The Hockey News: Rumor Roundup: Rumor Roundup: Camp rumbles

Rumor Roundup: Camp rumbles

The Ducks are looking to move blueliner Mathieu Schneider to free up cap space. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)

Lyle Richardson
2008-09-22 14:20:44

Mathieu Schneider’s days as an Anaheim Duck will soon be draw to a close.

After unsuccessfully trying to waive Schneider last week, Ducks GM Brian Burke has reportedly been in talks with half-a-dozen teams regarding the veteran blueliner.

Burke would prefer to move Schneider and his $5.75 million salary without taking any salary back in order to get under the league’s $56.7 million cap and have enough room to re-sign veteran right winger Teemu Selanne, who is presently attending the Ducks training camp on a tryout contract.

Recent reports from Anaheim, however, suggest Burke may have to take on a player in return for Schneider, which could force him to either flip that player to another team or move another roster player to free up the necessary salary space.

Schneider didn’t attend training camp workouts this past weekend as a deal could be worked out very soon.

• Patrick O’Sullivan’s contract negotiations with the Los Angeles Kings do not appear to be any closer to a resolution.

O’Sullivan has been a training camp “no-show” as his agent and Kings’ management continue their talks. The Kings hope to sign him to a long-term contract, but O’Sullivan reportedly wants a shorter term that’ll bring him closer to unrestricted free agency.

At 23 and with only two NHL seasons under his belt, the earliest he can be eligible for UFA status is age 27.

Kings GM Dean Lombardi recently told the Los Angeles Daily News the two sides were not close to a resolution, which could make O’Sullivan the first restricted free agent in three seasons to stage a holdout.

The young center’s status has also generated some Internet trade speculation. It wouldn’t be surprising if Lombardi received a few inquiries from rival clubs, but at this point he’s not talking about a trade.

• Chicago Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon’s recent trade of center Robert Lang to Montreal was not only done to get his club under the salary cap for the upcoming season, but was also a sign he was unable to find any takers for goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.

Tallon would have preferred moving Khabibulin and his $6.75 million contract for this season, especially after signing goalie Cristobal Huet to an expensive multi-year contract. However, that salary proved too expensive for any potentially interested parties to take on at this time.

That forced Tallon to dump Lang, which left the Blackhawks lacking veteran depth at center heading into this season.

At some point, probably mid-season at the earliest, the market for Khabibulin should improve, and it would not be surprising if Tallon tries to move him for a veteran center.

• The Detroit Red Wings will be a team to watch in late September and not just because they are the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Wings GM Ken Holland is carrying too many defensemen and one of them could be moved to free-up some cap space prior to the start of the season.

Speculation in the Detroit media has defensemen Andreas Lilja, Brett Lebda, Derek Meech and Kyle Quincey as potential trade candidates.

Of the four, Lilja, 33, has the most experience and is carrying the biggest contract at $1.25 million per season for the next two years. Meech, 24, is the least experienced and carries the lightest salary at $475,000 per season.

Quincey, 23, is the youngest, but was recently re-signed while Lebda, 26, has been a regular fixture on the Wings’ defense corps the past two seasons and also carries a light salary at $650,000 per season.

• The Carolina Hurricanes suffered a significant blow last week when it was revealed right winger Justin Williams will be out four to six months with a torn Achilles tendon.

A report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune suggested former Wild right winger Mark Parrish might make a good candidate to fill in for Williams this season, but the injury also opens the door for former Carolina right winger Jeff O’Neill to earn a spot.

The Hurricanes are also believed to be shopping veteran defenseman Frantisek Kaberle to try to land a winger.

Rumor Roundup appears Mondays only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Foxsports.com and Eishockey Magazine.

COMMENTS (24)

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daniel Posted
(2009-04-30 07:02:59)

you are correct paul. he is eligible under the CBA to become a UFA at age 27 whether or not he signs a 2-3 year contract or not. so basically he would still be an RFA under the CBA. it's confusing ain't it. that confused me a little also. i don't think he will get the short term deal he wants because lombardi wants to give him the 5-6 year contract he gave to dustin brown. supposedly from what i heard that lombardi wants to sign him to that long supposedly around 30 million. that's all hear say though. i hope the deal gets done soon.

PaulP Posted
(2009-04-30 07:02:52)

Can some one explain this to me. I see that O' Sullivan can become a UFA at the earliest (27years old) He is 23 & what if he signs a 2 to 3 year contract, which would make him 25-26yearsold. Does he become a RFA again? If this is true then I dont understand why he is looking for a short term deal to become UFA sooner. Doesnt make sense to me. Thanks

iamnewfie1 Posted
(2009-04-30 07:02:31)

hey mike stick to the hockey comments and do not make yourself look stupid by trying to make fun of a newfoundlander...shows how stupid you really are...

Jeff Watson Posted
(2009-04-30 07:02:19)

I think the best bet for the St louis Blues right now with Johnson out for the season would be to make a run at Schneider, this to me makes since for both teams immediate needs.

daniel Posted
(2009-04-30 07:02:18)

right on the money cid from indiana. lombardi did ask o'sullivan to sit out training camp until they resolve it. he is technically not a hold out, but nobody would of thought it would have taken this long to get the deal done. that is why people assume that he is going to hold out. i hope this is not the case, in all fairness to o'sullivan he is worth every penny he gets. he should get the big contract in my opinion. i think the kings should sign him between 3-5 million for 4-5 years at least. this kid is going to be a superstar soon and there ain't no point in waiting. give him the deal he can't refuse lombardi, or it's just gonna be another cammalleri situation. a big fat distraction.

mike Posted
(2009-04-30 07:02:04)

you-must-be-a-newfie,really?who will put up lang's 50 pts?(and who fills in for havlat when he goes down,cause they don't have cap room)and if 40-some pts and a +22 is out of gas;well I guess that makes me understand your first comment

Picard Posted
(2009-04-30 07:01:58)

I think Schneider should try and land in Montreal, if he has any control. He could step right into the powerplay with his hard, accurate shot, while improving them defensively with his experience and offensive abilities. The Habs must have some money left under the cap - there's no way Robert Lang takes up all the cash they had ear marked for Sundin - its just a matter of if its enough. On top of that, I believe Schneider even started his career there, so it wouldn't be a bad place to be on the back end of his career, in my opinion, of course. And I don't see the Wings making any trades at all - they are only over the cap right now because they have too many players on the roster - when they trim down the rosters, they'll send the extra players down to Grand Rapids, and be under the cap with no worries. The extra NHL quality players - forwards & defencemen - will give the team the depth they covet so they can deal with any injuries that may arise between now and the Stanley Cup Finals.

Wingnut Posted
(2009-04-30 07:01:57)

I would deem that unlikely at best, Scourge. Schneider was already here in Detroit - and bailed. Hence the signing of Rafalski, who is a great improvement. The Wings have no further need for a defenseman.

Cid from Indiana Posted
(2009-04-30 07:01:57)

For the record, according to Rich Hammond's blog, Inside the Kings, Lombardi actually asked O' Sullivan to stay away from training camp until the resolved his contract, so while he wasn't in attendance, it's a bit disingenuous to call him a no-show. He's also not technically a hold-out since no contract is in place for him to hold out against.

Eric Posted
(2009-04-30 07:01:57)

Judging by the tone in Scourge's post, I assume he was being sarcastic.

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