NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Oilers, Blues, Devils – Hockey Writers – NHL Rumors

In today’s NHL rumor mill, the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Max Pacioretty to PTO, but he will likely sign a contract before the season. There is also talk that Nick Robertson may be sold, despite having signed a one-year contract with the club. Meanwhile, another NHL player says he was with the Edmonton Oilers a few times when news of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg’s offer sheets broke. How do they react? Finally, did the New Jersey Devils and Dawson Mercer get anywhere from a contract extension?

Pacioretty Signs PTO With Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially announced that Max Pacioretty will attend training camp through a professional tryout (PTO). There have been rumors this week that the two sides are close to a deal, but some insiders believe it won’t be a PTO, but an interim signing.

Frank Seravalli tweeted, “To Max Pacioretty: While the #Leafs are working through some salary cap issues, the expectation on both sides is that Pacioretty will be a Maple Leaf this season.” This suggests that the PTO is a temporary thing until the team can line up whatever they need to sign the veteran forward.

Nicholas Roberson Still for sale

Seravalli also reports, “Despite the new contract, the belief is that Nick Robertson is more likely to be traded than to open the season with the Leafs.” He added that there is still strong interest in Robertson around the league and the one-year deal he signed on Tuesday could be a way to end a trade.

He notes, “And it’s always easier to trade assets under contract instead of RFA, which helped him sign.”

Related: Fall From Nicholas Robertson Deal Maple Leafs May Spark Moves

The deal is believed to be Robertson coming to his senses and realizing that playing for the Maple Leafs may be the best way to endear himself to other teams. While he may start the season in Toronto, some believe it’s only a matter of time before he’s dealt, and Pacioretty’s signing will be one of the ways the Leafs plug the hole Robertson may leave with his departure.

Oilers Players Not Happy With Blues Handed Out Sheets

On Tuesday at the NHL Player Media Tour in Vegas, the St. Louis Blues Robert Thomas spoke to the media and explained how difficult it was to hear about the offer sheets the Blues had handed out to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. The reason was that he had many Oilers players including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Thomas explained that they were “very unhappy,” posted Matt Larkin of the Daily Faceoff. That’s not surprising when you look at how close McDavid and others were to Holloway and it is believed that the Oilers wanted almost everyone back from last season’s team if possible.

McDavid also spoke to the media on Tuesday about the status of his contract and said that he will only answer questions about his status once and said that he is focused on the season and is not thinking about his next contract.

Devils and Dawson Mercer Update

Dawson Mercer and New Jersey’s negotiations are slowly progressing. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, contract negotiations between the New Jersey Devils and Dawson Mercer have been slow. As of Friday, the two sides were no closer to reaching an agreement.

“It’s slow right now. They are working on it, but there is still a lot to be done before they can finalize the deal,” Pagnotta reported over the weekend. He continued: “They are working hard, but it looks like there is a lot of work to be done before they reach the finish line.”

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