NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest Maple Leafs Buzz, Bruins To Seek A First-Line Center
It's been a week since the Toronto Maple Leafs officially introduced John Chayka as their new GM.
Since then, speculation has persisted about his plans for the club during the off-season.
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic believes Chayka's priority is selling captain Auston Matthews on his vision for the Maple Leafs' future. If the 28-year-old superstar buys into it, the Leafs will continue to retool. If he doesn't and decides to move on, the club will rebuild around potential first-round pick Gavin McKenna.
Matthews reportedly hasn't decided yet what his future will be. He has two years remaining on his contract, but he could force a trade if he's unhappy with the Maple Leafs' direction. Siegel suggested it could take until early to mid-July before Matthews lets them know if he's on board.
Matthew Knies continues to be mentioned as a potential trade candidate. The 23-year-old power forward has been a fixture in the rumor mill since early March.
Siegel suggested Knies as a trade chip to acquire a defenseman if Chayka attempts to move a blueliner, such as Morgan Rielly , Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Brandon Carlo . However, Sportsnet's Luke Fox indicated that Chayka thinks highly of Knies and doesn't seem keen to move him.
Speaking of Rielly, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal proposed the Maple Leafs swap him for Oilers blueliner Darnell Nurse if both players were willing to waive their no-movement clauses.
Matheson pointed out both defensemen are signed through 2029-30, with Nurse earning an average annual value of $9.25 million and Rielly earning $7.5 million. He also noted that Nurse was born in Hamilton, Ont., and grew up with Maple Leafs center Max Domi .
It's unlikely that this proposal would help either club. Both blueliners are struggling to regain the form that earned them those expensive contracts. The Oilers would benefit only because they'd shed nearly $1.75 million annually in the deal.
Turning to the Boston Bruins , president Cam Neely told reporters last week his club must find more speed and talent to compete with the league's top teams. He believes they need a first-line center, either growing one from within or acquiring one from another club.
Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic thinks the Bruins have the salary cap space and some assets (including center Matthew Poitras and defenseman Mason Lohrei ) to pursue a center in the trade market, but there aren't many believed to be available.
Shinzawa suggested Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues and Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks as potential options. However, he felt that they would be outside the Bruins' price range.
Free agency won't offer up any better options, with an aging Evgeni Malkin the most notable.
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