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Rumor mill: Several teams interested in Anthony Richard

 Manuel Sperandio-Lemay
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Rumor mill: Several teams interested in Anthony Richard
The NHL free agent market opens tomorrow.

The Canadiens will be keeping an eye on Jonathan Drouin, Alex Belzile and Denis Gurianov, among others, who find themselves without a contract for next season. Gurianov did not receive a qualifying offer from Kent Hughes, which makes sense…

And it will be interesting to see what Belzile and Drouin do.

Anthony Richard, who was lucky enough to play a few games in 2022-2023, will also be testing the market. The Quebecer had a great season with the Rocket…

As a result, several NHL teams are interested in his services. Totally deserved, we agree.

Anthony Marcotte raises the possibility of him returning to Tampa Bay, where he could join Joël Bouchard in the AHL if he’s unable to secure a position with the Lightning :

Jonathan Quick in Vegas, it’s almost a done deal

This year’s crop of independent players isn’t as exciting as in recent seasons, but that’s okay. Still, there are some interesting names who could help the various NHL teams.

Jonathan Quick is one of them.

The 37-year-old veteran is keen to continue his career on the Bettman circuit, and even though it’s not yet July 1, we seem to know where he’ll be playing next year.

According to the latest information from Kevin Weekes, Quick should be wearing a Blue Shirts uniform in 2023-2024. I raised this very possibility in a text earlier this week:

Love the idea. Quick will bring leadership to New York and he has the tools to help the Rangers take the next step.

It’s not done yet… But it would be, in my eyes, a nice addition to the Big Apple.

Florida for the ghost?

Shayne Gostisbehere was, is and always will be a polarizing name in the NHL.

After all, he’s often been in the news for all the wrong reasons… even though he’s a talented defenseman.

The Ghost, as I like to call him, played in Arizona and Carolina last year. He’s one of the most interesting free agents around right now…

And there’s a world out there where the main player wears a Panthers uniform for the first game of next season.

The Florida team seems to be interested in his services, and the fact that he’s a local player could influence his next destination.

The Panthers need a left-handed defenseman, and Gostisbehere could help the team in this area, especially on the power play.

I think this will be an interesting file to keep an eye on.

Blake Wheeler wants to play in the East

The Jets did Blake Wheeler a favor by buying out his contract today.

He only had one season left on his contract, but the team wants to give him the chance to leave and have a great opportunity to lift the Stanley Cup.

A move I greatly respect, by the way. Wheeler, after all, has done the organization proud, and it’s refreshing to see the Jets give him such a chance.

So where will he play next year? That’s the killer question.

There’s a bit of uncertainty surrounding his file, but one thing in particular is clear. His agent said today that he’d like to play in the East to avoid multiple trips, notably to allow the player to be close to his family.

Wheeler will celebrate his 37th birthday this summer.

Noah Hanifin… in Pittsburgh?

Yes, yes and yes again.

I really like the idea of Noah Hanifin coming to Pittsburgh. As we know, the Penguins don’t have huge depth on the blue line…

And Hanifin could become a more than interesting candidate for the team’s next generation. He’s still young, and if Kyle Dubas plays his cards right, he could secure the services of one of the NHL’s very good two-way defensemen.

But not so fast. Remember that Noah Hanifin is not without a contract for next season. If the Pens want him, they’ll have to find a way to do business with the Flames…

And that could get a little complicated, given that the Pittsburgh organization doesn’t have the resources to deal for the services of a player of his calibre.

The story remains the same, though. The Penguins would make a great acquisition by taking him to Calgary.


In gusto

– Really?

– Adin Hill’s new contract is official in Vegas.

– Hum.

– Oh yes!

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