In today’s NHL rumor rundown there are updates on unrestricted free agent Jake Gardiner and pending unrestricted free agent Taylor Hall, there is speculation the Pittsburgh Penguins might look to trade a top defenseman and the Minnesota Wild are narrowing down their search for a new GM.
Gardiner Not Talking
Steve Simmons of The Toronto Sun wrote on Twitter that he spoke with Jake Gardiner on Saturday and said the unrestricted free agent defenseman wouldn’t talk on or off the record about his current situation.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner speaks to reporters after a locker clean out at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, on Thursday, April 25, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
There have been rumors Gardiner has a handshake deal with a team but he’s not signed anywhere and he wouldn’t take any questions about his free-agent status.
Wild Have It Down to Three
The Athletic’s Michael Russo writes that the search for a new general manager in Minnesota is down to three finalists. Those are, Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin, Montreal Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby and former Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall.
FILE – In this April 11, 2016, file photo, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall speaks with members of the media during a NHL hockey news conference in Voorhees, N.J. The Flyers fired Hextall on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, FIle)
Saying Hextall’s personality may be too close to Paul Fenton’s and knowing there were issues in Philadelphia, Hextall may have too much dirt on him. Mellanby impressed, but not as much as Guerin.
Russo writes:
Anything, of course, can change this week, but I really feel at this point Guerin has separated himself from the pack and is the frontrunner to become the fourth full-time GM in Wild history. But as I said, anything can change, and Hextall and Mellanby are smart hockey men.
source – ‘Ask Russo: On Wild’s GM search, Winter Classic, future of key players and more’ – Michael Russo – The Athletic – 08/18/2019
Justin Schultz to be Traded This Season? (NEXT)
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