Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin is one of the most interesting names to follow this summer, as he has continued to be linked in trade speculation all around the league. The latest example comes from Conor McKenna of TSN who while admitting he isn’t a trade-breaker, relayed that he’s heard rumblings of a possible Alex Galchenyuk (plus a first-round pick) for Drouin swap. That would certainly be a substantial kickoff to the trade season, as both players are incredible talents who haven’t quite hit the highs predicted of them.
Drouin especially holds high value after breaking out this season with 21 goals and 53 points, while both former third-overall picks (2012 for Galchenyuk, 2013 for Drouin) are restricted free agents this summer and are candidates for long-term deals. Bob McKenzie chimed in earlier with some thoughts on the Montreal forward, saying that “it’s become clear Montreal doesn’t view [Galchenyuk] as a center.” Keep your eyes peeled for movement on both fronts, as even if they’re not traded for each other they could be moved to other teams around the league.
- The KHL club Dynamo Moscow has been taken over by new ownership, but with it the players have gone on strike due to unpaid salary. The new owners, according to KHL reporter Slava Malamud are standing firm and saying they are not responsible for the debts. There were previous reports that players haven’t been paid in up to six months, and Jason Brough of NBC adds that the team was raided by anti-fraud police earlier this month. Among the players on Moscow last season was Klim Kostin, a top prospect for the upcoming expansion draft who has already said he plans on coming to North America immediately. After seeing first hand what happened to the more veteran players last season, it’s hard to blame him.
- Marc-Andre Fleury waived his no-movement clause because it was the “right thing [to do] to help the team, to stay with the team, ” telling Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it gave the team more flexibility. Always considered one of the very best teammates in the league, Fleury’s waiving of his NMC allowed the Penguins to keep him on the roster for their playoff run, something that certainly came in handy when Matt Murray went down in the warm up of the first game. Fleury would lead the team through the first few rounds putting up an incredible performance and allowing Murray to heal fully before returning. If he is now ticketed for Vegas as many have speculated, his final act in Pittsburgh is one for the ages.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have hired Sheldon Brookbank as an assistant coach for their AHL affiliate, bringing the former defenseman back to an organization where he won a Stanley Cup in 2013. Brookbank was one of the defensemen that Joel Quenneville has played at forward over the years, but didn’t have a huge role on the team in any capacity. He’ll join new Rockford IceHogs head coach Jeremy Colliton behind the bench next season on what is shaping up to be a very young coaching staff.
Trading Drouin for Galchenyuk doesn’t make a lot of sense for Tampa Bay. Their weakness is on the blue line. If they are going to trade from their strength, which is their forwards, it should be done to bolster the defense. It would make far more sense for Tampa Bay to trade Drouin to a team like Minnesota or Anaheim who has an excess of quality defensemen. That would fill a need