In today's NHL Rumors Roundup, Leon Draisaitl's agent spoke about the possibility of the Edmonton Oilers signing his client. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs needed medical clearance before signing Janni Hakanpaa. Will his injured knee be an issue? Did the Ottawa Senators turn down a different, possibly better, trade offer for Jakob Chychrun? Finally, will the Montreal Canadiens look to the trade market with little room to acquire a scoring forward in free agency?
Draisaitel's camp believes a contract extension is possible in Edmonton.
Leon Draisaitl's agent, Jiri Poner, told Michael Bauer of EishockeyNews that he is confident a contract extension will be worked out in Edmonton, but the ball is in the Oilers' court. Seeing a significant raise from his current salary of $8.5 million, Poner said Draisaitl has “played at under 30 percent of his potential for three years, but that's not a complaint.”
Ponar added:
“There's no need to rush yet, but it can either happen quickly, by the end of August, or not at all,” Poner said in German. “It will also become clear if Edmonton wants him. Leon holds all the cards.”
Draisaitl wants to stay and doesn't seem to want to leave. But there are expectations for his next contract and the team likely won't be discounted too much. Poner suggested the Oilers have too much to lose by extending Draisaitl in the short term. Both sides seem focused on the eight-year deal.
Maple Leafs' Jani Hakanpaa injury concern?
Defenceman Jani Hakanpaa signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth $1.5 million per year, but Toronto journalist Steve Simmons reported concerns about Hakanpaa's knee problems. Some have suggested Hakanpaa will never play again, and the Stars were interested in re-signing him but gave up.
Simmons reported that the Maple Leafs' medical staff reviewed his record and cleared the deal. “I was told the knee was attached to the bone,” Simmons wrote. “I inquired with the Leafs and they told me the doctor cleared the deal. We'll know in the fall or later if he's able to play again,” Simmons wrote. Hakanpaa would be a major obstacle to a deal if he has lingering injury issues.
Did Ottawa make a different offer for Chychrun?
TSN's Darren Dreger said on a recent episode of the Ray and Dregs podcast that GM Steve Staios had told other managers in the draft that he offered Jakob Chychrun a first- and second-round pick but expected more. Ultimately, Ottawa traded Chychrun to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Nick Jensen and a third-round pick.
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Draeger didn't think such an offer existed. Ray Ferraro added, “Obviously, the market wasn't what Ottawa was expecting. Chychrun hadn't been there long and there was a lot of discussion beforehand about how much he could be sold for.” Both sides thought Chychrun's value had dropped a bit.
Will the Canadiens explore the trade market?
Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that the Montreal Canadiens could turn to the trade market after a dearth of scoring forwards in free agency. He writes that Tyler Johnson and Daniel Sprong are the top two remaining scorers, and that “if the Canadiens are still looking to add to their team via this route, they're not a legitimate top-six option,” adding, “I don't think that's the case.”
With significant draft capital, including two first-round picks in 2025, general manager Kent Hughes said the team could trade for existing players or move up in the draft.
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