Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Oilers Looking To Add Top-Six Help

at CDT | by 19 Comments

It has been an eventful summer for the Oilers as they’ve lost some of their forward depth with Connor Brown, Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, and Corey Perry all leaving the organization.  While they added Andrew Mangiapane in free agency, he’s the only acquisition they’ve had with some level of offensive success in the NHL.

As a result, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period relayed in a recent appearance on Edmonton Sports Talk (video link) that Edmonton is still looking to add some top-six help although he also acknowledged that doing so will be quite difficult.

As a result of their offseason activity (which included a four-year, $42MM contract for defenseman Evan Bouchard), the Oilers only have around $225K of cap space, per PuckPedia.  Considering the league minimum salary is $775K, that’s not even enough to add a depth player, let alone an impactful one.

Speculatively, Edmonton’s best bet to add some offensive help might be a one-year, bonus-laden deal which means a player aged 35 or older.  Postmedia’s David Staples speculated that winger Max Pacioretty could fit that bill after coming off a similar contract last season with Toronto.  While that means a big chunk of the bonuses would likely roll over to 2026-27, it might allow them to add an extra piece for this season to at least give them some extra offensive depth, though not the top-six addition it appears they’re coveting.

Edmonton does have a pathway to open up a bit more flexibility on the cap.  With the Oilers adding Curtis Lazar in free agency, there might not be a top-12 spot for spring signee David Tomasek, who inked a one-year, $1.2MM contract back in April.  He’s waiver-exempt and $1.15MM of his deal can be cleared with an assignment to the minors.  Prospects Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard are also waiver-exempt and while they’re projected to be regulars next season, they can be papered down on off-days to bank a bit of extra room; restrictions on paper transactions from the CBA extension don’t kick in until the 2026-27 campaign.

Moves like that could give the Oilers enough wiggle room to try to make a later-season pickup of a top-six player, providing them a boost for the stretch run.  However, that won’t do much of anything to help them at this point of the offseason, making that top-six desire particularly unlikely as things stand.  But Edmonton has gotten creative on that front before so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to make at least some sort of depth addition in the coming weeks to help replace some of the secondary scoring that they’ve lost this month.

Blues Re-Sign Nikita Alexandrov

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Blues have taken care of their final remaining restricted free agent.  The team announced that they’ve re-signed winger Nikita Alexandrov to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay $775K in the NHL, $300K in the AHL, and has a guaranteed salary of $350K.

The 24-year-old was a second-round pick by St. Louis back in 2019, going 62nd overall after a solid showing with QMJHL Charlottetown that had him hovering at just under a point per game.  Alexandrov was able to eclipse that mark the following year with 23 goals and 31 assists in 42 games before turning pro in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season that saw him spend most of the year in Finland plus a handful of games with AHL Utica.

After one full season with AHL Springfield, the Blues thought Alexandrov was ready for an NHL look in 2022-23, giving him 28 appearances in primarily a fourth-line role where he had seven points.  The following year, he received 23 contests in St. Louis where he notched a pair of assists, seemingly putting him in the mix for a longer-term NHL chance heading into last season.

However, that wasn’t the case.  Instead, Alexandrov was cut with around a week left in training camp and aside from being a Black Ace recall late in the playoffs, he played exclusively with Springfield.  He had his best showing in the minors, notching 21 goals and 28 assists in 48 games while also missing nearly two months with a lower-body injury along the way.  Over his career in the AHL, Alexandrov has 58 goals and 71 assists in 170 contests.

A return to the minors may be a little more difficult for Alexandrov as he’s waiver-eligible.  That means he’ll have to get through waivers unclaimed in order to return to the Thunderbirds.  If that happens, he’ll be in line to play a big role in Springfield once again in the hopes of getting recalled while getting more than double his AHL salary from 2024-25.  However, a strong training camp performance could also be enough to land him a spot with St. Louis, especially if they’re concerned about him getting claimed off the waiver wire given his offensive success from last season in the minors.  Suffice it to say, Alexandrov’s performance in training camp a couple of months from now will go a long way toward dictating what happens to him next season.

Daniel Sprong Signs With CSKA Moscow

at CDT | by 10 Comments

July 23: Sprong has signed with CSKA, per a team press release on Wednesday. It’s only a one-year deal.

July 13: Despite putting up two straight seasons of more than 40 points, Daniel Sprong’s free agent market last summer could be described as tepid as best.  Now, coming off a year that saw him spend time with three different organizations and an extended stint in the minors, it’s fair to suggest that his market is even weaker this time around.

With that in mind, it appears that another option could be on the table for the 28-year-old.  Sport-Express’ Mikhail Zislis reports that Sprong is receiving interest from a pair of KHL teams, CSKA Moscow and Avangard Omsk.

Last season, Sprong started the season in Vancouver after inking a one-year, $975K contract with the Canucks nearly three weeks into free agency last summer.  However, after playing sparingly with them over the first month of the season, Vancouver flipped the winger to Seattle for future considerations.  Considering that his best NHL campaign came back in 2022-23 with the Kraken, the move made sense for Seattle.

Unfortunately for them, he wasn’t able to rediscover that level of success in his second stint with the franchise.  Sprong played in just ten games with them before being placed on waivers in January.  He cleared, spending the next two seasons with AHL Coachella Valley before being flipped to New Jersey at the trade deadline with the Devils looking for some low-cost depth heading into the playoffs.

Sprong played in 11 regular season games with them, bringing his 2024-25 total to 30 but he only managed two goals and five assists in those appearances, including just two helpers with the Devils.  That resulted in Sprong being scratched in four of five postseason contests, a quiet end to a tough year.

Still, Sprong has had some NHL success, tallying 87 goals and 79 assists in 374 games over parts of nine seasons spread across seven different organizations.  He’s someone who at this point profiles as a likely PTO candidate before training camps open up in September with a reasonable chance of landing at least a two-way deal.  But if Sprong’s preference is to get something more guaranteed before then, it looks like he’ll have a chance to get a guaranteed deal in Russia in the coming weeks.

West Notes: Rossi, Patera, Johansen

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Center Marco Rossi is one of the more prominent remaining restricted free agents around the league.  Michael Russo of The Athletic recently was on the DFO Rundown (video link) and reported that the two sides aren’t believed to have spoken in the last few weeks, effectively playing a game of chicken.  Rossi is believed to be seeking a long-term contract while the Wild’s preference is a bridge deal, something that Rossi is hesitant to sign after being dropped to the fourth line in the playoffs.  An offer sheet is still potentially an option if another team steps up and presents the offer that Rossi’s cap is looking for but this could be a case where he remains unsigned until closer to training camp with the waiting game in full effect on both sides.

Elsewhere out West:

  • The Canucks plan to have prospects Nikita Tolopilo and Ty Young as the AHL tandem for next season, notes Thomas Drance of The Athletic (subscription link). They also have prospect Aku Koskenvuo who is likely to start in the ECHL.  With Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen entrenched as the tandem in Vancouver, that has Jiri Patera as the odd man out.  Patera has NHL experience but was limited to just seven games last season.  Drance relays that the Canucks are still determining where they plan to assign the 26-year-old next season assuming he clears waivers which suggests that a loan (or trade) outside the organization could be coming.
  • Defenseman Lucas Johansen has signed a one-year deal with AHL Henderson, per a team release. The 27-year-old spent last season with the affiliate of the Golden Knights, but was limited to just 38 games where he had 11 assists and 28 penalty minutes.  Johansen was a first-round pick by Washington back in 2016, going 28th overall but has played in just nine career NHL games over parts of three seasons, collecting a pair of assists.

Brett Leason Receiving KHL Interest

at CDT | by 2 Comments

A later entrant to this year’s UFA market, Brett Leason hasn’t been able to secure a contract in the first three weeks of free agency.  But while the NHL interest might not be materializing, it appears he may have some options in Russia, as Sport-Express’s Artur Khairullin reports (Telegram link) that the winger is of interest to some KHL clubs.  It’s unclear if the interest is mutual or if Leason’s intention is to remain in North America next season.

The 25-year-old spent the last three seasons with Anaheim after they claimed him off waivers from Washington in 2022.  In 2023-24, Leason had a career year, notching 11 goals and 11 assists in 68 games.  The Ducks non-tendered him to avoid giving him arbitration rights but quickly re-signed him to a one-year, $1.05MM contract.

However, last season didn’t go anywhere near as well for Leason.  He was quieter offensively, putting up just five goals with a dozen assists in 62 games while still averaging around 13 minutes a night of action.  Meanwhile, he was a healthy scratch for the other 20.  Unsurprisingly, with Leason still being arbitration-eligible, he was non-tendered once again last month.

This time, there wasn’t a quick contract to be landed.  But Leason, a six-foot-five winger, has been primarily deployed in a defensive role over the last couple of years and has logged regular minutes on the penalty kill which could make him worthy of consideration for some teams heading into training camp.  Speculatively, Leason is the type of player that teams will likely look to bring in on a PTO.  But if he wants something guaranteed before then, it looks like he may have some KHL options on the table.

Metropolitan Notes: Mantha, Chinakhov, Martone

at CDT | by 9 Comments

While the Penguins are known to be selling, they did make an intriguing addition in free agency earlier this month as they signed winger Anthony Mantha to a one-year, $2.5MM contract with another $2MM in bonuses tied to games played.  Speaking with reporters yesterday including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 30-year-old indicated that he has fully recovered from the torn ACL that ended his 2024-25 campaign after just 13 games.  Mantha also noted that Pittsburgh showed interest in him last summer but he ultimately signed a one-year, $3.5MM pact with Calgary.  With 303 points in 507 career NHL games, Mantha, if healthy, could be an intriguing piece for the Penguins next season, both as a player and a potential trade candidate.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • For the second straight summer, the Blue Jackets are dealing with a public trade request. While there wasn’t much of a market for Patrik Laine a year ago, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch opines that this shouldn’t be the case this time around when it comes to winger Yegor Chinakhov, who made his request public last week.  With Chinakhov making a much more affordable $2.1MM (compared to Laine’s $8.7MM) and being on the final year of his contract, he should have a decent market, one that should allow Columbus to land an NHL-proven piece coming the other way.
  • After committing to play for Michigan State yesterday, Flyers prospect Porter Martone will not be attending training camp in the fall, GM Daniel Briere acknowledged to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription link). Martone was the sixth overall selection in the draft last month but decided the best thing for his development would be to go to college, a decision he kept Philadelphia informed about along the way.  Martone could theoretically still make his NHL debut next season as he’d be a potential candidate to sign once his season with the Spartans comes to an end.

Kraken Sign Kaapo Kakko To Three-Year Contract

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Earlier today, the dates for the seven remaining arbitration-eligible players were revealed.  However, one player who won’t need that hearing after all is Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko.  The team announced that they’ve reached an agreement on a three-year contract that will pay $4.525MM per season after being set to exchange arbitration figures on Wednesday.  GM Jason Botterill released the following statement:

Getting a contract done with Kaapo was a top priority this summer. We knew quickly he’d be a big part of our team moving forward. He’s got size, skill and tremendous playmaking ability, and isn’t afraid of going to the net. He fit in immediately with our group, and we’re thrilled to have him under contract.

The 24-year-old was the second overall selection back in 2019 by the Rangers and had seemingly been on thin ice in New York for a couple of years.  The two sides agreed on a one-year, $2.4MM contract last offseason, well before qualifying offers were due to be submitted, avoiding any risk of the Rangers non-tendering him to avoid arbitration rights.

The deal seemingly represented a last-chance opportunity for Kakko and it’s fair to say he didn’t make the most of it.  He managed just four goals and 10 assists in 30 games with New York and in December, the Rangers pulled the trigger on a trade, sending him to Seattle for defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2026 sixth-round selection.

The change of scenery seemed to give Kakko a boost.  He averaged just under a point per game over his first month with the Kraken and overall, he picked up 10 goals and 20 assists in 49 outings.  Combining his stats with New York, Kakko’s 44 points represented a career high, giving him some leverage heading into contract talks this summer.

Considering that Kakko’s career numbers of 71 goals and 90 assists in 379 games is rather pedestrian, Jason Botterill is clearly banking on Kakko’s second-half production being a sign of things to come.  He got the bigger role he was hoping for following the swap, logging a little over 17 minutes a night of playing time after averaging just over 13 minutes a night prior to the swap.  It’s clear that, based on this deal, Seattle feels that Kakko can be a legitimate top-six forward for them moving forward.

Beyond his entry-level contract, this is the longest agreement that Kakko has signed.  It’s a pact that buys out his first two UFA-eligible seasons, giving the Kraken a longer look at him.  It will also allow Kakko to potentially reach the open market at 27 in 2028, putting him in a position to possibly secure a long-term, big-money agreement if he’s able to maintain and build off his strong first half-season with Seattle.

With the signing, the Kraken now have a little under $6.5MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  They still have one key restricted free agent to sign in defenseman Ryker Evans.  He’s not arbitration-eligible but Botterill should have enough flexibility to sign him to a long-term agreement if the sides can work one out.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the signing. 

Photo courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Maxime Lajoie Signs With Avangard Omsk

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

July 22: Lajoie has indeed joined Avangard on a one-year contract, the team said.

July 19: Playing time in the NHL has been hard to come by in recent years for unrestricted free agent defenseman Maxime Lajoie.  As a result, it appears that he may be changing things up for next season.  Artur Khairullin of Sport-Express reports (Telegram link) that the blueliner could be signing with Avangard Omsk of the KHL.

The 27-year-old made a good first impression back in 2018-19.  Not really on the NHL radar for Ottawa heading into training camp, he wound up making the team and played in 56 games with them before being sent down late in the season.  Unfortunately for him, Lajoie’s playing time at the top level has largely been sparse since then as he has managed just 21 more appearances between Ottawa, Toronto, and Carolina.

Last summer, Lajoie inked a one-year deal with Seattle worth a guaranteed $500K but after he cleared waivers in training camp, he was not brought up the rest of the way.  As a result, he spent the full season with AHL Coachella Valley and had a productive year, notching four goals and 34 assists in 70 games, putting him inside the top 20 for points by a defenseman.

That output was largely in line with his AHL production over his career.  Across four different organizations over parts of eight seasons, Lajoie has 34 goals and 160 assists in 378 games.  Notably, he qualifies as a veteran in the AHL, with teams only being able to play five of those (with more than 320 professional games) on any given night, a rule that has squeezed some capable players out of a job.

It’s unclear if that rule is hindering Lajoie now or if he’s merely looking to try something new since he has been cemented as an AHL regular but it appears he has at least one overseas option available to him now.  If he makes it known that he’s open to a move across the pond, Lajoie is someone who could command interest from other leagues as well.

Five Key Stories: 7/14/25 – 7/20/25

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With arbitration hearings on the horizon, some players and teams are working to get new deals in place quickly.  Some of those contracts highlight the key stories of the past seven days.

Two For Byram: The Sabres elected to take defenseman Bowen Byram to salary arbitration earlier this month, avoiding the risk of an offer sheet.  But in doing so, they gave him the right to request a two-year deal that would take him right to UFA eligibility at 26.  They didn’t need a hearing in the end but Byram got his two-year deal, one that will carry a price tag of $6.25MM.  Byram is coming off his first full season in Buffalo which was a career year, one that saw him record 38 points in 82 games while also averaging a career-high in ice time at 22:42 per game.  This price tag is certainly reasonable for an improving top-four blueliner although the short term on the contract won’t do anything to get rid of the trade speculation that has followed him for several months now.

Chinakhov Wants Out: Speaking of trade speculation, there will be plenty of it surrounding Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov who has made his trade request public.  The request had already been known to the team with discussions with other teams underway.  Chinakhov, a 2020 first-round pick, cited “misunderstanding with the coach” as the reason for wanting out.  He had seven goals and eight assists in 30 games last season but after returning from a back injury, he was predominantly a healthy scratch for the stretch run and their playoff push.  Chinakhov has one year left on his contract a $2.1MM cap charge and will be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration eligibility next summer.

Vilardi Gets Long-Term Pact: Another player who was arbitration-bound was Jets winger Gabriel Vilardi.  With two years of team control remaining, Winnipeg’s hope was that they’d be able to get him signed long-term.  They did just that, inking him to a six-year, $45MM agreement.  The centerpiece of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade two summers ago, Vilardi took a step forward (when healthy) in 2023-24 and then blew past that last season, collecting 27 goals and 34 assists in 71 games.  The price tag is certainly reasonable for someone who has shown he can be a top-six forward but his lengthy injury history (last season was the only time he reached the 70-game mark) also makes the agreement a bit riskier.  That said, the Jets have another core piece under contract for the long haul.

Toronto Adds Grit: The Maple Leafs decided to use some of their remaining cap space to add some grit up front, acquiring winger Dakota Joshua from Vancouver for a 2028 fourth-round pick.  Toronto actually drafted the 29-year-old back in 2014 but traded him to St. Louis for future considerations five years later.  Joshua had a career year with Vancouver in 2023-24, notching 18 goals and 14 assists in 63 games but missed the start of last season while recovering from testicular cancer and struggled to play at the same level when he did return.  Joshua has three years remaining on his contract, one that carries a $3.25MM AAV with Toronto picking up the full freight of that deal.  It will now be interesting to see how Vancouver uses their freed-up cap room.

Ducks Duck Arbitration: The Ducks entered the week with two looming arbitration hearings and ended it with none.  First, they signed goaltender Lukas Dostal to a five-year, $32.5MM contract.  The 25-year-old took over as Anaheim’s starter and that status was cemented when John Gibson was moved to Detroit last month.  Dostal played in 54 games last season, posting a 3.10 GAA and a .903 SV% playing behind one of the weaker back ends in the NHL; clearly, the Ducks feel he has another level to get to as the team continues to improve.  Soon after that, they re-upped defenseman Drew Helleson to a two-year, $2.2MM pact.  The 24-year-old played in 56 games with Anaheim in 2024-25, his first taste of extended NHL action.  He will still be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the 2027 offseason when this agreement expires.

Photo courtesy of Terrence Lee-Imagn Images.

PHR Mailbag: Capitals, Sharks, Hamilton, Tanking, Bruins, Maple Leafs, Summer Winners And Losers

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include assessing San Jose’s busy last few weeks, early offseason winners and losers, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s mailbag while we have one more to run from our last callout for questions next weekend.

letsgonats: The Capitals seemed to come in second place for the Ehlers sweepstakes. If McMichael moves to 3C, who is the 2nd line LW and 3rd line RW? It seems that the Caps trade a lot for Sourdif so he is given a 4th line winger slot. Do the Caps pull a trade we are not thinking about or do they take two from Beauvillier, Frank, Milano, Miroshnichenko, Cristall, Trineyev, or Lapierre and only a few have AHL options so waiver or trades for the others?

Before I answer your scenario, I’m going to throw another one out there.  What if they flip McMichael and Pierre-Luc Dubois, a player who has played on the wing before?  I could see them giving that a shot at some point as well, keeping both players in the top six.  In your McMichael as the third-line center scenario, I think Ryan Leonard is on the right wing, allowing them to continue to ease him in.  Right now, I think Anthony Beauvillier gets the spot on the second line to start at least.  In a perfect world, a youngster forces his way into that spot but better to be conservative in early forecasting.  And I agree on Justin Sourdif; at a minimum, he’s on the fourth line with Nic Dowd and Brandon Duhaime.

I don’t see Ivan Miroshnichenko or Bogdan Trineyev realistically pushing for a roster spot.  The former is waiver-exempt while the latter will need waivers.  Hendrix Lapierre makes it since he’s waiver-eligible and won’t get through without being claimed.  I’d have him as the 13th forward which isn’t ideal development-wise.  It wouldn’t shock me if Sonny Milano and Andrew Cristall are battling for the 3LW spot.  If Cristall is ready, Milano lands on waivers and if not, he starts in Hershey.  That leaves Ethen Frank who I think they’d be comfortable keeping as the 14th forward, something they can afford with their current cap space.  That would push Dylan McIlrath to waivers but he has cleared several times before and should again.

With some waiver-exempt pieces, there isn’t as much of a logjam as it might seem.  Honestly, I could see them sniffing around on another forward should one become available and if that pushes Frank to waivers, I think they’d be okay with that.

SirCobblestone: With the addition of the Sharks on defense (even if it’s not done I assume) and the potential add of Misa with Dickinson and Askarov, where do you see the Sharks land with a top six composed of Celebrini, Misa, Smith, and Eklund at Wing and Toffoli with Orlov and Klingberg. That should be a good add on defense.

You’re missing a top-six forward in there which I imagine will be Alexander Wennberg, at least until he’s traded as a rental center at some point in the season, allowing one of Will Smith or Michael Misa to get some time in at their natural position.  That group has a lot of upside but teams with that many youngsters in prominent roles are going to struggle.  There’s just no way around that with four entry-level forwards in the top six.

As for the defense, it has definitely improved with the additions of Dmitry Orlov, Nick Leddy, and John Klingberg but that’s a low bar to clear as San Jose’s back end was really bad last year.  The problem is that it’s still not very good.  Klingberg is a question mark defensively and Leddy is coming off a really rough year.  Orlov is overpaid but decent at least.  If Sam Dickinson is added to this group (they’re going to need to move out more than just Henry Thrun for that to happen), there will be some growing pains defensively although he’d give them a big lift offensively with Klingberg.  This is the definition of a patchwork back end; of the seven they have signed now on one-way deals, only one (Orlov) is signed beyond this season.  It’s better but this is still not a playoff-worthy group.

As for the goaltending, Yaroslav Askarov is the big wild card.  Like many, I have high expectations for him over the long haul but for the upcoming season, there are going to be some growing pains as he adjusts to being the starter at the NHL level for the first time while playing behind a defense that still isn’t particularly strong.  Alex Nedeljkovic is a serviceable backup but I expect his numbers to nosedive next season given the situation.

So, where do I see San Jose next season?  Probably in the same spot where they were last season, in the basement of the Pacific Division.  Things are definitely looking up and they’re not going to be down there for much longer but this is going to be another season where process and development are more important than results.  They’re not ready to emerge from the rebuild yet and their activity this summer suggests GM Mike Grier is fully aware of that.

SpeakOfTheDevils: Let’s play hypothetical and say the Devils DO trade Dougie Hamilton, what kind of return could we be looking at??? And likeliest trading partners????

I’m going to go with the second question first here.  I could see Toronto being in there as they could use a top offensive threat.  Detroit has done next to nothing to improve a back end that certainly struggled last year so they’d be in the mix I’d think.  I’m sure Dallas would love to swing that but the term remaining would be an option; I think they’re more of a fit for Erik Karlsson if Pittsburgh pays down a good chunk of his deal.  Buffalo has been searching for an impact right-shot defender for ages now but it would surprise me if he’s on Hamilton’s list of 10 teams he’d accept a trade to.

Several teams can afford him but at the stage of the rebuild they’re in, they’re probably not a good fit.  Others like Calgary and Winnipeg don’t seem like teams on his trade list either.  And this is the problem; between Hamilton’s trade protection, cap hit, and performance, there’s not a great market for his services.  I don’t even think Detroit would be on his yes list so we’re down to Toronto and if New Jersey wants to pay down some of the contract, maybe Dallas.

So, the short answer to your question in terms of a return is nothing that would justify trading Hamilton.  If Pittsburgh trades Karlsson, they’ll be able to get positive value but probably nothing of consequence.  Salary ballast, maybe a second-round pick, and perhaps something else.  That’s something, but nothing to get excited about.  Is Hamilton going to be able to bring back more that with three years left on his deal?  Maybe if it’s more of a player-for-player straight-up swap (if Morgan Rielly was willing to waive his trade protection, maybe there’s a foundation of a trade there) but otherwise, I wouldn’t be counting on it.  So, something around what I think Karlsson would get would be my answer to the first question.

Hamilton managed to be healthier last season but also dropped below 20 minutes a night which, for a $9MM blueliner, is a little concerning.  With Johnathan Kovacevic out for a bit to start the season, I don’t expect them to seriously consider trading him.  The Devils want to stay in the playoffs and Hamilton is a better insurance policy than whatever bits and pieces they could get in a trade.

tucsontoro1: Is it time for the league to do something substantial about tanking?

The Blackhawks are clearly in “full tank mode” for the 25–26 season.

Let me answer your question with a question – how would the league do that?  The NHL has already lowered the draft odds and it hasn’t served as a deterrent.  They’ve also put in something saying a team can’t advance their pick in the lottery more than twice in five years, a change that hasn’t garnered much attention yet since it hasn’t come into play.

The NBA gives equal odds for the bottom three finishers (and fourth is only a bit lower) but that didn’t stop teams from tanking for Cooper Flagg.  And the end result for two drafts now has been a team with odds of 3% or less jumping up to the top spot (Dallas from 11th to take Flagg and Atlanta from 10th to take Zaccharie Risacher).  Will that stop teams from tanking in basketball next season?  Probably not.

MLB started drawing for the first six selections back in 2023 instead of going by reverse standings while also putting some restrictions on teams drafting in the lottery back-to-back times.  Did that stop the Athletics from tanking for three straight years?  Nope, even though they were slotted 11th in last week’s draft as a result of the rule changes.  The White Sox were terrible last year but knew going in that they couldn’t pick in the lottery even if they had the worst record; clearly, it wasn’t a deterrent that prevented them from tanking.  Meanwhile, there are some overtly tanking teams there this season too (including the White Sox again, no less).  And the NFL still goes by reverse standings with teams already seemingly jockeying themselves for first overall.

Sure, the NHL could flatten the odds more or put more restrictions on picking in the top five, for example.  But in the grand scheme of things, if that happened, does anyone think Chicago or San Jose would change course?  In a system where top young talents are distributed through a draft system, teams are going to try to position themselves to have the best chance at getting one of those if they know they’re not in a spot to realistically contend for a playoff spot.  This strategy, one that exists in each of the big four professional sports, isn’t going anywhere.

SkidRowe: What can the Bruins do? They need scoring and have only $2 million in cap space. Would you trade Zacha, Poitras, Mittelstadt, Minten, or Korpisalo?

I’m going to say no to trading Matthew Poitras or Fraser Minten.  Might they fetch a capable veteran to help in the short term?  I think they would.  But they’re not going to bring back enough of a difference-maker to materially improve Boston’s fortunes.  These are young centers with some promise and that’s the type of player they need to be keeping around as longer-term fits.

If Boston is confident that Michael DiPietro can be a capable NHL backup, moving Joonas Korpisalo makes sense in theory.  Jeremy Swayman can probably handle a similar workload to last season, meaning DiPietro would only need to make 25 starts or so.  The question here, however, is what market is there for a goalie right now, especially one with a cap charge of $3MM (not including the $1MM Ottawa is covering)?  He could fit in Edmonton but they can’t afford him.  Same with Vegas.  Maybe Carolina but is he demonstrably better than their tandem?  I like the idea of trading Korpisalo more than the potential of it actually happening but if it did, that’s something they could reinvest into their offense.

The other two are a little more interesting.  Casey Mittelstadt isn’t a rental, he has a track record of some offensive success, and he’s a center.  Given the immense demand for capable middlemen right now, I think there would be a good market for him.  On the other hand, Boston’s center depth isn’t great and I’d like to see how he fares under new head coach Marco Sturm first.  If the new system helps get him going, he could be more of a potential longer-term fit.

If Boston is comfortable with deploying one of the two young centers on a regular basis (or playing one of Sean Kuraly or Mikey Eyssimont on the third line), Pavel Zacha could be expendable.  At $4.75MM, he’s someone some teams can afford and while he’s coming off a quieter year, 47 points is still decent; it was good enough for a share of third in team scoring.  But it begs the question of why Boston, a team that needs firepower, would move one of their better point-getters from a year ago?  Maybe if there’s a winger that’s signed or controllable for longer than Zacha (a pending UFA), there’s a lateral swap to be made but otherwise, I’d reassess closer to the trade deadline.

Despite Boston’s spending spree this summer, I don’t think they’ve done enough to get back to the playoff picture.  Moving one of those pieces for a bit more firepower on the wing isn’t going to change that.  So, personally, I wouldn’t be making any win-now trades unless this group proves me wrong and shows it’s worthy of some moves to help them in the second half of the season.  Otherwise, Zacha could be a very useful rental for someone, yielding the Bruins a nice future asset in return.

Read more

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