The Canucks are over the cap and there are two free agents they’d like to sign
Rick Dhaliwal: The Vancouver Canucks still need to re-sign RFA forward Nils Hoglander and they are over the salary cap ceiling.
Rick Dhaliwal: The Canucks can’t really be serious about UFA forward Max Comtois until they make some other moves to clear out some salary.
NHL News: A longer pay season, and trades from the weekend
It’s going to take some creativity to land Connor Hellebuyck or John Gibson
Kevin Weekes: If teams are going to trade for goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck or John Gibson, there is going to have to be some creativity and flexibility needed. Teams have limited money available to take on their contracts for this year. (As well as what Hellebuyck wants on his next contract)
The New York Islanders will be looking for ‘hockey trades’
Kevin Kurz of the Athletic: The New York Islanders roster hasn’t changed much since the end of the year. RFA Oliver Wahlstrom still needs a new deal and Zach Parise with either retire or be back next season. The Islanders only have just over $1 million in projected cap space.
“We’ve signed the free agents with the dollars that we had available, and now to get better as everyone tries to do, it will be a hockey trade,” Lamoriello said. “I think that you’ll find that to be a similar situation throughout the National Hockey League, after the next day or so.”
There had been some speculation that the Islanders were interested in Ottawa Senators RFA winger Alex DeBrincat. DeBrincat’s agent has permission to talk to teams but he’s not getting the term like the Senators are offering according to a Bruce Garrioch report.
NHL Rumors: Kuznetsov, Bertuzzi, Domi, Reinhart, Tarasenko, Karlsson, DeBrincat and Scheifele
If DeBrincat is wanting $8 to $9 million for at least six or seven years, it wouldn’t leave the Islanders with a lot of flexibility in the future, despite the rising cap over the next few years.
If the Islanders were to acquire DeBrincat, they’d need to move out salary. Jean-Gabriel Pageau (three years at $5 million) is a likely candidate.
