In today';s rumor rundown, Henrik Zetterberg';s season is more in question than
 it';s ever been, the Oilers are contemplating their options as it pertains to
Darnell Nurse, Craig Anderson lays down the gauntlet in Ottawa and there is
some discrepancy about the status of Slava Voynov.Things Not Looking Good For
Henrik Zetterberg

While speculation has surrounded Henrik Zetterberg';s health, it';s been
unclear as to whether or not he';ll be ready to play the 2018-19 season. Red
Wings head coach Jeff Blashill provided an update and things don';t look
good.Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings, December 20, 2017 (Amy Irvin / The
Hockey Writers)

MLive's Ansar Khan reported the prognosis is that Zetterberg will likely not
be ready for NHL training camp and that things are looking doubtful for the
season if he doesn';t make it there.  Zetterberg';s back issues are not
dissipating and the Red Wings can place his $6.083MM contract on LTIR if he is
deemed unable to play during his physical at training camp next month.

While the Red Wings would rather not play the season without Zetterberg, his
immediate injury situation opens up options for them.Related: NHL Rumors:
Rangers, Leafs, Predators in Trade Market?Oilers Waiting On Nurse Deal?

Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal writes the Edmonton Oilers may be waiting
 to sign restricted free agent defenseman, Darnell Nurse. The team may want to
see what happens with the situation in Vegas between the Golden Knights and RFA
 defenseman Shea Theodore. Ken Campbell of The Hockey News agreed and added
the agents for all four d-man restricted free agents - Noah Hanifin, Josh
Morrissey, Darnell Nurse, and Shea Theodore - could be using the other';s deals
 as leverage. Nurse';s agent Anton Thun said, "There is a little bit of waiting
 for the shoe to drop. You have a group of guys who are all in the same basket
and one expedites the others."Darnell Nurse, Edmonton Oilers, Oct. 21, 2017
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Ideally, the Oilers would like to get a long-term deal done but a two-year deal
 in the $3 to $4 million per season range seems more likely. Speculation was
the Oilers and Nurse's camp had only discussed a bridge deal due to the Oilers
cap troubles, but Andrej Sekera's injury and the potential the team will put
him on LTIR means a long-term deal is not impossible.

Leavins then discussed the idea of the Oilers not using the freed up money on
Nurse and going after a player like Erik Karlsson. With Sekera out, the team
could technically fit Karlsson';s $6.5 million salary but like most NHL teams
interested in the Senators d-man, an extension is a big question mark. The
number of Oilers roster changes that would have to occur as a result would make
 that trade difficult.

Leavins thinks the Oilers might instead decide between a player like Nurse on a
 long-term deal and Justin Faulk out of Carolina. He doesn';t believe the
assets to acquire Faulk would be as high considering all that the team got for
Jeff Skinner.Related: NHL Rumors: Hayes, Karlsson, Athanasiou, MoreCraig
Anderson Too Old For This...

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen elaborated on the rumors Ottawa Senators
goaltender Craig Anderson requested a trade in June. Anderson didn';t confirm
 the rumor but did say that he has no interest in repeating a season like last
year where the team was terrible and surrounded by so much drama. "I love
Ottawa and I love playing in Ottawa," Anderson told TSN. "My only comment on
that is that I'm too old for drama and I don't want anything to do with
drama."Craig Anderson and Erik Karlsson (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

If Anderson has made this clear to the organization he';s not interested in
being part of a hockey soap opera, how long before the team is looking at
trading the netminder? There is nothing but drama in Ottawa this season and
what';s been happening with players like Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, potentially
 Matt Duchene and others is only the start of what will be a hundred questions
surrounding the team this year.

Anderson suggested he knew nothing about the Karlsson and Mike Hoffman
situation but added, "Hopefully, we've resolved all that... I've got no
interest in going anywhere else as long as we can clean up what was going on
this summer."Related: NHL Rumors: Eberle, Seguin, Hanifin, MoreVoynov
Returning or Not?

There are some conflicting reports about the status of former NHL defenseman
Slava Voynov. John Shannon reported that NHL source says the former Los Angeles
 King has NOT been cleared to return to the league while Deputy chairman of
the SKA board of directors Alexander Medvedev announced this evening that Slava
 Voynov got permission to return to the NHL. Right now, it appears the NHL';s
report is a response to rumors they had cleared Voynov and want to make it
clear, they have not.

If the NHL does decide to change their minds and allow for a Voynov return he
will probably face a suspension from the league once given the approval to
play. On August 26, 2018, it was reported, that Bill Daly said," "Disciplinary
process [for Voynov] is still being discussed."

The post NHL Rumors: Zetterberg, Nurse, Voynov, More appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

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