Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Anthony Duclair

Breaking Down Potential Landing Spots For Kevin Shattenkirk

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The trade deadline is just over a month away, and there will be a lot of names brought up as potentially on the move. Expiring contracts are the easiest to move, as teams go for a Stanley Cup run while others rebuild. The most talked about name all year and likely for the next month is Kevin Shattenkirk.  The defensemen topped our mid-season list of 2017 UFAs and is having another excellent season.

It was recently reported by Darren Dreger that Shattenkirk would have interest in signing a long-term deal with Anaheim, Boston, Colorado, Detroit, New York (Rangers), San Jose, and Toronto this summer and many have suggested that one of these teams would be willing to be the top bidder at the deadline if they were able to work out an extension with him prior to the deal.

It doesn’t really make sense for some of these teams to make the deal, though the way the Eastern Conference is so tightly packed, everyone might think adding an elite right-handed defenseman would push them into a playoff spot.

A similar deal was made two years ago, when Keith Yandle was dealt to the Rangers. Though Yandle had one more year on his deal, he was a similarly productive offensive defensemen who logged huge minutes. The Rangers had to give up a young sniper in 19-year old Anthony Duclair, a (conditional) first-round pick and a second-round pick. The Rangers would go all the way to the Conference Finals that year, but get bounced out the next in the first round. Recouping some of their lost assets, they dealt Yandle’s rights to Florida where he signed long-term.

For Shattenkirk, imagine a slightly reduced package (unless an extension is reached) but still with substantial assets. Here are some Eastern Conference options for the Blues’ alternate captain.

New York Rangers

Would the Rangers go after another big-named defenseman at the deadline? Shattenkirk is from the area and many people believe they’re the early front-runners for his services this summer. The Rangers haven’t selected a player in the first-round since 2012, and if they go after the Blues’ defenseman they likely won’t this year either. Shattenkirk would look nice skating alongside captain Ryan McDonagh, but the team may not want to part with any young talent or high draft picks again this year.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins are slumping hard, losing again today 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Acquiring Shattenkirk may be a fun idea, but it likely wouldn’t be enough to fix everything that’s going wrong right now. It’s unclear who they’d even waive as bait, with Brandon Carlo being their best trade chip. Moving out a young right-handed defenseman for a rental doesn’t sound like the best managing.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs surprised everyone this year by being in the playoff hunt through the first half. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have played better than anyone expected in their rookie seasons, and their secondary scoring has been consistent. They do have a huge hole on the right side of their defense, but all signs point to Brendan Shanahan and company sticking to the rebuild and not giving up young assets. They may be a player in the summer for his services, but it would be shocking to see them move a pick or prospect for him in-season.

Philadelphia Flyers

If Philly wants to make the playoffs this year, they have to do something with their defense corps. After a scorching hot start, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league the last month or so and can’t seem to keep the puck out of their own net. Shattenkirk would perhaps help them more than any other team, as currently Radko Gudas is their only right-handed defenseman.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Yes, the Penguins already have a stud who plays on the right side, but Kris Letang has been injured for much of the year. A team who often makes a big splash at the deadline for the playoffs, they currently have Justin Schultz, Chad Ruhwedel and Steve Oleksy playing the right side. Though Schultz is having a career season, the playoffs are a different story. The Penguins shouldn’t be considered anything more than a dark horse in the Shattenkirk sweepstakes, but it would be an interesting fit to be sure.

Anthony Duclair Sent Down to AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes sent prospect forward Anthony Duclair down to the Tucson Roadrunners, reports AZ Central’s Sarah McLellan. Duclair’s demotion opens up a roster spot for Ryan White, who returns tonight after missing 11 games with a lower body injury.

Duclair has struggled this season, scoring 3G and 6A in 41 games. His production pales in comparison to last season’s campaign where he scored 20G and 24A in 81 games. Duclair played just 10 minutes last night in a 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets but managed to earn a -3 rating during those ten minutes. The Coyotes gave Duclair numerous opportunities to turn things around, but it appears that the team has given up on Duclair regaining his scoring touch without any intervention.

GM John Chayka stated that he hopes Duclair finds his skills in the AHL and leaves the door open for Duclair’s return. Duclair was linked to trade talks earlier this season, but it is unclear what the Coyotes plan on doing with the young forward after sending him down. It could be that Duclair gains more playing time in the AHL and thus the demotion may double as a showcase for interested teams.

Replacing Anthony Duclair is Ryan White who returns from injured reserve. White has 2G and 3A in 30 games this season. Unless White finds another gear, however, the Coyotes shouldn’t expect a flurry of offense with these moves.

Trade Rumors: Coyotes Edition

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Arizona Coyotes were not expected to compete this year, and with the team firmly entrenched in the league’s basement—with the Colorado Avalanche as roommates—the expected trade rumors begin to swirl. As is tradition, most basement-dwelling teams start trading pending free agents and veteran players for draft picks and prospects in an effort to stockpile for the future. And with forward-thinking GM John Chayka at the helm, Arizona should be aggressive at the deadline to take advantage of the available futures.

One name that comes up again and again is Coyotes captain Shane Doan. Doan trade rumors crop up every year, and this year is no different. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last night that Doan may be open to waiving his NMC in the right situation. Doan, however, is the face of the franchise, and a valuable marketing tool for an organization in a non-traditional market. Nevertheless, according to Friedman, the franchise is interested in looking to see who the next team leader is, and that cannot happen as long as Doan remains. Obviously Doan would only waive his NMC for an advantageous situation both for himself and his familty, and that may limit Arizona’s trading partners to west coast teams. The desire to win a Stanley cup usually ends up trumping team legacy—just ask Jarome Iginla and Ray Bourque—but then players like Mats Sundin chose to stay pat. It is unclear what Doan does this month, but rest assured the trade rumors will heat up exponentially.

Another Coyote target is center Martin Hanzal. The Coyotes are all but guaranteed to move the impending free agent at the deadline. The question is where, and for how much? Hanzal has struggled so far this year, tallying only 9G and 6A in 36 games. His production may dampen the return Arizona receives, but a player like Hanzal is a hot commodity come trade deadline. Teams looking to make an extended post-season run want to add talented center depth. Andrew Ladd returned a prospect (Marko Dano) and a first and third round draft pick. Eric Staal returned a prospect (Aleksi Saarela) and two second round draft picks. Both had similar production and similar ages to Hanzal at the deadline last year. Where the Coyote ends up will depend on what prospects the team covets.

One interesting possibility is that the Coyotes dangle sophomore forward Anthony Duclair. Duclair was linked to trade rumors early in the season, and he could be the piece that sweetens the deal alongside Doan or Hanzal for a top-notch prospect. Duclair still struggles for the Coyotes, scoring only 3G and 6A in 39 games. He is still young enough that teams may take a flyer on him, and could lessen the blow of giving up a top prospect in return.

What Does Your Team Need For Christmas?

at CDT | by 34 Comments

With the holiday roster freeze now upon us, NHL teams get a moment to sit back and take stock of their franchise. Decisions will be made over the direction of a team this season, and what, if anything, they will do to fix their roster in the New Year. There are a handful of pieces out there, with rumors still surrounding players like Kevin Shattenkirk, Anthony Duclair or James van Riemsdyk.

If your team had a chance to pick up a piece in early January in order to take a run at the playoffs or solidify their status as a cup contender, what would it be? Vote in the poll and be sure to leave a comment below explaining your decision.

[Mobile or app users click here to vote!]

Snapshots: Tavares, Connor, Duclair

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While his free agency is still over a year and a half away, that hasn’t stopped the early chatter when it comes to Islanders center John Tavares.  Speaking with WFAN in New York, Tavares commented on whether or not he plans to be an Islander for life (transcription via Andy Graziano of IslandersPointBlank):

“Yes, I’d like to be, for sure. I try to not think about it a whole lot. Obviously, I’m getting closer to the end of this contract but I’ve always stated how much I love being in New York and being an Islander, how well people have treated me here and the organization as a whole. We’ve had something good building here the last couple of years and I’d love to see it through. When that time comes, I want something to work out where both sides are happy and I remain with this team. Really good times are ahead for the franchise and I want to keep contributing to that and doing my part.”

Tavares has been with the Isles since being drafted first overall back in 2009 and it’s believed that if he were to make it to free agency in the summer of 2018, he would have no shortage of suitors, similar to the interest in Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos this past offseason.  It was reported last weekend that the team was looking to acquire a new winger for Tavares to replace Kyle Okposo (who signed with Buffalo this offseason) with the hope that doing so could help entice him to stay long-term.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Jets announced that they have assigned left winger Kyle Connor to their AHL affiliate in Manitoba. Connor, the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, made Winnipeg’s roster out of training camp but has struggled so far this season with just a goal and three assists in 19 games.  He had been a healthy scratch so this should be an opportunity to get plenty of playing time as the Moose play six times in the next 11 days.
  • Coyotes winger Anthony Duclair is hoping to use his time as a healthy scratch earlier this week to start from scratch, writes Sarah McLellan of The Arizona Republic. Through 25 games, he has just four points which led to him being benched.  One area of concern early on his lack of shots on goal as he’s averaging just over one per game.  For someone counted on to be a top six scorer, that level of shot generation is well below average.  Unfortunately for Duclair and the team, his play hasn’t really improved in his two games back in the lineup as he was sat down partway through last night’s game against Calgary.

Trade Snapshots: Hamilton, Duclair, Oduya

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Brian Burke has been doing the rounds to try and squash the idea that Dougie Hamilton was ever on the block. He’s said that the rumors all stem from one team who called Brad Treliving with an “insulting” offer for the young defenseman, and Darren Dreger things he knows who that was. In today’s edition of Insider Trading on TSN, Dreger reported that the Arizona Coyotes offered Anthony Duclair and a draft pick for Hamilton around the time of the draft, but were quickly turned down.

In his wave of interviews, Burke did seem to think that a single GM had made it known to others that he’d made an offer, so if it was indeed John Chayka, perhaps this is simply a case of a new young GM not knowing (or agreeing with) the “way things are done”. The Coyotes have continued to make Duclair available in trade talks as the 21-year old continues to struggle through his second full season in the NHL.

In a segue of professional levels, Pierre LeBrun moved on to the Ottawa Senators who decidedly are not in on Duclair but have been working the phones looking for a bottom-six forward. While the team isn’t looking for a ’big name’, they do need help with secondary scoring and GM Pierre Dorion has apparently been working the phones to try and find some help. A name that is interesting, though not mentioned in the segment, is the recently waived Reid Boucher of the New Jersey Devils.

LeBrun also mentions that the Dallas Stars are looking to deal from a position of strength as the season continues. Their blueline has been solidified by the breakout of Julius Honka this season, and may spell the end for Johnny Oduya who is a free agent this summer and still an effective puck mover. Even though the team lost Jason Demers, Kris Russell and Alex Goligoski this summer, they continue to pump out solid defenders and now have one too many. For now they’re content in waiting for everyone to get healthy, but as teams around the league struggle to find defensemen, they may find an offer that they just can’t refuse.

Coyotes Could Deal Anthony Duclair

at CDT | by 5 Comments

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported today that the Arizona Coyotes are open to dealing forward Anthony Duclair. The Coyotes are not shopping Duclair, says Dreger, but they would listen and consider the right offer.

Duclair burst onto the scene as a rookie last year, scoring 20G and 24A in 81 games. He has failed to pick up where he left off, however, and has only 1G and 3A in 20 games this season. Duclair is shooting at a drastically low 4% success rate—which should improve as time goes on—but this slow start is concerning for both the Coyotes and the potential trade market.

Despite Duclair’s struggles, the Coyotes will not sell low at the moment. Dreger stated that the Coyotes want a centerman in return, but a good centerman is a hot commodity in the NHL. If a team does move a centerman for Duclair, there’s a good chance that it is a team who will have trouble protecting all their most valuable players in the expansion draft.

Coyotes Could Make Anthony Duclair Available

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Arizona Coyotes could make left winger Anthony Duclair available in a trade, reports Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos.  Duclair is in his second season in the desert but has struggled considerably so far this year.

Last season, Duclair was part of a dynamic rookie duo with the Coyotes alongside center Max Domi.  He had 20 goals and 24 assists in 81 games despite seeing predominantly second and third line ice time.  This season, however, he has just a goal and two helpers through 17 games.

While Kypreos reports that Duclair “could be had for the right price”, it doesn’t appear that GM John Chayka is actively shopping him by any means and that the asking price would still be quite high.

A third round pick of the Rangers back in 2013, Duclair is in the final year of his entry level deal with a cap hit of just over $770K.  He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

As for the other half of the rookie duo from last year, Domi – who has 13 points (2-11-13) in 17 games this season, remains untouchable according to Kypreos.

[Related: Coyotes Depth Chart]

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top