The NHL calendar has finally entered the ’dog days’ of the summer as activity around the league has cooled off dramatically. Most, if not all, of the needle-moving free agents are off the board and the trade market has not developed as expected up to this point. Nevertheless, there are still some players rumored to be on the block including Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets, Martin Necas of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Patrik Laine of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With how things have played out around the league, Ehlers feels like the most high-profile trade candidate to change hands this summer. The smooth-skating Dane is entering the last year of a seven-year, $42MM contract signed with the Jets in 2017 and is not expected to extend his stay in Winnipeg. Ehlers has been a reliable top-six forward for the Jets when healthy and is elite in terms of puck possession as evidenced by his career CorsiFor% of 57.6%. He has been relatively quiet in the postseason throughout his career which could give interested parties some pause. Winnipeg could still extend Ehlers as they took nearly the entire offseason last year to sign Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck to long-term contracts but the trade rumors around Ehlers appear to have more veracity.
Necas entered the summer as one of the top players on the trading block but his market has seemingly cooled over the last few weeks. The Hurricanes reportedly were not interested in signing Necas to a long-term deal but failed to find an offer to their liking during the 2024 NHL Draft. Now that Carolina has lost forwards Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, and Stefan Noesen to free agency, the team may be more willing to retain Necas. The skilled forward has prohibited himself from being given an offer sheet this summer as he elected for salary arbitration but the Hurricanes can still trade him during that window if they find a suitable offer.
Shortly before the 2024 NHL Draft, it was reported that Laine and the Columbus Blue Jackets had mutually agreed to find a suitable trade for the player this summer. However, with Laine still in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program, the likelihood of a deal squarely rests on when he exits the program. Now that most teams have done most of their heavy lifting this summer, it will be difficult to find a trade partner to take on Laine’s $8.7MM salary for the next two years. Between 2021-2023, Laine scored 48 goals and 108 points for Columbus in 111 games but only put up nine points in 18 games for the team last year. The former second-overall pick could surely use a fresh start outside the Blue Jackets organization but his trade market may be slow to develop.
There is no guarantee that any of the listed players will be moved this offseason. Ehlers and Necas could both sign extensions with their respective teams and Laine may have a change of heart now that Columbus is making a change at head coach. Nevertheless, with the trade market being the realm from which the next big offseason move will come, which of these players do you think will get the ball rolling?
I would assume anyone not locked into a lifetime contract in Winnipeg can be had.
Why is that? Unless they are lucky enough to have gotten a contract to stay in Winnipeg for their whole lives Chevy will trading them for the newest shiny toy?
While it wouldn’t be a headline grabbing trade, Trotz is definately going to move one of either Fabbro and/or Glass in the next few months.
Laine is only getting traded If columbus eat half salary or takes a bad contract. It will necas . They have new GM . Owner will want something done sooner rather then later.
The problem is that Carolina can’t afford to just dump the offensive players they do have. I would not be surprised if he’s still there in the end. At least for one more year.
They keep Necas, win the Metro and add at trade deadline
Necas to the Ducks.
With the departure of Kuznetsov, I gotta think Nečas isn’t going to be moved. Carolina is now down a center but has the cap to agree on their arbitration cases and sign Jarvis.
But Necas wasn’t playing center for the Canes, that’s one of his frustration points is that he wants to be moved back to the center position.
Yes… but with free agency pretty much over, where are they going to turn for a center? It might have to be Nečas after all.
Certainly there’s no one likely available BETTER than Necas, so they might as well just give him the money and have him on the dot.
i could see Mitch Marner on the move.
Konecny from the Flyers