With the trade deadline now just over a month away, activity has started to pick up around the league. A pair of trades of note are highlighted in the top stories of the week.
Cogliano For Shore: The week kicked off with an interesting trade as the struggling Ducks dealt winger Andrew Cogliano to Dallas in exchange for forward Devin Shore. Cogliano had been with Anaheim since 2011 but got off to a very slow start offensively this season. With two years at $3.25MM remaining on his contract, Dallas is banking that a change of scenery will get him back to the 30-point player he usually is. Shore is on pace to hover around the 30-point mark once again and gives Anaheim some extra flexibility both on and off the ice. The 24-year-old can play center in a pinch while his cap hit is $950K lower than Cogliano’s (and one year shorter), giving them some extra wiggle room on the salary cap. Anaheim made three other small trades throughout the week to tweak the depth players on their roster.
Beaulieu Asks For A Trade: While the Sabres as a team have fared better this season, the same can’t be said for defenseman Nathan Beaulieu. He has been a frequent healthy scratch so far and played a limited role when he has been in the lineup. Now, he’s looking for a change of scenery and has asked for a trade. The 26-year-old is in the final year of his contract that carries a $2.4MM cap hit and a $2.5MM qualifying offer this summer, something that he’s not likely to receive from Buffalo. Given Beaulieu’s limited role, it’s unlikely that there will be a significant trade market for him but teams looking for some mobility on their third pairing may be interested.
Niederreiter For Rask: The Hurricanes and Wild decided to shake up their respective rosters as Minnesota dealt winger Nino Niederreiter to Carolina in exchange for center Victor Rask. Both players are in the midst of tough seasons but Niederreiter has a recent track record of being a quality secondary scorer while Rask has been a capable player down the middle over his first four seasons before having a particularly rough first half of this season including missing time when he sliced his hand in a kitchen accident just before the preseason. Both players are signed long-term; Niederreiter carries a $5.25MM cap hit through 2021-22 while Rask is under contract at $4MM a year through 2021-22. There was no salary retention in the swap.
No 2020 World Cup: While talks between the NHL and the NHLPA continued past the soft deadline of December in an effort to stage a 2020 World Cup, they eventually agreed that it was not a feasible option. Both sides stated that they are committed to a long-term international calendar but it remains to be seen if that will include a return to the Olympics and when the next World Cup will be held. It’s also unknown if this will signal an end to the CBA talks that were also ongoing at the same time.
Oilers Searching For Forward Help: With Edmonton looking to get back into the playoff picture, they’ve put on a “full-court press” to try to find a forward upgrade. The Oilers have received strong contributions from their top three forwards in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins but have had very limited secondary scoring which has held them back. The report indicates that the team may be willing to part with their first-round pick, a goaltender, and a young player which suggests that they’re looking for an impact performer and not just some extra depth to help them lock down at least a Wild Card position.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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