NHL Rumors: Devils, Predators, Senators, Penguins, GM Meetings

While Saros was initially of interest before the Deadline, the Nashville Predators were reluctant to part ways with him. The concern in Nashville is that top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov isn’t quite ready to take over the starting role. He’s posted 22 wins and a .915 save percentage in 33 games this season. The signs are there he’s good to go and perhaps the Predators will feel more comfortable making the Saros move after the season.

Saros will fetch an extremely high return and the Devils are hoping that a full season to negotiate with him on an extension will answer their goaltending questions for the foreseeable future.

Stamkos to Predators Rumors

Also involving the Predators, an interesting rumor popped up this week that perhaps Steven Stamkos would be a good fit in Nashville. According to Greg Wyshynski, the Predators have been listed as a team that could target him if he does hit the open market on July 1st.

Wyshynski said that the Lightning aren’t opening the vault for Stamkos, but they will likely offer a fair value to to finish his career in Tampa. It will be up to Stamkos to decide what it is he wants as his NHL career comes to an end. He thinks the Predators can afford him and the timing might be right for a player of Stamkos’ ilk to join that kind of roster.

Karlsson Seems to Squash Rumors of Any Interest in Returning to Senators

“That’s Canada for you,” Erik Karlsson said when asked about trade speculation surrounding a possible return to the Ottawa Senators. While Karlsson didn’t give a definitive no to the idea, he essentially said that Canadian media likes to make things up because they have so much air time and space to fill, so they need to talk about something. Karlsson seemed to suggest there’s nothing to those rumors and found them humorous.

All that said, Karlsson in Pittsburgh hasn’t worked. Things in Pittsburgh are changing and members of the team aren’t pleased with how things have gone. The future is uncertain for a few key players and Karlsson might top the list of decisions the organization regrets. Whether the Senators would even entertain the idea of bringing him back if the Penguins offered is unclear.

What Will Be the Hot Topics at the GM Meetings?

The NHL’s annual March GM meetings start next week in Palm Beach, Fla. and there are some interesting topics on the agenda. First, it’s being said that George Parros, head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety is going to be doing a much more in-depth presentation explaining some of the decisions behind supplementary discipline. Many GMs want answers as to the perceived inconsistency in the decisions coming out of that department.

Second, there will be talk about 3-on-3 overtime and whether the way it’s set up is best for the game. Specifically, if allowing teams to leave the zone to regroup should be allowed.

Finally, LTIR and the usage of it at the deadline and the playoffs is going to be discussed, with some possible alternative ideas to how teams can load up for the postseason.