NHL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Karl Alzner, Jayce Hawryluk, Dylan Strome

Torey Krug is no longer with the Boston Bruins after signing with the St. Louis Blues earlier in October. Longtime Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is an unrestricted free agent, and the 43-year-old's future is uncertain. Accordingly, there's some uncertainty regarding Boston's defensive lines for next season.

It wouldn't be surprising if the Bruins added some defensive depth this offseason—and they may be close to doing just that. According to Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey Now, the Bruins "have kicked the tires on several different possibilities," one of which is signing veteran Karl Alzner.

Alzner is a 12-year NHL veteran who's best known for his nine seasons with the Washington Capitals from 2008 to 2017. He played all 82 games in six of his final seasons with the team before signing a five-year, $23.1 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens.

In his first season in Montreal in 2017-18, Alzner played all 82 games, but he had only one goal and 11 assists to go along with a plus/minus rating of minus-seven, tied for the lowest of his career. That led to Alzner playing only 13 games for the Canadiens over the past two seasons, mostly spending time in the AHL, before they bought out the final two seasons of his contract earlier in October.

Alzner is looking for a fresh start, and he could be represent a low-risk signing for the Bruins. Haggerty noted that the 32-year-old "would make a cheap insurance veteran insurance policy as a left-handed D possibility."

There were recently rumors that the Arizona Coyotes could trade defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Haggerty reported that was one of Boston's more "high-profile" options, but no deal materialized.

The offseason is still young, and it's unclear when the 2020-21 season will start, so the Bruins will have time to keep looking for defensive options, which apparently could include Alzner.

Canucks Getting Close to Deal with Hawryluk?

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

After playing for both the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators during the 2019-20 season, center Jayce Hawryluk is likely to be on the move again. The 24-year-old was non-tendered by the Senators, becoming an unrestricted free agent on Oct. 9.

Where might Hawryluk be heading next? It's looking like it could be to the Vancouver Canucks.

According to The Athletic's Thomas Drance, the Canucks have been in discussions with Hawryluk, and while a deal hadn't been agreed upon Saturday, Drance reported that "talks are trending in a positive direction." Although Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic also reported that there are "other teams still involved."

Hawryluk was selected by Florida in the second round of the 2014 NHL draft, but he has only 57 games of NHL experience. This past season, he had three goals and seven assists over 26 games split between the Panthers and Senators.

Although Hawryluk wouldn't be the most high-profile signing, he could provide the Canucks with some forward depth and be a low-risk addition.

Strome, Blackhawks Not in Rush to Work Out Deal

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Dylan Strome is a restricted free agent, but it appears likely that he could be returning to the Chicago Blackhawks next season. However, a new contract may not be in the works just yet.

According to The Athletic's Scott Powers, a deal between Strome and the Blackhawks "might not happen for some time." Power gave some reasoning behind that:

"With Strome not having arbitration rights, there isn't a rush for either party to get the deal done. The Blackhawks wanted to square everything else away this offseason before focusing on Strome. It sounds as if the Blackhawks and Strome expect to get a contract done. It's just a matter of when. There hasn't been much discussion yet, the source said."

Some key players won't be back with Chicago next season. The Blackhawks traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Los Angeles Kings and forward Brandon Saad to the Colorado Avalanche, while also deciding to not re-sign goaltender Corey Crawford, who went to the New Jersey Devils as a free agent. However, Strome's return at least seems likely.

Strome was traded from the Arizona Coyotes to Chicago in November 2018, and he's tallied 29 goals and 60 assists in 116 games with the Blackhawks over the past two seasons.