value for the 33-year-old. 

Rask, who has one year remaining on his contract and will earn $6.5 million, is still playing at an elite level. He led the NHL with a 2.12 goals against average during the regular season and finished second in Vezina Trophy voting. 

The Bruins figure to be Stanley Cup contenders in 2020-21 after winning the Presidents' Trophy last season. They were upset by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs. 

Keeping Rask is in Boston's best interest if the franchise wants to compete for a championship. 

MacKenzie Weegar Generating Trade Interest

The Florida Panthers have a decision to make with restricted-free-agent defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. 

Per SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman, "there is interest" in Weegar as a trade option for teams looking for defensive help. 

Panthers general manager Bill Zito attempted to quiet any trade speculation on Friday. 

"He's a member of the Florida Panthers," Zito told reporters. 

The Panthers did submit qualifying offers to six restricted free agents on Wednesday, including Weegar. 

A seventh-round draft pick in 2013, Weegar is coming off his best season. The 26-year-old had 18 points and a plus-six plus-minus rating in 45 games. He would seem like the kind of player a franchise that just made its first playoff appearance in four years. 

The Panthers' .565 winning percentage was their second-best in the past four years (.585 in 2017-18). Their nucleus of Weegar, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad are all 27 years old or younger. 

That's a group the Panthers should look to build around if they want to make an upward move in the Eastern Conference.