Story by
NHL Rumor Roundup: Updates On Quinn Hughes And Pavel Zacha, Maple Leafs Could Peddle Miles Wood
- Story by
- NHL Rumor Roundup: Updates On Quinn Hughes And Pavel Zacha, Maple Leafs Could Peddle Miles Wood
TSN's Pierre LeBrun reportedlast Thursday that Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin intendsto remain patient with Quinn Hughes as the superstar defenseman mullsover his future.
Hughes, 26, is UFA-eligible nextsummer. The Wild would love to sign him to a lengthy extension.However, he wants to take time to consider his options before takingsuch a big step, and Guerin doesn't want to pressure him.
Advertisement
The Athletic's Michael Russoand Joe Smith believe Guerin might have to consider moving Hughesbefore the March 1 trade deadline if he won't sign. They believethat would be " the nightmare scenario ", considering how much theWild gave up to acquire him from the Vancouver Canucks last December.
Plenty of time remains for Hughesto sign an extension. A strong performance by the Wild could convincehim that his future is in Minnesota. Nevertheless, the longer this dragson, the more his name will surface in the rumor mill.
Zacha And Bruins Continue To Discuss Extension
Speaking of players in no hurryto sign new contracts, Pavel Zacha isn't concerned that his campand the Boston Bruins haven't reached an agreement yet on a newdeal.
Advertisement
The 29-year-old Zacha is in thefinal season of a four-year deal with a cap hit of $4.75 million. Theversatile two-way center had a career-best performance last season,scoring 30 goals and 65 points.
Zacha will seek a substantialraise as salaries are skyrocketing. He would be the best centeravailable if he tests next summer's UFA market.
Report: Boston Bruins' Pavel Zacha Linked To 4 NHL Teams
TSN's Chris Johnston reportedlast Thursday that the extension talks were ongoing, but the two sideshaven't found a suitable number yet. He believes Zacha'ssituation is worth watching, as he could become a trade candidate ifhe and the Bruins fail to reach an agreement before the March 1 tradedeadline.
Advertisement
Maple Leafs Looking To Move Wood
Turning to the Toronto MapleLeafs , we noted reports last week suggesting GM John Chayka might notbe done making moves after acquiring winger Kirill Marchenko from theColumbus Blue Jackets.
Miles Wood was among the playersreceived by the Maple Leafs in that six-player trade. The 31-year-oldchecking-line forward is in the fourth season of a six-year contract with an AAV of $2.5 million.
On Thursday, Sportsnet'sElliotte Friedman said he believed the Maple Leafs were trying toflip Wood the same day. He felt they were working on trades to sendhim elsewhere, but it didn't happen.
Advertisement
Wood could be used as trade baitin a package deal if Chayka still intends to add to his roster.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source . Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here . And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
