In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Edmonton Oilers have flown to Ontario to begin conversations with Connor McDavid. What exactly are they talking about? Meanwhile, Tomas Hertl was reportedly being shopped by the Vegas Golden Knights in an attempt to make room for Mitch Marner. Is there any truth to that speculation? If not, who might the Golden Knights be looking to trade to free up space? Are the Tampa Bay Lightning done with Cam Atkinson? Finally, the Jonathan Marchessault trade rumors have been debunked by Predators GM Barry Trotz.
Oilers and McDavid Sitting Down to Talk
TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported on Tuesday, “Sounds like Stan Bowman and Jeff Jackson are in Ontario, and meetings have begun with McDavid’s agent Judd Moldaver.” He adds, “Broader discussions about the organization and direction are the starting point.”
The negotiation is expected to extend well beyond July 1, as both sides continue to work through various aspects of the process. At this stage, no specific figures are believed to have been exchanged, with discussions remaining focused on broader, big-picture considerations.
Vegas Ready to Move Hertl or Karlsson for Marner?
There was chatter on Monday that the Vegas Golden Knights were shopping Tomas Hertl in an attempt to clear cap space ahead of July 1. Speculation was that the Carolina Hurricanes might have been the eastern team in conversation with Vegas, but there was pushback on that later in the day. It was also later stated by Frank Seravalli and Jeff Marek that neither had concrete evidence the Golden Knights were actively shopping Hertl. Marek was told, “Don’t spend too much time chasing this one.”
Tomas Hertl, Vegas Golden Knights (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
It later became a story that maybe the Toronto Maple Leafs might do a sign-and-trade with Vegas. That deal could involve William Karlsson, according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos. He said the Leafs have placed a priority on finding a second-line center.
As for what Vegas is up to, he explained:
“With the bar set so high in Vegas, I don’t expect George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon to sit idle for long. There is plenty of speculation that they are getting ready to take a big run at Marner. This is where we’ll keep an eye on how expendable William Karlsson is to the Golden Knights. …While Karlsson has been an integral player for Vegas since their expansion season, the lack of centre depth on the free agent market means he could bring back key assets to the Golden Knights while freeing up some much-needed cap space to do other business. If not Karlsson, some attention should be paid to Tomas Hertl, another centre who Vegas could move in the right deal.”
Kypreos later wrote in his column that Karlsson may be the more likely of the two to move, but Hertl is “not an untouchable asset.” He makes $6.75 million against the cap through 2029-30 and has a modified no-trade clause.
Lightning Not Keeping Cam Atkinson
The Tampa Bay Lightning will not offer veteran forward Cam Atkinson a contract extension, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Atkinson is set to become an unrestricted free agent after he signed a one-year, $900K deal with Tampa Bay to revive his career, but struggled to make an impact.
He recorded just four goals and nine points in 39 games, was often a healthy scratch, and was placed on waivers in March. At 36, with recent injury issues and declining production, Atkinson’s future in the NHL is uncertain.
Marchessault Not Being Shopped, Nor Is He Looking for a Trade
John Glennon of the Nashville Post reported that rumors are circulating that the Predators might be looking to trade veteran forward Jonathan Marchessault are inaccurate. GM Barry Trotz stated today that there is no truth to the rumors, and Marchessault is not available at this time.
Trotz did acknowledge that he heard enough rumblings to warrant calling the forward’s agent, Pat Brisson. He wanted to ensure the rumors weren’t true. Trotz said, “There’s nothing happening. I didn’t know if anything was happening, so I just double-checked with him that maybe I missed something. I didn’t miss anything.”
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