Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has resurfaced in the rumor mill. Meanwhile, there's no indication that the Maple Leafs have approached Morgan Rielly about a trade, and there's more Brendan Gallagher speculation.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck raised eyebrows earlier this spring, as his season-ending criticism of the club's direction prompted some pundits to ponder his future in Winnipeg.
Hellebuyck, 33, was frustrated about the Jets' disappointing performance. He indicated he didn't want to leave, but stressed how important it was to him to win the Stanley Cup.
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff defended Hellebuyck's remarks. He praised the three-time Vezina Trophy winner's competitiveness while dismissing the notion that Hellebuyck was putting the club on notice.
Since then, there's been no further comment from Hellebuyck or Cheveldayoff.
Nevertheless, with the playoffs over and increased activity in the trade market, some observers continue to wonder if the Jets superstar could be moved this summer.
During Monday's 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman mentioned there was "a lot of noise" about Hellebuyck. His colleague, Nick Kypreos, shared that opinion, suggesting the Jets goalie could be the player we hear the most about in this summer's rumor mill. TSN's Darren Dreger thinks Cheveldayoff is in a position where he has to listen to offers.
Meanwhile, Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reported neither Hellebuyck nor Jets management has made any comments. The reporters suggested the recent speculation is an example of "connect the dots" after Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade and Quinn Hughes forced his way out of Vancouver.
Larkin and Hughes, by the way, were Hellebuyck's teammates on Team USA's gold-medal Olympic men's hockey squad.
If Hellebuyck does become available, Wiebe and McIntyre believe the Jets' asking price will be high. They also noted that Cheveldayoff won't be rushed into moving him, pointing out he has a history of being patient until he gets a return he likes.
Turning to the Toronto Maple Leafs, John Chayka made his first trade as GM, shipping popular goalie Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers in a multi-player move on Tuesday.
More trades could be coming, but they might not involve Morgan Rielly.
The 32-year-old defenseman has been a fixture in recent Maple Leafs speculation, with most observers believing he'll be asked to waive his no-movement clause.
However, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun reported Monday that Rielly has not been approached about waiving his clause, nor has he submitted a list of preferred trade destinations.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, rumors persist about whether the Canadiens will ship right winger Brendan Gallagher to the Canucks.
Ben Kuzma of The Province noted that Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek wondered if the Canadiens would take a gamble on oft-injured Filip Chytil of the Canucks as a second-line center. Given Chytil's concussion history, that seems unlikely.
Meanwhile, The Montreal Gazette's Stu Cowan was asked if Gallagher could be swapped for Canucks left winger Jake DeBrusk. However, he thinks it'll cost more than Gallagher to make that deal happen.
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