For most of the season, Blues defenseman Vince Dunn has been available and despite their hot stretch as of late, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that St. Louis has kept him on the block. Carolina had interest in him earlier in the season and it doesn’t appear as if that has changed according to Rutherford. The 24-year-old has had a bit of a bounce-back season with five goals and 12 assists in 39 games which will certainly bolster his case heading into restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility for the first time. Depending on whether or not they intend to protect Justin Faulk in expansion, Dunn could be the odd one out at that time so if they get the right trade fit now, it may make sense to move him on despite being in the playoff hunt.
Other notes from around the NHL this morning:
- There is strong interest in Senators defenseman Erik Gudbranson, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The 29-year-old has just three points in 36 games this season but can still bring some physicality and shot blocking to a third pairing. One possible issue is his $4MM AAV which is on the pricey side for a depth defender although Ottawa can retain up to half of that and will likely need to do so. Gudbranson will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
- Teams are calling about Coyotes winger Conor Garland, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 25-year-old is second on Arizona in scoring with 10 goals and 21 assists in 41 games but last month, it was reported that they were open to the idea of moving him. Garland only makes $775K this season but will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer and is poised to land a significant raise.