In today';s rumor rundown, the Carolina Hurricanes are working on a deal with
Sebastian Aho, Kris Versteeg may be headed to the KHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs
are still managing the future with their young core and there are some specific
 players on one-year deals to watch this season.Kris Versteeg to Sign in KHL

A player who has had some trouble finding regular employment in the NHL over
the past few seasons may be on the move again. Speculation is that Kris
Versteeg may be ready to sign a contract to play in the KHL this coming
season.Photo: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

That Versteeg was leaving the NHL was first being reported by player agent
Aljosa Pilko and Igor Eronko of Sport-Express then reported it would be
Avangard that signs him. Versteeg';s camp has not made an official announcement
 on the matter.

Versteeg is another player in a long line of NHL veterans having a hard time
finding work in the NHL this summer. It appears some of these veterans are
looking at international hockey versus professional tryouts on NHL
teams.Related: NHL Rumors: Laine, Krug, Leafs, Sharks, MoreHurricanes and
Sebastian Aho Working on Deal

According to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, the Carolina Hurricanes have started
discussions on a contract extension with Sebastian Aho. Aho hasn';t made
comment on the negotiations other than to say he';s hopeful his agent, Gerry
Johansson, can get a long-term deal done with the team.Sebastian Aho, Carolina
Hurricanes, Mar. 1, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Aho led the Hurricanes with 65 points last season and finished second in
tournament scoring at the World Championships with 18 points in eight games. 
He';s got one more season on the books for just under $1 million per season and
 the Hurricanes shouldn';t need to dump a contract nor should they have trouble
 fitting in his salary to the team structure. Speculation is the team could
potentially move Aho to the wing with their center depth being quite
strong.Related: NHL Rumors: Seguin, Rinne, Schmaltz, Duchene, MoreNylander
Isn';t Worried But Is Realistic

Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com has added more detail to the story that the Toronto
 Maple Leafs and restricted free agent forward William Nylander are moving
slowly in their contract talks this summer. Apparently, there is still no
urgency by either side.

Nylander did comment on the status of where he';s specifically at with the
process and said, "Now that contract negotiations have started you're more
aware of what's going on with things like that." He added that when other guys
sign it';s hard not to notice.Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander
battles for position with Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron (John E.
Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

Still, he says that while other players getting contracts will make you pay
attention when you don';t have one, it hasn';t added pressure from his side to
get a deal done. He';s ok with general manager Kyle Dubas wanting to move
slowly and he knows both sides are going back and forth a bit.

Nylander also noted that he understands the Leafs want to get all three guys -
himself, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews - signed but wonders if that';s
realistic in a cap system right after the team handed out such a large contract
 to John Tavares.Does Ellis'; New Deal Set a New Mark?

Brooks Bratten tweeted that while Nashville Predator';s defenseman Ryan Ellis
didn';t come right out and say he took a discount to stay with the Predators,
he is aware that taking a team-friendly deal helps Nashville moving
forward.(Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

After signing a long-term extension earlier this week - one that was considered
 under value by many current NHL standards - Ellis said, "I'm getting paid more
 than enough to play hockey… It was just about coming across a fair deal that
 would work for both sides."

There are some that can argue what this kind of deal does from a macro NHL
perspective - that a lower than league-value deal hurts other player';s
abilities to sign higher-money deals in the future - but considering his
reputation for being a leader in the Predators locker room, it';s not
surprising Ellis would do what he did. Ellis added,"We have other guys that
need to be signed in the future, and I had to do my part to keep this thing
going in the right direction."

Will teams use Ellis'; new deal as a benchmark against agents trying to get
their players extended? Only time will tell.Related: NHL Rumors: Sekera,
Karlsson, Boeser, MoreOne-Year Deals to Watch

Jared Clinton of the Hockey News recently listed off a handful of one-year
players to watch this season. He included Jacob Trouba, Mark Stone,William
Karlsson, Kevin Hayes and Brock Nelson in that list. He added that as of
January 1, 2019, these players can either re-sign with their respective teams
or the conversations about trades will start to pick up. Trouba and Karlsson
will be restricted free agents while Stone, Hayes, and Nelson will become
unrestricted free agents on July 1, 2019, if not re-signed.

While it seems odd to think the Jets would trade Trouba while in a hunt for the
 playoffs, Clinton suggests the team might move him in the months leading up to
 free agency. He cites the team would rather not go through another potential
arbitration saga. In contrast, with a good season, it is likely the Rangers
consider re-signing Kevin Hayes while Vegas would definitely try and keep
Karlsson in the fold once he';s proven his production.

The post NHL Rumors: Aho, Versteeg, Nylander, More appeared first on The Hockey
 Writers.

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