NHL Rumors: Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes

With the recent moves the Flames have made, even with Kadri’s excellent contributions, he could be a strategic asset in the future. He signed a lucrative seven-year, $49 million deal in 2022. His contract has a no-movement clause through 2025-26 and a no-trade clause through the last three years of the agreement. Since the club’s management wants to get younger, retaining the 33-year-old for five more years is a bit much to expect.

He’s been a force on the power play, with 16 goals and 16 assists. Trading him will be more than difficult with performances like the one below.

Montreal Canadiens – Ken Hughes trade deadline approach

Rumor: Per – Amy Johnson -thehockeynews.com. What trade deadline moves did the Canadiens’ GM, Ken Hughes, make to improve the team’s future?

Hughes has signaled a departure from their previous stance as sellers at the trade deadline, indicating a proactive shift towards potential buyer status during the offseason, especially at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. With significant acquisitions like a 2024 1st-round pick and a conditional 2025 3rd-round pick garnered from trades involving players such as Sean Monahan and Jake Allen, Montreal has bolstered its bargaining power. 

Sean Monahan’s trade to Winnipeg early in the calendar year certainly grabbed attention. Hughes acquired yet another first-round draft pick for the forward. Add a couple of AHL-level trades to the mix, and you’ve got the sum total of the Habs’ moves this year.

“If I see another opportunity again at the draft, we’ll look to continue being a buyer and not a seller,” Hughes said recently. Trading Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils certainly helped solve the crowded nature of the Habs’ crease for now, allowing Cayden Primeau to finally take his place as the backup goaltender for the Canadiens. Hughes indicated at his post-deadline press conference that he and the organization felt that the goaltending prospect had shown this season he was ready to take that next step, which aided in the decision to trade the veteran Allen.

How would you rate the Canadiens’ trade deadline moves? What would you have done differently? Let us know in the comments section.

Arizona Coyotes – Will they stay, or will they go?

Rumor: Per – Elliotte Friedman – sportsnet.ca. Relocation will be on the table if Coyotes don’t win the land auction.

The Arizona Coyotes will bid on 95 acres of land in north Phoenix bordering Scottsdale, starting at a hefty $68.5 million. That equates to about $700,000 per acre. The state land board addressed the issue at its recent meeting on March 14th. The actual auction will not begin for approximately 10 weeks to allow all bidders to participate.

So, what if the Coyotes are outbid for the parcel of land they wish to procure for a new arena? According to Friedman, then relocation would be on the table. There seem to be two possible outcomes here. If they win the auction (which they maintain they intend to do), or if they fail, then the league would have no choice but to consider relocation.

Friedman stated that his reporting indicated that the ownership must not be underestimated as to their intention to win the auction and keep the team in Arizona. The problem is that even if they win the auction, how long must they continue to play in a 4,600-seat college arena? Three more years? ASU has no issue agreeing to that, but will the NHL go along with that timeline?

It’s curious if the NHL could force Alex Meruelo to sell the team. Primarily after he has invested about $20 million in an annex facility for player locker rooms, plus whatever the final price tag may be for the land. Remember that this land is in the desert without infrastructure, water, or electricity. That will add to the cost. It is also hoped that the arena will be the first project to be completed if things progress. Meruelo also wants similar amenities like apartments, hotels, and retail shopping that were to be included in the Tempe project that failed on the ballot last May.

As Friedman so adeptly mentioned, the Coyotes are at “the fork in the road” with this complex arena issue.

This edition of NHL rumors concludes. Be sure to catch our next article, and thanks for reading!