NHL Rumors: Avalanche, Rangers, Canucks, Bruins – The Hockey Writers NHL Rumors Latest News, Analysis & More

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Colorado Avalanche provided injury updates on several players. Meanwhile, are the New York Rangers regretting the way they handled their trade memo to the rest of the NHL? The Vancouver Canucks won’t make a move out of desperation, and will the Boston Bruins and Brad Marchand actually part ways before the end of this season?

Avalanche Injury Updates

The Colorado Avalanche’s injury woes continue to mount, with absences now extending to key players like Josh Manson, who is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Manson, a crucial piece of the Avalanche’s blue line, exited Friday’s loss to Dallas after a hard fall into the boards. The veteran defenseman averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time through five games before his injury and leads the team in hits with 51 this season.

Depth defenders Oliver Kylington (day-to-day) and Miles Wood (month-to-month) also join the injury list, which already includes Gabriel Landeskog, Ross Colton, and Jonathan Drouin. Colorado has recalled Nikita Prishchepov but may need to explore adding a right-handed defenseman to offset Manson’s absence. Jacob MacDonald or Calle Rosen could provide temporary solutions, though both shoot left.

Rangers Not Letting Teams Talk to Trouba or Kreider

The New York Rangers have reportedly made Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider available for trade, but the way they told the rest of the league has come back to bite them. The Rangers did squeak out a win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and that has helped a little, but according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the move surprised many, especially as Kreider’s name emerged in trade discussions for the first time. Both players hold partial no-trade clauses, limiting potential destinations.

Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Woll, Knies, Marner, Tanev & Robertson

Trouba and Kreider’s contracts pose challenges when it comes to trades. Trouba carries an $8 million cap hit through 2025-26, while Kreider’s $6.5 million AAV runs through 2026-27. These deals are more likely to be addressed in the offseason, when teams have greater financial flexibility.

The Rangers, however, have kept a tight grip on negotiations, restricting rival teams from directly speaking to the players. It brings into question how badly the Rangers want to move on from both or if they are at all worried about the memo sent out from the NHL in terms of tampering concerns. Neither player is a pending UFA, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

Canucks Take Cautious Approach Amid Filip Hronek’s Uncertain Timeline

The Vancouver Canucks face uncertainty regarding defenseman Filip Hronek, who remains sidelined without a clear return timeline. Friedman reported that while Hronek’s absence adds to Vancouver’s defensive struggles, the team’s front office is taking a measured approach to address the situation.

Led by Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin, the Canucks have built a reputation for being aggressive in pursuing roster upgrades. However, Friedman emphasized that they won’t make moves out of desperation despite external pressure. The Canucks continue to explore options to bolster their blue line, with other teams like Nashville and Ottawa also evaluating the trade market.

Bruins Tough Decision Coming on Brad Marchand?

The Boston Bruins may soon face a difficult decision regarding long-time star and team captain Brad Marchand. According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, the unexpected is possible. He writes:

This is not a player we expected to find on the Big Board, even if he’s currently playing out the final year on his contract. But as a league source noted this week, “I don’t think anyone in Boston thought this is where they’d be at.” If the decision to replace Jim Montgomery with Joe Sacco behind the Bruins bench doesn’t produce the desired results, some difficult personnel decisions will almost certainly follow. Marchand has had a slow start to the season after a summer during which he underwent multiple surgeries, but he remains a high-end winger who can contribute offensively, kill penalties and, yes, get under an opponent’s skin.

source – ‘NHL trade board 2024-25: The latest on all the top targets from Chris Johnston’ – Chris Johnston- The Athletic – 11/21/2024

Marchand could find himself on the trade block if the Bruins, currently sitting at a middling 11-11-3 record, fail to reverse their fortunes.

In the final year of his $6.125 million AAV contract, Marchand could be an attractive rental for contending teams. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman suggested contract negotiations with the Bruins haven’t broken off but hinted at uncertainty over the contract’s term.