Philadelphia Flyers Looking To Add Depth
The Philadelphia Flyers have become the most interesting team to watch over the last few days. Not because of anything spectacular captain Claude Giroux did at the All-Star game, but because of comments coming out of their front office. Just yesterday, Flyers chairman Dave Scott explained that the team will be aggressive in free agency this summer and today GM Chuck Fletcher spoke about their plans in the second half of this season. Most notably, Fletcher explained that he is “trying to make the team better at all costs” and is looking to “add better players and add depth.” Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer put it more simple terms, tweeting that Fletcher made it seem like “everyone is available in a trade except Claude Giroux” before adding that Carter Hart is probably on that hands-off list.
If there is one name to focus on in Philadelphia of course, it’s Wayne Simmonds. The veteran power forward has been on everyone’s mind the last few weeks as the trade deadline approaches, and once again was a key point in Pierre LeBrun’s latest for The Athletic (subscription required). LeBrun makes the case for Simmonds playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning down the stretch, but also notes that Western Conference contenders like the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets will surely check in before the deadline.
It is important to remember though that Fletcher was brought in to make changes to this group, after former GM Ron Hextall was criticized for being too patient. The team has a huge number of top prospects still developing, but hasn’t been able to find the goaltending or defense to really compete in the Metropolitan Division even while they pay Giroux and Jakub Voracek like some of the best forwards in the league. James van Riemsdyk was inked to a huge deal in the offseason but has dealt with injury and inconsistency upon his return to Philadelphia, and the crease has been a carousel of names from the start of the year.
Now that Hart is in place and looks like the goaltender of the present, not just the future, you can bet the Flyers aren’t interested in any sort of rebuild. The team wants to compete right away, and that makes them one of the toughest teams to read heading into the trade season. While they might move out some expiring pieces, don’t think they won’t add as well even with their eyes on next season. Players with a few years under contract could be of interest, especially given the team has only a handful of forwards under contract for next season.
With 14 games left before the deadline and nine of those at home, Fletcher might wait just a little while longer to make sure that there’s no chance of sneaking into the postseason this year. But even if that stretch doesn’t go well, don’t think it’s just going to be a tear down in Philadelphia.
Kevin Hayes Wants To Stay In New York
When Kevin Hayes signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers in late July, the writing seemed to be on the wall. The big center was now scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency following 2018-19, and with the Rangers publicly announcing their desire to rebuild last season Hayes could be the next big trade chip to facilitate that dream. After all, the Boston College product had produced 25 goals for the first time in his career and could easily be moved at the deadline if he wasn’t open to a long-term deal. Not so fast though, as Hayes has been open with his desire to remain in New York past this season. In a new piece from Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Hayes explains that he can’t see himself playing for any other team:
…everybody knows how I feel about wanting to stay. I’ve loved my five years here. I love the organization, the guys, the staff, the city, the fans. I really can’t see myself anywhere else. But it’s also kind of out of my hands.
Out of his hands is right, as the Rangers will have to make the final decision on whether their short rebuild has done enough to hand over a big contract at this point. After acquiring a ton of young assets last year for names like Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash and Michael Grabner, New York is already well on their way to a successful future. Is a soon to be 27-year old Hayes part of that, or just another chip to cash in over the next few weeks?
Heading into the post-All-Star portion of the season, New York sits sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 21-20-7 record. That’s better than many predicted for them when the season began, and Hayes has been an integral part—if not their best player for long stretches. The center has 33 points in 39 games on the year. That kind of production would certainly be welcome moving forward, but as Brooks points out it would likely need to be on a five or six-year deal worth at least $6MM per season. That’s the kind of money you hand out when you’re ready to compete, not when you’re just looking to develop a young core.
That young core is impressive, too. Neal Pionk, Filip Chytil, Pavel Buchnevich, Brett Howden, Brady Skjei, Lias Andersson, Ryan Lindgren and others all look like they can be the next group that takes the Rangers to the playoffs, and adding more this deadline could make them quite a formidable group. That said, if the team expects to compete next season perhaps retaining names like Hayes and Chris Kreider, who is scheduled to be a free agent in 2020, is more valuable to the team than whatever they would bring back next month. For his part, Hayes hopes that is the decision the team makes.
2019 Midseason UFA Power Rankings: 11-20
With the halfway point of the season now behind us and the trade deadline fast approaching, the All-Star break seemed like the perfect time to take a preliminary look at the UFA Class of 2019. Here is the first half of our top-20 rankings, based on votes from writers Gavin Lee, Brian La Rose, Zach Leach and Holger Stolzenberg. We’ll run numbers 1-10 as well as an honorable mention group early next week.
11. Brock Nelson, New York Islanders — If this list had come out at the end of last season, there would be little chance that Nelson would rank as high as he does now. After posting an extremely disappointing 35-point season in 2017-18, Nelson has come back to life under new head coach Barry Trotz and already has 16 goals and 31 points through 49 games. The big center has seen increased minutes since the departure of John Tavares and is thriving in a two-way role, making him an easy fit for almost any team across the league. Nelson will still be just 27 when the 2019-20 season starts and likely coming off a career year. Like the other Islanders on the list, the team will try to retain his services if possible.
12. Jake Gardiner, Toronto Maple Leafs — There are few more divisive figures in Toronto than Gardiner, who has drawn boos from the home crowd at times this season because of his high-risk style. Still, the 28-year old defenseman is logging nearly 22 minutes a night and is on pace for another 40-point season. The analytically-minded may point to his excellent possession metrics and say he should be ranked higher on this list, but his defensive ability and handedness may somewhat stifle his market. Still, defensemen are always in demand and he’ll have no trouble finding a multi-year deal if Toronto can’t find room to fit him into their crowded salary structure.
13. Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers — The do-it-all winger is one of the biggest names on the trade market as we approach the deadline, meaning he very well might not make it to free agency if an acquiring team can convince him to stay. Simmonds adds a little bit of everything a team would want, mixing toughness and physicality with real skill around the net and a history of producing on the powerplay. Set to turn 31 before the next season begins and with a lot of miles already on his body, there may be some who are scared off by the dropping point totals the last few years and refuse to give Simmonds a long-term deal.
14. Gustav Nyquist, Detroit Red Wings — Just when you thought you had Nyquist figured out as a 40-50 point winger, he breaks out in the first half for Detroit with 43 points in 51 games. On track to blow past his career highs of 36 assists and 54 points, there will be several suitors that believe he can be that missing secondary scoring piece that costs a little less than the top names. Nyquist has always had a ton of skill and ability, but is this season’s performance just a mirage formed by opportunity and lack of playoff expectations?
15. Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders — It’s something of the opposite story for Eberle, who has failed this season to meet the lofty totals that he has reached with such consistency in the past. After six consecutive seasons with at least 20 goals (not counting the shortened 2012-13 campaign in which he tallied 16 in just 48 games), Eberle is at risk of not reaching that mark in 2018-19. With just 11 goals and 23 points in the first half, perhaps it is simply a buy-in to the more defensive structure of Trotz’ new-look Islanders. He’ll be 29 next season, but the idea of 30-goal upside and a history of clutch performances will certainly intrigue teams all around the league.
16. Ryan Dzingel, Ottawa Senators — While the Senators have turned into a circus over the last year given all the off-ice incidents, it’s easy to overlook the performances from some of their underrated players. Dzingel is the poster boy for that after a 23-goal season went almost unnoticed last year. This year he’s back at it with a little more fanfare, and now has 20 goals and 38 points through his first 48 games. All eyes are on Mark Stone and Matt Duchene at the trade deadline, but if the Senators don’t get Dzingel under contract he could be a valuable addition for any team. The fact that he’ll only turn 27 in March will be appealing to many teams looking for a cheaper option in the summer, but there’s no doubt Dzingel will get a raise on the $1.8MM cap hit he carries this year.
17. Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche — At the end of the 2014 season, Varlamov looked like he was going to take over the goaltending position in the NHL. He had just finished second in Vezina Trophy voting and fourth for the Hart after going 41-14-6 and posting a .927 save percentage. The Avalanche had certainly found their goaltender—at least so they thought. Since then Varlamov has battled inconsistency and this season has just a .908 save percentage through 31 starts. Colorado has Philipp Grubauer in place and look like they’ll move on, making a soon to be 31-year old Varlamov one of the most interesting names in free agency. Does a team trust him enough to hand over the starting role on a multi-year deal, or will he have to prove himself again in a tandem?
18. Micheal Ferland, Carolina Hurricanes — Ferland had the fortuitous opportunity to get his career on track beside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan in Calgary before eventually getting moved to the Hurricanes as part of the blockbuster deal last summer, and now faces some tough questions about his future. It looks like the Hurricanes aren’t going to be able to convince him to stay, meaning he’ll head into free agency as sort of a question mark. Though he has 13 goals on the season, Ferland has tickled the twine just twice in his last 20 games dating back to November and has dealt with concussion issues. While he’s an extremely attractive asset at the deadline because of his low cost, investing big money in him this summer could be dangerous despite his relative youth.
19. Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild — It may say 34 years old on Staal’s birth certificate, but he hasn’t played like a declining asset since arriving in Minnesota. The long-time Carolina captain scored 65 and 76 points in his first two years with the Wild and is on pace for another 60-point performance this season. That kind of production from a center long known for his capable defensive play is extremely valuable, though his age will obvious cause teams to pause before handing out the dough. Another trade deadline candidate if the Wild fall out of the playoffs, he’ll have to perform better down the stretch than he did for the New York Rangers in 2016 if he wants to secure one last big payday.
20. Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks — It’s been a tough year for almost every Ducks forward and Silfverberg is no exception. With just 19 points through his first 42 games and now dealing with an injury, there’s a chance he may post his lowest point total since 2013-14 when he played just 52 games. Still, a winger that earns Selke votes every season and can chip in around 20 goals isn’t worth nothing and there should be plenty of interested parties come July 1st. A strong second half by the Ducks or a new address at the trade deadline could really give Silfverberg’s market a boost, especially given his history as an excellent playoff performer.
Eight-Year Extension Unlikely For Auston Matthews
Every year as the trade deadline approaches, teams have more than just swaps on their mind. In order to know exactly what you can go after to push yourself to the playoffs, you need to know how much available cap space you have going forward and what core pieces are locked up long-term. Even teams out of the playoff race have to push to get deals done, or else might end up having to trade an expiring asset. Long-term extensions often happen in the weeks leading up to the deadline, and last season was no different. Consider these deals that were all signed in February 2018:
Lars Eller, Washington Capitals – Five years, $17.5MM
Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames – Six years, $32.1MM
Erik Gudbranson, Vancouver Canucks – Three years, $12MM
Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Six years, $30MM
Patric Hornqvist, Pittsburgh Penguins – Five years, $26.5MM
It comes as no surprise then that nearly as many headlines are currently dominated by extension talk as by trade talk. In Ottawa, the Senators are desperately trying to get some indication of whether they can keep Matt Duchene and Mark Stone around long-term, or else will be forced to trade both of them. The Columbus Blue Jackets don’t seem to be getting any such indication from Artemi Panarin, but will likely hold on to him anyway given their intention to compete for the Stanley Cup. The San Jose Sharks are in a similar boat with Erik Karlsson, but also can’t even sign him to an eight-year extension until after the deadline passes.
Perhaps the biggest headline generator recently (as they often are) were the Toronto Maple Leafs, whose GM Kyle Dubas told media that the team had made progress on an Auston Matthews extension. While insiders quickly noted that progress in this case did not mean a deal was imminent, there is some reason to believe that Matthews could be one of these February signings.
First of all, the Maple Leafs are another team within striking distance of the Stanley Cup or at least a high playoff seed. Dubas knows that they could compete this season, and getting Matthews under contract gives him more information to make any other trade deadline decisions. Second it would make the summer a lot less stressful, given that the front office also has to deal with new contracts for Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, while also filling the hole left by pending UFA Jake Gardiner. Each of those contracts will take some work, and the Maple Leafs certainly don’t want them to extend into the season again like William Nylander‘s negotiation did.
It might be easy to say hand over a blank check to Matthews and let him join the league’s elite with an eight-year extension that pays him more than $10MM per season. Not so fast, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who writes that both the team and Matthews’ agent Judd Moldaver “see an eight-year deal as extremely unlikely.” The reasoning would be that the Maple Leafs can’t afford to buy out that many UFA seasons given how tight their cap will be going forward. Instead, suggests Friedman, the deal will be for five or six years, buying out just one or two free agent seasons in order to keep the cap hit relatively low.
In reality it actually might be the better move for Matthews too. Though an eight-year deal would certainly put him into the upper echelon of NHL earners immediately, it likely wouldn’t stay that way throughout the entire deal. With the salary cap set to increase again next season and CBA talks potentially changing the salary cap rules at some point down the line, Matthews could be overtaken by less talented peers in the years to come. If he truly believes in his talent—and nothing in his career path to this point suggests he does not—signing his next massive contract after five more seasons makes total sense. Remember that the Maple Leafs center won’t turn 22 until September, meaning he would exit a five or six year deal still in his prime.
While this kind of a deal might make sense for both the Maple Leafs and Matthews, it will be interesting to see whether other teams follow the same path. The Tampa Bay Lightning for instance have a brilliant young center of their own scheduled to hit restricted free agency in Brayden Point, and face similar cap crunch issues moving forward. If Point would be interested in a five-year deal of his own there could be benefits for both sides, though like Matthews it would put him at risk of leaving as a free agent a few years earlier.
If the Maple Leafs are to go after any player with term left on his contract, they need to get some certainty over what kind of cap hit Matthews will bring moving forward. That means Dubas might not be watching his phone waiting for another GM’s number to pop up over the next few weeks, but rather that of Moldaver.
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Toronto Maple Leafs Making Progress On Auston Matthews Extension
A topic of speculation for years around the hockey world has been offer sheets and how teams could use them as predatory strikes against rivals, driving up cap hits or attempting to steal their best players. One team in particular that is targeted with hypothetical situations is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have heard that just about every team in the league is preparing to sign both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to offer sheets this summer. The Maple Leafs are in a tricky financial situation after signing William Nylander and John Tavares to expensive long-term deals, meaning it would be tough for them to match the lucrative offers some other franchises could wave in front of their other young stars.
There are so many barriers before anything like that actually happens though, and one of them is simply the Maple Leafs signing Matthews or Marner to a long-term extension before they even reach restricted free agency in the first place. Though that won’t take place with Marner, whose representatives have made it clear they will wait until after the season to start negotiating, it very well may happen with Matthews. Today, when speaking with reporters in Toronto including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, GM Kyle Dubas explained that the team has “made progress” on an extension for their explosive sniper. Dubas would like the deal done before the trade deadline if possible.
Matthews, 21, is having another fantastic season for the Maple Leafs with 20 goals and 42 points in 34 games. Though he missed a fair chunk of time earlier in the year—and is in something of a slump at the moment—he’s still poised to have quite the resume when discussing any long-term extension.
When Connor McDavid signed his record-setting eight-year $100MM extension in 2017, he had just 148 points in 127 games. McDavid had missed nearly half of his rookie season with injury, but was fresh off an 100-point year and a pile of individual awards. Jack Eichel meanwhile had just 113 points in 142 games when he signed his eight-year $80MM extension with the Buffalo Sabres, who were betting on his potential more than his production in the early part of his career. He too missed games as a sophomore, and didn’t have quite the lofty statistics that McDavid had recorded.
Matthews then may fall somewhere in the middle given what he’s done so far. The Toronto center has 174 points in 178 games including a 40-goal campaign and Calder Trophy as a rookie in 2016-17. He ranks seventh in goals since the start of that season with 94, despite averaging fewer than 18 minutes a night over that span.
The salary cap has gone up since McDavid and Eichel signed their contracts though, meaning the same percentage would be worth more if Matthews were to sign today. For instance, if he matched the same 13.33% that the Sabres gave to Eichel, Matthews’ deal would come in around $10.6MM per season going with this year’s $79.5MM cap. That would seem to be his floor, though the Maple Leafs will surely try to get him in at the lowest possible number.
Toronto already has an $11MM player in Tavares, and very well could have two more eight-digit earners in Matthews and Marner next season depending on how negotiations go. That kind of commitment to a handful of forwards will put a strain on the rest of their roster, especially given that young players like Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson are also set to hit restricted free agency. Getting Matthews under contract as soon as possible will give the front office more time to figure out how everything is going to work, and decide whether or not they can actually acquire a player with any kind of term at the upcoming trade deadline.
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Teuvo Teravainen Signs Five-Year Extension
The Carolina Hurricanes have locked up one of their most consistent offensive performers, signing Teuvo Teravainen to a five-year extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $5.4MM and keep Teravainen from reaching free agency until after the 2023-24 season. The 24-year old forward was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer. Carolina GM Don Waddell released a statement about the signing:
Teuvo has improved every year of his NHL career and has established himself as a cornerstone forward for the Hurricanes now and into the future. He has shown that he is capable of adapting and expanding his role with our team, becoming a key penalty killer for Rod [Brind’amour] this season. He’s still just 24 years old and we believe he will only continue to grow as a player.
Teravainen was acquired by the Hurricanes in a 2016 transaction that used their cap space as an asset, taking on Bryan Bickell‘s contract from the Chicago Blackhawks alongside the young forward. In his first season in Carolina the part-time center recorded 15 goals and 42 points, but really broke out in 2017-18 when he was moved to the wing. Teravainen finished with 64 points last season, just one behind Sebastian Aho for the team lead. That kind of production, when added to the 39-point season he’s working on so far in 2018-19, made him a prime candidate for a long-term extension in Carolina.
This extension buys out just two years of unrestricted free agency, allowing the Hurricanes to keep the cap hit relatively low while still locking Teravainen up through his prime. His contract actually compares directly to one that the Hurricanes just acquired in Nino Niederreiter, who signed a very similar five-year contract in 2017 that carries a $5.25MM cap hit. Those two project to be Carolina’s top earning forwards next season, at least until Sebastian Aho signs his next deal which will likely also be of the long-term variety.
Carolina is trying to build a forward core that can stay and grow together over the next few years, and there was little doubt that Teravainen would be a part of that. Getting his deal done early also signals to the rest of their group that they’re willing to hand out reasonable long-term deals, something that was in question after failing to get anything done with Elias Lindholm before trading him out of town. Next on the agenda could be Micheal Ferland, who is a pending unrestricted free agent and top trade chip, but one the Hurricanes have indicated they would like to re-sign if possible.
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Senators Make Long-Term Offer To Matt Duchene
The word out of Ottawa in recent years was that owner Eugene Melnyk was hesitant to pay the market price for top talent and did not want his team approaching the salary cap ceiling. Unfortunately, if the Senators have any chance of improving next season after back-to-back bottom-dwelling campaigns, they need to re-sign Mark Stone and Matt Duchene and doing so will certainly not be cheap. While serious extension talks with the former began weeks ago, there is now a promising update on the latter as well. Several sources report that Senators GM Pierre Dorion recently met with Duchene’s agent, Pat Brisson, and began negotiations on an eight-year contract extension.
The first report on this topic came from Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos late last night, who stated that the initial offer is eight years and $64MM for an AAV of $8MM. While Kypreos feels this is a fair valuation for the the 28-year-old forward, it presents only a $2MM boost from Duchene’s current $6MM cap hit from a contract he signed six years ago with a substantially smaller salary cap limit in place. Duchene is also scoring at a career-high clip of 1.18 points per game and, if he stays healthy, is on pace for 85 points in 73 games this season, also a career best. That could be enough to make Duchene the top-scoring forward on the free agent market or at least among the top three with Stone and Artemi Panarin. Regardless, he will be the most highly sought-after center this summer if he does reach free agency and that knowledge will add a premium to extension talks. Thus, it comes as little surprise that TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the “ballpark” numbers on an eight-year deal for Duchene are actually $65-75MM total, for an AAV above $8MM and ranging to nearly $9.4MM.
Regardless of the exact numbers, Senators fans will be happy to hear that the team is at least laying the ground work for an extension with Duchene, as well as Stone. With that said, with the NHL Trade Deadline coming up next month, Ottawa will need to work quickly to get the pair re-signed or otherwise need to begin shopping them for the best offer. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman expects that there will be deadlines attached to any extension offers so as to allow the team the time needed to have trade talks if contract talks aren’t going as well. The next few weeks will decide which option comes out on top, but for the sake of the Senators franchise, one would hope that at least one of Duchene or Stone re-up with the club. It is a promising step to hear that they are actually discussing reasonable figures in these initial extension talks and maybe Ottawa fans will have the stroke of good luck they so desperately need with new deals for both players.
San Jose Sharks Sign Marcus Sorensen To Two-Year Extension
The San Jose Sharks are facing more than a few tough decisions when it comes to impending free agents this season. Fortunately, they’ve been able to get out in front of at least one set of negotiations. The Sharks have announced a two-year extension with forward Marcus Sorensen. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds that the new contract carries a $1.5MM cap hit.
Sorensen, 26, was set to hit the open market this summer for the first time as an established pro, but has in fact been a free agent before. Sorensen was actually a fourth-round pick by the Ottawa Senators back in 2010, but the team opted not to sign him. He remained in his native Sweden until a breakout season with Djurgardens IF in 2015-16 prompted him to examine his options in the NHL. Sorensen signed a one-year entry-level deal with San Jose and then signed a subsequent two-year extension, playing each season with the Sharks at under $1MM. Sorensen was nothing more than a part-time depth asset through his first two years, but this year is vastly outplaying his $700K price tag. The versatile bottom-six forward has a career-high 15 points and 47 games played already, having finally carved out a regular role for himself. While Sorensen possesses natural offensive instincts and stick-handling skills, he has finally embraced a more physical, high-energy game that makes him a valued depth forward.
With Sorensen signed, the Sharks have at least made a small dent in their laundry list of free agency decisions. Captain Joe Pavelski, aging legend Joe Thornton, and talented winger Joonas Donskoi are all set to be unrestricted free agents, while breakout star Timo Meier and fellow young forward Kevin Labanc are also due new contracts as restricted free agents. Of course, that’s just up front, as superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson is obviously the team’s biggest question mark. The Sharks are rolling right now, winning eight of their last ten games, and are legitimate Stanley Cup threats this season. How well that pursuit goes will obviously dictate what steps they take in free agency. Yet, the team already determined that Sorensen was a player worth keeping no matter what, which says a lot about how much the team values their under-rated forward.
Extensive Power Forward Trade Market Forming
If the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline is deep at any one type of player, it is power forward. As the February 25th deadline grows closer and teams begin to make tough decisions about who goes and who stays, it is becoming clear that many big, physical scoring forwards are about to be up for grabs before they hit free agency. Just this past week, it was reported that the Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds was likely to be moved and inferred that the Carolina Hurricanes and Micheal Ferland were unlikely to come to terms ahead of the deadline. And that’s just the beginning.
Outside of the 6’2″ Simmonds and 220-lb. Ferland, there are plenty of other names out there that fit the power forward mold. Since this summer, the New York Rangers’ Kevin Hayes has been earmarked for a deadline trade. If they cannot agree to an extension, the Ottawa Senators may be forced to move star Mark Stone. Should the New York Islanders or Colorado Avalanche fall out of the playoff race, Brock Nelson and Colin Wilson – neither of whom look like long-term fits on their respective teams – should be on the block. To some surprise, Patrick Maroon‘s time with his hometown St. Louis Blues appears to be already running out. Even role player power forwards like New Jersey’s Brian Boyle and Florida’s Troy Brouwer should draw interest.
Many of these players feature on the trade bait lists from both The Athletic and TSN, as well as some non-UFA power forwards like the Blues’ Brayden Schenn, the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, the Wild’s Nino Niederreiter, and even young Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers. While it may seem like too many names for too few teams – and it is a buyer’s market this year for sure – The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun mentioned a number of suitors for a power forward who could make a move for one or more of these trade candidates in the coming weeks. At the top, LeBrun sees some of the biggest contenders as likely landing spots, naming the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and Calgary Flames as good fits for Simmonds, Ferland, and the like. He also adds the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights into that group. Of course, the Bruins and Jets also have needs down the middle and could be more ideal fits for Hayes or Nelson, while the wingers would appeal more to Tampa Bay and Nashville. While LeBrun casts doubt on the Toronto Maple Leafs being interested, if an arms race begins the team could feel pressured to add to their forward corps as well. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, both in need of secondary scoring, could also jump in on the action, while the Patric Hornqvist injury could prompt the Pittsburgh Penguins to make another move.
With so many power forwards potentially available and prices expected to be low, it could be that the majority of playoff-bound teams decide to add a hired gun up front this season. You can never have too much size and grit in the postseason, not to mention scoring touch, and the 2019 deadline could be defined by many players possessing those exact traits heading to new teams. With plenty of talent available, one of the aforementioned players might just end up being the x-factor for the eventual Stanley Cup champions this year.
Lightning, Blackhawks Swap Slater Koekkoek And Jan Rutta
Young defenseman Slater Koekkoek had one game remaining in his conditioning reassignment and the Tampa Bay Lightning had been searching for a trade partner before its expiration. They have found one, as TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report that Koekkoek is headed to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for veteran defenseman Jan Rutta. Also being exchanged are two late draft picks, as Chicago acquires a 2019 fifth-round pick and Tampa acquires a 2019 seventh-round pick, per the Blackhawks’ announcement.
This is the fourth trade made today alone, as the NHL trade market appears to be heating up. While Koekkoek had long been expected to be moved, Rutta comes as slightly more of a surprise. The 28-year-old cleared waivers and was sent to the AHL last month after recording just six points through 28 games. Rutta came over from his native Czech Republic last season as one of the best defenseman in the top Czech league. He carved out a role for himself with Chicago, registering 20 points in 57 games and showing flashes of brilliance at times. The Blackhawks resigned Rutta to a one-year, $2.25MM contract that immediately turned on them as he struggled right off the bat this season. Given that he cleared waivers not long ago in the midst of a down season and the Blackhawks have since traded Brandon Manning and released Jason Garrison, Ruuta’s name had not been heard much on the rumor mill.
Yet, despite his struggles and impending free agency, not to mention being both older and having less NHL experience, the details of the trade imply Rutta is considered the better of the two players. Chicago acquired both Koekkoek, who the team may control as an impending restricted free agent, and the better of the two picks in the deal. Rutta is nice depth piece for Tampa Bay in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup, but Koekkoek has the higher ceiling and longevity. The No. 10 pick overall in 2012, the 24-year-old Koekkoek is a hard-working defenseman who possesses the puck well. However, he simply never played consistently well enough to earn a regular role for the Lightning and the risk of losing him for nothing on waivers had begun to hamstring their roster decisions. There is some question as to whether Koekkoek has the high-end skill of a true NHL defenseman, but he will get the opportunity to prove it one way or another for the struggling Blackhawks, who made a completely risk-free trade.