With the trade deadline now less than a month away, activity has started to pick up around the NHL. Several notable swaps highlight the top stories of the week.
Muzzin To Toronto: Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas had indicated earlier in the season that his preference would be to avoid the rental market. He stayed true to his word, acquiring defenseman Jake Muzzin from the Kings in exchange for Toronto’s 2019 first-round pick, defense prospect Sean Durzi, and winger prospect Carl Grundstrom. Muzzin is signed through next season at a very reasonable $4MM cap hit, giving the Leafs a defensive upgrade beyond the stretch run. Meanwhile, this likely is only the beginning of what will likely be an intriguing fire sale in Los Angeles as they sit dead last in the West and will be entering a rebuilding process.
Panthers Acquire Brassard: Center Derick Brassard had been part of trade speculation for quite some time and Pittsburgh pulled the trigger on moving him, sending the pending UFA to Florida along with center Riley Sheahan (also a pending UFA) and three 2019 draft picks (a second rounder and two fourth rounders), for center/winger Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. The Panthers add some payroll flexibility for next season as it’s believed that they plan to be aggressive in free agency this summer. It’s certainly possible that one or both of their acquisitions could be flipped in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the Penguins shake up their depth and add some longer-term stability down the middle. Bjugstad has two more years remaining on his contract with a $4.1MM cap hit so he’ll be a longer-term commitment for the Penguins but if he can get back to his form of the last few years, he’ll be a nice addition.
Panarin Won’t Discuss An Extension: Following a meeting with his agent, it was revealed that Blue Jackets winger Artemi Panarin will not discuss a contract extension with the team this season. That places Columbus in a tough situation as the pending UFA would certainly garner plenty of interest on the trade market but moving him would significantly impact their playoff chances as they are in a tight battle for positioning in the Metropolitan Division. It appears that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is open to the idea of moving him, stating that the team is willing to make a “hard decision” when it comes to the 27-year-old. Panarin leads the Blue Jackets in scoring this season with 20 goals and 39 assists in 49 games.
Watson Suspended Indefinitely: Predators winger Austin Watson has been suspended indefinitely after he was placed in Stage Two of the league’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program. He also missed the first 18 games of the campaign due to a domestic violence arrest in the offseason but had played an important role for Nashville since returning to the lineup. With there being no timetable for Watson’s return, it’s likely that GM David Poile will have to turn to the trade market to bring in some extra depth on the wing over the next few weeks.
Oleksiak Goes Back To Dallas: Last season, the Stars moved defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick. The teams ultimately reversed that swap this past week as the 26-year-old rejoined Dallas with the Penguins getting the draft pick they dealt to them back in return. (That pick was then flipped to Florida in the Brassard trade.) Oleksiak was needed with Dallas announcing that veteran blueliner Marc Methot will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery. He has already been transferred to LTIR.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The draft picks went from Pittsburgh to Florida.