NHL Rumors: Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, Detroit Red Wings

Welcome to the Sunday edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The Stanley Cup Playoffs are here and the action is hot and heavy. As the playoffs have narrowed down to the last two teams, other clubs are always working to improve their rosters for next season. In this edition of NHL Rumors, we will take a look at the Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, and the Detroit Red Wings.

Arizona Coyotes – Phil Kessel

Rumor: Per – Shane Seney – nhltraderumors.me. While Phil Kessel was expected to be moved before the trade deadline, that didn’t happen. Here are three teams who may grab the one-time prolific scorer to add to their roster in hopes that he can revive his scoring ways.

• Boston Bruins

This may have been more likely before the Bruins became a hot mess over the last couple of weeks. It would be a reunion for Phil, and still with the head coaching change, the uncertainty of the David Pastrnak situation, who knows? He wasn’t nearly the scorer he was when he started out in a Bruins sweater in 2006. Yet, he did gather 52 points with just eight goals last season. Once Boston gets its act together we may know more about Phil’s possible return to where it all began for him.

• Los Angeles Kings

We all know Phil loves the warm weather so he can golf and fish, so this stopping spot may be ideal for him. The Kings need some additional scoring on the wings, so that may fit their outlook. The Kings might try to convince Filip Forsberg to go west also. In any case, it would not be boring to see Kessel in a Kings jersey. He did a fine job mentoring the young players in Arizona, why not see what he can do in Tinsel Town?

• Nashville Predators

If the aforementioned Forsberg does decide to leave Nashville, adding Kessel could be a good choice. While he won’t gather more than a $2.5 million contract wherever he signs, he could be the second choice for any team who can’t sign Forsberg.

Edmonton Oilers – Jesse Puljujarvi

Rumor: Per – Shane Seney – nhltraderumors.me. The Edmonton Oilers are in for some changes this offseason and a big spotlight will be cast on their goaltending and forward group. One name, in particular, is going to be an interesting case to watch as forward and one-time top prospect Jesse Puljujarvi is on the hot seat.

A season-ending statement from general manager Ken Holland tells it all about Puljujarvi’s future in Edmonton when he stated, that he needs to ‘figure out Jesse’. The 24-year-old Swede had a decent season but really hit the wall in the postseason adding just three points in 16 games.

Jesse Puljujarvi might have played his last game as an Oiler, per Ryan Rishaug.

I'm not saying he's the next Nichushkin, but there is certainly a comparison to be made… #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/dAE86YOEUF

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 8, 2022

So, does Holland remain patient, or pull the trigger and trade the young forward? He stated this in his press conference: “That’s what I’ve gotta sort out. The second half of the year, it was a real struggle. … I think he lost his confidence. Then when he lost his confidence, he obviously was in the top six, and then he worked his way down to the bottom six. … I’ve gotta sort out Jesse.”

And that almost certainly means he’s going to move the guy. The salary cap has Holland’s hands tied.

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Detroit Red Wings – Filip Zadina

Rumor: – Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. The promising forward who was drafted 6th overall in 2018 has not progressed as expected. His 24 points in 74 games has not impressed GM Steve Yzerman enough, so he could be traded.

Zadina is a gifted shooter, but he is mostly a perimeter player which limits his success at scoring. He is a restricted free agent with an $894,167 salary. The Red Wings look to really improve their roster and Yzerman has $35.8 million to work some magic. Don’t forget there is a long list of free agents hitting the market on July 13th. For Zadina, he may do better with a change of scenery at this point in his career. Yzerman is a pretty good judge of talent and has been patient with the young forward.

It would be tough to determine Zadina’s worth in a trade due to his lack of production. While his upside may be his potential, at this point Yzerman is looking for a reason to keep him and hasn’t found one yet.

That concludes this edition of NHL rumors. Please check out our next edition on Wednesday!