NHL Rumors: Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings

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 Wednesday’s edition of NHL Rumors, we will take a look at the Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Los Angeles Kings.

Ottawa Senators – Seth Jones

Rumor: Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. The Senators are still looking for a top defenseman, but for now it won’t be Jones.

The fact that the Senators, (who have been linked to Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun), called to check on Jones shows they are still looking. Of course, the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t going to give him away, and most certainly don’t want to retain any salary. With Jones earning $9.5 million through the 2029-30 season, he may be too rich for any team’s cap limitations.

From @FriedgeHNIC on 32 Thoughts:

Senators are calling everyone about defensemen. That includes the #Blackhawks and Seth Jones. According to Friedman, those discussions didn’t go anywhere and it’s not going to happen.

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) December 19, 2022

Per Elliotte Friedman:

“We’ve talked about how the Senators have looked at every possible defenceman that you can think of. I think one of the guys that they at least asked about, and I don’t think it went anywhere, but I thought was interesting… I think one of the guys they asked about was Seth Jones. They just made the call and said, ‘Would there be (any interest in moving him)?’, and they’ve dealt with Chicago before in the DeBrincat deal. I think they just called and just felt it out. I don’t think it’s happening. I don’t think it’s going to, but I heard that on the weekend. They’re calling on everybody and they called on Seth Jones, but I don’t think it’s happening.”

The Senators have looked at every possible defenseman that you can think of. I think one of the guys they at least asked about…and I don’t think it went anywhere…was Seth Jones. I don’t think it’s happening. They called on Seth Jones, but I don’t think it’s happening.”

So, the search to add to the Sens blueline continues… it could still be Chychrun. Stay tuned to Full Press Hockey as NHL rumors may be flying after the holiday trade freeze ends.

Vegas Golden Knights – Goalie situation

Rumor: Per – Owen Krepps – vegashockeynow.com. With three qualified NHL netminders, who will go? 

When the Golden Knights sent Laurent Brossoit to the AHL, it was because the team was doing just fine in net. Both Logan Thompson and Adin Hill were getting it done. Thompson has collected a 14-8 record with a .917 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against-average. Hill was excelling too with an 8-3-1 record, carrying a .903 SV%, and a 2.66 GAA. We all know Brossoit who was voted the AHL player of the week with two straight shutouts, will seek to be back with the Golden Knights soon.

Talking about salary cap (who isn’t?), Thompson still has two years remaining on his very reasonable $766,667 contract. The question then becomes, who will be the backup? The competition is hot and heavy between Brossoit and Hill. Brossoit wants it to be him, and Hill wants to remain as the backup. Competition is always a good thing, especially between goaltenders. Sean Burke, the director of goaltending has his work cut out for him. It means one Golden Knights goalie will be moving on to another team.

Around Full Press Hockey

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

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

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

Los Angeles Kings – Karel Vejmelka

Rumor: Per – Elliotte Friedman – sportsnet.ca. The L.A. Kings are hurting at the goalie position. Would adding Vejmelka help?

Friedman confirmed that nobody has called about Vejmelka, but added that the Kings goaltending is “a mess.” Jonathan Quick at 37 is not the same goalie he used to be. His 8-8-3 record with a .882 SV% and a 3.55 GAA just won’t get it done. Surprisingly, Pheonix Copley has stepped up with a 5-1 record, along with a .912 SV%, and a respectable 2.43 GAA. Now, while that is great, it’s not a plan going forward. Remember, Calvin Petersen was sent down to the AHL due to his poor play.

Vejmelka is keeping the rebuilding Coyotes in games with spectacular saves… and many times that amounts to 40+ saves in some games. He has a 9-8-4 record, with a 3.11 GAA, and a .910 SV% on a team going nowhere. He also has a very reasonable cap hit at just $2.725 million through the 2024-25 season.

Now the question then becomes, do the Coyotes want to move him? He could be the franchise goalie they need as they transition into a new arena. The return for goalies in trades has never been great. The Kings do possess a boatload of prospects that can be used in a prospective trade. So, it could boil down to will the Kings using those prospects as trade bait for Vejmelka or Jakob Chychrun. We’ll see.

That concluded this edition of NHL rumors. Be sure to catch our next article and thanks for reading! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO  ALL!