NHL Rumors: Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins

Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The 2022-23 regular season is more than halfway done and players will be evaluated. Now, with the trade deadline less than two weeks away, rumors are sizzling.

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 possible. In this Wednesday’s edition of NHL Rumors, we will look at the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Boston Bruins.

Carolina Hurricanes – Patrick Kane

Rumor: Per – thefourthperiod.com. The Carolina Hurricanes have been linked to star forward Patrick Kane.  

With the injury to Max Pacioretty, the Hurricanes need a replacement forward if they are to compete for a Stanley Cup. Kane knows all about that since he has won three Cups. The Canes have just over $10 million in cap space and could technically sign Kane, especially if the Hawks retain some salary. All that is dependent on whether Kane wants to waive his no-movement clause. He could be part of a team that has Stanley Cup potential. The Hurricanes reside in second place in the entire NHL behind the powerhouse Boston Bruins with 76 points.

Kane would have chosen to go to the New York Rangers to join his former Hawks’ linemate Artemi Panarin, but the Rangers chose to trade for Vladimir Tarasenko instead. Now, that opens the field up for suitors who want to add Kane to their lineup. It is entirely up to Kane as to where he wants to play. He will decide as soon as next week on his future.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Timo Meier

Rumor: Per – Kevin Weekes – NHL Insider. The Toronto Maple Leafs have shown considerable interest in Timo Meier.

**Keep an eye 👁️ on**
I’m told in addition to the @NJDevils , the @GoldenKnights , @Canes , and @MapleLeafs have significant interest acquiring @SanJoseSharks F Timo Meier. @espn @NHL @NHLNetwork @TSNHockey @DKSportsbook #HockeyTwitter

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) February 14, 2023

The Leafs want to secure home-ice advantage against a likely foe as the Tampa Bay Lightning and adding Meier would certainly help that goal. Meier has collected 31 goals and 21 assists in 54 games. Projecting that the asking price is similar to that of Bo Horvat’s trade to the New York Islanders, the Maple Leafs would need to give up a roster player, a higher-end prospect, and a 1st round pick. A projected trade could include sending Fraser Minton, Ryan Tverberg, Toronto’s 2023 1st round pick and Alexander Kerfoot to the Sharks.

There may need to be a third team involved to make the salary cap work, or the Sharks could retain some salary. In any case, adding an offensive player like Meier to the already potent firepower the Leafs possess may seem a bit much. Most thought the Leafs would look to improve their blueline, especially with the loss of Jake Muzzin.

It seems that general manager Kyle Dubas wants every assurance that his team will be talented enough to get past the first round of the playoffs and beyond. If that’s the case, acquiring Meier is the correct path to take.

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Boston Bruins – Vladislav Gavrikov

Rumor: Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. Will the Bruins be able to acquire one of the top rental defensemen?

LINEUP UPDATE: Blue Jackets D Vladislav Gavrikov will be a healthy scratch for tonight’s game vs. New Jersey. He is being held out of the lineup for trade-related reasons. #CBJ

— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) February 14, 2023

Gavrikov has been linked to numerous teams including the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, and Los Angeles Kings. And just like all the rumors swirling around Jakob Chychrun, he will be held out from playing due to trade-related reasons.

The Bruins have never been known as big spenders and Gavrikov’s $2.6 million cap hit is much less than Chychrun’s $4.6 million number. Since the Boston club looks to go deep into the playoffs and has about $2.3 million in cap space, the fit seems ideal.

Gavrikov is a steady defensive blueliner who could help the Bruins capture their first Cup since 2011. He has averaged over 22 minutes of ice time, but you won’t get much offense from him. He is more of a stay-at-home defender who can use his 6-foot-3, 221 pound frame to his advantage. Let’s just say he would fit right in with the style of play that the Bruins bring to the table.

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