Can't get enough NHL rumors? Lyle Richardson's weekly Rumor Roundup column serves as a one-stop guide to the latest rumblings around the league.

The Hurricanes surprised the NHL world last week by removing Ron Francis as general manager and making him president of hockey operations, a de facto demotion by way of promotion in terms of control over hockey matters. New majority owner Tom Dundon isn't wasting time searching for a replacement, having reached out to several clubs seeking permission to speak with their assistant general managers.

Whoever gets the job could be expected to be much bolder in the trade market than his predecessor. With the Hurricanes poised to miss the playoffs for a ninth straight season, Dundon could demand a roster shakeup.

One of those moves could involve shopping a defenseman for a scoring forward. The Hurricanes lack scoring punch and have several good young blueliners, such as Noah Hanifin, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and the promising Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean, to draw upon for trade bait.
The change of management in Carolina could prompt some rivals to try and take advantage of the situation. The Athletic's Arpon Basu suggested the Canadiens offer up left wing Max Pacioretty and one of their two 2018 second-round draft picks for Hanifin. If the Canadiens want to make a bigger splash, Basu proposed dangling goaltender Carey Price.

Shopping Pacioretty to the Hurricanes would be easier than offering up Price. The captain lacks no-trade protection on a contract that has a year remaining with an affordable $4.5 million cap hit. Price, meanwhile, has a full no-movement clause on both his current contract and his upcoming eight-year, $84 million deal.

Between the two, the Canadiens are more likely to shop Pacioretty. However, a new Hurricanes GM could be unwilling to part with Hanifin for a winger eligible next year for unrestricted free agent status who also turns 30 this November.

Basu's colleague Eric Duhatsheck observed the Hurricanes lack a superstar and wondered if they might get into the bidding for Senators captain Erik Karlsson. The 27-year-old All-Star defenseman was reportedly close to be dealt to the Golden Knights at the trade deadline and the Senators could listen to trade offers this summer.

Considering the Hurricanes' need for a scoring forward (preferably a center), Karlsson won't address that issue. Besides, he carries a 10-team list of preferred trade destinations and could reject a move to Carolina.

Potential Oilers trade bait

The Oilers began this season hoping to build upon their 103-point effort in 2016-17. Instead, they'll miss the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 years. With over three weeks remaining in the regular-season schedule, speculation is growing over the club's offseason plans.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported last week there's a belief the Oilers could be showcasing Oscar Klefbom. The 24-year-old defenseman is nursing a shoulder injury that will soon require surgery, but the fact he's still playing prompted talk of teams having interest in him.

With the NHL trade deadline now past, the Oilers must wait until the offseason if they intend to peddle Klefbom. Allowing him to keep playing through a possibly debilitating injury in a lost season, however, won't do much help his trade value.

The Oilers also have a dubious record for trading away young players and seeing them blossom elsewhere. Giving up on Klefbom after one sub-par season could come back to haunt them.

Should Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli make a move or two this summer, he has other options beside Klefbom. Sportsnet's Mark Spector observed Senators GM Pierre Dorion scouted two recent Oilers games and suggested a swap of center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Ottawa for winger Mike Hoffman.

Both players surfaced from time to time this season in the rumor mill. Hoffman, 28, is nearly four years older than Nugent-Hopkins ($6 million per season through 2020-21) but carries two fewer years on a contract worth an annual salary cap hit of over $5.18 million. Such a move, however, would depend upon whether the Oilers are on Hoffman's 10-team trade list.

The Edmonton Journal's David Staples suggested Chiarelli could attempt to shop some of his draft picks, including his first-round selection in 2018. He also doesn't rule out shopping young winger Jesse Puljujarvi.

change conversation around defensemen drafted No. 1 overall

Dangling that first-round pick could attract plenty of interest, especially if Edmonton wins next month's NHL Draft lottery. The presumptive top pick in this year's draft is Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who could bolster the Oilers blueline. But if Chiarelli seeks a more established top-four defender, holding the rights to select Dahlin could fetch what they need via trade.

TSN's Darren Dreger last week reported the Oilers denied shopping the 19-year-old Pulujarvi before the trade deadline. While it could be worthwhile to at least listen to offers this summer, they might be unwilling to give up on him just yet