NHL Rumors: Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and the St. Louis Blues

Kevin Weekes: ESPN segment with John Buccigross

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Buccigross: “Vancouver. We know that Bruce Boudreau is unfortunately fired coach walking. I mean everyone knows it, it’s just a matter of when.”

Weekes: “It’s just a matter of when. It’s a tough situation. We know he’s a really good coach. He’s won over 600 games in this league but Jimmy Rutherford has been pretty pointed in his comments about the lack of structure with the team. We’ll see where this goes.

For me, my eye is still on Rick Tocchet as a potential replacement. Not limited too, but my eye is on Rick Tocchet.”

Buccigross: “Toronto, winning night 4-2. A team that is always against the cap. They might get relief in kind of an unfortunate way.”

Weekes: “Ya, an unfortunate way do to the injury to Jake Muzzin. $5.625 cap hit. LTIR. We’ll see where is career goes from this point.

But, should they get that affordability of that cap dollar, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get a defenseman. They’ve been cashed strapped for the past several years.”

Buccigross: “Bad start by the Blues. A couple of 3-2 wins over Vegas. Don’t know they won that game. Your boy Binnington saved them there. Then they beat Colorado 3-2.

So what does Doug Armstrong do? Are be going to rebuild? Are we going to trade somebody? Ryan O’Reilly is a free agent to be. Or are be going to be patient?”

Weekes: “Patient. We were in touch with him, Doug Armstrong, their general manager a couple of days ago and I love the patience he’s shown.

He said, ‘listen, we know we didn’t get off to the kind of midpoint of this start. We haven’t left our team much wiggle room, but I do think our game is coming.’

They’ve won three straight. You beat the best team in Vegas and the Cup champs in Colorado. On the road. They killed off a 6 on 3. So great patience by Doug Armstrong.”

Buccigross: “I was watching that on +. I coudn’t believe it. They’re still 6 and 8, only 12 points and a -16 but they got to keep going.”