The Wings are looking for some help on the blueline and might be interested in Florida's Brian Campbell. Also, both the Bruins and Hurricanes will have to make some tough decisions about their lineup moving forward.
Rumor Roundup: Red Wings still searching for missing blueline pieceThe Detroit Red Wings are linked to Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers in the rumor mill, but he's not the only blueliner they could be pursuing. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reports the Florida Panthers want to move blueliner Brian Campbell and the Red Wings are interested.
Kypreos claims the Wings hope to move rearguard Jakub Kindl, but the Panthers prefer one of their blueline prospects like Xavier Ouellet or Nick Jensen. It's unclear if other clubs are interested in the 35-year-old Campbell, who is signed through 2015-16 at an annual salary of over $7.142 million.
The Wings only have roughly $2.720 million in cap space. They have little room for Campbell's contract unless the Panthers agree to pick up half of his remaining salary, plus take on a salaried player from the Wings.
An obvious assumption would be shipping former Panthers center Stephen Weiss ($4.9-million annual cap hit) back to Florida, but he has a modified no-trade clause and must agree to such a move. It's unlikely the Panthers want him back.
A bigger issue, however, is Campbell is a left-handed shot, which doesn't suit the Wings need for a top-four blueliner with a right-handed shot. Unless the Wings get desperate, they'll likely pursue a more affordable defenseman who suits their needs.
COULD CANES MOVE SEKERA?
The rumor mill was abuzz with excitement last week over speculation teams could have interest in Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal. It appears, however, he's not the only member of the Hurricanes generating some trade chatter.
Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reports defenseman Andrej Sekera is also a sought-after trade option. He notes the 28-year-old blueliner is coming off a 44-point performance and is eligible for unrestricted free agency at season's end. Johnston feels Sekera would be a good fit in a number of NHL cities.
The Hurricanes, however, could be reluctant to move Sekera, who blossomed into a solid top-two pairing defenseman following his acquisition from Buffalo last year. The Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch claims the Hurricanes hope to re-sign Sekera, who's making $2.75 million this season.
It's up to Sekera to decide if he wants to stay with the team which gave him the opportunity to shine, or test the free-agent market for a more profitable contract.
BRUINS SEARCHING FOR A TOP LINE ANSWER
The Boston Bruins are still struggling to adjust to Jarome Iginla's off-season departure via free agency. Iginla was their first-line right wing and his absence this season has left a big hole on their top line.
Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe believes the Bruins will keep searching for a potential replacement throughout this season, seeking a sizable winger with a right-hand shot. He feels they can use the assets received from the New York Islanders in the Johnny Boychuk deal as bargaining chips, notably the Philadelphia Flyer second-round pick in 2015.
Shinzawa also notes the Bruins must re-sign restricted free agents Dougie Hamilton, Torey Krug and Reilly Smith next summer, speculating they could prefer a winger in the final year of his current contract.
Perhaps Buffalo Sabres right wing Chris Stewart could fit the bill. He's young (turning 27 on October 30), physical, has two 28-goal seasons under his belt and is eligible for UFA status in July. The only sticking point right now is his $4.15-million cap hit, while the Bruins only have over $2.240 million in cap space.
Rumor Roundup appears regularly only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Eishockey News and The Guardian (P.E.I.).
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