NHL Rumors

John Tortorella, who owns 20 years of NHL head coaching experience, has reportedly been offered the opportunity to lead the Philadelphia Flyers staff.

ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported Tuesday the sides are in "late-stage negotiations" about a contract for Tortorella to take over as the team's head coach for the 2022-23 season. TSN's Pierre LeBrun added further talks are set for Thursday.

Philadelphia narrowed its search to Tortorella and Barry Trotz, another high-profile coaching veteran, over the weekend, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

The Flyers failed to reach the playoffs each of the past two seasons and haven't advanced beyond the Eastern Conference Semifinals since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2010.

They fired head coach Alain Vigneault in December after three seasons, and interim replacement Mike Yeo was dismissed at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, when Philly posted a 25-46-11 record, the NHL's fourth-worst mark.

Hiring a head coach will be the start of a busy offseason for Philadelphia, which must also name a new captain after trading Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers.

In May, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher noted handing out the "C" isn't a high priority.

"That's about No. 20 on our list right now. We'll get into that," Fletcher told reporters. "My assumption is we'll get through this summer, get closer to training camp, sit down and make that assessment."

More important for the franchise, which won its most recent championship in 1975, is finding a way to reinvigorate the roster.

"It is being aggressive in all phases. Certainly, part of it is we need to get younger, we have to get more talented," said Fletcher, who was hired as GM in 2018. "We have to get faster. We have to aggressively look at trades, free agency, and can we add a couple players to supplement what we have here and make this team better."

Hiring the fiery Tortorella would be an effort to change the culture in Philly's locker room.

The 63-year-old has compiled a 673-541-37-132 career record (.548 winning percentage) across 1,383 games as a head coach with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks.

Tortorella is a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach, taking home the honor in 2003-04 with the Lightning—who won their first Cup title—and 2016-17 with Blue Jackets.

The Boston native mutually parted ways with Columbus following the 2020-21 season and spent the past year as a hockey analyst for ESPN.

Trotz owns a 914-670-60-168 record (.567) from stints with the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders. He guided the Caps to the 2018 Stanley Cup title.

The 59-year-old Canadian was let go by the Isles at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.

Evander Kane is returning to the NHL three weeks after the San Jose Sharks placed him on unconditional waivers. 

Kane agreed to a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, agent Dan Milstein announced.

The Athletic's Corey Masisak and TSN's Darren Dreger previously reported a deal was in the works.

The NHL announced on Thursday that Kane won't be subject to further discipline after being unable to find "conclusively find that Mr. Kane knowingly made misrepresentations regarding his COVID-19 status or test results in connection with his international travel."

The league previously announced on Oct. 18 that Kane was suspended for 21 games without pay for violating the agreed-upon COVID-19 protocols by the league and NHL Players Association. 

The punishment came after A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports reported Kane was being investigated amid allegations he submitted a fake vaccine card to the NHL. 

The Sharks assigned Kane to their American Hockey League affiliate on Nov. 30 after his suspension ended. He was placed in the AHL's COVID protocols on Dec. 22. 

San Jose announced on Jan. 8 Kane was placed on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract. 

Per Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the Sharks decision to waive Kane stemmed "primarily" from him allegedly taking an unauthorized trip to Vancouver in late December while in COVID-19 protocols after testing positive.

The NHLPA did file a grievance on Kane's behalf amid the Sharks' decision to terminate his contract. 

Kane's agent, Dan Milstein, tweeted on Jan. 8 the Sharks did "not have sufficient grounds for taking this action."

Kane has played 12 seasons in the NHL. He was the No. 4 overall pick by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009. The Vancouver native has played for the Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres and Sharks. 

The Oilers are currently sixth in the Pacific Division standings with 42 points.     

Evander Kane has not played an NHL game this season, but he reportedly could be returning to the ice for a new team pending the outcome of a league investigation.

Darren Dreger of TSN reported there remains "a decent chance" the left-winger will sign with the Edmonton Oilers if he avoids a significant suspension. He also said the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning "remain in the mix," although things could change if the NHL gives him a lengthy penalty.

In November ESPN's Greg Wyshynski wrote about Kane's 2021, including his 21-game suspension for violating the NHL's COVID-19 protocols because he submitted a fake vaccination card.

What's more, the league investigated after his estranged wife, Anna Kane, made allegations of domestic violence and that he bet on NHL games. The NHL said the allegations of assault "could not be substantiated" and determined there was no evidence he bet on hockey games.

The Sharks placed Kane on waivers, which he cleared, and then reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Barracuda.

San Jose then announced on Jan. 8 it placed him on unconditional waivers and would terminate his contract, citing a "breach of his NHL Standard Player Contract and for violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols."

The NHL's ongoing investigation into Kane is related to this breach of protocols. Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the league is looking into a border crossing made by Kane from the U.S. into Canada in December.

Still, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported "most" teams that are realistically in contention for the Stanley Cup gauged interest from Kane's camp. 

Pierre LeBrun of TSN said the left-winger's agent, Dan Milstein, said the plan is to sign a one-year deal for the rest of the 2021-22 campaign.

Kane played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Buffalo Sabres and Sharks from the 2009-10 season. He appeared in 56 games for San Jose in 2020-21 and finished with 49 points on 22 goals and 27 assists.

The Oilers are 18-15-2 on the season for 38 points, which is good enough for seventh place in the Pacific Division.            

The Vegas Golden Knights might be ramping up their pursuit of Jack Eichel. 

Vegas is considered a "team to watch" for the disgruntled Buffalo Sabres forward, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported Tuesday (h/t David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal).

The Golden Knights have been linked to Eichel since the star forward made it clear he wanted out of Buffalo because of the Sabres' unwillingness to allow him to get the artificial disc replacement surgery he desires instead of neck fusion surgery for the herniated disc in his neck.

However, the Golden Knights reportedly aren't willing to meet the Sabres' asking price for Eichel. Buffalo wants 2019 first-round pick Peyton Krebs in any deal, according to NHL insiders Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek (h/t the Las Vegas Review-Journal).

The Golden Knights expect Krebs to be a difference-maker. Head coach Pete DeBoer said after the 20-year-old's NHL debut that he has "a good reputation in the organization."

Buffalo will likely look for a center in return for Eichel, so if Krebs is unavailable, someone like Nolan Patrick or Jake Leschyshyn might head the other way in a trade that will undoubtedly include draft picks.

In September, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman (via The Daily Goal Horn) reported that a number of other Western Conference teams were interested in Eichel, including the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan added earlier this month on The Point that five teams remain in on Eichel. All of those teams agreed the former Sabres captain would get the artificial disk replacement surgery he wants. 

If Eichel is traded this season, it's unlikely he plays because he needs to undergo neck surgery. However, he could be ready for the 2022-23 campaign, depending on when he is moved and how long his recovery takes.

Eichel, who was drafted second overall by the Sabres in 2015, has tallied 355 points (139 goals, 216 assists) in 375 games. He signed an eight-year, $80 million contract extension with Buffalo before the 2017-18 season.  

Jack Eichel has never played for an NHL team outside of the Buffalo Sabres, but that could change before the 2021-22 campaign.

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings have all emerged as "potential fits" for the center. What's more, Dreger noted the Montreal Canadiens "could be in the mix" as well.

Eichel is just 24 years old and under contract through the 2025-26 campaign. However, the Sabres have never made the playoffs since they selected him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2015 NHL draft and could accelerate a rebuild by moving him for a number of pieces.

That so many teams are apparently interested is no surprise and could help Buffalo if a bidding war takes place.

The 6'2" center should provide offensive firepower as a three-time All-Star who posted 56 or more points in each of his first five seasons in the league. That changed when he played just 21 games because of a disk injury in 2020-21, but the Massachusetts native is still considered one of the best young playmakers in the NHL.

The Boston University product tallied 78 points and a plus-minus rating of plus-five during the 2019-20 campaign after finishing the previous season with a career-best 82 points.

The right-handed shot is the type of player who could immediately transform an offense for a contender, especially one like Montreal that just went to the Stanley Cup Final.

For as impressive as the Canadiens were throughout the playoffs, they didn't have the firepower to keep up with the Tampa Bay Lightning with the championship hanging in the balance. Eichel is someone who could close that gap for Montreal and a number of other teams.

The Chicago Blackhawks have traded veteran defenseman Duncan Keith and forward Tim Soderlund to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional 2022 third-round pick.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN tweeted details on the conditional pick:

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported the trade. 

Keith, 37, has spent his entire 16-year career in Chicago. 

Keith is a three-time champion, three-time All-Star, a two-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner as the top defensive player and the 2014-15 Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP. He's a safe bet to be a Hall of Famer once he retires. 

The question is just how much he'll upgrade Edmonton's blue line at this point in his career:

Everything in Edmonton should be viewed through the lens of maximizing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's prime years. The 24-year-old McDavid is the league's best player; the 25-year-old Draisaitl isn't far behind. The pair have won three of the past five Hart Trophies. 

And yet, in their time together the Oilers have won just one playoff series. That is an indictment on the talent the organization has surrounded them with, more than anything else. 

McDavid is under contract through the 2025-26 season, while Draisaitl's deal takes him through the 2024-25 campaign, so the Oilers have some time to build a true championship contender around them. Perhaps the Oilers see Keith's championship experience and his locker room presence as particularly valuable as McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers try to take the next step. 

Whether he's able to be a net positive on the ice at this stage in his career remains to be seen. 

As for Jones, his acquisition may be part of a larger plan for the rebuilding Blackhawks:

Regardless, the 24-year-old has appeared in 93 games over the past three years, posting a minus-17 plus-minus. 

Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel could be on the move this offseason, and TSN's Darren Dreger has identified three teams that are "in the mix" to land the 24-year-old.

In an appearance Friday on WGR 550, Dreger said the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings are among potential landing spots for the forward. The Sabres captain said last month that "there's been a bit of a disconnect" between him and the organization that drafted him at No. 2 overall in 2015. 

Eichel appeared in 21 games in 2021, scoring two goals and logging 16 assists before a herniated disk in his neck ended his season prematurely. 

According to Jenna Lemoncelli of the New York Post, Eichel wanted to have surgery to repair his neck injury—which he suffered on the ice on March 7—but the Sabres did not support that decision. 

"I have a lot of thinking to do in this offseason," he said in May. "I think that there’s a lot that I have to consider. But for now, obviously, I’m here." 

The center has five years and $50 million remaining on his current contract, with a no-trade clause in effect in 2022. 

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported Monday that the Sabres were having conversations with other teams and those negotiations were "getting more intense and serious."

In addition to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Columbus, LeBrun tabbed the Minnesota Wild, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers as possible destinations, noting that he thinks general manager Kevyn Adams is hoping to land a first-round pick in this year's draft in exchange for Eichel. 

With the draft coming up on July 23, that puts any interested team on the clock, something that was reflected when WGR 550's Jeremy White said Thursday that he expected a move to be made within "days."

Trade talk surrounding Buffalo Sabres superstar center Jack Eichel is reportedly starting to heat up.

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, negotiations between the Sabres and teams interested in acquiring Eichel are getting "more intense and serious."

LeBrun theorized that if the Sabres are going to move Eichel this offseason, general manager Kevyn Adams would like to get a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft as part of the package, meaning a deal would have to be struck by July 23, the first night of the draft.

After putting up the best numbers of his career in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, hopes were high for Eichel entering the 2020-21 campaign, especially after Buffalo signed winger Taylor Hall in free agency.

The signing didn't work out, as Hall (19 points in 37 games) was traded to the Boston Bruins before the deadline, and Eichel was limited to only 21 games because of injuries.

The 24-year-old didn't look like himself even when he did play, though, finishing with only two goals and 16 assists for 18 points, while posting a disappointing minus-nine rating after being a plus-five the previous year.

The team captain was on the shelf with a herniated disk in his neck, and he recently admitted to the media that he wasn't a fan of the way the Sabres handled his treatment.

Last month, Eichel told reporters the following regarding his injury status, and he seemed to suggest he was open to a trade as well: "There's been a bit of a disconnect from the organization a bit and myself. It's been tough at times. Right now, I think for me the most important thing is just trying to get healthy and figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year wherever that might be."

Frustration had seemingly been mounting even before the injury situation, as the Sabres have not reached the playoffs during Eichel's six-year NHL career. Their last postseason berth was in 2011.

The Sabres finished with the worst record in the NHL this season, which helped them land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft. They also fired head coach Ralph Krueger during the season.

Those factors give the Sabres a chance to have a fresh start, and trading Eichel could contribute to it, even though it would mean Buffalo losing its best player.

Eichel, who signed an eight-year, $80 million contract extension prior to the 2018-19 season, should be highly desirable on the trade market since he is a young, productive player under contract for five more seasons.

Taking the injury-riddled 2020-21 season out of the equation, Eichel was a player on the rise with 28 goals and 54 assists for a career-high 82 points over 77 games in 2018-19. He followed up with a career-high 36 goals to go along with 42 assists for 78 points in 68 games the next season.

Eichel, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft after the Edmonton Oilers took Connor McDavid first overall, has all the tools needed to be one of the top players in the NHL and a perennial Hart Trophy candidate.

Because of that, the Sabres should be able to secure a massive package of picks, prospects and players should they make the difficult decision to part with him.

LeBrun reported that the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers are perhaps the best fits for Eichel.

The Ducks (third), Blue Jackets (fifth) and Kings (eighth) are picking high in the draft, which could make them the most desirable trade partners for the Sabres.

Should Buffalo take defenseman Owen Power with the No. 1 overall pick and then use one of the aforementioned picks from an Eichel trade on one of the top forwards in the draft, the Sabres will have a lot of talented pieces in place for a proper rebuild, which may be the only way to get the floundering franchise back on track.

After missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, the Los Angeles Kings are looking to make significant roster changes this offseason. 

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Kings are looking to add "two top-six forwards" either via trades or free agency. 

The Kings currently project to have $18.9 million in cap space to upgrade their roster, per Spotrac. 

It's not a surprise that the Kings would be targeting players who can help them score goals. They finished 27th in goals scored in 2020-21, their highest ranking in that category in four seasons. 

Dustin Brown was the Kings' leading goal-scorer last season with 17, but he's 36 years old and only has one year remaining on his current contract. 

There could be a robust market of free-agent forwards for teams this summer. Alex Ovechkin, Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall are some of the notable names set to hit the market. 

Since winning the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, the Kings have won just one playoff game in two postseason appearances. They haven't finished higher than fourth in the division standings since the 2015-16 season.