Lightning Shopping Oliver Bjorkstrand
In this evening’s publication of Trade Deadline Thoughts courtesy of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the insider listed Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand on his “names to keep an eye on”.
Standing at #5 in the league, and by no means a seller, it figures that GM Julien BriseBois is looking to move out the 30-year-old’s expiring $5.4MM valued contract in pursuit of other forward depth. Such would be tough news for the veteran, as he still has a role on the contending Lightning, averaging just over 14 minutes a night and getting time on the power play. The Denmark native also has some control over his fate, as he holds a 10-team no trade clause. However, Bjorkstrand’s cap hit could simply be allocated better elsewhere should a deal actually materialize.
Bjorkstrand has 28 points in 59 games on the season, solid production, but not worth his ticket. Also not helping matters is that his possession metrics at 5-on-5 have dipped this year, a -2.7% in relative corsi for at even strength. Tampa Bay has had more success at even strength when he’s not on the ice, and that’s especially impactful as he takes up over $5MM for a team which is right against the cap.
Exactly one year ago today, Bjorkstrand was acquired by Tampa Bay along with Yanni Gourde from Seattle. He had been productive with the Kraken, hovering around the 50-point level, and figured to be scoring depth for the Bolts. One year later though, his inflated contract could result in another deal.
If Bjorkstrand would actually be moved, the most likely outcome would be somewhat similar to Edmonton’s dealing with Andrew Mangiapane. BriseBois would need to add draft sweeteners while simultaneously bringing in a respectable forward. It came at a high cost to the Oilers, who had to surrender a conditional 2027 first-round pick. However as Bjorkstrand’s deal comes to an end this summer, it should be closer to the third-round pick range. Tampa Bay holds both their second and third round picks for 2026, but without their first, and a fourth, they’d want to avoid running so thin and could look to 2027 or 2028 instead.
Regardless, the question stands as to who they could be after. With Dominic James set to miss eight-to-ten weeks with a lower body injury, the Bolts may be wise to add another center. Internally, Gourde has regressed this year and is best suited in a limited role. Nashville’s Erik Haula or Toronto’s Scott Laughton are options which shouldn’t break the bank, and Brayden Schenn could be a dark horse veteran option, but unlikely, as Bjorkstrand’s outgoing salary along with retention would be key factors.
If content to pursue wingers instead, they could bring back a familiar face. Calgary’s Blake Coleman or the Rangers’ Taylor Raddysh would be welcome additions.
At this point Tampa Bay has seldom been directly linked to any forwards in serious discussion. However, if rumors start picking up Bjorkstrand could be a name to watch. Clearly too late for him to rebuild his stock and bounce back onto another contender, the two-way forward would in all likelihood utilize a larger role on a non-playoff team to help with his free agency optics this summer.
Trade Deadline Primer: Utah Mammoth
With the Olympic break now over, the trade deadline is tomorrow. Where do each team stand, and what moves should they be targeting? We continue our look around the league, focusing on playoff-hunting teams, and we’re back with the Mammoth.
The Mammoth are currently in a wild-card spot in the Western Conference and would love nothing more than to give their fans some playoff home games in just their second season. Utah has been mentioned as a potential suitor for St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas, who, at just 26 years of age, would fit with the Mammoth’s contention timeline. There are a few teams that can match Utah’s stockpile of future assets and young players, making that link a real possibility.
Record
32-25-4, 4th in the Central
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$25.72MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: UTA 1st, UTA 3rd, CAR 3rd, UTA 4th, UTA 5th, CHI 5th, UTA 7th
2027: UTA 1st, UTA 2nd, UTA 3rd, TOR 3rd, UTA 4th, EDM 4th, UTA 5th, TBL 5th, UTA 6th, UTA 7th
Trade Chips
The Mammoth have a key UFA this summer in forward Nick Schmaltz, a player expected to be among, if not the best, free-agent forwards available. The Mammoth are unlikely to move the 30-year-old, who is having a career year and should be a major part of their playoff push. Other pending UFAs include forwards Alexander Kerfoot, Kevin Stenlund, defenseman Ian Cole, and backup goaltender Vitek Vanecek. Aside from Schmaltz, none of these players are expected to fetch much value on the trade market, and considering Utah’s position, it doesn’t make sense to move them.
Looking down the list of other potential trade chips, Utah has a top-five prospect system in the NHL with an embarrassment of riches, including Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers, Dmitri Simashev, Daniil But, and Maveric Lamoureux.
Iginla has name recognition thanks to his father Jarome Iginla’s illustrious career, but he is a very different player from his dad. Iginla works quickly and plays a speed-based game that excels in transition and on the rush. He is a decent playmaker, though not exceptional, but his shot can do a lot of damage. Iginla plays with a high motor and isn’t afraid to be first in on the forecheck. If Utah were to make him available, there would be teams interested in him because of his abilities and pedigree.
As promising as Iginla is, he isn’t the Mammoth’s top prospect; that distinction belongs to forward Desnoyers, who was the fourth overall pick in last year’s NHL Entry Draft. Desnoyers had an outstanding playoff last year in the QMJHL, showcasing his skills and size by scoring 30 points in just 19 playoff games. Desnoyers plays a well-rounded game overall, but his skill level wouldn’t be considered high-end. That said, he is quite responsible defensively and is one of the hardest workers on the ice.
On the back end is Simashev, a towering defenseman who dominates the defensive zone and rarely gets caught running around in his own zone. Big defensemen remain in demand regardless of skill level and effectiveness, which is quite evident if you look at recent NHL trades (Tyler Myers, for example). Simashev doesn’t light up the score sheet (one assist in 24 NHL games), and no one will mistake him for an offensive defenseman, but he is a capable puck carrier, has fairly good passing skills, and, of course, can hit. Simashev’s already broken into the NHL roster at 21 years of age and has top-four NHL potential; he would be an ideal partner for an offensive defenseman, which is something teams are always looking for.
Finally, let’s look at Daniil But, who has spent some time in the NHL with the Mammoth and is having a solid offensive showing in the AHL as well. At 6’6” and just 21 years old, you might expect some awkwardness or clumsiness in But’s game, but he is actually quite smooth and refined in his puck handling, shooting, and passing. Not to be overlooked is his shooting, which is excellent, as his large frame allows him to generate plenty of torque on his shots, no matter which foot he uses. Teams often pay a premium for size, but the combination of size and skill gives But significant trade value if Utah decides to move him.
Team Needs
A Top Nine Forward: This team’s primary need was a top-four defenseman; however, since the Mammoth recently acquired MacKenzie Weegar, Utah now has a solid defensive unit. Up front, they could benefit from a scoring forward to better balance their top nine, as their offense is only average, ranking 16th in the NHL in scoring. As mentioned earlier, Utah was in talks with the Blues for Thomas, but no deal was reached. It’s difficult to determine whether Utah needs to acquire a player with Thomas’ skill level, but a top-six forward would definitely be ideal to move players down the lineup into roles better suited to their abilities. The player they acquire could also be a third liner, but their main focus will likely be scoring, whether it’s depth scoring or improving overall.
A Backup Goaltender: Utah is among the top defensive teams in the NHL, ranking fifth in goals against this season. The team has relied heavily on starter Karel Vejmelka and has used backup netminder Vaněček sparingly. The reason for Vaněček’s limited play is quite clear, given his poor performance this season in just 14 games. The 30-year-old has a 3-9-2 record, a 2.94 GAA, and a .884 SV%. Vaněček’s -1.3 goals saved above expected (according to MoneyPuck) isn’t the worst figure, but his lack of appearances and record with the team indicate a goaltender who hasn’t exactly boosted confidence among his teammates. Utah also lacks a reliable third option if Vejmelka or Vaněček were to get injured.
Photo by Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Ducks Sign Ryan Poehling To Four-Year Extension
The Ducks announced they’ve signed center Ryan Poehling to a four-year extension. It carries an average annual value of $3.75MM for a total value of $15MM, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’s now under contract through the 2029-30 season.
Poehling, 27, would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s in the back half of a two-year, $3.8MM deal he signed with the Flyers in 2024. Anaheim was likely never keen on letting him hit the open market after making him the key piece of the return they received from Philadelphia for Trevor Zegras last summer.
A first-round pick by the Canadiens back in 2017, Poehling has taken the long road toward being a stable top-nine contributor, but it’s looking like he’s finally arrived. He played mostly fourth-line minutes for the first several years of his career, but he first got an extended look on Philly’s third line last season. A defensively responsible pivot who’s featured heavily on the Penguins’, Flyers’, and Ducks’ penalty kills since the 2022-23 campaign, the offense arrived in earnest with a 12-19–31 scoring line in 68 games for Philly.
Anaheim was banking on him keeping that production up while continuing to feature as a #3/#4 center. So far, that’s been the case. Despite a five-point regression in shooting percentage from last season, his 7-17–24 scoring line through 54 contests as a Duck is roughly in line with his points per game output in 2024-25. He’s done that with what seems like a never-ending rotating cast of linemates while also leading Anaheim forwards in shorthanded ice time.
Poehling’s 46.3% faceoff win rate isn’t anything to write home about, but his +7 rating is tied with Troy Terry for the team lead, and his 62 blocked shots are the most among Ducks forwards. That kind of skillset, plus what seems like a consistent ability to score in the 30-to-40-point range, is valuable considering how low he generally plays in the lineup, and he’ll now be filling that role behind core centers Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish through the end of the decade.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Red Wings Pursuing Robert Thomas, Vincent Trocheck
Insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet published this evening’s Trade Deadline Thoughts, where he noted that the Detroit Red Wings are in the mix on the market’s top two centers: Robert Thomas of St. Louis and the Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck.
Thomas, 26, is the bigger fish and likely the #1 overall player available before tomorrow’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. If GM Steve Yzerman would be able to pull it off, the 26-year-old could be the final piece to the puzzle up front after years of building. The center, an 80+ point getter over the last two seasons, is locked up through 2030-31 at a $8.125MM cap hit, reasonable considering that it will take him through the prime of his career.
Detroit has missed the playoffs for nine straight years, and patience was wearing thin. Making it 10 was simply not an option, and sure enough, the team is well on their way to end the drought. Even just making it is half the battle, but if the Wings could win more than one round, it would be the first time since 2009, when they came just short of back-to-back Stanley Cups.
A center such as Thomas or Trocheck could make Detroit a real dark horse contender. Current 2C Andrew Copp has played well this season, already reaching his second best point total as a Red Wing in 62 games, but he’d be better off as a third line middleman. Cheaper options exist, such as Nashville’s Erik Haula, but looking at their lineup it’s really all or nothing in terms of what could actually push the Wings over the top.
Suffice to say, there’s a reason for Yzerman to be aggressive. Years of patience have assembled a nucleus of young talent which few teams can rival in trade offers. For Thomas, it has been reported that the Blues are seeking multiple first-round picks or equivalent pieces, as Buffalo and Utah have made a push. As for Detroit, it’s not clear who may be in discussion, but St. Louis would have a variety of assets to choose from.
Standout NCAA goaltending prospect Trey Augustine could especially appeal to the Blues as they could move on from Jordan Binnington. Also, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Carter Bear are both wingers selected in the first round over the last two years. They’d allow Yzerman to march on without touching his current group.
On the other hand, Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper would be assets appealing to St. Louis, or maybe even New York as they could jump right into the lineup. Both top 10 selections, their NHL production has hit a bit of a snag, possibly enough that Yzerman could move on.
If St. Louis was to add defense to their Thomas trade wish list, youngsters Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Albert Johansson emerge, although both are current contributors to the Wings lineup, which is already thin in depth. Especially if Yzerman were to part with the uber-talented Sandin-Pellikka, it may require a bigger deal where someone like Justin Faulk also came along.
Detroit stands out as a suitor as even after all seven of those players listed, there are still several other noteworthy candidates, not to mention their draft capital. Yzerman holds all of the team’s selections besides one second rounder in 2027.
The Red Wings have all the pieces to put together a blockbuster, and it may simply come down to the Aurora, Ontario native’s preferences, as he holds a no trade clause.
Even if Thomas is not meant to be, Trocheck would still be a tremendous fit in Detroit. The 32-year-old already had ties to the area, playing in the Little Caesars program as a youth, and his OHL Hockey in Saginaw. He has already been linked to Detroit for such reasons. Older, and signed through 2028-29 at a reasonable $5.625MM, he would naturally bring less in return than Thomas. However, there’s still plenty to offer that would have the Rangers salivating as they move forward on their youth movement.
New York fans can likely forget about the Wings’ absolute top assets, but a first rounder in either of the next two seasons along with some serious second tier options would be adequate. Rangers GM Chris Drury is not forced to move Trocheck now, as he could hold off until the summer, but the Blueshirts completing their lost season with all three 32-year-old centers still in the fold doesn’t seem favorable.
Whether it could be Thomas in a blockbuster, or Trocheck in what would still be one of the bigger deals of the deadline, time will tell. Yzerman will remain disciplined against high demands. Yet there’s enough reason from Detroit to swing a trade for Thomas or Trocheck, and pushing for more than simply returning to the playoffs this spring.
Image Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images (Thomas)
Image Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images (Trocheck)
Ducks Looking To Add On The Wing
So far, it’s been a quiet deadline season for Anaheim. The only deal the Ducks have made this season was to acquire depth winger Jeffrey Viel from the Bruins in January.
Now, it appears more additions on the wing could be ahead of a more headline-grabbing variety. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet relays that the Ducks are still gauging the market for a top-nine winger and hope to land one ahead of tomorrow’s lineup, calling them a “stealth team.”
While a handful of names have come off the board today – Michael Bunting and Warren Foegele have found new homes in the past couple of hours – there are plenty more available. Options on The Athletic’s latest trade board, published today, include Blake Coleman, Bobby McMann, Conor Garland, Evander Kane, and, to a lesser extent, Jordan Kyrou. Friedman also mentioned Nashville’s Jonathan Marchessault as a name with continued urgency to move after reports of a mutual desire for a trade last month.
Some might gawk at Anaheim’s defensive numbers – they’ve allowed the third-most goals in the league to date – but their under-the-hood numbers are strong. They’re high-event but are controlling the majority of play at 5-on-5 (52.3 CF%, 50.7 SCF%), but have fallen victim to some underwhelming special teams and a recent cold streak from starting netminder Lukáš Dostál after his exceptional start.
Still, their offense hasn’t been overpowering. They’re third in the league with 30.2 shots per game, but their goals per game of 3.25 is much closer to league average at 13th. That’s certainly playoff-caliber, but there’s a clear need to improve their finishing ability to make a deep run in a wide-open Pacific Division in their first year of playoff contention this decade.
Anaheim has gotten exceptional performances from the young players at the top of their lineup, 31-goal man Cutter Gauthier chief among them, but some of their higher-priced veterans in top-nine roles have struggled. Alex Killorn has only eight tallies in 61 games despite averaging over 16 minutes per night. Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome have combined for just seven goals on the year. Moving two of them to a fourth-line role by adding a top-nine name and getting Mikael Granlund back healthy seems to be high on general manager Pat Verbeek‘s wish list.
Whatever they’re willing to leverage in return will likely be futures-based. There’s been some talk of defenseman Pavel Mintyukov being dangled, but they don’t have the defensive depth to sustain his loss if they’re not taking a D-man back in return.
Kraken Interested In Mackie Samoskevich
The Kraken have contacted the Panthers about the availability of winger Mackie Samoskevich, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
While Seattle has been shopping around a young forward of their own in Shane Wright, they’re not looking to leverage him in these talks, Friedman adds. They’re still putting him forth in discussions with other clubs but prefer to use him as part of a package for a more established scoring threat, not in a one-for-one swap.
It’s hard to see why Florida would be chomping at the bit to make Samoskevich available unless there’s a concern they won’t be able to sign him this summer. The Kraken have made clear their intentions to add, not subtract, at this year’s deadline as they find themselves in playoff position, so it doesn’t appear they’d be shipping a roster player back to the Panthers in the deal, either.
While Samoskevich likely hasn’t had the year the Cats hoped for, he still has the highest ceiling of any under-25 player in their system. Selected 24th overall in 2021, the 5’11” righty is now 23 years old in just his second NHL season. The high-energy winger ended up as mostly an extra forward on their Cup run, but was an excellent depth contributor in the regular season, tallying 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games.
Florida looked to give Samoskevich more minutes this year, especially with Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov absent from their top six to start the year. While he’s gotten a small bump in ice time to over 14 minutes per game, his production has actually taken a step back. He’s clicking with a 6-15–21 scoring line through 59 appearances, a dropoff from 0.43 points per game last season to 0.36. A lot of that has to do with a string of horrid finishing. He’s already topped last year’s shots on goal total but is shooting at just 4.7%, so there’s serious positive regression potential there.
The Panthers already had fits trying to get a new deal done for Samoskevich last summer after his entry-level pact expired. He accepted a one-year, league-minimum pact with no leverage – he was a 10.2(c) RFA who was ineligible to receive and sign offer sheets. That’s no longer the case this summer, though, and he’ll be eligible for arbitration as well. Florida has nearly $15.5MM in cap space for this summer, with the rising upper limit, but that’s with five roster spots to fill and both of their goaltenders heading for unrestricted free agency. That’s limited enough to make Samoskevich an offer sheet threat.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Cats are setting what Friedman calls a “high price.” Florida doesn’t have a first-round pick again until 2028, so unless they offload a significant asset in the meantime, they won’t be getting a young forward of his caliber back in the system anytime soon. With Seattle boasting four first-round picks in the next two drafts, they’ve got the draft capital to dangle, plus one of the league’s better prospect pools, to help the Cats restock their cupboards while helping Seattle push the envelope in developing some higher-ceiling scoring options.
Kings Trade Warren Foegele To Senators
5:30 p.m.: The deal is now official, per both clubs. The details of the pick swap are as follows:
Ottawa will get the worse of the Kings’ own third round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft or Dallas’ third round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft (acquired in a previous trade). Los Angeles will get the better of Ottawa’s own third round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft or Washington’s third round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft (acquired in a previous trade). However, if both Ottawa and Washington do not qualify for the 2026 NHL playoffs, then Ottawa will instead transfer to Los Angeles the worse of Ottawa’s own third round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft or Washington’s third round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft (acquired in a previous trade).
The Kings also recalled forward Jared Wright from AHL Ontario in a corresponding move, per John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor. He was sent down just yesterday after making his NHL debut against the Avalanche earlier this week, but will be back in the lineup tonight.
4:13 p.m.: The Senators are adding some depth on the wings, with Darren Dreger of TSN reporting they’re acquiring forward Warren Foegele from the Kings. Ottawa is sending the Sabres’ 2026 second-round pick (acquired in last year’s Dylan Cozens/Joshua Norris deal) to Los Angeles in return, while the clubs are also swapping conditional third-round picks, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
Foegele, 30 next month, is a big left winger with some legitimate scoring upside, although he hasn’t shown much of it this season. He’s scored just seven goals and nine points in 47 games this year, and he was moved to the press box for five of the Kings’ last 10 games after being a lineup staple for L.A. and Edmonton for the last several seasons. Even still, he’s averaged 16 goals and 32 points per 82 games over his nine-year career.
Foegele is playing the season in year two of a three-year, $10.5MM deal and has a five-team no-trade list, which presumably didn’t include his home country’s capital. He still has another year left on that contract at a $3.5MM cap hit – a steep commitment if he can’t rebound to his career-average form, let alone the back-to-back 20-goal seasons he’d put up leading into this year. He’s making only $3MM in actual salary next season, though, so that’ll be financially attractive for the Sens’ books.
While he’d recently squeezed back into the Kings’ lineup thanks to their rash of injuries at forward, he’ll likely get a longer leash in Ottawa’s top-nine, at least to start. David Perron is close to a return from his sports hernia surgery, but his absence has stretched their depth scoring thin with Nick Cousins needing to step up into a third-line role (although even he’s produced at a better rate than Foegele has this year).
That makes a second-round pick a steep price to pay for a player on an undesirable contract who may not be in Ottawa’s regular lineup when Perron returns to health, but it’s only further evidence of the seller’s market this deadline is quickly turning out to be. Comparable fourth-line pieces like Michael McCarron and Nic Dowd have fetched similar returns in the past few days, but those names carry added value as centers (where Foegele has zero utility), and the Sens likely valued his controllability for another year while hoping a change of scenery could make his production more efficient.
Selling off a forward is at first glance counterintuitive for a Kings club that’s had nightmarish scoring troubles this season and is currently down a pair of top-nine wingers for the rest of the season in Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko. After swinging a deal for Artemi Panarin last month, they were clearly trying to get themselves back into the playoff picture after a rough start, but their recent rash of injuries – plus the fact they managed to get Panarin extended for two more seasons – has seemingly pushed them the other way, with ESPN’s Emily Kaplan calling them a “wild card team in terms of direction.” Nonetheless, it’s tidy work in a vacuum to land a top-64 pick for a name they haven’t been using while opening up cap space to retool for next season.
Image courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images.
Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia was first to report a second-round pick was headed the Kings’ way, while Frank Seravalli of Victory+ was first to report a pick swap was included.
Stars Acquire Michael Bunting
5:05 p.m.: Both teams have announced the trade as reported.
4:23 p.m.: The Dallas Stars are bringing in a formidable middle-six forward for their playoff run. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Stars have acquired Michael Bunting from the Nashville Predators. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Predators will receive the Seattle Kraken’s 2026 third-round pick from Dallas. Beat writer Robert Tiffin reported that Dallas has reassigned forward Arttu Hyry in a corresponding move.
Moving to Dallas, Bunting will suit up for his fifth team in the last four seasons. Bunting was acquired by the Predators at last year’s deadline (along with a fourth-round pick) from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Thomas Novak and Luke Schenn.
Bunting, 30, was having a strong year in Nashville, headed into his third trip through free agency. Before the trade, Bunting had scored 13 goals and 31 points in 61 games, averaging 14:48 of ice time per game. If that scoring trend continues with the Stars, Bunting will finish a 41-point campaign.
He’s not the most physical winger in the league, but he brings a strong possession game to Dallas for a team that needed reinforcements. Tyler Seguin has already been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, including the playoffs, while Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen have each been dealing with injuries of late.
Given the injuries to Dallas’ top-six, it’s likely that’s where Bunting will begin his tenure with the Stars. Assuming everyone except for Seguin returns for the playoffs, Bunting can provide additional scoring punch to the team’s third line.
Despite being an expiring asset, a third-round pick as a return must feel underwhelming for the Predators. Only a few days ago, Nashville sent fourth-liner Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a second-round pick. Yes, McCarron is making $3.6MM less than Bunting, and is a center, but Bunting is outscoring him by more than double.
Regardless, it’s clear that general manager Barry Trotz is intent on accumulating draft capital for the next regime. Assuming the third-round selection is within the next three years, the Predators will have 16 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts. This will provide the next GM with significant control over team building.
Image courtesy of Tim Fuller-Imagn Images.
Blue Jackets, Wild Interested In Nick Foligno
Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild have contacted the Chicago Blackhawks about forward Nick Foligno. Chicago’s captain has connections to both organizations.
Columbus is where Foligno had the most successful period of his career. Ahead of the 2012-13 season, the Blue Jackets acquired Foligno from the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Marc Methot. The 38-year-old winger spent four years with the Blue Jackets before being named the team’s captain for the 2015-16 season.
Throughout his nine-year tenure in Columbus, Foligno scored 142 goals and 334 points in 599 games, averaging 17:47 of ice time. Aside from notching a pair of 20-goal campaigns (one of which was a 30-goal performance), Foligno displayed immense physicality, averaging 2.5 hits per game, and a respectable 91.5% on-ice SV% at even strength.
Pulling back into the playoff conversation of late, Foligno is exactly the type of player the Blue Jackets were expected to add. Yes, the club has a trio of pending unrestricted free-agent forwards it could dangle, but it’s clear the team is looking to reward its group with some low-cost additions. Columbus wouldn’t need Chicago to retain any of Foligno’s $4.5MM cap hit either, which would inevitably lower the Blackhawks’ asking price.
Meanwhile, despite never having played for the Wild, Nick’s brother, Marcus Foligno, has been in Minnesota for the last nine seasons. The two play a very similar style of hockey, and they could slot in on the same line if Minnesota ultimately acquires Nick.
Still, Minnesota is known to be looking for a top-six center, and acquiring Foligno, even at 50% retained, would cut into their financial assets. If the Wild cannot acquire a higher-end center, they could focus their remaining cap space on acquiring veteran depth pieces, such as Foligno. Regardless, if the Wild acquired Nick, it would be the first time the pair has played together, even since their high school days.
Penguins Interested In Teddy Blueger
The Penguins’ roster isn’t expected to look very different after Friday’s deadline. They’re a safe bet to make the playoffs and won’t be selling off any rental UFAs, but after seemingly jumping years ahead of schedule in their retool in a matter of moves, they’re not in the market for any of the significant names still available, either.
They’re still in the market for some cheap pickups, whether rentals or young change-of-scenery names. It appears a reunion with center Teddy Blueger could help satisfy the latter want, as Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports they’re looking at acquiring the pending UFA from the Canucks as a stopgap depth fix with Sidney Crosby‘s suspected MCL sprain causing a strain on their forward group.
Vancouver has presumably received interest from a few other playoff-bound clubs as well in the 31-year-old, who ended his first stint in Pittsburgh under similar circumstances as a rental pickup by the Golden Knights on their way to a Stanley Cup in 2023. He spent more than half the season on injured reserve with a lower-body issue but has been hot since returning, picking up five goals and eight points in 14 games for the ‘Nucks while averaging north of 16 minutes per game, a career-high.
Blueger was a press-box luxury for the Knights on their long playoff run three years ago and could fill a similar role for Pittsburgh when Crosby returns. The success of Thomas Novak and Benjamin Kindel this season makes it hard to envision Blueger taking up a spot in the top-nine, and they’d be similarly hesitant to break up a fourth line of Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Noel Acciari that’s been exceptional at controlling play at even strength with a 54.2% expected goals share.
As such, the Pens likely won’t be willing to part ways with more than a mid-round pick to land him. Seeing as they have at least five picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts, they have no shortage of capital. But they might have to reach into that stable of second or third-rounders compared to a fourth or fifth to get it done, considering what fourth-line pieces like Michael McCarron, Nic Dowd, and Cole Smith have fetched this week.
Blueger started his career as a second-round pick of the Pens back in 2012. After finally breaking into the league six years later, he ended up posting 33 goals and 92 points in 250 games for them over five seasons.