Schutslund Rumour Blog

Post date: Nov 15, 2010 8:12:37 PM

Rumours Galore With Waiver Approaching

Author: Schutslund

(DISCLAIMER: I seriously considered not publishing this as the “anonymity” is an obvious farce. You all know who this is. A lot of this stuff I am making up, speculating, or playing armchair GM. Please enjoy this for what it is, a parody of Eklund’s silly rumour blogs for the Novarks enjoyment during the exciting waiver week. I have used words such as “mega”, “domino”, and “blockbuster” to make it a truly Ek-like experience. If you read between the lines, there are a few nuggets of truth to a few of these, though nothing you guys likely don’t already know or couldn’t figure out on your own. I have avoided selling anybody out here and have avoided intentionally putting out known disinformation or anyone’s actual offers that I have heard in my dealings this past month or so. Remember, this is all in good fun.)

With less than one week until the November waiver draft/trading window, GM’s are beginning to get serious about their plans. The waiver order is now set with a few surprising jumps in priority, and the rumour mill is being churned by both buyers and sellers. Here is a rundown of what this anonymous reporter is hearing from the respective camps in a two part series.

Today we will preview the top 6 teams, who may be more inclined to be buying than selling at this time.

Please note these are merely rumours I am hearing, and some speculation does occur here. I may only know bits and pieces of a deal; my S system is as follows:

S1: I’m making this up based upon a logical potential move I might try if I were this GM.

S2: Jesse told me this info in an effort to stoke the rumour mill and drive up prices, or I have heard a piece of a deal and am speculating on the destination of the player.

S3: A bit of smoke to this fire, two sources may or may not have confirmed the rumour.

S4: Very likely this move will occur; multiple sources, including Jesse are talking about it.

S5: Money in the bank, multiple sources have confirmed, and Jesse has sworn on his Franchise’s existence that it will happen.

1.) Team Pat: GM Pat Cloutier is certainly active, but the leaks from the boardroom have been surprisingly quiet to this point. GM Cloutier has his 1^st rd pick for 2011 in his pocket, and it will be interesting to see if he uses it now as he is in 1st or retains it for the January waiver. Either way expect the 1^st place team to make every effort to keep its hold on the top spot.

· My sources are linking Cloutier to the widely shopped Ilya Kovalchuk. I’m hearing Kovalchuk for Andy MacDonald and a 1^st in 2011. S2

· A bit of buzz that Cloutier will upgrade on D with Dennis Seidenberg being one of the targets. S1

· Very interesting rumour of Kris Letang going from team Hallman to Team Pat for a 4th in 2011. S3

2.) Team Josh: Notoriously quiet come trading times, GM MacNaughton finally found a sucker deal to his liking this past summer in moving Anti Niemmi for two solid picks. It will be interesting to see if MacNaughton can build on this and pull the trigger on a few deals this fall, or if he will be content with the waiver wire as he has in the past.

· Sources are linking Team Hallman keeper Jason Spezza to Team Josh for a 1^st in 2011. S2 Sources suggest that both GM’s, as well as many others, are waiting on the Kovalchuk domino at this point.

· A few rumblings I’m hearing that could get louder as the week progresses has Cam Ward going to Team Bob for Zack Parise. I’m hearing this is all in the preliminary stage at this point, but either GM could push this thing closer to reality if the right pieces fall into place. S1

3.) Team Schuts: An early season shoe-in to win the whole fucking thing favorite amongst the press, GM Schuts has weathered the Gaborik injury and sits nicely amongst the thick of the contenders. Schuts has stated his intent is to build a Ken Williams-esque structure in which his team is competitive annually, and assets exist every year to make a run at the title if the stars align. It will be interesting if Schuts thinks this is the year, as he has three 1^st rd picks in the 2011 draft and two solid rookie keepers in Magnus Paajarvi and Derek Stepan as moveable assets.

· Multiple sources are confirming that GM Schuts has been making a serious pitch for Team Nuetron forward Martin St. Louis. With discussion of some form of package involving a 1^st rd pick and a rookie keeper going the other way, though this sounds like a high price. S3

· Some chatter of Kovalchuk to Team Schuts is out there, but sources indicate that such a deal is likely at the hypothetical stage right now. This could be a contingency move hinging upon other deals. S2

· Surprisingly Michal Neuvirth has been rumored to a number of destinations. Where exactly is uncertain; however multiple sources have indicated he is being shopped to multiple suitors. S4

4.) Team Will: GM Keeler is on record as saying he is still a believer in his time despite his middle of the road start after lofty expectations throughout the pre-season. There a few holes here and I expect Keeler to be active at this waiver. Keeler has a significant bargaining chip in Jonathan Bernier that many might be interested in.

· GM Keeler would send Jonathan Bernier and a 1^st to Team Neutron for Martin St. Louis and James Neal. This potential deal is in its infancy right now, but the two GM’s have been discussing from what I hear. This will all really hinge upon how GM Lavigne sees his team unfolding over the next week. S1

· Daniel Alfredsson is heavily rumoured to be on the move to Team Will for a package of picks. These two GM’s have worked together before on the Stamkos deal, could another blockbuster be in the works. S3

· Interesting rumour has GM Keeler offering Nazem Kadri to Team Dave for Brandon Dubinsky, although sources suggest a conditional pick being requested by one of the GM’s is preventing this trade from occurring right now. “It all depends how desperate the one GM is come crunch time,” stated the source. S4

5.) Team Nate: Trying to get information out of Team Nate has always been difficult. Strict internal team policies about talking to the media along with GM Weckworth’s severe distrust of the blogosphere make rumour hunting on this team more difficult than breaking into Fort Knox. That being said, a few leaks have trickled out and it appears GM Weckworth may be more active this year than in years previous, “Weckworth will always be practical. But he sees an opening this year and could go after it.” Another source confided, “GM Weckworth won’t do anything drastic this fall. If he makes a trade, expect it to be small in scale. January is the time he will make serious moves if still competitive.”

· Sources have indicated GM Weckworth is inquiring about a few of the bigger fish on the market, with the most serious interest being in Martin St. Louis. No indication at this point what the asking price is, some sources suggest St. Louis is not being shopped. S1

· A rumour with a bit of teeth to it according to a source has GM Weckworth sending a 2^nd Rd. Pick in 2011 and the rights to Mark Streit to Team Hallman in exchange for Tomas Kaberle. S3

· While I find this one difficult to fathom, I simply report what I hear, but a mega blockbuster deal might be on the horizon. Again unlikely, but a source has indicated that GM Weckworth may “become a seller for the right price.” The rumoured deal involves sending aging superstar goaltender Martin Brodeur to Team Will for Jonathan Bernier. A collection of picks and possible stop gaps might accompany this deal in a package. S1

6.) Team Bob: A pleasant early season surprise (HI BOB!) from a team many expected to battle for the cellar. Furthermore this has largely been done without the help of two keepers in Zach Parise and Tukka Rask. So GM Linka finds himself straddling the divide in the middle of the pack between buying and selling. Earning the 1^st overall waiver selection may help Bob in filling some holes, and this team could be content to simply troll the waiver wire and see how the next two months go before sacrificing assets. Nevertheless rumours are out there involving this team.

· Beyond the aforementioned Parise for Ward deal. Other sources have indicated Team Bob is heavily active trying to find a goaltender to replace Tukka Rask for the remainder of this season. Sources have linked Tomas Vokoun S1, Jonathan Quick S2 and Ilya Bryzgalov S3 to Team Bob over the last few weeks. The common trend in many of these rumours has Zach Parise going the other way.

· Multiple sources have indicated the rumour of a Tukka Rask for Steve Mason swap initially buzzed about at the entry draft has picked up some legs again. GM Linka initially wanted a 1^st rd pick to accompany Mason, which GM Schuts balked at. However the two may be closer on a deal now according to sources, with rumours of a possible 4^th rd pick going along with Mason to Team Bob. S4

· Another blockbuster deal being rumoured has Team Bob sending Jarome Iginla, Tukka Rask and Zach Parise and 1st to Team Jesse for Ilya Kovalchuk, Tyler Seguin, Evander Kane and Dan Ellis. S1

That covers the rumours floating currently on the top 6 team. Later this week I will feature the bottom 6 who are more inclined to be sellers…..

Stay tuned….

More to come….