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David Savard, Montreal Canadiens (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Hurricanes reportedly had interest in Brock Boeser

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Parsons | Last updated Mar 14, 2025 4:35 PM ET

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is talk about the Vancouver Canucks and a few key pieces of that team. What is the future of head coach Rick Tocchet? Is there a chance Quinn Hughes might be leaving in a couple of seasons? Did the Carolina Hurricanes make an offer for Brock Boeser? In other news, Is David Savard considering retirement after this season? Finally, the Edmonton Oilers are scrambling. What now?

Hurricanes Had Reported Interest in Boeser

Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal recently reported the Carolina Hurricanes were believed to be one of the teams who had a real interest in Brock Boeser at this season’s NHL trade deadline. While the Canucks said the offers for Boeser weren’t even worth considering, Dhaliwal reports the Hurricanes made a solid pitch in the hours before last Friday’s trade deadline.

Boeser, 28, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and it will be intriguing to see if Carolina remains interested. Their deadline interest could have been as a rental to replace the outgoing Mikko Rantanen. As for Boeser staying with the Canucks, there’s been no indication the two sides are even close to getting something done.

It was believed the Hurricanes were willing to flip one of the first-rounders from the Rantanen trade for Boeser.

Is Tocchet Not Sure About Extending Because of Quinn Hughes Questions?

Dhaliwal was also asked about the status of head coach Rick Tocchet, and he noted that the Canucks want to extend him, but Tocchet doesn’t seem ready to re-sign. There is a lot of drama inside that organization, and with the uncertainty surrounding Boeser, a possible Elias Pettersson trade, and what Quinn Hughes plans to do long-term, Tocchet might be weighing his options.

Dhaliwal said on the Kyper and Bourne show, “Tocchet’s franchise goalie has four injuries in 11 months, his franchise defenceman could leave in two years, his franchise center is on pace for 50 points… He’s got a decision to make.”

David Savard Unsure About Playing Future as Contract Nears End

Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard was a potential trade candidate leading up to last week’s NHL deadline. However, the team opted to hang onto him for a potential playoff push. Now, questions about his future have shifted to next season, as Savard recently admitted in an interview with 98.5 Sports, that he is uncertain about whether he will continue playing beyond this year.

The 34-year-old has been a reliable top-four defenseman for much of his career. He could have been a solid add for a playoff contender, but speculation is that there wasn’t a ton of interest in him at the deadline. Age and speed have likely contributed to a lack of desire to invest in him and despite being a valuable trade asset in the past, fetching a first-round or second-round pick probably wasn’t on the table. His role has diminished, with his average ice time dropping to 17:40 per game.

Savard is in the final year of a four-year contract with a $3.5 million cap hit. If he chooses to continue playing, his next contract could be half of what he’s making now, despite a rise in the salary cap. It makes sense he might be considering his future.

Oilers Trying to Find Solutions

When asked what’s wrong with the Edmonton Oilers, head coach Kris Knoblauch couldn’t put his finger on a fixable problem. There is no depth scoring from their forwards, the team can’t clear the front of the net, and they’re struggling in every facet of the game. What they do next isn’t at all clear with less than 20 games to go in the season.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” said Knoblauch in a post-game media scrum. He added, “Whether that’s the power play or penalty kill. Whether it’s depth scoring or making mistakes. Whatever it is, there are a lot of things we need to improve on.”

The expectation is that line changes are coming and top players will be sent stern messages. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins may be among them as the Oilers loaded the top line early on Thursday night. It’s also going to be intriguing to see if they finally shift around the power play units.