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Blue Jackets Activate Yegor Chinakhov

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10:21 a.m.: The corresponding move for Chinakhov’s activation is an IR placement for Cole Sillinger, the team announced. General manager Don Waddell said late last week that the center is week-to-week with a shoulder injury.

9:58 a.m.: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov is back to full health and set to be activated off of long-term injured reserve, head coach Dean Evason confirmed to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Chinakhov has missed Columbus’ last 39 games with a back injury. It is believed to be the same injury that held Chinakhov out of 17 games at the end of last season and caused him discomfort during the team’s training camp. Chinakhov has since seen at least six different doctors about the injury, including one in Russia, and underwent a minor arthroscopic procedure per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. Now with 22 games left on the schedule, Chinakhov will get his shot to shed the nagging injury.

Chinakhov, 24, had a hot start to the season before he had to step aside. He scored 14 points, split evenly, through the first 21 games of the year and earned his way into hardy top-six minutes. That put him on pace for 55 points across a full 82 games, which would have shattered the career-high 29 points he scored in 53 games last year. He broke into the NHL very young and showed signs of serious growing pains before he found his footing in Columbus’ lineup. But Chinakhov is there now, posting improved scoring in each of the last three seasons despite dealing with this nagging back injury in the latter two. Columbus has posted an outstanding 4-0 record and 21-to-10 goal differential since returning from the 4-Nations Face-Off break. That standing should let them ease Chinakhov back into his roster spot while they continue their pursuit of a playoff bid.

The Blue Jackets will need to make a roster move to open space for Chinakhov’s return. That move will likely be sending forward Mikael Pyyhtia back to the minor leagues, with Svoboda confirming he’ll be out of the lineup on Tuesday night. Columbus used an emergency recall on Pyyhtia on February 28th, after assigning him to the minors earlier in the month. He played in 12 minutes of Columbus’ Saturday night win over Detroit, but didn’t manage any scoring. Pyyhtia has recorded seven points in 47 NHL games and six points in 10 AHL games on the season.

Trade Deadline Notes: Nelson, Boeser, Panthers

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The Trade Deadline has appeared over the horizon and teams like the Colorado Avalanche are already doing what they can to get out ahead of the pack. They acquired forward Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers this weekend, and could still be attached to some of the market’s top names. That includes New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson per The Fourth Period, who adds Nelson could be the cheap acquisition Colorado needs to bolster their top-six.

Nelson, 33, is in the sunset years of his career but he’s still managing to produce. He has 19 goals and 41 points in 60 games this season, just one point behind Anders Lee and Bo Horvat for the team-lead in scoring. Nelson also earned a nod from USA Hockey by making this year’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster, where he played in four games but didn’t manage any scoring.

Nelson scored 36 goals and a career-high 75 points in 2022-23, and followed it with 34 goals and 69 points last season. He may be beginning to slow down but his offense could be spurred once again with a move away from the Isalnders – the only NHL team Nelson has ever played for. Because of that exclusivity, New York will certainly need a convincing offer to part ways with one of their top scorers. Nelson also has a 16-team no-trade clause on his contract, which is set to expire this summer. That could help him dictate where he ends up – though the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche would certainly be a fine landing spot as the vet chases his first Cup win.

Other notes swirling around the Trade Deadline:

  • Recent reports have pointed towards an impasse forming between the Vancouver Canucks and Brock Boeser after the winger declined a five-year, $40MM contract extension. Now it seems the wedge could be driven in further, with TSN’s Darren Dreger sharing that the extension offer has been rescinded and that the team is exploring all options. Boeser is struggling to follow-up after scoring a career-high 40 goals last season – but he’s still performing at a higher level than in his early career. He has 18 goals and 36 points in 53 games this season, putting him on pace for 28 goals and 56 points on the year. That’s helped along by Boeser’s 17.3 shoting percentage this season – a step down from his 19.6 percent last year but still far above his career average of 14 percent. A high shooting percentage could be inflating Boeser’s numbers, or he could have finally found the goal-scoring groove he was looking for. With offers no longer on the table, it seems that answer will be found by a deadline buyer in need of shooting talent. Boeser has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to exempt 10 teams. His deal expires this summer.
  • The Florida Panthers helped break the market open with their swap of top goalie prospect Spencer Knight for top defenseman Seth Jones. That move pushed Florida right up against the wall of the salary cap – but they’ve opened up more breathing room by placing star Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. Florida is now projected to have $8.71MM in cap space on deadline day, per PuckPedia, and they’re expected to use it. Chris Johnston of The Athletic shared that Panthers general manager Bill Zito has proven ambitious in years past, and could see a chance to bolster his lineup a bit further. The Panthers have made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of the last two seasons, and took away hardware last year. They’ll have their sights fully trained on repeating the feat this year – and a boost to their depth offense or a new backup goaltender would go far towards solidifying their chances.

Central Notes: Jets, Maroon, Bichsel, Carcone

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The Winnipeg Jets are entering the Trade Deadline with little bargaining pieces but plenty of cap space. That’s the set up for some low-cost lineup tinkering, with left-defense the most glaring issue on the roster. That hole could draw the Jets towards open market options like Boston’s Brandon Carlo or Seattle’s Jamie Oleksiak, per Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press. Both players carry a cap hit below $5MM. Oleksiak’s deal expires at the end of next season, while Carlo has two years left and a modified no-trade clause.

The added security and movement protection could make Carlo a tough fish to catch. Oleksiak will likely be much more expendable for the right price. The 32-year-old defensive-defenseman has been a focal point of the Kraken blue-line over the last four seasons. He’s averaging 19 minutes of ice time through 60 games this year, while posting 13 points, 14 penalty minutes, and a minus-eight. That stat line is largely in-line with what Oleksiak has managed in three prior years in Seattle – routinely floating between 15 and 20 points and negative plus-minuses, all while serving from a carved out role on the second pair. Oleksiak is six-foot-seven, 250-pounds and patrols the defensive end with a long reach and heavy physical presence. Winnipeg has tried to net the same impact from players like Logan Stanley – one of the only NHLers as tall as Oleksiak – but to little avail. Stanley has just nine points, 72 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 in 47 games on Winnipeg’s bottom-pair. Any upgrade they make will be solely focused on improving that third-pair’s standing as the Jets plan for a very late season.

Other notes from the Midwest:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have kicked the door to the Trade Deadline wide open by swapping defender Seth Jones for goaltender Spencer Knight and a first-round pick. All signs point towards the Hawks continuing to sell as the deadline draws closer – with pieces like Ryan Donato, Alec Martinez, and Petr Mrazek all on the block. But of their aged veterans, winger Pat Maroon doesn’t seem likely to join in on the relocation. He told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he’d prefer to stay with Chicago rather than experience yet another deadline trade. Maroon has been moved in February or March three different times in his career, including at last year’s deadline. He signed his first open market contract since 2020 this summer – choosing the Windy City as his landing spot. 54 games later, Maroon must clearly be enjoying the role of veteran leader and Stanley Cup expert in front of Chicago’s young core. He has 14 points, 71 penalty minutes, and a minus-11 on the year, while serving a minimal role in Chicago’s bottom-six. While opening up that spot would certainly open minutes for more top prospects, it’d be tough to see Chicago go against Maroon’s wishes for anything less than a golden offer.
  • Top rookie defenseman Lian Bichsel is progressing in his return from an upper-body injury. He is doubtful for the Dallas Stars’ game against St. Louis on Sunday, but could return when they face New Jersey on Tuesday, per Dallas News’ Lia Assimakopoulos. Bichsel was injured on a high hit from New York Islanders grinder Casey Cizikas on February 23rd. He’s missed two games since. Bichsel has played the first 18 games of his NHL career this season. He has five points, 14 penalty minutes, and a plus-six in that span – and has looked the part of a projectable first-round pick. News of his return on Tuesday will also suggest that Bichsel will continue to hold a role on the NHL roster, though it will be shaky ground as Dallas looks to buy improvements at the deadline. In an aforementioned fun fact, Bichsel is one of the few other six-foot-seven defenders.
  •  The Utah Hockey Club were without depth forward Michael Carcone on Saturday evening. He was listed as a game-time decision due to a lower-body injury, per Belle Fraser of the Salt Lake Tribune. Carcone has filled a minimal lineup role in Utah, with 13 points, 29 penalty minutes, and a minus-seven in 41 games this year. Utah turned towards Kevin Stenlund to fill-in during the losing effort. Stenlund recorded one assist in 11 minutes of ice time. It was his 14th point of the year through 61 appearances. Jack McBain also saw a boost in Carcone’s absence, stepping onto the second-unit power-play. He did not manage any scoring in the fill-in role.

Golden Knights Sign Trent Swick To Entry-Level Contract

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed 2024 sixth-round pick Trent Swick to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal is set to begin in the 2025-26 season. Swick is currently with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, where he’s scored 57 points in 55 games this season – second-most on the team.

Swick is a towering six-foot-six, 210-pound winger who skates smoothly, doesn’t take penalties, and gets back on defense. Those points are evidenced by his measly 38 penalty minutes and a strong plus-seven this year. His size limits what roles Swick can play in the offensive end, but he fills what’s asked of him well – holding space in the slot and using a long reach to disrupt opponents.

Swick had a breakout year last season. With the eyes of NHL scouts watching close, he jumped from 18 points in 33 games in 2022-23 to 62 points in 63 games last year. He found his niche as a passing catalyst for Kitchener’s smaller and more dynamic scorers. But Swick was distinctly helped along by an improved ability to hang onto the puck and work his way into space. He improved his play through traffic on and off of the puck, and continues to improve his scoring pace this year as a result.

With sixth-round acclaim and juniors scoring that, while strong, doesn’t jump off the page – it’s not likely that Swick will make an impact on the NHL roster in the short term. He’ll instead likely be forced to decided between the AHL and college hockey next season, with recent agreements between the CHL and NCAA opening the door for the soon-to-be 21-year-old to take either path. Should he turn pro, Swick’s body control in his lofty frame could earn Vegas’ attention very quickly. The New York Rangers have notably found their own successes leaning into their oversized forwards, with Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe each carving niche roles in the Rangers bottom-six.

Panthers Acquire Seth Jones From Blackhawks

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The Florida Panthers have acquired defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The full trade sends Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The first-round pick will become a 2027 pick if Florida decides to trade their 2026 pick in another deal, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Additionally, Chicago is retaining 26.3% of Jones’ hefty $9.5MM cap hit, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

The Blackhawks have made the deal official.

This marks the first blockbuster deal of true Trade Deadline season. Jones has been vocal about his desire for a move in the weeks leading up to the deadline, though he never requested a formal trade. Nonetheless, Chicago will find a great match in the contending Florida Panthers. It’s not the landing spot many expected, after Jones shared publicly that he’d welcome a return to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he previously spent six years.

Jones’ $9.5MM cap hit has stood as the barrier to any moves over the last few seasons. His presence, even at a reduced $7.0MM cap hit, will cash-strap the Panthers for the rest of the season. They now have only $629K in available deadline cap space, per PuckPedia.

Jones will be worth the investment, though. He’s been the clear-cut number-one defender in front of a rebuilding Chicago for the last four seasons. Jones confidently led all Blackhawks defenders in scoring this season, with seven goals and 27 points in 42 games. It’s his highest scoring pace since the 2021-22 campaign – his first year in Chicago – when he scored 51 points in 78 games. His totals dwindled in the ensuing two seasons, with Jones netting 37 points in 2022-23 and 31 points last year. But while his scoring captures plenty of attention, Jones’ defensive play has stood as a glaring weakness. He has a minus-18 this season – slightly worse than the minus-15 he posted last year but far improved from a minus-37 and minus-38 in his first two years as a Blackhawk. While serving as the ice time leader on a perennial bottom-team will certainly drive those numbers down, Chicago has found their best success when Jones is flanked by a defensive specialist like Alex Vlasic.

If any team can afford Jones’ all-offense, no-defense style – it’s the Florida Panthers. They ceded top-pair defender Brandon Montour to the Seattle Kraken in this year’s free agent market. That left Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling standing alone on a defense that won last year’s Stanley Cup on the back of a tremendously deep blue-line. Jones could be the piece that spurs that weakness. Montour recorded a dazzling 73 points in 80 games with the 2022-23 Panthers, in a role that allowed him to drive the puck down the ice with little worry. Long-distance control and playmaking are Jones’ speciality, and what supported him to a career-high 57 points next to Zach Werenski on the 2017-18 Blue Jackets.

Chicago will find just as sweet of a match with their new additions. Knight was a premier youth hockey prospect and earned a first-round selection in the 2019 NHL Draft after two strong years with the U.S. National Team’s Development Program. He broke into the NHL two years later and quickly flashed as someone who could eventually challenge Sergei Bobrovsky’s starting role. Knight recorded a .909 save percentage and 23-9-3 record across his first 36 NHL games, and first two pro seasons.

But his play took a hard hit in the 2022-23 campaign, and Knight made the decision to enter the NHL Player’s Assistance Program in February of that year. The decision ended his season early, and the Panthers opted to deploy Knight as their AHL starter in the ensuing 2023-24 campaign. He took to the role phenomenally, recording a 25-14-5 record and .905 Sv% in 45 games with the Charlotte Checkers. That was enough to earn Knight a jump back to the NHL backup role this year, where he’s continued to perform well – with a .907 Sv% and 12-8-1 record on the year.

Knight has had an up-and-down journey through the NHL – but he’s never played poorly for more than a short stretch. In fact, he hasn’t at any point in his hockey career recorded a save percentage below .900 across a full season. In his pro career, Knight has a .906 in 80 NHL games and a .905 in 58 AHL games.

Those numbers are beyond serviceable, and the former 13th-overall draft pick will now get a chance to show he can sustain them in a starter’s role. The Blackhawks’ crease is wide open with veteran Petr Mrazek struggling to stay above water this season. Mrazek has posted a .890 Sv% and 10-19-2 record – his worst numbers since he played 18 games with the Maple Leafs in the 2021-22 season. Mrazek’s slow play has landed him in the midst of trade rumors.

Those rumors won’t be helped along by the acquisition of a new top goaltender, though the Blackhawks could afford to ease Knight into what is sure to be a bombarded role. Mrazek recorded the most losses (31) and sixth-most shots against (1,724) last season. Since Mrazek joined the Blackhawks in 2022, only one goalie with more than 100 games played has faced more shots against-per-60 – Anaheim’s John Gibson, who has faced two more shots-per-60 than Mrazek.

That’s the setup of an incredibly difficult role – one that will be hard to turn over to the technically unproven Knight. The Blackhawks find themselves dead-last in the Central Division with March rolling around. With the season already lost, and surely more deadline moves awaiting them, the Hawks could dedicate the remainder of the year towards feeling out a new look to their roster of the future. If all goes well, former top pick Knight will lead the crop in net.

Meanwhile, Florida will have to find a new man to back up Bobrovsky’s heavy utilization. Longtime NHL backup Chris Driedger has served as the most-used netminder for the AHL’s Checkers, though he’s split time with career minor leaguer Ken Appleby. Appleby has posted the better stat line of the two – with an 11-7-1 record and .908 SV% to Driedger’s 10-6-4 record and .878 SV%. They’ve played 19 and 20 games respectively. But both veterans have been outdone by second-year pro Cooper Black, who has a dazzling .921 SV% and 7-2-1 record in 10 appearances this year. The strong AHL performances are a bit of a surprise, given Black started the year with a 4-3-0 record and .886 SV% in seven ECHL games. Nonetheless, he could be the sneaky pick to earn an NHL look should Florida want to find ways to lean into their young options, rather than turning towards their pair of perennial backups.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Pacific Notes: Flames, Thrun, Gibson

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The Calgary Flames have defined the last two Trade Deadlines by selling a suite of impactful veterans, but they’re set up to take much more of a back seat this year. General manager Craig Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that their focus continues to be adding young players to round out their existing core – not to bring in any major additions. Conroy went on to add that the Flames would be interested in adding a left-shot defender, but that any deal would need to make sense for the club.

Calgary won’t have a ton of trade chips to move at the deadline, with veterans Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson, and MacKenzie Weegar all on the untouchables list. Conroy told Francis that their lack of assets has limited the calls the Flames are receiving – but that the market is also quieter than in years past. He went on to praise the efforts of players like Joel Hanley, Ilya Solovyov, and Jake Bean – who would stand in direct competition of any defenders acquired via trade.

The expressed interest could connect Calgary to a scant defender market at the deadline. Vancouver’s Carson Soucy, San Jose’s Mario Ferraro, and Pittsburgh’s Matt Grzelcyk headline a market full of middling left-defenders. The market price has already been set, after New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Jimmy Vesey in exchange for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, and two draft picks.

Other notes from out West:

  • Speaking of left-defense, the San Jose Sharks will be without youngster Henry Thrun in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Thrun has one goal and 10 points in 51 games this season – one fewer than he scored in just as many games last year. The former Harvard Crimson captain is still very early in his career, but has improved his standing in San Jose’s lineup seemingly every night. He played a career-high 24 minutes in San Jose’s Monday loss to the Winnipeg Jets, and averaged 17 minutes per night on the year. San Jose will turn Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jack Thompson – who have been exchanging minutes of their own – to fill in for Thrun’s absence.
  • Netminder John Gibson will draw back in for the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday per Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Gibson has missed Anaheim’s last three games after sustaining an upper-body injury on February 22nd. The Ducks recalled Oscar Dansk to serve as the backup behind Lukas Dostal in Gibson’s absence. Dansk has posted an .886 save percentage and 10-10-3 record in 27 AHL games this season. He’s been reassigned to the minor leagues per Mathieu Sheridan of The Hockey News. Meanwhile Gibson will return to platooning in the starter’s role, looking to build on his .916 save percentage and 9-9-2 record amid a resurging season.

Wild Recall David Jiricek, Reassign Two

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The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman David Jiricek and reassigned forwards Marat Khusnutdinov and Liam Ohgren. The moves clear space for winger Gustav Nyquist, who Minnesota acquired from the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick on Saturday morning.

Jiricek’s recall comes after news that both Zach Bogosian and Jonas Brodin are banged up. Bogosian sat out of Minnesota’s Friday game with a lower-body injury, per NHL.com’s Joe Smith. Brodin played just 15:47 of the outing, and his availability remains up in the air per Michael Russo of The Athletic.

Jiricek will be the beneficiary of any open minutes, after he recorded his first point in seven AHL games on Friday. He’s struggled to find a consistent rut in the Wild organization, with two points in six NHL games and six points in 26 AHL games. The Wild acquired Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 30th, sending Daemon Hunt and three draft picks the other way. Jiricek is in his third season in North America, and his cold scoring has dragged through every year. He has 66 points in 114 career AHL games, and 13 points in 59 NHL games.

The Wild’s swap of forwards in this mix might not sway their scoring a ton. Ohgren and Khusnutdinov have combined for just four points across their last 10 games. Ohgren has often served as Minnesota’s extra forward, with just four points in 23 games this season. Khusnutdinov has served a hardier role as the fourth-line center, but has just seven points in 57 games. Nyquist has confidently outscored both youngster in his time with Nashville – netting 21 points in 57 games – but he’s managed just one assist in his last 10 NHL games.

Nyquist had a stint with the Wild during the 2022-23 season as well. He scored five points in three games on that stint, but an upper-body injury kept him from stepping into the lineup more before hitting unrestricted free agency. With these moves, Minnesota has carved out the lineup spot needed to give Nyquist a truer look this time around.

Rangers To Place Chris Kreider On IR, Recall Brett Berard

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The New York Rangers have recalled rookie winger Brett Berard from the minor leagues. They’re also expected to place winger Chris Kreider on injured reserve in a corresponding move per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. Kreider has missed New York’s last three games with an upper-body injury. He was a late scratch for each absence and doesn’t yet have a clear timeline to return. The Rangers can make Kreider’s IR placement retroactive to his last game on February 22nd. That will make him eligible to be activated as soon as he’s back to full health.

Berard spent six weeks on the NHL roster between November and January. He stepped into the first 19 games of his NHL career on that stint and recorded seven points, eight penalty minutes, and a minus-nine. The Rangers returned Berard to the minors in mid-January, and he’s shown the top-flight stint kicked his game into a new gear. He has 10 points, 25 penalty minutes, and a minus-five in 14 AHL games since returning to the minors.

Berard will join fellow rookie Brennan Othmann on the NHL roster. Othmann filled in Kreider’s vacancy over the last two games, with no scoring and just 18 minutes of combined ice time. Berard will give the Rangers a hotter hand to try and make up for Kreider’s lineup hole. They could also turn towards new addition Juuso Parssinen to fill a left-wing role, after acquiring him as part of a swap that sent Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche. Parssinen has 11 points in 37 games this season – split between time in Nashville and Colorado. The Rangers have two wing vacancies to fill.

Kreider has turned his season around in February, recording four points in six NHL games and one goal in two games at the 4-Nations Face-Off. He’s up to 17 goals and 21 points in 48 games this season. That’s enough to tie for second on the Rangers in goals scored, leaving a glaring hole in New York’s hot-and-cold offense. Their pair of rookies, and new acquisition, will have a golden opportunity to step up in Kreider’s absence. A hot performance could go a long way towards earning routine minutes with the Rangers now down Vesey.

Trade Deadline Notes: Boeser, Sharks, Schenn

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Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser has reportedly turned down a five-year, $40MM contract extension per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, who adds that Boeser is looking for more term on his next deal. The $8MM cap hit on the rumored offer would be a $1.35MM bump from Boeser’s price tag this season.

Boeser is certainly due for a raise on his next deal, after posting the first 40-goal season of his career last year. His statement performance came after four straight seasons of failing to even reach 25 goals. It was largely helped along by a career-high 19.6 shooting percentage, over seven percent higher than his average of 12.7 percent in six seasons prior. And while Boeser has struggled to reach that same success rate this year, his 18 goals and 17.3 shooting percentage in 52 games suggest he may have really found a new gear to his scoring.

Boeser will be a top name leading into the Trade Deadline if Vancouver isn’t willing to commit to him for a longer term. His spike in scoring and inflated shooting percentage are certainly warning flags, but he could offer the experience of a 500-game pro for the cheap cost of a deadline rental. A short-sighted trade would leave Boeser open to pick his next team in unrestricted free agency, though if he’d get another $8MM offer could hinge on how well he scores through the end of the year.

Other Trade Deadline notes from out West:

  • An NHL executive pointed out the potential chemistry between the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram to Sheng Peng of NBC Sports. The 23-year-old Byram has been loosely circulated around trade rumors and could be a perfect addition to San Jose’s rebuild. The Sharks also have plenty to give up for the top-pair defender. Peng shares that there’s a sense Buffalo could use more size and grit. That motivation could make Sharks prospects like Quentin Musty or Kasper Halttunen enticing options. Both top prospects are performing well in the OHL this season. Musty has 43 points in just 26 games and Halttunen has 29 points in 27 games and 13 in his last 10. With the right mix of draft capital, either name could be enough to swing Byram away from Buffalo – though Peng notes he still doesn’t sense San Jose would pay such a price. He shares that the team could instead try and leverage some of their first-round draft picks to land big additions.
  • The St. Louis Blues could be asking for as much as two first-round draft picks for captain Brayden Schenn, per Seravalli in his latest trade board. That’s notably the same price St. Louis asked for Pavel Buchnevich, who has five more points than Schenn this season, at last year’s Trade Deadline. The Blues couldn’t find a suitor, and it’s hard to envision they’ll make a match for Schenn at this price either. With Schenn boasting a full no-trade clause, it may take a silver tongue to convince veteran Blues GM Doug Armstrong to trade his captain… once again.

Latest On Utah’s Trade Deadline Plans

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The Trade Deadline is less than a week away and the bubble surrounding it appears ready to burst. There’s plenty of trade buzz circulating in the league, headlined by the Utah Hockey Club’s continued efforts to try to figure out their deadline approach. The Hockey Club was split between buyer and seller status during the 4-Nations Face-Off break, but general manager Bill Armstrong has now shared that the team won’t sell if they stay in playoff contention per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Utah has been on a heater since returning from break, posting a 3-1-0 record and outscoring opponents 13-to-eight. They’re also outshooting opponents 128-to-80, or an average of 32-to-20 per game.

Utah’s surge forward seemed inevitable. They’ve faced injuries to many of their key contributors and notable summer additions this season. That includes burly defender Sean Durzi, who missed four months with a shoulder injury sustained in Utah’s fourth game of the season. Durzi averaged a team-high 25:34 in ice time and recorded two assists through the year’s first three games. That includes a 29-minute performance in his last full game before getting injured. He’s scored two points in four games since returning on February 22nd – though he’s not yet back to his October ice time. In getting Durzi back, Utah effectively added a free top-four defender to a lineup that was already in contention for the Western Conference’s second wild card.

Utah has inched closer to that wild card with their recent hot streak. But Armstrong claiming the team won’t be sellers at the deadline doesn’t mean they’ll be free of action. The divide between winger Matias Maccelli and a routine lineup spot is growing wider over Utah’s last few games. He hasn’t played since February 8th, as pointed out by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts. Friedman adds that the undersized Maccelli could find his spark with a trade away from the team – a claim that’d certainly have teams around the league excited.

Maccelli has just 18 points in 52 games this season, but he broke out as a strong, young playmaker over the last two years. Maccelli recorded 38 assists and 49 points in 64 games of the 2022-23 season – his first full year in the NHL – and followed it up with 40 assists and 57 points in 82 games last year. He’s still just 24 years old, and would likely be an exciting upside buy should a team convince Armstrong that he’s expendable.

While they might not look thrilling on paper, Utah has found a lineup that works this month. They are glaringly shallow at center, where Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain fill the middle-six roles – but it’s hard to point out a weakness anywhere else. Utah’s wingers have performed up to par and the return of Durzi brings some much-needed weight behind Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino on defense. With a gust of wind behind their sails, any of Utah’s moves would likely focus solely on beefing up their bottom three forward lines. They’ll have the money to pursue whoever they’d like on the open market – with a projected $28.52MM in deadline cap space, per PuckPedia.

That much cap space is bound to weigh down a wallet, and Armstrong’s indication that the team won’t sell assets could be a subtle indication that they’re looking to lean heavily into the post-break success.

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