NHL Rumors: Preds in on Phil Kessel, Sabres want Anderson back, and Rangers sign Trivigno
Anthony Scultore
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Today’s NHL Rumors starts off with good guy Phil Kessel.
It was fairly shocking that Kessel was not moved at the NHL Trade Deadline. Apparently the main reason for that was Arizona having already retained salary on so many players that they were unable to do so in trading him.
There was also speculation that his current ironman streak played a role in many teams’ decisioning. I mean, would you want to be the coach that scratched Phil Kessel if he wasn’t helping your team down the stretch?
NHL Rumors: Predators and Phil Kessel
The 34 year-old has 42 points in 67 games this season and will be a UFA in July. One team that could come knocking are the Nashville Predators.
Nashville was one of the teams interested in Phil Kessel.
32 Thoughts
Kessel will certainly garner some interest over the summer on a one or two-year deal with a low cap hit. Are we talking less than a $1M? I’m not sure, but considering what Nashville is going to fork over to retain Filip Forsberg they will need low cap hit bodies in the lineup.
Sabres want Craig Anderson back
Anderson, 40, is 12-9-2-0 with a 3.07 GAA and a solid .902 SV%.
While the Sabres have improved this season, he deserves a lot of credit for whatever success Buffalo has had. The organization feels the same as Elliotte Friedman is reporting that they want him back next season.
Buffalo has told goalie Craig Anderson it would like to have him back next season. The Sabres are willing to wait on his timetable — see how he feels after the season — but he knows the red carpet is rolled out for a return.
32 Thoughts
Rangers sign college star Bobby Trivigno
The New York Rangers have signed UMASS captain Bobby Trivigno. Earlier today, Corey Pronman of The Athletic tweeted that this was in the works.
Mollie Walker of the NY Post previously noted that the Rangers were among four teams on Trivigno’s list that included the Islanders, Panthers, and Predators.
Per Team’s Press Release:
New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the team has agreed to terms with college free agent forward Bobby Trivigno.
Trivigno, 23, recently completed his senior season at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Hockey East), where he served as captain for the Minutemen. In 2021-22, Trivigno tallied a career-high 20 goals and 29 assists for 49 points and a plus-22 rating in 37 games. Among NCAA skaters, he ranked tied for third in points, tied for eighth in assists and tied for ninth in goals. Trivigno was named the 2021-22 Hockey East Player of the Year, the College Hockey News Player of the Year, and a Hobey Baker Award Top 10 finalist, the award for the top collegiate hockey player. He also became the fourth player to win the Walter Brown Award in back-to-back seasons, presented annually to the best American-Born Division I college hockey player in New England.
