In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Evander Kane sat for the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday in what the coaching staff called a “maintenance day.” Is there more to it than that? Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs could have moved Nick Robertson at the NHL Trade Deadline but they didn’t. Why? The Vancouver Canucks have offered Filip Hronek and lucrative contract extension. Finally, what is Moritz Seider going to get on an extension in Detroit?
Evander Kane Sits for the Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers were dealt their second consecutive loss on Sunday as they were downed by a score of 5-3 versus the Ottawa Senators. It was a game where they didn’t have Evander Kane in their lineup, pulled from the lineup just hours before the game began. Kane’s absence was attributed to a “maintenance day,” and head coach Kris Knoblauch stated, “We felt for the long-run, it was best for him to not play.”
Knoblauch confirmed this was not Kane’s decision and said the coaching staff and trainers made the call, despite Kane’s competitive nature and desire to play. What makes the decision so intriguing is the timing of it. He’s not scored in 15 games and in Saturday’s loss to the Maple Leafs, Kane had what appeared to be a heated exchange with Leon Draisaitl while on the bench. Most believe this was just two competitive players frustrated with the way the game was going, but given the timing of Kane sitting, fans may speculate about underlying issues.
Related: Insider Believes Oilers Could Lose Leon Draisaitl
There was some good news in the game on Sunday. Zach Hyman potted his 50th goal of the season, becoming the second player this season to reach the mark (Sam Reinhart also hit 50 for the Florida Panthers later in the night).
Why Nick Robertson Wasn’t Traded
Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star answered a question about Nick Robertson in a recent mailbag article, acknowledging one reader who was surprised Nick Robertson wasn’t traded. Considering the public comments Robertson made about his status with the team and his up-and-down history in Toronto, Robertson might have welcomed a change.
McGran said there was an opportunity to move Robertson but the Leafs were selling low if they chose to make the deal. He noted:
I like what GM Brad Treliving did. He added around the edges at a low cost. The Leafs are deeper and should be able to kill penalties. It’s not his style to remake the team at the deadline. He basically put it on this group to show him what they can do. As for Robertson, there aren’t a lot of teams willing to give up impact players for him. He might have fetched a second-round pick.
Hronek Turns Down Canucks Lucrative Contract Offer
Luke Fox of Sportsnet recently highlighted the latest speculation surrounding the top 12 restricted free agents for the upcoming summer. In that report, he notes that the Vancouver Canucks made a significant offer to defenseman Filip Hronek, proposing an eight-year, $52 million contract extension ($6.5 million average annual value). However, Hronek’s representatives turned down this proposal.
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The belief in Hronek’s camp is that he can get more than that in free agency, but the Canucks aim to maintain Hronek’s salary below Quinn Hughes’ $7.85 million AAV. There is some thought that the Canucks will come up as high as the $7 million mark per season, but anything beyond that could be problematic. Friedman noted that the “sweet spot” for Hronek is probably $7.5 million at maximum. He added, “I think there’s a deal to be made there.”
The defenseman is having a career season, but his production has dipped over the past 30 games.
Moritz Seider Not Likely to Be Lowballed by Red Wings
Fox also writes that the Detroit Red Wings won’t likely mess around with negotiations for Moritz Seider. He writes, “Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman should be willing to ink Seider the maximum term of an eight-year extension and make the German his highest-paid defenceman by a mile.” He then asks, “How does an AAV around $8.6 million sound? That would tuck Seider in just below team captain and payroll leader Dylan Larkin ($8.7 million cap hit).”