Bieksa for Chimera?

RUMOUR			2009-2010 NHL Statistics				2011 Cap Info
To Washington	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Years	Cap Hit
Kevin Bieksa	Defense	29	55	3	19	22	1	$3.75 million
--------------
To Vancouver	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Years	Cap Hit
Jason Chimera	Forward	31	78	15	19	34	2	$1.875 million
Draft Pick

It's been a while since I had something for the Rumour Mill blog, but a quick tweet got the wheels turning and we have some numbers to play with. It's nothing more than a rumour and should be take as just that, but I don't mind having a quick peek, see what it looks like.

The Canucks are knee deep in defensemen and cuddling up to the salary cap ceiling this Summer, so a deal to move a blueliner and get some cap space should be considered as a viable option.  Moving Bieksa to an Eastern Conference team definitely has some merit and getting a 3rd/4th line player in return makes some sense, as that was one of their weaker points in the playoffs last Spring.

For the Capitals, they are dealing with plenty of depth on the forward ranks and a bit of a shortage of offense from the blueline past Mike Green.  Bieksa would definitely solve the issue of finding a top-3 defenseman, for a reasonable cap hit, some toughness will be a value-add for the team as well.

I've definitely heard of worse rumours than this.

Hodgson for Hall or Seguin?

RUMOUR			2009-2010 NHL Statistics				2011 Cap Info
To Boston	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Years	Cap Hit
Michael Grabner	Forward	22	20	5	6	11	1	$843,000
Cody Hodgson	Forward	20	0	0	0	0	2	$1.6 million
--------------
To Vancouver	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Years	Cap Hit
Milan Lucic	Forward	22	50	9	11	20	3	$4.1 million
2010 1st Round Pick (2nd overall)
2010 2nd Round Pick (32nd overall)

Well, when I saw this one on Twitter this morning, I had to laugh, as there doesn't seem to be too much rhyme or reason for this one.  Between the two teams, there is a lot being thrown around and for what going to Vancouver, to me, the Bruins are banking on way too much of a gamble with Cody Hodgson.

What this rumour is suggesting is that to the Bruins, Hodgson is worth more to the Bruins than either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin, depending on who the Oilers choose, of course.  Hodgson, dealing with back injuries and attitude problems, should be discounted straight away, unless the Bruins have some inside scouting information that the Canucks may only know in secret.  With Hall and/or Seguin preparing to be franchise players in the league, it's hard to believe that it would be the deal this year, but the Bruins have said that the pick is in play.

Next, is the salary cap issue.  Yes, the Bruins would probably love to dump a salary like Lucic's, since it is fairly big, especially for a borderline 2nd line player, better suited as a 3rd line player.  If the Bruins could dump that deal, they would definitely be happy campers going into the Summer, without a doubt.  Unfortunately, the way this deal works out, the Canucks really are not giving up definite cap hits in either Grabner or Hodgson and then taking on a lump of salary, that would affect the team's chances of adding some more veteran experience or defensive help.

At best, there would have to be some cap space going the other way to Boston, if this trade was to go anywhere near reality, in my opinion.  Hodgson instead of Hall or Seguin, is mildly believable, Hodgson had his share of honours in juniors, even after he was drafted, but there would have to be some assurances to Boston that he'd be good to go right away.  A salary dump on a team that is already relatively high in their cap situation seems rather unlikely, no matter how much of a reception that Lucic would receive, returning to the city that he won a Memorial Cup with.  In another possible scenario, there would have to be another deal brewing that would see a pick and a salary dump by the Canucks to go out of town to fit this in, but speculating on anymore deals past one rumour, is just nonsense.  This rumour has too many ways to fail, it's ludicrous.

Kaberle for Hodgson?

			2009/2010 NHL Statistics
To Vancouver	Position	Age	GP	Goals	Points	2010 Cap Hit	2011 Cap Hit
Tomas Kaberle	Defenseman	32	61	6	46	$4.25 million	$4.25 million
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To Toronto	Position	Age	GP	Goals	Points	2010 Cap Hit	2011 Cap Hit
Cody Hodgson	Forward	20	0	0	0	In Juniors	$1.696 million

An interesting thought was posted on the Hockey News website on Wednesday, which suggested the Maple Leafs could move Tomas Kaberle and land Cody Hodgson from the Canucks. It's just a suggestion, hardly a rumour, but its still fun to play with, because looking at it from the outside, this does have some merit in the franchise-building ideology.

First off, the Maple Leafs. They are in rebuilding mode and they have said that they are not keen on moving Kaberle, but cap flexibility that the team would gain in moving him must be somewhat appealing and a nagging thought in the back of Brian Burke's mind. In this deal, they would gain some flexibility for 2011 and they would end up with a former 1st round pick, which would ease the burden of having moved their 2010 pick to Boston in the Phil Kessel deal. After Hodgson's performance in the 2009 World Juniors and the OHL season, he has a serious upside to him, almost to the point of a franchise player down the stretch. In moving Kaberle, they would accomplish a lot in this deal and it could possibly give the Leafs critics a little less to talk about. We all know they won't shut up, but they would have a little less to go on.

As for the Canucks, they have pieces in their franchise that they can move in order to win now. The Canucks are arguably a top-two defenseman away from being a real contender down the stretch and if it costs them a big piece to do it, it has to be tempting for them. Kaberle has been very good for the Leafs this season and should provide a veteran presence and some extra blueline offense, which would make the team a lot more credible and would ease the pressure on players like Kevin Bieksa (when he returns) and Sami Salo. Moving Hodgson might be on the management's checklist, because they don't trust his health issues despite his offensive upside, so he might be a reasonable piece to move, since the price of winning now is quite high.

As mentioned, the cap burden on the Maple Leafs will be relieved of sorts in this deal, where they could end up saving an entire season of Kaberle's cap hit, if Hodgson was to have a development season in the AHL with the Marlies, which has to be appealing. In theory, this move would give a potential cap hit of $41.2 million for 14 players, which is much more relaxed if you added Kaberle's number in.

For the Canucks, they would have to absorb the remaining hit on Kaberle, which is likely just hovering around hte $2 million mark, which they could have in discounts from their injures this season. With both Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa currently on the shelf for the long-term, they have saved some cap space and also have an open spot on the blueline for Kaberle. Then the question surrounds the 2011 season, where Kaberle has his deal in place for, which adds the $4.25 million on top of the Canucks' $42.6 million already in place for 13 players. That's getting awfully close, especially for adding another nine players and they have serious free agents to deal with. Having a piece like Kaberle does create some flexibility in dealing with free agents, but the won't cross that bridge unless they get there.

In the world where anything can happen in NHL trades, it's hard to say that this is completely impossible, especially for the reasons given above. Between Toronto not really wanting to give up Kaberle and Vancouver needing a second-line centre in their future, Hodgson doesn't seem to be a wise piece to move, there is plenty of reason to make this move for both sides. Two teams with different ideas when they want to win will need to make a move to achieve their goals and both sides are believed to be actively doing some talking during this Olympic Break... it's really, really interesting.

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Backes for Schneider

RUMOUR			2009/2010 NHL Statistics
To Vancouver	Position	Age	GP	Goals	Points	2010 Cap Hit	2011 Cap Hit
David Backes	Forward	25	49	10	26	$2.5 million	$2.5 million
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To St. Louis	Position	Age	MIN	Wins	Points	2010 Cap Hit	2011 Cap Hit
Cory Schneider	Goaltender	23	78	0	0	$1.084 million	RFA

An interesting trade rumour floated through Twitter this afternoon and I thought I would have a look at its validity. The Canucks would finally send blue-chip goaltender, Cory Schneider, away to St. Louis and in return, the Blues would send gritty forward, David Backes.

This is a very curious deal, especially since we are coming to the time of rental deals, where this deal has plenty of long-term value. The Blues would get a new franchise goaltender and the Canucks would get some more speed and grit for at least another season after this.

For the Canucks, they would upgrade their depth with a former 30-goal scorer in Backes, which has to be a very tempting player to pick up. Backes would likely slot between the second and third line, depending on chemistry, production and discipline.

For the Blues, they are on the verge of unrestricted free agency with Chris Mason and they only have one year remaining with Ty Conklin, so they would likely be giving Schneider a year behind Conklin, which would be valuable for his NHL experience.

Since this deal would see a player join the Canucks without giving up a roster player, there might be some complications, especially with the return of Pavol Demitra to their line-up this month. The Canucks would have to likely free up some space, which may also include another player or two in this deal.

In terms of the 2011, the Blues are in full flexibility mode, having only 12 players signed on for an approximate cap hit of $28.5 million. They will be happy to take a piece like Schneider and build around him. The Canucks, on the other hand, have most of their core in place and are paying for this core for years to come. They currently have 13 players signed on for $42.6 million, which doesn't leave a great deal for depth, but that's the trick of management.

I do like this deal a whole lot, especially being a Canucks fan. The potential of Cory Schneider being a good NHL goalie is there and David Backes has the ability to score 30 goals, so the value does seem to be there. Backes did miss the Blues' last game with an upper-body injury, so if there is supposed to be a hiccup on this deal, it would be that.

Discuss in the comments...

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Kovalchuk Vancouver-bound?

RUMOUR			2009/2010 NHL Statistics			2010 Cap Hit
To Vancouver	Position	Age	GP	Goals	Points	Years	Per Year
Ilya Kovalchuk	Forward	26	28	19	36	1	$6.389 million
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To Atlanta	Position	Age	GP/MIN	Goals/Wins	Points	Years	Per Year
Pavol Demitra	Forward	35	0	0	0	1	$4 million
Cory Schneider	Goaltender	23	78	0	0	1	$1.084 million
2010 1st Round Pick

Well, this one is a doozy, wouldn't you say? The Thrashers have been the focus of many rumours and speculation and this one is no different. This rumour is thanks to this tweet, which popped up on Sunday afternoon.

Ilya Kovalchuk is an impending unrestricted free agent this summer and the Thrashers have been trying to lure their 1st overall pick in 2001 back into the fold for the long-term with some contract talks. The trade speculation has been amplified because the talks are supposedly not going very well.

The Canucks are trying to find their stride in the Western Conference playoff race, sitting in 10th spot going into Sunday's action and if there was any meat to this rumour, it would suggest that the Canucks are looking to add more consistent scoring to help out their defensive play.

The Canucks, in fairness, should be looking to unload Pavol Demitra, because of his high price tag and inability to make an impact in the line-up and they have a good trading piece like Cory Schneider, who is considered to be one of the top goaltending prospects in the NHL. The first round pick is more of a piece that puts the deal over the top.

I can't see this deal going down in the slightest. The Canucks have no cap space and I don't believe they would pay that much for a rental player. The Canucks won't have the cap space in the coming seasons to deal a long-term Kovalchuk contract, so you can immediately say that this is a rental agreement.

Another point against the possibility of this deal would be that the Canucks are not built on offense or a true offense style. The Canucks are trying to pride themselves on defense and a good transition game and/or forecheck. Yes, Kovalchuk would improve the transition game, but I don't think he has the defensive responsibility that the Canucks are looking for.

Canucks & Coyotes Talking?

RUMOUR			2009/2010 NHL Statistics			2010 Cap Hit
To Vancouver	Position	Age	GP	Goals	Points	Years	Per Year
Peter Mueller	Forward	21	24	1	4	1	$1.7 million
--------
To Phoenix	Position	Age	GP	Goals	Points	Years	Per Year
Shane O'Brien	Defenseman	25	20	0	0	1	$1.6 million

In an interesting tweet I saw today, the Canucks and Coyotes may be talking trade to help deal a couple of underachieving players from one team to the other. As you can see above, the Coyotes would ship Peter Mueller to Vancouver for Shane O'Brien. Both Mueller and O'Brien have drawn the ire of their coaches, being healthy scratches in the line-up of late, which does help to facilitate a trade and upon further review, you notice that they are both worth the same against the cap this season and they are both free agents at the end of the season.

Now, I do find it a tad hard to believe that this is a deal worth doing, as O'Brien is very one dimensional as a pugilistic defender, but if Mueller is available, there does seem to be some merit here. I would have to think that there is some extra value in Mueller being much younger than O'Brien, so if there was any discussion in this direction, the Coyotes would likely be looking for a 2nd round pick to make up the difference. Mueller comes with plenty of upside and the Canucks could use a little more depth up front, so if the Canucks can part with a decent pick, I suppose I could see it happening.

Horton to Vancouver?

			2008-2009 Statistics		2010
To Vancouver	Pos	Age	GP/MIN	Points	Cap Hit
Nathan Horton	F	24	67	45	4 years/$4 million
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			2008-2009 Statistics		2010
To Florida	Pos	Age	GP/MIN	Points	Cap Hit
Defenseman
Top Prospect

Another interesting rumour floating around the boards and the tweets over the past 24 hours sees the Canucks going after Nathan Horton of the Panthers. There were no names suggested from Vancouver in the rumour, so what is listed above is how it looks.

From Florida's perspective, they are piecing together a defense corps that is getting somewhat respectable and would do well to add a little more stability to it. The Canucks, on the other hand, should be looking to shed more cap space than taking more on, especially the $4 million per season Horton will cost over the next four seasons.

If I was to wager a guess on this one, I would have to say it would be Kevin Bieksa and his $3.75 million being the defenseman going to Florida, along with a player like Michal Grabner or Jannik Hansen to complete the deal. There still isn't enough cap space moved out by the Canucks, but that is the only reasonable thought out of this supposed rumour.

An addition of Horton to the Canucks would give a lot more size to the middle of the ice and it would lessen the responsibility of Cody Hodgson's rookie season.

The Panthers would get a lot more grit for their blueline, if Bieksa was to go the other way. That would be something that they would need playing against some of the Southeast Division superstars in Alex Ovechkin, Vincent Lecavalier and Eric Staal.

Personally, I think if this deal goes down, the Canucks would have to pony up a little more and get a prospect back themselves to make things a bit more comfortable.

Luongo In, Schneider Out?

The Vancouver Canucks remain tight with the rumour mill on Thursday, as Cory Schneider has fully vested himself among all the whispers and nods about his possible fate, which seems to be popular after Roberto Luongo signed his 12-year deal on Wednesday.

Schneider is widely-considered to be one of the best goaltending prospects in the NHL, which should make him a very valuable blue chip to move for the Canucks. HockeysFuture.com has Schneider ranked as the second best goalie prospect (behind Tukka Rask of the Bruins) and he should draw some interest from a number of clubs, who are lacking in the goaltending department at the moment.

The Canucks should be in cap space clearing mode at the moment, especially after the deals that brought Christian Ehrhoff and Mathieu Schneider to the team, as they have found themselves just over the cap ceiling number. Speculation around the team suggests that the young keeper could be packaged in a deal with a defenseman to help clear out that cap space and they would try and pick up either some prospects or a much-needed scoring forward in return.

The Canucks, if they were to just clear space by getting prospects in return, would likely put whatever extra money forward to help re-signing Mats Sundin before training camp.

If there was any question in my mind, it would be whether or not there are any desperate teams out there for a bluechip goaltending prospect, who may be able to jump into the NHL right away. You could look at a team like Colorado, who doesn't have much for goaltending at the moment, but they also don't have much to offer beyond their core players in return. The Red Wings have very little beyond the aging Chris Osgood, so does that put them into the picture? The Dallas Stars are wailing beyond Marty Turco. Do the Devils need an insurance plan for the future beyond Martin Brodeur? The Coyotes may need a real starter one of these days.

I would imagine that the Canucks will likely hold onto Schneider for the time being, worrying about clearing cap space through players who are actually on the roster. A package deal would likely come out of some team that has some room to give and a need for a goalie like Schneider.

Canucks to Dump on Kings?

			2008-2009 Statistics		2010
To Vancouver	Pos	Age	GP/MIN	Points	Cap Hit
Alex Frolov	F	27	77	59	1 year/$2.9 million
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			2008-2009 Statistics		2010
To Los Angeles	Pos	Age	GP/MIN	Points	Cap Hit
Pavol Demitra	F	34	69	53	1 year/$4 million
Shane O'Brien	D	25	77	10	1 year/$1.6 million
2010 3rd Round Pick

An interesting trade rumour surfaced on Twitter (@NHLSourcesSay) this morning, seeing the now over-budget Canucks trying to clear space by moving Pavol Demitra and Shane O'Brien to Los Angeles for Alexander Frolov. The move would be one that clears $2.7 million from the books, which would leave the Canucks about $1 million over the cap limit with 22 players on the roster.

This move is a step in the right direction for the Canucks, but the Kings may be taking the brunt end of a deal which sees a couple of under-performing players with larger contracts. The Kings are still in a re-building mode, which likely means that they can be the whipping boys of the cap era, for now. Demitra may be a nice compliment to Anze Kopitar and the Kings' power play, but his numbers would have to improve for the Kings to get a good shake out of this dea.

I wouldn't say that this deal is out of the question, especially since the Kings have been rumoured to rid themselves of Frolov and have plenty of cap space.

Canucks to Sign Schneider?

The rumours have been swirling for some time now that the Canucks are making their way closer to signing UFA defenseman, Mathieu Schneider. Last night, Sportsnet posted a quick hit making light of the rumour and it's possible finish in the near future. The reported deal is said to be for one season at a cost of $1.5 million.

Schneider, 40, split time between Atlanta and Montreal in 2009, playing in 67 games, scoring 9 goals and adding 23 assists. Even at that veteran age, Schneider was picking up plenty of power play ice-time for the Habs upon his return, which definitely helped his overall production for the year. Schneider finished as the 47th ranked defender in terms of pool points, which should still keep him in the discussion for being draft worthy this Fall.

The Canucks have been looking for another defenseman to help out their team from the back-end, especially on their power play. A move like this could be beneficial to the team, both financially and experience-wise.

Sedins Asking Too Much?

According to a news site in Sweden, found by TSN.ca, cites that Henrik and Daniel Sedin are now looking for contracts that are similar to Henrik Zetterberg of the Red Wings. Zetterberg currently has a 12-year deal worth $73 million, but the Sedins would be looking for something in the neighbourhood of $63 million, which is a fair shake less, but still it works out to be $5.25 million per season each.

At $10.5 million against the cap each year, the twins will take up a significant portion of the salary cap space for any team, if the Canucks do not choose to go ahead with this deal. The deal will also be in force until the brothers are both 40-years old, which is something else that the deal that Zetterberg has in common.

If the deal was signed today, the Canucks would be sitting with 15 players signed on for next season at an annual cap hit of $46.4 million (approximately), which would leave them under $10 million for the remaining eight players that they have to fill the roster with. It would certainly limit the amount given to the remaining free agents or money given to new free agent signings.

At a point-per-game average, they are certainly well within their market value to say $5.25 million is their desired salary, but there is concerns that they do come as a package, so when the cost doubles, it's a bitter pill to swallow.

I'm beginning to wonder what part of this deal is the worst, really. Is it the length, as 12 years is a very long time for any contract to be signed for or is it the uncertainty of the cap going forward. If the league recovers well from this economic situation, the money doesn't look too bad, as they could find room for Roberto Luongo (UFA in 2010) and Ryan Kesler (RFA in 2010). I think it's more the cap room, as the twins are good players and the years don't really bother me too much.