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Archives for February 2023

Stars, Canadiens Swap Denis Gurianov, Evgenii Dadonov

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The Montreal Canadiens have acquired forward Denis Gurianov from the Dallas Stars in exchange for veteran forward Evgenii Dadonov. Per the team announcement, the Canadiens will retain 50% of Dadonov’s $5MM cap hit.

This move re-unites Dadonov with Stars head coach Peter DeBoer, who was Dadonov’s coach with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. While Dadonov has had his fair share of struggles this season (he has just 18 points in 50 games) DeBoer had a front-row seat last season for some of the best play Dadonov has to offer.

With the Golden Knights ravaged by injuries and Dadonov himself nearly traded away to the Anaheim Ducks, the Russian winger at times played like Vegas’ best player, scoring at a strong rate and keeping the team in the playoff hunt far deeper into the year than many might have expected. He finished last season with 20 goals and 43 points and has a 70-point season on his resume.

While Dadonov’s struggles this season might give some fans pause, it is worth noting that Dadonov’s play has been noticeably better of late.

He remains someone who has scored at least 40 points in three of five seasons since returning from the KHL, including two years where he scored at least 65 points.

The Stars have a far more talented set of offensive weapons than the Canadiens can boast, so it’s easy to see why DeBoer, given his familiarity with Dadonov, would be comfortable acquiring the winger despite Dadonov’s struggles this season.

It’s not immediately clear where Dadonov will slot in on Dallas’ lineup, as he may not be the best fit on the team’s fourth line, where Gurianov was playing.

Perhaps he’ll get a look next to Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn in Ty Dellandrea’s right-wing spot should DeBoer choose to shift Dellandrea down the lineup, or this Dadonov deal could have been made with the intention of him serving as plug-and-play scoring depth should any of their established wingers be unavailable.

CapFriendly notes that this trade leaves the team with just over $2.1MM in deadline cap space, which is enough space for the Stars to be able to add another player should they choose to do so.

While Dadonov is a pending unrestricted free agent, Gurianov is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent. For the Canadiens, this trade lands them a reclamation project, possibly a preferable option to the mid-to-late-round pick Dadonov would likely have net them had they targeted just a pick.

The 25-year-old winger was the 12th overall pick at the 2015 draft, and he has been a maddeningly inconsistent scorer. He has been excellent at times, such as the 2020 playoffs where he scored 17 points in 27 games, helping the Stars reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Other times, he has frustrated the Stars with his inconsistent night-to-night effort and inability to land on the scoresheet with any sort of regularity despite his tantalizing offensive tools.

The Canadiens’ 2022-23 season is all about player development, and the team has made significant investments in the area of player development under the leadership of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes.

Head coach Martin St. Louis’ reputation as a developer of talent is on the rise, with his work on Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach, among others, garnering praise. Accordingly, targeting Gurianov rather than just a draft pick is a show of faith by the team’s front office in their coaching staff’s ability to develop players.

It’s no guarantee that Gurianov will be in Montreal for the long haul. With a $2.9MM qualifying offer required in the summer in order for the Canadiens to retain Gurianov’s rights, it’s possible that he’s not even a Canadien beyond this season. But for a team whose player development goals have been dealt a serious blow due to injuries, adding Gurianov is a worthy gamble.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Timo Meier

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The Timo Meier trade saga seems to be finally reaching a conclusion. While no trade is believed to be imminent, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the San Jose Sharks “are down to two teams” in Meier trade talks: The New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights.

LeBrun does note that the situation remains fluid, meaning nothing is final until trade calls have been made to the league and the paperwork has been filed, but it does seem as though those two teams are the final two in the mix for Meier, and that the Carolina Hurricanes have been eliminated from consideration.

These reports should not come as a major surprise, as yesterday we covered reports that the Devils were leading the pack in the chase for Meier. But today’s news that the Hurricanes are out of the running for Meier does come as a major development.

The Hurricanes have been active in the chase of a scoring winger ever since Max Pacioretty was lost for the season with another Achilles injury, and Meier was viewed as one of their top targets not only for his skills but also due to how well his age fits in with the Hurricanes’ other star players.

Now, they’ll likely have to look elsewhere to find scoring help, which could mean inquiring on the availability of other scoring wingers such as Brock Boeser, James van Riemsdyk, or even a reunion with last year’s trade deadline add: Max Domi.

In addition to seeking scoring help, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Hurricanes have made calls in recent days looking to acquire a left-shot defenseman as well, presumably to find an upgrade for their third pairing.

For Vegas and New Jersey, this development is an important step forward in their chase of Meier. They now reportedly have just each other to compete with in making trade offers for Meier, meaning each is within striking distance of acquiring the talented Swiss power forward.

New Jersey has the advantage over Vegas in terms of prospects it can offer, as the team has the NHL’s second-ranked prospect system according to the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, while Vegas ranks 23rd. (subscription link)

Assuming top-end pieces such as Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec are off the table, the Devils have 2020 seventh-overall pick Alexander Holtz to offer, as well as other talented youngsters such as 2022 second-rounder Seamus Casey, 2020 first-rounder Shakir Mukhamadullin, top AHL scorer Graeme Clarke, or other first-rounders such as Nolan Foote and Chase Stillman.

For Vegas, the best prospects they have to offer to San Jose, beyond just the draft picks presumed to be present in both teams’ trade offers, are first-round picks Brendan Brisson and Zach Dean, or breakout AHLers Pavel Dorofeyev and Lukas Cormier. That’s a quartet of talented players to headline a system, but not quite the wealth of options New Jersey can boast.

Worth noting is the fact that Vegas not only shares a division with San Jose, they also are one of the team’s fiercest rivals. While it’s definitely reasonable to expect some fans to accept a Meier-to-Vegas trade if taking Vegas’ offer is in the best interests of the Sharks, it’s also easy to see a significant portion of the fanbase in uproar should the team’s most talented forward be handed over to such a hated rival.

One wonders, then, if the Sharks will require a higher standard of offer from the Golden Knights in order to be willing to trade him in-division, and how much higher that expectation might be.

It’s a difficult situation for each involved team to be in, as there are risks to any course of action when such high-end pieces move teams. But for all three teams in the mix for Meier, these next few days offer significant opportunity, and a chance for each franchise to take a significant step towards achieving its goals.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Buffalo Sabres Recall Vinnie Hinostroza

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In a development that was reported last night, the Buffalo Sabres have placed star winger Alex Tuch on injured reserve. For his place on their active roster, the Sabres have called up winger Vinnie Hinostroza from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Tuch is out on a week-to-week basis, while Rasmus Dahlin will also not play today as he deals with a minor inj

Hinostroza cleared waivers on January 19th to be sent to the AHL, and a few days earlier it was reported that the Sabres were making calls around the league to try to find Hinostroza a place to play, as he had spent significant time as a healthy scratch.

Hinostroza ultimately didn’t find an NHL landing spot and reported to the AHL, and now finds himself back on the Sabres’ roster after Tuch’s injury.

The 28-year-old forward has built a solid career for himself as a 2012 sixth-round pick.

He was a point-per-game scorer in college with Notre Dame, and scored 51 points in his first full AHL season, landing him on the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL roster.

His first 49 games in the NHL were not quite the resounding success he had found in the AHL, and he ended up an up-and-down depth piece until he was dealt to the Arizona Coyotes in the Marian Hossa trade.

Hinostroza was quite good in his first season in Arizona, scoring 16 goals and 39 points, but the following year his production declined and the Coyotes let him walk in free agency. He signed with the Florida Panthers in 2020, but was traded to the Blackhawks after playing just nine games in a Panthers uniform. Hinostroza scored 12 points in 17 games with Chicago to close his year on a positive note.

In the Summer of 2021, the Sabres inked Hinostroza to a one-year $1.05MM deal, and he scored 13 goals and 25 points in 62 games, leading to a one-year extension and a modest pay raise to $1.7MM. As mentioned, though, this season Hinostroza has spent time as a healthy scratch, scored eight points in 19 NHL games, and cleared waivers.

Sabres head coach Don Granato could play Hinostroza in Tuch’s vacated role on Buffalo’s top line with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner, or he could opt to plug Rasmus Asplund in a spot lower on the Sabres’ lineup and bump up a winger such as Kyle Okposo, Jack Quinn, or Casey Mittelstadt, leaving Hinostroza a likely healthy scratch.

This recall of Hinostroza gives Granato an additional option, as well as possibly giving Hinostroza another chance to showcase his skills for NHL teams, something especially important for his future as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Canadiens Issue Injury Updates

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While the Montreal Canadiens have been better than many might have expected this season — they started off pretty well and are ahead of six teams in the standings, double-digit points out of the fight for the best chance at Connor Bedard — injuries have absolutely decimated whatever chance they may have had at staying on the periphery of the playoff chase.

Beyond the long-term, likely career-ending injury to Carey Price that has landed him on long-term injured reserve, the Canadiens have a whopping seven players on injured reserve and two in addition to Price on the long-term injured list. The players on those injured lists are star winger Cole Caufield, first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, veteran Brendan Gallagher, talented rookie Kaiden Guhle, Sean Monahan, Jake Evans, Chris Wideman, Paul Byron, and Arber Xhekaj.

In addition to the players on the injured lists, there’s also Joel Edmundson, who remains on the active roster but hasn’t played in a month due to injury, leaving the Canadiens further depleted on their back end.

While these injuries have led to some interesting revelations, such as the impressive play of rookie Rafael Harvey-Pinard, they are also quite the frustration for a team looking to use the 2022-23 season as a valuable year of player development.

Today, the Canadiens announced some injury updates on a few important players. Firstly, the Canadiens announced that Xhekaj will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery next week.

Xhekaj seemed to injure his shoulder during a fight with Edmonton Oilers rookie Vincent Desharnais, and that injury will now end what has been an exciting rookie season for the defenseman.

The undrafted blueliner has worked his way up to be quite the rookie surprise in the NHL, playing with the kind of physicality and snarl that made him an instant fan favorite for those who frequent the Bell Center.

He flashed some more skill and talent beyond just his physicality than one might expect, and his injury means the Canadiens’ blueline and player development mission has been dealt a serious blow.

The one potential positive to note is that the Canadiens’ organizational apathy to whether they win or lose games for the rest of the season (coach Martin St. Louis has continually stressed the importance of player development over bottom-line results) has afforded them the freedom to make decisions that are in the best interest of their players’ long-term health.

Whereas a team in a Stanley Cup chase might hope that Xhekaj play through an injury in order to give their team the best chance at winning it all, the Canadiens can afford to let players such as Caufield and Xhekaj get a head start on their recoveries, which is definitely useful.

The second injury update the team issued is related to another breakout young talent: Kirby Dach. The team announced that Dach will not travel with the team to California, and will be out with a lower-body injury. Dach has been out since February 14th, with his absence first attributed to a non-COVID illness. The team then discovered that Dach’s illness symptoms were actually consistent with the effects of a lower-body injury, meaning now the team has yet another injury to manage.

Dach has flown past the career-highs in scoring he set as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, and was making some major steps forward in his game under St. Louis’ tutelage. The Canadiens announced that Dach was out indefinitely with the injury, meaning the team will have to hope that he’s not another player whose season will be cut short.

Another injury update the team issued was that veteran forward Joel Armia is out day-to-day with an upper respiratory infection. Armia, who hasn’t played since February 21st, hasn’t yet been placed on injured reserve, leaving hope that he can overcome this infection and return to the ice relatively quickly.

A final injury update the team issued regards Edmundson, who as mentioned has not played in a month. The team announced that Edmundson will travel to California, and is expected to be at practice Monday as he nears a return. At this point, Edmundson’s return to the ice may be too late for him to figure in teams’ trade deadline plans, but he should bolster a Canadiens’ back-end that has looked quite a bit thinner due to injuries.

The Canadiens sent defenseman Corey Schueneman back to the AHL’s Laval Rocket last night, lending to the belief that Edmundson is nearing a return to the ice. Shueneman played four games for the Canadiens during this call-up, registering one assist and averaging 15:48 TOI.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: New York Rangers

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The trade deadline is inching closer and is now less than 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 New York Rangers.

The New York Rangers went through a roster re-tool for four seasons before launching back into contender status last season. A Vezina Trophy campaign from goaltender Igor Shesterkin, a near Norris Trophy winning season from Adam Fox and a career high in points from Artemi Panarin carried the team all the way to the Eastern Conference Final. They pulled ahead in that series 2-0 before losing four consecutive low-scoring close games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Rangers headed into this season with high expectations, and are among a pack of six Eastern Conference teams that appear to be the league’s best. They will continue to fight with the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils for the Metropolitan Division crown down the stretch and whoever emerges from that battle in the first two playoff rounds will likely face either the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs or Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final.

It is going to be a battle of wills to get to the Stanley Cup Final from the eastern side and the Rangers have already begun to load up. They acquired Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues for a conditional 2023 first-round pick, Sammy Blais, Hunter Skinner and a 2024 fourth-round pick.

They also moved Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks for Will Lockwood and a seveth-round pick in 2026. Jake Leschyshyn was also put on waivers earlier today. Both of these moves seem to be made to maximize the team’s cap space for an upcoming trade.

Record

33-17-9

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$1.67MM, 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: DAL 1st, NYR 2nd, COL 3rd, NYR 6th, WIN 6th

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

Trade Chips

The Rangers 2023 first-round pick is tied up in a conditional trade for Tarasenko. The Blues will get the later of the Rangers pick or the Dallas Stars first-round pick that was acquired for Nils Lundkvist. Either way, they still have a 2023 first-round pick and their own 2024 first-round pick as well as their second-round picks in 2023 and 2024.

Brennan Othmann was the Rangers first-round pick in 2021. He is having a great season in the Ontario Hockey League, where he has scored 24 goals and 55 points in 44 games for the Peterborough Petes. He was solid at the past two World Junior Championships, scoring a combined 12 points in 13 games for Canada and winning a pair of gold medals. If the Rangers are going to add another big name, Othmann would allow them to add just about anyone on the market.

Will Cuylle is a 21-year-old left winger who is playing his first AHL season. He has scored 17 goals and 26 points in 48 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack after a tremendous Junior career. He was taken in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft and with all the wingers likely to be with the Rangers long term, like Panarin, Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, the Rangers could afford to move Cuylle.

Matthew Robertson is a promising young defenceman who is going to have a hard time finding a full-time role with the Rangers. The 21-year-old has a nice mix of size and skill, but the Rangers already have a deep crop of blueliners. At 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, Robertson is tough enough to defend his own zone and has 20 points in 48 AHL games, showing a bit of an offensive side as well. Rebuilding teams love young NHL-ready defenders and Robertson fits that description.

Other Potential Trade Chips: Zac Jones, Adam Sykora, Bryce McConnell-Barker

Team Needs

1) Top-six winger: The Rangers have already added Tarasenko and he is playing on a line with Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. They also have a tremendous “kid line” as their third line with Filip Chytil between Lafreniere and Kakko. Vincent Trocheck is playing on a line with Chris Kreider and Jimmy Vesey. The odd-man out here would be Vesey who has 21 points in 58 games. The Rangers are heavily rumored to be in on Patrick Kane, and he would round out the team’s top six perfectly.

2) Left Defenceman: The Rangers have a big question mark hovering over them now as defenceman Ryan Lindgren was injured in today’s game. If he is out long term, the team could place him on LTIR and add a player matching his cap hit of $3MM. Even if he is not out long term, the team could add a depth piece on defence, as any contender likes to do at this time of year. They are certainly not lacking on the back end with Lindgren, Fox, Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, Mikkola and Braden Schneider, but picking up a veteran who can fill in for injuries would be helpful.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Cam Talbot Drawing Trade Interest

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The Ottawa Senators likely made a mistake when they traded Filip Gustavsson for Cam Talbot in the offseason. The much younger Gustavsson has outperformed expectations with the Minnesota Wild, essentially supplanting Marc-Andre Fleury as the team’s starter and posting a .928 save percentage over 27 appearances. Talbot, meanwhile, has struggled with injury for Ottawa, and has a .905 through 29 appearances.

The gamble, though, always came with an out clause for the Senators. If the team wasn’t in a position to contend for the Stanley Cup or extension talks went south with the veteran goaltender, they could always flip him at the deadline to a team looking for some experience in the crease. Talbot does not hold any trade protection in his contract, and the front-loaded deal is inexpensive enough to make it work even for cap-strapped contenders.

That appears to be what will happen over the next week, as several reports suggest that Talbot is on his way out of town. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweets that Talbot is “likely on the move” at the deadline and lists the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and Buffalo Sabres as potential fits. Strickland adds that the goaltender recently turned down an extension; Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia confirms that the Senators spoke with Talbot’s camp last month and couldn’t find any traction on a new deal.

Kevin Weekes of ESPN also has heard that Talbot is drawing interest from around the league, listing the Kings, Golden Knights, and Calgary Flames as potential destinations.

While there are some red flags for Talbot’s future in the league—he’ll turn 36 in July, has dealt with injuries, and is in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career—there’s also reason to believe he could help a club looking to shore up their goaltending depth for a postseason run. As recently as 2021, Talbot posted a .923 save percentage in seven postseason games for the Wild, as they pushed the Golden Knights to the brink in a first-round matchup. Though his experience is relatively limited (33 games), he does have a career .921 in the playoffs.

If the Senators can recoup an asset, the trade won’t go down as a total bust. Still, watching Gustavsson succeed in Minnesota has to be a bit painful, even with the handful of young goaltenders in the Ottawa system that have shown well in limited opportunities this season.

Injury Notes: Tuch, Lindgren, Blackwood

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The Buffalo Sabres have placed Alex Tuch on injured reserve, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. There has been no official announcement from the team as of yet, but one is expected on Sunday morning before the Sabres face the Washington Capitals in an afternoon contest. Tuch did not play late in the Sabres most recent game on Friday night against the Florida Panthers, but stayed on the bench for the final seven minutes without touching the ice. He was listed as a game-time decision heading into that contest after crashing hard into the boards Thursday night in the team’s previous game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Sabres are pushing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011. They are currently one point back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final playoff spot, and are tied with the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals. Tuch has played a big role in the team’s success this season with 28 goals and 62 points in 57 games. His absence, which will be at least seven days if he is placed on injured reserve, will leave a big hole in the Sabres lineup.

  • New York Rangers defenceman Ryan Lindgren left the team’s afternoon game early today after a questionable hit by T.J. Oshie of the Washington Capitals. Oshie was not penalized for his hit, but contact appeared to be from behind as Lindgren fell awkwardly into the boards. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported after the game that Lindgren had his left arm in a sling. There was no further update from the team.
  • New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has been out of the lineup since Tuesday when he reportedly tweaked something at practice. The team has been rather quiet about his absence since, but Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Post reports head coach Lindy Ruff says that a timeline on Blackwood’s recovery will be coming soon. Akira Schmid has been called up to fill in and gets the start tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Colorado Avalanche Extend Keaton Middleton

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed Keaton Middleton to a contract extension through the 2024-25 season, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic. PuckPedia reports that the two-way deal will carry an average annual value of $775K in the NHL, $250K in the AHL, and includes a minor league guarantee of $300K.

The 25-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016. At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Middleton is a powerful, defensive defenceman who is currently playing for the Colorado Eagles. He has scored three goals and 20 points in 57 games this season, already setting career highs in assists and points in his fifth AHL season.

The Edmonton, Alberta native secures a two-year contract, giving him a bit of financial security and career stability as he continues to grind in the minor leagues. Middleton has played in three NHL contests in his career, suiting up for a trio of games late in the 2020-21 season with the Avalanche. He has become one of the most trusted defenders on the Eagles roster, and is just one point back of Brad Hunt for the team lead in points by a blueliner.

Given his age, Middleton would have qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer. Instead, he’ll stay with the Colorado organization and try to earn another chance in the NHL.

Latest On Timo Meier

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With the announcement that Timo Meier wouldn’t play tonight coming earlier today, speculation ran rampant across sports media about where and when he would be traded. Fans will likely have to wait a bit longer, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the move isn’t expected to come tonight. The San Jose Sharks are celebrating Patrick Marleau’s career tonight with a jersey retirement ceremony and don’t want to take focus away from their franchise icon.

That said, it’ll be hard to keep Sharks fans’ attention on anything other than the potential trade of their current star winger. Corey Masisak of The Athletic reports that multiple other teams believe the New Jersey Devils are still the favorite to land Meier when the deal is officially completed.

For weeks, the Devils have been linked to Meier with the caveat of a contract extension. New Jersey was more interested in him as a long-term play, than just a player to help the club this season. Meier, of course, isn’t really a rental either way, as he will be a restricted free agent in the summer—provided an acquiring team is willing to issue the $10MM qualifying offer he is owed.

Meier is also dealing with an upper-body injury which is likely part of the reason for him sitting out, though asset protection certainly comes into play with the deadline so close. As the most significant chip on the market, the Sharks will want to make sure any minor ailments don’t slow down the process.

Deadline Notes: Capitals, Dumba, Foote

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The Washington Capitals are in unfamiliar territory as they became deadline sellers when they traded Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins. It doesn’t sound like this is the beginning of a massive selloff though. According to Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic, general manager Brian MacLellan is not interested in moving pending unrestricted free agents Nick Jensen, Conor Sheary, Trevor van Riemsdyk or Erik Gustafsson for small returns. Quite the opposite, as he is interested in bringing back all four if they are open to an extension. He also has interest in keeping winger Connor Brown who played only four games this season before tearing his ACL.

El-Bashir also notes that the Capitals may flip some of the assets they received in the Orlov/Hathaway deal and try to add before the deadline. Jakob Chychrun is of interest to them. Chychrun has been sitting out for over a week now waiting for a trade from the Arizona Coyotes and has two more years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.6MM.

  • The Minnesota Wild have had an up-and-down season but appear to be firmly entering the buyer category ahead of the deadline. A recent hot streak has propelled them to within two points of Central Division leading Dallas Stars. This should put talk of Matt Dumba’s availability to rest. Joe Smith of The Athletic reports that Wild general manager Bill Guerin said Dumba would be tough to replace and he is not looking to move the right defenceman with his team playing so well.
  • One right-shot defenceman that is available is Cal Foote. Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports the Tampa Bay Lightning are open to moving the 24 year-old defender. The Lightning have already traded their first and second-round picks in 2023 and first-round pick in 2024 so they are low on assets at this deadline. Their general manager Julien BriseBois has stickhandled around sticky cap situations before and will have to do the same this season to add before Friday’s deadline.

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