Check out the latest on the Leafs, Oilers, Flames and Kings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
TSN: Darren Dreger reports Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren is expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings. Liljegren, 25, was a healthy scratch from the Leafs’ first three games.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren (NHL Images).
Dreger speculates it could fuel recent trade speculation about Liljegren or maybe some of it will fade.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Score’s Josh Wegman listed the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Kings as logical destinations for Liljegren. All five could use depth in right-side, right-shot defensemen.
Turning to the Oilers, Dreger believes the frustration surrounding the team over its poor start to this season is coming externally rather than from within the organization. He claims there’s no sense of panic among management at this stage. They’re not pointing fingers at any one area but believe the team as a whole must improve.
Nevertheless, Dreger suggests they could use an upgrade on defense. He pointed out that Kevin Shattenkirk remains available in the unrestricted free-agent market. The 35-year-old defenseman is a right-hand shot who wants to chase the Stanley Cup and wouldn’t be an expensive addition. Dreger is surprised that Oilers general manager Stan Bowman hasn’t embraced that opportunity.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was reported the Oilers reached out to Shattenkirk earlier this month. Maybe he’s asking for more money than they can afford or perhaps Bowman had second thoughts.
Pierre LeBrun believes Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy doesn’t understand why people expect him to be a seller this season. He claims Conroy has done all the fire sales that he’s going to do over the past 12-15 months.
LeBrun points out that the core Flames people believe could get moved (Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, Blake Coleman) are under contract beyond this season. Conroy believes those players want to be part of the club’s transition and he wants them to be a part of it.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kadri and Weegar are also on expensive long-term contracts with no-movement or no-trade protection. Coleman is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $4.9 million and a 10-team no-trade clause.
LeBrun also noted that Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake is in the final season of his contract. However, he’s comfortable with this situation as he has a great relationship with Kings president Luc Robitaille.
Blake did the same thing with his previous contract and was re-signed. There could be more pressure on him this time as the Kings failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs in the last three seasons. Nevertheless, he’s comfortable seeing how this season unfolds before having contract discussions.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blake’s critics cited his recent string of questionable moves during the offseason. Another early playoff exit or missing the postseason could prompt a management shakeup.