NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, & More

Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The 2022-23 regular season is one-quarter done and players will be evaluated. Now, with the trade deadline quickly approaching, rumors are still around.

Clubs are always working to improve their rosters for next season. Some teams are having difficulty creating enough cap space to make moves. Others are experiencing severe injuries to star players. Trade rumors/signings are still prevalent. In this Sunday edition of NHL Rumors, we will take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Ryan O’Reilly

Rumor: Per – Pierre LeBrun – theathletic.com. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Toronto Maple Leafs have held some internal discussions on the possibility of trading for St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly. 

Pierre LeBrun writes that he thinks the Leafs have discussed acquiring Ryan O'Reilly internallyhttps://t.co/S3xa8ooIvJ pic.twitter.com/SNkXFEtZ8V

— Editor in J (@Account4hockey) December 15, 2022

O’Reilly is a proven performer in the postseason with 56 points in 64 games in the playoffs. The Toronto club has not been very successful in the postseason and adding a player like O’Reilly would be very beneficial. They could offer the Leafs a young roster player, a top prospect, and a draft pick. O’Reilly carries a hefty $7.5 million salary cap hit, so GM Kyle Dubas would need to work his magic. The competition for O’Reilly’s services will be heavy. Up to five teams may have interest in the 14-year veteran who averages 0.71 points per game.

It’s not that the Leafs lack offensive firepower, it’s that the Blues are out of a wild-card spot with just a 15-15-1 record with over one-third of the season gone. Trading the captain of their team is always difficult, yet this club has been so up and down this season, they need to do something.

Edmonton Oilers – Oilers & Ducks Emerging as Trade Partners

Rumor: Per – Shane Seney – nhltraderumors.me. The Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks have been linked to a trade this season and the rumors got even crazier after both general managers were spotted meeting together before the two team’s faced off in a recent matchup.

Pat Verbeek alert: yes the Anaheim GM is watching Oilers for a second straight night. Just walked into media room in Nashville

— Jim Matheson (@jimmathesonnhl) December 14, 2022

These two teams are heading in opposite directions. The Oilers hope to return to the Western Conference Final, and the Ducks are in deep competition for a top draft choice. The Anaheim club has the second-worst record in the NHL. They also may be able to help each other. The Oilers wish to help disgruntled forward Jesse Puljujarvi, and the Edmonton team needs a defenseman. How about one John Klingberg? The Oilers would need to include more than just Puljujarvi to make a deal work, but it’s a starting point.

Most trades that happen benefit both teams. Puljujarvi needs a fresh start and Klingberg wants to be with a winner. If the salaries can be worked, a deal could happen. With the NHL holiday trade freeze in effect starting December 18th through the 27th, it is doubtful anything will happen until later in the month at the earliest. Still, when GMs meet, they do so with a purpose… to improve their team.

Around Full Press Hockey

NHL: Paul Maurice: “It’s A Special Place And You Could Feel It”

NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche

NHL:  NHL Power Rankings: Devils Holding Onto The Top Spot

NFL: Remembering John Hadl: “A Great Player, A Great Athlete

Full Press Bets:  Early 2022 NFL MVP Odds: Bills’ Josh Allen Favored

PODCAST: Full Press Hockey Weekly Ep 38: NHL Season Preview: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Johnny Gaudreau

Nashville Predators – Dante Fabbro

Rumor: Per – Rob Couch – nhltraderumors.me. Predators looking for a trade partner for young defenseman.

Nick Kypreos of the Toronto Star wrote last month that Nashville GM David Poile wants to move a defenseman and is willing to part ways with the right-handed shot at the right price. Fabbro has been playing on the third line. A far cry from his expectations of being a top-pairing defenseman with veteran with Roman Josi.

Fabbro has a lot of potential and could be moved. He’s just 24 years old, and the Preds won’t let him go for a song and a dance. With the holiday trade freeze soon in effect, Poile will have plenty of time to weigh his options. Defensemen are in demand and don’t think that Poile isn’t aware of that.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Jack Roslovic

Rumor: Per – Rob Couch – nhltraderumors.me. The Columbus’ centerman has one year remaining on his deal after this season and has a cap hit of $4 million.

With three goals and 14 points in 26 games, is Roslovic overpaid? Perhaps, but he does have good chemistry with Patrik Laine. The Jackets may get impatient with Roslovic’s lack of production and want to make a deal for him. He has 63 goals and 97 assists in 335 NHL games. The Columbus club is sitting 30th in the standings and it may be time to assess their roster. Putting a young forward like Roslovic’s name out there may be interesting to see the interest level.

At this point, he will surely be a player that teams may want to kick the tires on and see if they can acquire him. As the trade deadline approaches, watch NHL rumors to see if he is traded.

That concludes this edition of NHL rumors. With the holiday trade freeze, we will see what happens during this period. Be sure to check our next article to stay tuned in on the latest.