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Artemi Panarin

Snapshots: Trade Bait, Three Stars, Dobson

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The NHL trade season is upon us with only seven weeks until the deadline and teams falling out of the playoff race. With that, Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) broke down his list of 20 players who could be on the move before February 25th. At the top of the list is Artemi Panarin, who is still without a contract extension as we head into the second half of the season. The Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to make a deep Stanley Cup run and have perhaps the toughest decisions in the league with Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky set to hit unrestricted free agency.

Deeper down the list though Custance provides some details on asking prices, explaining that a deal to acquire Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings would need to start with a first-round pick while Alec Martinez might cost just a second-round pick and a good prospect. The Kings still sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division and are the only NHL team to have scored fewer than 100 goals this season. There are changes coming for Los Angeles, but in a “strong buyers market” it will be interesting to see how much they really get back for some of their trade assets.

  • Last week’s Three Stars have been revealed by the NHL, with Johnny Gaudreau taking home the top honors. Gaudreau recorded 11 points in four games and has led the Calgary Flames all season. Brent Burns takes home the second star, but most interesting might be Robin Lehner in the third position. Lehner looked to be on the brink of losing his NHL career when he went unqualified by the Buffalo Sabres, but has turned things around dramatically this season with the New York Islanders. With a .927 save percentage there is good reason to believe that Lehner could be one of the top goaltending options on the market this summer after his one-year deal expires, unless the Islanders can lock him up over the next few months.
  • Noah Dobson might be best known to many hockey fans for his stick exploding in overtime for Canada in the recent World Junior Championship, but he’s also a dominant defenseman and leader in the QMJHL. The Islanders prospect is on the move thanks to a junior deadline deal that will send him to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies for the remainder of the season. The Huskies sent three first-round picks and a second-round pick for the right to acquire Dobson, who will give them another huge weapon on their quest for a Memorial Cup berth. The trade deadline for the OHL and WHL meanwhile passes on Thursday, meaning many more top prospects will be on the move.

Panarin Does Not Want To Be Traded, Will Discuss Future With Columbus

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Beginning this off-season, the rumblings that star forward Artemi Panarin did not want to resign with the Columbus Blue Jackets created the impression that a blockbuster trade was inevitable prior to the end of this season, when Panarin becomes an unrestricted free agent. That no longer appears to be the case. In the midst of another strong season for both Panarin and his team, the high scoring winger is hoping to stay in Columbus through the end of the season, his agent, Dan Milstein, told TSN’s “Leafs Lunch” on Friday. Panarin is also reportedly opening up to the idea of an extension with the Blue Jackets.

Milstein stated that he and Panarin plan to meet over the All-Star break in late January to discuss the future. Part of that conversation will be about a potential long-term fit with the Blue Jackets. “He likes it in Columbus. They have a very good, young team… Management has been nothing but great to him…. He wants to help the team to win the Stanley Cup”, Milstein said. Panarin is a very competitive player and Milstein made it clear that last season’s early playoff exit bothered the all-world winger and he hopes to lead the team deeper into the postseason this year. There is also the potential for a long-term fit in Columbus, as Milstein applauded the efforts of young center Pierre-Luc Dubois and said that Panarin has enjoyed playing alongside him this season. While Panarin leads the Jackets with 41 points, the sophomore centerman is not far behind with 32. The promise of that pairing moving forward could be a vital factor in Panarin’s decision.

However, other teams and their rosters will certainly be considered. Milstein was honest that he and Panarin will likely begin discussing his potential fits with other teams when they meet next month. Panarin, still just 27, will likely be the most sought-after forward on the free agent market if he opts to leave Columbus and could pick almost any team to play for given his unique skill set. It has previously been reported that Panarin prefers to play in a coastal metropolitan area, with many speculating that the three New York-area teams, all of whom are in comfortable salary cap situations, are possible fits, while Boston, Florida, Carolina, or one of the three California teams would also be logical landing spots. The competitive Panarin also wants a chance to win the Stanley Cup. Even though he will almost certainly sign a seven-year contract at a minimum and a lot can change in that time, teams’ recent success and talent pool moving forward will also weigh heavily on his decision. As Milstein stated, they believe that the Blue Jackets are one of those talented, young teams that will be a contender moving forward.

One thing that will not affect Panarin’s decision is the future of Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, at least not in a personal sense. Although the two are good friends, Milstein said that “they are in no way going to be going as a package”. Bobrovsky appears to be headed for the free agent market, but his likely departure does not necessarily mean that Panarin will leave Columbus simply because his friend is gone. However, how the Jackets plan to handle the massive hole that Bobrovksy would leave in net will definitely be a part of Panarin’s calculations.

Whatever conclusions that Panarin and Milstein come to when the meet in January, if any, the fact remains that in the short-term Panarin is focused on winning with Columbus and that is likely enough to convince Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to hold on to his top scorer in hopes of making a title run. “Hopefully he’ll play through the end of the season, will help them get deep into the playoffs and perhaps help them win the Stanley Cup”, Milstein said, “That’s the immediate goal.” This should come as good news for Jackets fans, who can rest easy about their best player, at least until July 1st.

Trade Rumors: Holiday Roster Freeze, Lamoriello, Wennberg

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Barring a move late tonight or tomorrow, the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze will go into effect without any of the anticipated trades. The roster freeze begins at midnight local time tomorrow, December 19th, and lasts through to December 28th. During that time, the only transactions that teams may make are promotions, as trades, waiver placements, and demotions are all prohibited. Generally, teams see this as a deadline to make any acquisitions they feel they might need to survive a stretch of more than a week during which they are more or less locked in to their current lineup. This year, both the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings expressed interest in making a move prior to the holiday freeze, while other teams have been active on the market as well, but time is running out. Right now, it appears as if the first “deadline” of the season is going to be a quiet one.

  • One team discouraged by a lack of trade activity are the New York Islanders. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that new GM Lou Lamoriello would like to be active on the market, but hasn’t gotten much of a response from potential partners. The Islanders are in an interesting situation right now; the team is currently contending for a playoff spot nearing the midway mark of the season, but also have several pending UFA assets that could draw considerable interest at the trade deadline if they have slipped in the standings. Lamoriello is likely looking to add some depth pieces sooner rather than later in hopes of improving his postseason odds and getting a more clear picture of whether his team will be buyers or sellers in a couple months. Whether the market simply isn’t there or whether rival GM’s are avoiding making deals with Lamoriello, a famed NHL wheeler and dealer, the Islanders are not getting the traction on the trade market that they had hoped, but will continue to be a team to watch after the holiday roster freeze expires.
  • Garrioch adds that Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is also frustrated with the current state of the trade market. Although Columbus is playing well this season, currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division, the team is unhappy with young center Alexander Wennberg, who has just one goal and 16 points through 33 games. Kekalainen has reportedly been actively offering Wennberg in trades, but hasn’t been receiving the level of interest he expected. Wennberg is only 24 and had a 59-point season just two years ago, but his long-term contract worth nearly $5MM per season against the cap is a major stumbling block for interested teams, especially if he’s already in early decline. Columbus has more than a few intriguing trade chips if they do choose to sell, but the Blue Jackets could be actual contenders this season if they instead retain the likes of Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and can add a substantial piece or two in return for Wennberg.

Artemi Panarin “Genuinely Happy” With Blue Jackets’ Season

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One of the biggest stories of this NHL season is the pending unrestricted free agency of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin. After telling the Blue Jackets that he did not want to negotiate a long-term extension with the team in the summer, and then claiming he wanted all business to be finished by the start of the season, he put the team’s front office in quite a bind. GM Jarmo Kekalainen could keep the talented forward and hope that they can convince him at some point down the road, or trade him to try and get some value out of an asset before it expires. He has chosen the former up until this point, and it has the Blue Jackets in second place in the Metropolitan Division and pushing for a playoff spot.

Still, it wasn’t clear how the Panarin situation would resolve, given his apparent unwillingness to negotiate during the year and lack of decision on his future. Now, Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports that Panarin and agent Dan Milstein will “discuss business” in late January when the Blue Jackets are on their bye week. That’s a bit different than the timeline presented by Pierre LeBrun recently, who said the two would talk over the holiday break in December. Milstein didn’t tell Hedger what exactly they would discuss, but did tell him that Panarin is “genuinely happy with the way things are going this season.” That at least should give a bit of hope to Blue Jackets fans that are hoping to retain the services of their best offensive weapon past this season.

Now 27, Panarin has dominated the NHL since coming over from Russia in 2015. First joining the Chicago Blackhawks, he found immediate chemistry with Patrick Kane and ended up with a 77-point season as a rookie—albeit an experienced one. He followed that up with another excellent season in Chicago before being dealt to the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2017 in exchange for a package including Brandon Saad, a move that was designed to give the Blackhawks some more cost certainty into the future. Panarin only had two years remaining on his contract, and this is the exact type of situation that Chicago was trying to avoid.

In the one and a quarter seasons since however, the Blue Jackets have been the obvious winner of the trade. Panarin recorded a career-high 82 points last season for Columbus and helped Pierre-Luc Dubois jump right into the NHL lineup and find some success in the offensive zone. The Russian winger has started this season off just as well, recording 23 points in his first 22 games and helping Columbus to their 13-8-2 record. That kind of production though will make him an extremely desirable asset on the open market, one who very well could sign a contract with an average annual salary upwards of $10MM.

That kind of extension may even be acceptable for the Blue Jackets, but at this point Panarin hasn’t even allowed them to make the offer. Though Milstein did meet with Kekalainen recently according to Hedger, it was not to discuss the pending free agent.  It seems as though the team must continue to wait patiently until some sort of decision is made in late January.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: “Trade Bait”, Lindholm, Spezza

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The second month of the NHL season is underway and with it comes the first iteration of TSN’s “Trade Bait” board. To no surprise, unsigned Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander tops the list. With the countdown at 28 days until the December 1st deadline for Nylander to sign and play in the NHL this season, the impasse between the two sides is desperately in need of a resolution, and with each day that goes by, a trade looks more and more likely. TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes that it was the first week of November last year when No. 1-ranked trade bait player Matt Duchene was traded away, making it entirely possible that a Nylander trade or other big name move could drop in the next few days. Joining Nylander in the top six of the list are recent rumor mill highlights Kevin Hayes of the New York Rangers and Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson of the Los Angeles Kings, as well as summer trade bait board holdout Mats Zuccarello, also of the Rangers, and perennial rumor monger Gustav Nyquist of the Detroit Red Wings. Both free agency-bound Columbus Blue Jackets superstars – Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin – feature in the top ten, as does a possible Nylander return piece Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes. A surprise addition is Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tyler Myers, who seems unlikely to move in the midst of what the Jets hope is a Stanley Cup-caliber season. So too is Wayne Simmonds, who the Philadelphia Flyers seemingly would like to re-sign and keep on as a leader and core contributor, but the Flyers’ success this season will likely determine his availability. The trade board is limited to just 15 names right now, but this initial list certainly features plenty of talent and some names that have already featured prominently in rumors. TSN may have perfect timing, as the NHL trade market seems ready to heat up.

  • One of the off-season’s biggest trades almost went differently, writes Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. Fox talked to new Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters recently, who stated that he expected a different package from a different team entirely in return for defenseman Dougie Hamilton, only to find that his former club, the Carolina Hurricanes, had offered the top package of Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Peters (obviously) says that he likes the way the deal turned out. While Hanifin is off to a slow start in Calgary, Lindholm has been an excellent fit next to Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau on the top line and currently sports a 24.3% shooting percentage to go with a team-leading nine goals and total of 14 points.
  • Fox also recently spoke with Dallas Stars center Jason Spezza, who this past week played in his 1,000th NHL game, about how he is approaching a contract year. Spezza was transparent with his answer:

“Not when you’re 35. You don’t care about the contract years… I just want to play the year, have a good year. I want to be back here next year. The money doesn’t matter. I just want to play and make sure I have a good role… It’s different when you’re at this point in my career. I just want to be on a team that has a chance to win. So, no, I can’t say that’s once played into my mind… That time has passed in my career. I’m just looking to play and be on a good team and have a good role and contribute… If you put the work into it, you get rewarded with big contracts. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever played the game for the money.”

Spezza’s honesty is refreshing, but he also contradicts himself with a scenario that is likely to unfold as the season progresses. Spezza states that he wants to be back in Dallas next season, yet also wants a chance to finally win the Stanley Cup. Those two things may not coincide soon enough for the veteran center. The Stars currently share the 14th-best record in the NHL, but sit sixth out of seven in the powerhouse Central Division and have struggled to score goals early on this season. If Dallas cannot improve over the course of the season, Spezza will become an attractive trade rental candidate, especially since his eight points thus far indicate a bounce-back season compared to a disappointing 2017-18 campaign. Dallas may also be a few years away from really competing with the likes of Nashville and Winnipeg in the Central. A desire to win may make a continued career with the Stars less likely, but would make Spezza’s decision to waive his No-Movement Clause and choices in free agency much easier.

Poll: Will The Blue Jackets Re-Sign Panarin Or Bobrovsky?

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Even in this early part of the season, many eyes around the league are focused on the Columbus Blue Jackets. As more players like Nate Schmidt ink contract extensions and are taken off the 2019 unrestricted free agent market, even more pressure is on the Blue Jackets and their pending duo of stars. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky are both scheduled to become UFAs next July, and have had little movement with the Blue Jackets in terms of contract extensions.

In fact, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that Bobrovsky may have already given “an indication of teams he will consider” a trade to this season, given he has full control with a no-movement clause. Bobrovsky has taken the lion’s share of work in the Columbus net to start the year, but is performing worse than he ever has in his career. His .872 save percentage is among the league’s worst, and nearly 50 points lower than his mark from last season. It’s hard to believe he won’t turn things around, but if the Blue Jackets aren’t intending on re-signing him—or he’s not willing to re-sign with the Blue Jackets—a trade might be the best scenario for both.

Panarin meanwhile told the club he didn’t want to negotiate during the summer, but also wanted all business completed by the start of the season. That left the Blue Jackets in a tough position given their belief in themselves as Stanley Cup contenders, as trading a player like Panarin can only hurt your on-ice product in the short term. The 26-year old forward though never said anything negative about the organization or city, just that he didn’t want to sign a long-term deal at the moment. That little bit of wiggle room could force the Blue Jackets to keep him around all year and make a pitch at the end of the season.

It’s obvious that both players are incredible talents, capable of changing the direction of a franchise all by themselves. But both will also be incredibly expensive on the open market, likely challenging some of the highest paid players at their respective positions. Can the Blue Jackets wait out the year and re-sign either one? Or are both destined to be in a different jersey come September 2019.

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Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman Anticipated Artemi Panarin Free Agency Dilemma

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Pending a change of heart, forward Artemi Panarin is likely to become one of the most hotly pursued NHL free agents in recent memory on July 1st, 2019, with a sweepstakes potentially rivaling even that of John Tavares’ last year. His current team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, have done their best to convince Panarin not to test the free agent waters and instead sign an extension, but thus far it seems like a highly unlikely outcome. As a result, Columbus is saddled with the difficult choice this season of whether to hold on to Panarin for a run at the Stanley Cup and risk losing him for nothing or trade the talented winger for a hefty return while also damaging the team’s title hopes.

However, that dilemma could have instead belonged to the Chicago Blackhawks. Panarin was only traded to Columbus in the 2017 off-season. The Russian dynamo was originally signed by and played his first two NHL seasons in Chicago. However, the Blackhawks decided to deal Panarin away, opting instead to bring back Brandon Saad from the Blue Jackets, as well as young goaltender Anton Forsberg and a mid-round pick. By any metric, it is difficult to say that the Blackhawks won that trade, as Chicago missed the playoffs last season amid a very disappointing campaign for Saad, while Panarin was one of the league’s top scorers for a Columbus squad that performed well all season long. Yet, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman may have had more than just the trade return in mind when he dealt Panarin to the Blue Jackets.

Speaking with TSN, Bowman claims that he foresaw the “tough spot” that Columbus and colleague Jarmo Kekalainen are in right now with Panarin. The young forward made such an immediate impact when coming to the NHL, that Bowman expected he would test the free agent market as soon as possible, saying ” I saw that coming as a challenge.” This clearly was a major factor that contributed to Chicago’s surprising willingness to trade Panarin. For his part, Bowman does acknowledge that Saad has to play better and has been more than a little disappointing thus far in his second stint with the Blackhawks. Continued poor performance from Saad would make this trade a complete loss, even if Panarin does bolt from Columbus. However, Bowman still stands behind his decision to acquire a talented forward signed long-term at a $6MM cap hit in Saad rather than take his chances with Panarin, who felt was destined to depart in free agency.

Central Notes: Dano, Kamenev, Blackhawks, Bouwmeester

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It’s been six days since winger Marko Dano was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche and the 23-year-old forward finally got an opportunity to practice with the team Sunday, but no one is quite sure when he may make his Avalanche debut, but it could come as early as Monday, according to NHL.com’s Callie Parmele.

Dano already has some familiarity with the team, especially with head coach Jared Bednar and assistant coach Nolan Pratt, who both were on the Springfield Falcons coaching staff during the 2013-14 season when Dano made his North American debut in the AHL for the team’s final 10 games. Bednar was promoted to head coach the following year where he had even more time with Dano.

“We had a good run in Springfield, and it’s always good when you know the coach,” Dano said of his relationship with Bednar. “We haven’t seen each other for a long time, and I am excited to work with him and I appreciate the chance they have given to me.”

  • Still with the Avalanche, the team likes what it sees in Vladislav Kamenev, who received the most ice time of his career on Thursday when he skated 12:36 against the New Jersey Devils. Although he hasn’t turned that extra time into offense (he has no points in five games this season), he is building trust in his head coach. “We feel like from watching him work in practice in that area, we can give him those minutes,” Bednar said Friday. “We trust him with those minutes. He’s done a nice job in the games so far. I think he’s getting better and better as he feels more comfortable and feels like he belongs, which is normal. I just want him to keep pushing himself and try and be a difference maker every night.”
  • While Chicago Blackhawks Stan Bowman hardly can admit victory in his offseason trade a year ago when he traded Artemi Panarin to Columbus for Brandon Saad and Anton Forsberg, he knew that the Panarin’s contract situation would be a problem for the Blackhawks too had they chosen to hold onto him, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription required), who analyzes who won last year’s trade. Saad has struggled in his return to Chicago and is struggling on the bottom-six, while Forsberg hasn’t fared any better in net for the team, but Bowman knew there were going to be problems with Panarin, who has shown little to no interest in signing an extension in Columbus and has put the team in a tough position as he plays out the final year of his contract while they are trying to compete for a playoff spot. “They’re in a tough spot now,” Bowman told The Athletic on Saturday night. “What do you do with him? I saw that coming as a challenge.”
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that considering how well the St. Louis Blues defense played on Saturday, he doubts whether the team will put defenseman Jay Bouwmeester back on the ice for Monday’s game against Winnipeg. The veteran was scratched for the first time in his career Saturday as his play hasn’t been up to his usual standards. The Blues put forth one of the best games of the season, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1.

Snapshots: Free Agents, Sweden, Plekanec

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The 2019 unrestricted free agent class was supposed to be a super group, but since names like Tyler Seguin, Drew Doughty and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have re-signed there isn’t quite as much fanfare surrounding it. Still, Erik Karlsson headlines what could be an expensive July 1st and Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) does his best to break down the situations surrounding the top 25 options.

The Columbus Blue Jackets feature prominently with two of the top three names, including Artemi Panarin who Custance terms as a possibility for “this year’s version of John Tavares.” Panarin is off to a great start, and could be a franchise-altering talent that’s available at the deadline if there isn’t any progress between his camp and the Blue Jackets.

  • When the Swedish team lost in the gold medal game at the 2018 World Junior Championship, silver medals were placed around each coach’s neck while Canada celebrated their victory. Those coaches almost immediately removed the medals despite a rule that they must wear them during the celebration, leading to an eventual suspension for the entire staff. That suspension was supposed to keep them from working the 2019 tournament, but today was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Tomas Monten, Nizze Landen and Henrik Stridh will be allowed to coach at this year’s tournament after all.
  • The Montreal Canadiens haven’t used Tomas Plekanec much this season, and now will be without his services altogether for the next few weeks. Plekanec has been moved to injured reserve with a lower back injury, and will be out “several weeks.” The veteran center celebrated his 1000th game recently, and has one goal in three appearances with Montreal this season.

Trade Rumors: Faulk, Bobrovsky, Ritchie, Wood

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When TSN released their off-season Trade Bait List in early July, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk was ranked #4, among the most likely players to be dealt. A little more than two months later, all three players ranked ahead of him – Erik Karlsson, Max Pacioretty, and former teammate Jeff Skinner – have changed teams, while Faulk remains in Raleigh. But for how much longer? Appearing on TSN Radio 1050 recently, insider Pierre LeBrun revealed that Faulk was a target of the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer and speculated that the team could still move to acquire him this season. LeBrun opines that Faulk, a right-handed shot signed to an extremely reasonable $4.83MM cap hit over two more years, would be a perfect fit for the Leafs. Toronto has long been searching for a top pair defenseman to complement lefty Morgan Rielly and Faulk fits the bill. LeBrun speculates that the Hurricanes are likely asking for a major package in exchange for Faulk, but meeting those demands may not be an impossible task for Toronto. Several Maple Leafs players and prospects could fill gaps in Carolina, such as veteran center Nazem Kadri, promising wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, and young goalies Garret Sparks and Joseph Woll, as well as a full cabinet of draft picks. There have also been some inclinations that the Hurricanes are preparing to move on from Faulk as well, such as acquiring a new top pair righty in Dougie Hamilton and passing over Faulk, a career ’Cane, for their captaincy. The team is under no pressure to deal their long-time stud defenseman, but if GM Don Waddell receives a strong enough offer, he seems likely to pull the trigger.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has been clear that he does not want to trade either Artemi Panarin or Sergei Bobrovsky, but as both remain unsigned and approaching free agency and trade calls continue to come in for Panarin, there has been rampant speculation as to where the star winger may land. After recent comments from Bobrovsky that could be read as implying that his time in Columbus could soon be over, many have begun to predict where he may land as well. In a recent segment for TSN Radio 1200 in Ottawa, Darren Dreger stated his belief that the New York Islanders would be the front runners in a Bobrovsky trade scenario. Dreger adds that there will be more than a few suitors should the two-time Vezina winner hit the trade market or, better yet, the open market. However, Dreger feels that the Islanders and new GM Lou Lamoriello feel more pressure to add a true No. 1 goaltender in their hopes of soon returning to contender status. The Isles currently roster unpredictable Robin Lehner, on a one-year deal, and failed starter Thomas Greiss, as well as two prospects overseas in Ilya Sorokin and Jakub Skarek. Lehner and Greiss do not instill much hope and Sorokin may never make the jump to North America. The Islanders are without a solution in net in the immediate future and could target Bobrovsky at any cost to solve that problem.
  • How long will the Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils wait on contract resolutions with Nick Ritchie and Miles Wood respectively? The restricted free agents continue to hold out for better contracts and miss valuable time in training camp, despite underwhelming numbers through their first three seasons to support their absence. At this time last year, Columbus Blue Jackets RFA forward Josh Anderson – a similar power forward-style player – remained unsigned and was the subject of numerous trade rumors. Yet, Anderson had just 34 points through 96 games in his first three seasons, whereas Ritchie and Wood have more experience and production through the same amount of time. Ritchie, a first round pick in 2014, has 59 points in 186 games. Wood, one of the Devils’ top scorers last season, has 49 points through 137 games. One would think that either team could drum up interest if they began actively shopping their respective RFA, but it hasn’t happened to this point. Wood is not without flaws to his game, but has exceeded expectations and played a major role for New Jersey last season and with more play time has the potential to be even better. In contract, Ritchie has his strengths, but has not lived up to his first-round billing. Between the two, it would be less of a surprise to see Anaheim part with Ritchie.

 

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