Keep up to date on the latest rumours and speculation around the NHL beat with TSN.ca's Rumour Mill.

Rommates Reunited?

Evgeni Malkin, who last played 70 or more games in a season in 2011-12, is set to miss Friday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks due to an upper-body injury.

Matt Larkin of The Hockey News believes Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford needs to work the phones to acquire a third-line centre who can replace Malkin on the second line when he misses time and a "perfect fit," would be Phil Kessel’s former roommate, Tyler Bozak of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Bozak, 31, has four goals and 10 points this season and is in the final year on his current contract.

According to CapFriendly, the Penguins have just under $1.2 in cap space remaining and would have to move a contract back to the Leafs in order to take on Bozak’s $4.2 million cap hit.

Boazk is one of four Maple Leafs forwards set to hit unrestricted free agency in July, along with James van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov and Dominic Moore.

The Penguins lost Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen in the off-season with newly acquired Riley Sheahan and Carter Rowney to centre their bottom-two lines. With Malkin out Friday, the team is expected to use winger Jake Guentzel as their second-line centre.


Wait and See

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning is in the final year of his contract with the team, but the Canucks don't appear to be in a rush to extend his contract.

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie told Vancouver's TSN Radio 1040 on Thursday that despite the Canucks' strong start to the season (11-8-3), he believes the team is taking a patient approach to Benning's extension. 

"I guess the bottom line as far as the Canucks are concerned is why feel the need to do anything right now," McKenzie said. "Let's let the season unfold, let's get a better handle of where we're at and we'll talk to Jim in due course and it's really up to him just to keep doing his job and wait to see how they decide how to proceed."

McKenzie notes that extensions or firings were common for general managers entering the final season of their deal to avoid 'lame duck' status in previous years, but the trend appears to be shifting around the league.

In addition to Benning, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello, Ken Holland of the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blue general manager Doug Armstrong are all in the final year of their contracts this season. In May, Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving signed a multi-year extension after completing the final year of his deal.

Benning, 54, was hired by the Canucks after the 2013-14 season. Under Benning, the franchise has a 120-118-30 record.


Trying To Get It Going

Buffalo Sabres forward Matt Moulson has sat out 10 games this season as a healthy scratch.

He has not tallied a point in 12 games this season and in the fourth year of a five-year, $25 million contract, there's been rumours he could waived, bought out or even traded.

Moulson, who recorded three straight 30-goal seasons with the New York Islanders from 2009-2012, told the Buffalo News he's doing his best to tune out any rumours.

"Yeah, I think it's hard to sometimes," Moulson said. "But I think once you start worrying about that, then you've got a little more problems than just hockey. I think you're at home thinking about a lot of things. Obviously you want to do well. I think any athlete that's competitive wants to do well in a team environment and personally.

"Once you start listening to everything else, I think that comes back to just knowing yourself and what you do. I think a lot of people say things that don't know what I do on a daily basis as a person. I don't really let that bother me. I think what my family thinks of me is probably the most important."

Moulson posted eight goals and 21 points in 2015-16, but bounced back last season with 14 goals and 32 points - his most since signing the five-year deal with the Sabres.

 


Where do the Habs go from here?

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined OverDrive on TSN 1050 Thursday to discuss the Habs minor trade and debate if there’s any chance they could make a bigger trade to address their issues in the middle of the ice. Watch the video below to hear the latest from Dreger on how the Canadiens could choose to proceed.