Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for February 2023

Trade Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The trade deadline is inching closer and is now just over a week away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Colorado Avalanche.

Following a Stanley Cup win in 2021-22, expectations were high once again for the Colorado Avalanche this season. However, some key offseason departures headlined by Nazem Kadri and a plethora of injuries have the Avalanche further back in the standings than expected. They have been playing better lately, but are barely hanging on to a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

An 11-2-2 run in their past 15 games has put them back into a playoff spot, and as the defending Stanley Cup champions, they are sure to be looking to add to the roster before the deadline. Once healthy, they will have one of the most dangerous lineups in the Western Conference, giving them a chance to make another deep postseason run this spring.

Record

31-19-5

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$6.45MM in LTIR relief, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: COL 1st, Col 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th

2024: COL 1st, COL 4th, COL 6th, COL 7th

Trade Chips

The Avalanche have traded a lot of their draft pick capital in past seasons, but do still hold all of their own first-round picks. That will allow them to get in on some of the big names as we head toward the trade deadline on Mar. 3. The biggest obstacle in their way is the salary cap.

Gabriel Landeskog has not played a game yet this season and he sits on long-term injured reserve. If the Avalanche get news that he will remain there until the end of the regular season, they can replace his $7MM cap hit and really swing for the fences at the trade deadline in hopes of a repeat.

If they are going to make a big addition, their future first-round picks would need to be put in play. Having traded many of them in recent years, the Avalanche do not have the deepest prospect pool in the league, but they do have a few young players to offer as trade bait.

Alex Newhook would net the biggest return but he is already a full-time NHL player. If the Avalanche want to make a big trade, teams will be asking about the 2019 first-round pick. Newhook has 12 goals and 20 points in 55 games, but rebuilding teams would be interested in adding the 22-year-old center.

Sean Behrens was the Avalanche’s second-round pick in 2021. The two-way defenceman is having a second strong season for the University of Denver. He has three goals and 20 points in 27 games this season after putting up three goals and 29 points in 37 games as a Freshman in 2021-22. Behrens represented USA at the past two World Junior Championships, scoring a combined three points in eight games. Justin Barron was moved in a trade last season that brought back Artturi Lehkonen and helped put the Avs over the top. Behrens would have similar value on the open market right now.

Jean-Luc Foudy is one of the few young players having an impact season for the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He was a third-round pick of Colorado in the 2020 NHL Draft and has 11 goals and 31 points in 36 AHL games this season. He is a 20-year-old right-shot center who would have plenty of interest from rebuilding teams.

Other Potential Trade Chips: Oskar Olausson, Matthew Stienburg, Ryan Merkley

Team Needs

1) Second-Line Center: The Avalanche were hopeful that Newhook would step into the second-line center role that was vacated by Kadri when he signed with the Calgary Flames. While Newhook is a skilled young player, he isn’t the ideal fit as a second center on a contending team right now. If Landeskog can eventually return from his injury, he joins Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin and Lehkonen as a dangerous group of top-six wingers. Nathan MacKinnon is obviously the team’s number one center, but they could use an upgrade in the middle of the second unit.

2) Defensive Depth: A team with Cale Makar, Bowen Byram, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, Josh Manson and Erik Johnson should not need help on the back end. However, injuries have sabotaged what should be the best group of blueliners in the league. Makar is currently out with concussion symptoms, Byram has been limited to 17 games this season, Manson has suited up for just 23 contests and Johnson is on injured reserve. A big name defender is not likely to be on the shopping list, but some depth to fill in for the injured players would be a nice addition.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

at CDT | by 34 Comments

The trade deadline is now less than two weeks away and while there have been a couple of big splashes made already, there will undoubtedly be more to come along with the usual smorgasbord of depth moves that this time of year usually brings.  With that in mind, it’s a good time for our next edition of the mailbag to discuss the upcoming deadline (or anything else hockey-related).

The last mailbag was run in three separate segments.  Topics in the first included Chuck Fletcher’s future with the Flyers, whether it’s time for Pittsburgh to kick off a rebuilding phase, and Colorado’s potential deadline plans.  The second focused on Red Wings center Dylan Larkin who remains one of the more intriguing players to keep an eye on as his contract extension has yet to be finalized.  Lastly, among the topics in the third column were Seattle’s playoff push, the Stars’ cap situation heading into the deadline, and the possibility of Timo Meier heading to the Devils.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.

West Notes: Kane, Landeskog, Thompson

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Rumors are flying surrounding Patrick Kane and whether he’ll be traded before the March 3rd deadline, with many speculating that the New York Rangers could be his preferred destination. Such speculation may need to hold off for a little while, though, as it still seems as though Kane hasn’t yet made a decision on his future. Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, confirmed as much to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, stating that “Patrick hasn’t made any decision at this point.”

Tonight has already featured a significant trade, with the Boston Bruins acquiring two key veterans from the Washington Capitals. Kane could end up the star of this trade deadline season, but seeing as he is in full control of his playing future, any developments will come on a timeline he prefers. We still have a little bit of time before the trade deadline fully hits, although it is definitely possible that the longer he waits, the more likely it is that potentially interested contending teams decide they need to play things safe and explore backup plans.

  • On TSN’s Insider Trading program, LeBrun reported that Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog’s true timeline in his return from injury remains “unclear.” The Avalanche do not yet have a firm sense of when he’ll be ready to return to the lineup, and that uncertainty has major trade deadline implications. As long as there remains the possibility of Landeskog returning in this regular season, the Avalanche cannot use Landeskog’s salary on long-term injured reserve to add to their roster, since they would not have the cap space to activate Landeskog once healthy. If nothing else, the Avalanche will be hoping for some more clarity on Landeskog’s timeline in these next few days so they can really shore up their deadline plans.
  • Vegas Golden Knights netminder Logan Thompson has been placed on injured reserve, as reported by the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster. Thompson has been out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, so this news should come as no surprise. What it does do is make Thompson’s injury absence official from a roster perspective, clearing a spot on the 23-man unit for the team to work with.

Snapshots: Marleau, Roy, Olofsson, Murray

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Patrick Marleau spent the majority of his playing career with the San Jose Sharks, and it sounds like he would be open to returning to the organisation in retirement. The legendary Sharks forward is the all-time leader in goals, points and games played for the club. He spent 21 seasons playing for the Sharks, helping them to a Stanley Cup Final in 2016.

Marleau retired following the 2020-21 season and will have his number retired by the team on Saturday night. The city of San Jose was honoring him ahead of his number being retired on Saturday night, and announced Feb. 25 will be Patrick Marleau Day in San Jose. When addressing the crowd, Marleau was asked if he would return to the organisation and said it was something he would definitely be interested in doing. He then joked he would have to find something he is good at first.

  • Nicolas Roy is out of the Vegas Golden Knights lineup with an injury. The center has been listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury as per an update on the team’s Twitter page. The 26-year-old center has 11 goals and 25 points in 54 games this season. The Golden Knights are already a little depleted up front with Mark Stone and Nolan Patrick out long term. It doesn’t sound like Roy’s injury will keep him out for an extended period, but it further weakens the roster as they get set to host the Calgary Flames tonight.
  • The Dallas Stars have sent down a couple of depth players. Fredrik Olofsson and Matt Murray have been loaned to the Texas Stars. Both players were called up on an emergency basis yesterday to face the Chicago Blackhawks. Olofsson had three shots on goal and Murray served as Jake Oettinger’s backup in a 4-3 loss.

New York Rangers To Scratch Vitali Kravtsov, Jake Leschyshyn

at CDT | by 12 Comments

The New York Rangers have announced that forwards Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn will be held out of tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings for “roster management reasons.”

While they used a less direct phrase, this move has presumably been made for the same reasons players such as Vladislav Gavrikov, Jakob Chychrun, and Dmitry Orlov, among others, have been healthy scratched: the team has a trade in mind they want to make, and doesn’t want to risk injuries to players they’re looking at trading throwing a wrench in their plans.

While they obviously have not yet been traded and it’s definitely possible that this is simply a precautionary measure, this is also the most official indication given out to this point that Kravtsov’s time as a Ranger is coming to an end.

The big 23-year-old winger was the ninth-overall selection at the 2018 draft, and was viewed as one of the centerpiece prospects from the Rangers’ rebuilding phase. The team envisioned him being the type of power forward that is becoming all too rare in the NHL, but since being drafted Kravtsov has largely disappointed.

There were significant challenges in his development process, with Kravtsov’s 2019-20 season spent mostly in the AHL as the standout point of tension. It was widely reported that Kravtsov was not comfortable developing his game in an AHL setting, and those reports were in large part confirmed when he departed Hartford mid-season to head back to the KHL. Kravtsov eventually made a trade request, but ended up remaining in the Rangers’ organization and developing in the KHL.

This season, Kravtsov finally made the Rangers out of camp and had a real shot to seize a valuable role given New York’s paper-thin depth at the right winger position to start the year. He hasn’t done much with that opportunity, though, and has scored in total six points in 28 games. His inability to seize the moment led to the Rangers’ acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues, and the team remains interested in Patrick Kane to further add from the outside to their right-wingers.

Kravtsov still has intriguing physical tools and has at times looked very impressive in the KHL. But his performance in North America has left much to be desired, and it’s likely that a change of scenery would be the best path for both parties moving forward.

As for Leschychyn, he was a relatively recent waiver claim by New York who has played 13 mostly anonymous games for the Rangers. He’s averaged 8:21 time on ice per game for coach Gerard Gallant, and is likely being scratched due to cap reasons, as the Rangers would likely ship his salary out in any trade for a pricey incoming player.

Boston Bruins Acquire Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov

at CDT | by 32 Comments

A few moments after announcing that Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway would be held out of the lineup for tonight’s game for trade protection purposes, the Washington Capitals have sent both players to the league-leading Boston Bruins.

Heading back to the Capitals is forward Craig Smith, Boston’s first-round pick in 2023, Boston’s third-round pick in 2024, and Boston’s second-round pick in 2025. Washington will retain 50% of Orlov’s remaining salary, while the Minnesota Wild will retain 25% of Orlov’s contract, sending the rights to Andrei Svetlakov to Washington (who actually flipped those rights to Boston in the other part of the deal), and acquiring Boston’s fifth-round pick in 2023.

The NHL’s best team just became much better. With the acquisition of Orlov and Hathaway, the Bruins have cemented themselves as a top Stanley Cup contender and an odds-on-favorite for Lord Stanley. In his 11 seasons in Washington, Orlov became one of the more underappreciated defensemen in the league. Being able to do a little bit of everything, averaging over 100 shots, 100 hits, and over 20 minutes a game, Orlov is a complete player that Boston will now be able to supplant into their already talented defensive core.

Joining him on the New England juggernaut is Hathaway, who is a near-perfect example of what Bruins fans have come to love from their players over the years. A hard-nosed forward, Hathaway can provide depth goal scoring, sufficient work on the penalty kill, and amassing almost 200+ hits every year of his career. If they weren’t already hard enough to play against, Orlov and Hathaway turn Bruins into an even more frustrating opponent for the rest of the league.

Although they only find themselves two points out of a playoff spot, the Capitals’ recent stretch of play has sent them into a bit of a spiral. Losing their last five games in a row, the Capitals seemed to have made a pivot toward selling during this deadline. Still carrying the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and John Carlson, it is not likely that this will lead to a full-tear down in D.C. However, with so many players headed for unrestricted free agency after this season, and falling further out of the playoff picture, it is only natural that the Capitals recoup some assets from this group.

Having already traded away this year’s third-round selection and next year’s second-round selection in separate trades, the Capitals looked to restock their draft capital in this deal with Boston. After falling out of favor in Boston and clearing waivers earlier this season, Smith can slot into the Capitals’ bottom six for the remainder of the season.

Much like the trade sending Ryan O’Reilly to the Maple Leafs, the Wild were able to involve themselves in this trade as well. With ample deadline cap space, the Wild have now used 2/3 of their retention slots in the last six days to help facilitate deals around the league.

Boston will also receive the rights to Svetlakov, though his inclusion will be overshadowed by the two NHLers. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Svetlakov has spent the last several seasons playing for CSKA Moscow of the KHL.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report that Hathaway and Orlov were headed to Boston, while Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic first reported Smith and picks would be the return to Washington.

St. Louis Blues Activate Brandon Saad

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Reinforcements have arrived for the struggling St.Louis Blues as the team announced forwards Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich will return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. After trading away long-time forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly, the Blues are struggling to play motivated hockey.

At the very least, Saad and Buchnevich should inject some hard work and leadership into this team. Head coach Craig Berube said just as much when speaking to reporters today:

Having Buchy and Saad back, we’re a much better team for sure. The veterans have to lead by example—from a work standpoint, compete standpoint, playing the right way.

The Blues are mired in a three-game losing streak that has dropped them to sixth place in the Central Division, five points behind the Nashville Predators and only six ahead of the Arizona Coyotes. While it’s been clear for weeks that this wouldn’t be the Blues’ year, seeing them plummet down the standings is not something anyone expected.

Getting Buchnevich back makes them a much more dangerous team, as the 27-year-old winger’s 43 points still lead the club on a per-game basis. In the second season of a four-year, $23.2MM contract signed in 2021, Buchnevich is one of the pieces that will cause general manager Doug Armstrong to be more aggressive than some other sellers this summer, adding more talent to the group instead of going through a rebuilding process.

Saad is also still an effective player, even if his offensive totals have never quite reached the potential many saw in him as a youngster in Chicago. The veteran forward has 15 goals and 22 points this season through 46 games.

Anaheim Ducks Activate Troy Terry

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Anaheim Ducks have swapped some forwards, activating Troy Terry from injured reserve and moving Adam Henrique to take his place. Justin Kirkland, who cleared waivers earlier today, has also been loaned to the AHL.

Terry, 25, played just three shifts in his first game back after the All-Star break before going down to injury, meaning he hasn’t finished a full NHL game yet in February. The talented forward can now return to continue another strong season, with 42 points in 51 games.

More concerning for the Ducks is the status of Henrique, who has been ruled out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He was one of Anaheim’s trade chips heading into the deadline, as even with another year on his contract, his experience and versatility was drawing interest from several clubs.

Now, with some uncertainty around his health, it’s hard for contenders to jump into a Henrique if he costs a prime asset. The 33-year-old carries a cap hit of $5.825MM through 2023-24, and isn’t producing at quite the same rate as last season. Still, with 19 goals in 57 games, a decade of experience at center, and strong two-way tendencies, perhaps someone will welcome the risk at an injury-reduced price.

Injured on Tuesday, he technically could be activated to play in the Ducks’ final game before the deadline if he is healthy enough to get back on the ice.

Washington Capitals To Scratch Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The Washington Capitals have joined a growing list of teams scratching players on the basis of trade protection. Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov will sit out of tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks for that exact reason. The team followed up shortly after indicating that Garnet Hathaway will also be left out of the lineup.

As the long-time Metropolitan heavyweight looks to climb back into the playoffs, the Capitals’ brass seems to be doing their due diligence this upcoming trade deadline. As things currently sit, the Capitals are two points out of the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, unlike the other teams ahead of them in the standings, the Capitals are trending in the wrong direction. Losers of their last five games, the Capitals’ path to the playoffs is becoming increasingly narrow as each day passes. With four games remaining until the trade deadline, this next stretch of games will determine if they buy, sell, or do a little bit of both this deadline.

In the final year of a 6-year, $30.6MM contract signed prior to the 2017-18 NHL season, Orlov has become a familiar name on the Capitals’ back end. Scoring a career-high 35 points during the 2021-22 season, Orlov has become a valuable asset. Carrying a cap hit of $5.1MM this season, some cap-conscious teams may have to do some maneuvering to get Orlov on the roster. With 13 players on the Capitals’ roster headed towards unrestricted free agency this summer, they are likely taking their time to see who has a long-term fit on their roster.

Joining Orlov as a scratch, Hathaway also finds himself likely headed out of the nation’s Capital in a few days. One of many forwards with an expiring contract on the team, Hathaway is an extremely flexible trade candidate. Only carrying a cap hit of $1.5MM, many teams could find a spot for him in their bottom six. Much like Orlov, Hathaway achieved a career-high in points last season, scoring 26 points in 76 games for the Capitals. Having already signed forwards Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano to extensions past next season, the Capitals are looking to recoup whatever assets they can on players not penciled into their future.

Trade Deadline Primer: Minnesota Wild

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The trade deadline looms and is now less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Minnesota Wild.

After yet another first-round exit during the 2021-22 NHL playoffs, the Minnesota Wild are poised to return this season. Unfortunately, their Stanley Cup hopes have ended quite early, having failed to reach the second round since the 2014-15 season and failing to reach the Conference Finals since 2002-03. Although a deep run in the playoffs has eluded the Wild for many years, they finally have produced a young, homegrown NHL superstar to build around. The Russian-born Kirill Kaprizov cracked the 100-point plateau during his age-24 season last year and is projected to fall near it once again.

Under GM Bill Guerin, Minnesota didn’t make a significant acquisition at the deadline until last season. Adding legendary goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from the division-rival Chicago Blackhawks and shoring up the back-end with the trade for Jacob Middleton from the San Jose Sharks. However, the elephant in the room is the dead cap left behind in the wake of buying out forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter. This season, those players have accounted for $12.7MM in dead cap space for the Wild, and it will increase to $14.7MM for the 2023-24, and 2024-25 NHL seasons. With this in mind, it is safe to assume the Wild will be looking at short-term additions to the lineup this trade deadline season as they are once again looking to make a run in the playoffs.

Record

31-21-5, 4th in Central

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$10.04MM in full-season cap space today, $11.95MM at the deadline, 1/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th

2024: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th

Trade Chips

After an incredible 50-point season in 2017-18, it was no surprise the Wild opted to extend defenseman Mathew Dumba with a five-year, $30MM contract. Unfortunately for both he and the team Dumba hasn’t quite regained form from that year. Failing to score more than 30 points in a season since, Dumba and the Wild appear headed toward a split. Nearly every season since that contract was signed, Dumba has found his name in the trade rumors.

After being healthy-scratched twice this season, the Wild could look to recoup some assets instead of losing to Dumba in free agency. It is hard to imagine Dumba being at the top of any team’s trade list this season, but for those teams that are in on Erik Karlsson, he might come as a consolation prize as a right-handed shooting defenseman.

If the Wild are going to look past rental options, and try to squeeze a player into their long-term approach, one of the more interesting prospects in their system is Carson Lambos. A second-round draft pick of the Wild during the 2021 NHL Draft, Lambos has scored 43 points in 46 games for the Winnipeg Ice in the Western Hockey League this season. Although many teams would highly regard a player like Lambos, he could become an attractive trade chip for the Wild.

Currently, the Wild have four defensemen on their roster signed beyond next season. Calen Addison has had an impressive 27 points in his first full NHL campaign, so it is safe to assume the Wild will look to resign him this summer. As Lambos’ time in the WHL comes to a close, the Wild may be unable to give him the minutes a player of his caliber might otherwise receive.

An off-the-radar trade piece the Wild have at their disposal is goalie Filip Gustavsson. After acquiring Gustavsson from the Ottawa Senators, Gustavsson has impressed with a 15-8 record and a .928 SV% splitting time between the pipes with Fleury. As young goalie Jesper Wallstedt continues to improve with Minnesota’s AHL affiliate Iowa Wild, Minnesota must decide how he fits into their future. Because of Fleury’s age when he signed his most recent contract with the Wild, he will be incredibly challenging to move given his 35+ NMC included in his contract. As the cap crunch continues next year for Minnesota, they simply may not be able to afford what Gustavsson will want on his next contract.

Other Potential Trade Chips: Dakota Mermis (D), Brandon Duhaime (F), Danila Yurov (F)

Team Needs

1)  Top-Six Winger: After placing fifth in GF/G with 3.72 during the 2021-22 NHL season, the Wild have dropped to 25th in the same category this year. Because of the dead cap space from recent buyouts, the Wild have a Kevin Fiala-sized hole in the lineup this season. As the defense has continued to be a strength, and the goaltending has rebounded from a lousy start to the year, it has become imperative that the Wild add a goal-scoring forward at the deadline to continue their hopes of a long playoff run.

Two of the most obvious choices are off the board in Vladimir Tarasenko and Bo Horvat, so the crop to choose from has become smaller for the Wild. If Minnesota looks at rentals, there are still a couple of goal-scorers on the market. Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk comes to mind as an obvious fit for Minnesota. He would add to their crop of large and imposing forwards who excel at putting the puck in the net. Due to their recent trade activity at last year’s deadline, it would not be a shock to see the Wild engaged with the Blackhawks on their upcoming UFA Patrick Kane. Although Kane must approve of his new destination, his goal-scoring capabilities are ideal for the Wild. Aside from rentals, if they can make room in their near-to-long-term plans, Brock Boeser is an interesting player to consider as well. A native Minnesotan, Boeser has shown incredible flurries of goal-scoring in his career, and currently finds himself on a rebuilding team in the Vancouver Canucks.

2) Long-Term Cap Flexibility: Acknowledged as a bold move at the time, the buyouts of Parise and Suter still loom large over the brass of the Minnesota Wild. Accounting for just over 15% of the Wild’s overall cap space, this dead cap has prohibited the Wild from adding more talent around young superstar Kaprizov. This problem will persist until after the 2024-25 season when the dead money drops considerably. The Wild will have to get extremely creative over the next several seasons to retain some of their up-and-coming players. Having already locked up core pieces such as captain Jared Spurgeon, Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy, as well as Kaprizov, the Wild and GM Guerin are up to the task of adding more talent around this group.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top