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Jeff Skinner

Poll: Who Will Be The Next Big Name To Be Traded?

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We’re getting close to the slowest time of the year for NHL news, as arbitration cases start to be wrapped up and teams are finished their free agent shopping. Through August there won’t be a ton of intrigue in terms of new contracts, but it’s shaping up to be a very interesting month with regards to the trade market.

The biggest name remains Erik Karlsson, the Ottawa Senators captain who is heading into the final year of his current contract. Still a superstar defenseman, Karlsson could command a huge package from nearly any team in the league if he’s willing to sign an extension, but his feelings on the situation still aren’t entirely clear. Now 28 years old, Karlsson has always maintained his love for the city of Ottawa and it’s not exactly apparent where else he would want to spend the next chapter of his life and career. To give up a package including top prospects, an acquiring team would want to know they have him for more than just one year.

Other than Karlsson though, there are other huge names still floating out there. Artemi Panarin, Max Pacioretty and Jeff Skinner have all been rumored as available in one sense or another and could supply a big offensive boost to any acquiring team. Panarin especially could draw a huge package given his overall offensive repertoire, but all three are marked with the same issue that hurts Karlsson’s trade value—each of them has just one year left on their current deals.

It seems unlikely that all of them will begin the year on their current teams, but the market has been quiet for some time as teams deal with other things. That might change in August after arbitration ends, and teams have a full concept of where their financial situation and roster structure has landed. Who do you think will be the first to move? We’ve included a list of oft-rumored players, but feel free to share your idea in the comments below!

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Jeff Skinner, Max Pacioretty In Trade Market “Holding Pattern”

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Over the last few months, two names have come up most often when you discuss scoring wingers that could be available for trade. Max Pacioretty and Jeff Skinner are both expected to be dealt by their respective clubs before the season begins, but after initial speculation on where they could end up things have dramatically quieted down. Perhaps that’s because of the existence of both, as teams are trying to make sure they get the best deal of the two options. Elliotte Friedman joined NHL Network today to talk about both players and indicated that some of the suitors for one may be the same as those for the other:

I think there’s another player that we haven’t mentioned yet who is similar to Pacioretty, and I think they’re kind of in the same holding pattern. That player is Jeff Skinner from Carolina. I think teams are kind of sitting there saying ’okay, Montreal’s got this asset they want to deal, Carolina’s got this asset they want to deal’ and I think teams are kind of saying ’okay, which one can we get a better fit.’

I think for example Pittsburgh is a team that has interest in Jeff Skinner, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve checked in hard on him. But I think those two players are kind of similar in a lot of ways and teams are trying to out wait Montreal and Carolina to see if they can get a better deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Penguins are taking a long look at Skinner, maybe more than Pacioretty.

Indeed Skinner and Pacioretty have both been excellent offensive producers throughout their careers, and each have just one year remaining on their current contracts. While Pacioretty is three and a half years older than Skinner and is coming off a worse offensive season, he has shown to have a higher playmaking upside with four seasons of 30 or more assists and 60 or more points. Skinner has just one season like that, and it came way back in his rookie season in 2010-11.

Still, both would bring instant offense to almost any team in the league and could fit into most team’s salary structure for the 2018-19 season. Pacioretty comes with just a $4.5MM cap hit on one of the better bargains in the NHL, while Skinner is at just $5.725MM this season. It’s important to note that Skinner also has a no-movement clause, but as we’ve seen many times in the past those can be worked around given enough time and the right situation.

Friedman also notes Chicago as a possible destination for Pacioretty, though in a completely speculative nature given their recent trade of Marian Hossa’s contract. Chicago had been previously rumored to be interested in defenseman Justin Faulk from the Hurricanes, but don’t look to have any imminent trades pending. Skinner or Pacioretty could certainly help the Blackhawks as they try to compete again in 2018-19, but whether they would be interested in a long-term extension for either is unclear.

So we wait for the “holding pattern” to end at some point, and perhaps that will be decided by the deadline that another scoring winger has placed upon his own team. Artemi Panarin told the Columbus Blue Jackets that he wants all business finished by September 13th, the start of training camp, giving the team incentive to move him now if they’ve decided to cash in their asset. Any team acquiring Panarin would want some time to work out an extension, something that would certainly be true of Skinner or Pacioretty as well.

Poll: Who Will Be The Centerpiece Of The Next Big Trade?

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Given the players remaining on the free agent market, any further fireworks this summer will likely come via a blockbuster trade. It certainly seems possible too, with more than a few major names being floated around. Who will be the first to go?

The biggest fish available for a lucky team to catch is obviously all-world defenseman Erik Karlsson. With one year remaining on his contract and on a sinking ship in Ottawa, the Senators have little choice but to trade the Norris Trophy winner. However, finding the right deal to get a fair return on a player of Karlsson’s caliber is proving difficult and talks between Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion and both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars have reportedly broken down. The noise surrounding a potential Karlsson trade has died down significantly over the past few days.

Another trade target whose apparent availability is being downplayed in Edmonton Oilers winger Milan Lucic. Early in the off-season, there was rampant speculation that a Lucic trade was inevitable. Some said that the team wanted to move on from the remaining five years and $30MM of the underachieving forward’s contract, while others said that it was Lucic who was unhappy in Edmonton and was seeking a trade. Both sides have denied claims that they are seeking a separation, but as most trade rumors go – where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

There’s also Max Pacioretty, who was close to being traded during draft weekend but ended up remaining with the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs captain is coming off of a down year and is in the final year of his contract, making his trade value the lowest that it has been in years. Yet, it has continually been reported that the Canadiens are listening on offers. Those reports have grown quiet over the last week or so and it could be that Montreal has simply opted to retain one of the faces of their franchise, but don’t rule out the possibility of a deal just yet.

As potential Karlsson, Lucic, and Pacioretty deals have lost some steam, Columbus Blue Jackets’ star Artemi Panarin has emerged as a popular trade target. Panarin, to his credit, was honest with the organization that he remains unsure if he will be willing to sign a long-term extension to stay in Columbus before his contract expires after next season. As a result, GM Jarmo Kekalainen and company have begun to explore any possible trade scenarios should they choose to mitigate the risk of losing Panarin for nothing as a free agent by dealing him away. However, Panarin is still a young and highly productive player who hasn’t flat out said he won’t resign with the Blue Jackets and the team may be understandably cautious in making a decision on what to do with him.

Another situation playing out between a team who would rather hold on to their asset is the Minnesota Wild and winger Jason Zucker. Zucker filed for salary arbitration this off-season and, after a career season, is due a major bump on his previous $2MM salary. However, the Wild have a surplus of NHL-caliber forwards and a likely shortage of cap space needed to sign both Zucker and young defenseman Matt Dumba. Dumba and the blue line are the priority, potentially making Zucker expendable. Minnesota will do what they can to keep him, but may not have a choice but to get what they can for the 26-year-old scorer.

Finally, there are the Carolina Hurricanes. Last month, there was not hotter name on the rumor mill than forward Jeff Skinner. Approaching the NHL Draft, several insider went so far as to guarantee that he would be traded in the coming days. More than two weeks later, Skinner remains a Hurricane. There is surely a market for Skinner, but the team and new GM Don Waddell have stated that they simply haven’t received an offer yet that they were comfortable with. Carolina clearly values what Skinner brings offensive and the Hurricanes need to be better at scoring next season. Where they have strength and depth is the blue line, yet they have managed to add both Dougie Hamilton and Calvin de Haan this off-season. The team is now overloaded with talented defensemen, especially on the right side, and there is an expectation that veteran leader Justin Faulk is likely going to be odd man out and interest is high in the All-Star.

There are many trade possibilities available, including deals that include more than one of these players, but assuming otherwise: Who is most likely to be the next big name traded this off-season?

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Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Barkov, Canadiens

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While the Boston Bruins added a couple of small, but important pieces to their team this offseason in goaltender Jaroslav Halak and defenseman John Moore, their two biggest Atlantic Division rivals seem to be working at a much bigger scale. The Toronto Maple Leafs have already successfully signed superstar center John Tavares to a long-term deal, while the Tampa Bay Lightning are trying hard to acquire superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Those two moves (although nothing is definite about Karlsson going to Tampa) suggest that maybe Boston isn’t doing enough to improve their own team. The team looks like they lost veteran Rick Nash who is still trying to decide if he intends to return to the NHL and hasn’t added much to their forward core this season. No doubt Boston general manager Don Sweeney is trying to work the trade market in hopes of picking up a Jeff Skinner or Artemi Panarin. However, NBC Sports Joe Haggerty writes that there is nothing wrong if the team can acquire such a player, but the team needs to stay the course and not overreact to the whatever the Maple Leafs or Lightning do.

Haggerty writes the team had a plan at the end of the season and they need to stick to it, which means the team must hold onto their talented young players and not consider moving them for big-name players. The team already had a plan in place in hopes to upgrade its team, using prospects and pieces such as Torey Krug and Anders Bjork. However, the team also needs to keep their elite young players like Charlie McAvoy and Jake Debrusk, because they will need them to stay with the organization for the next decade. The team shouldn’t panic and attempt to grab a big-name player if it will cost them their long-term future.

  • The Florida Panthers could be making major shakeups in their lineups next season, according to Matthew DeFranks of the SunSentinel. With the addition of more talent this season, including Mike Hoffman and a host of young talent, coach Bob Boughner has a lot of option for loading up his top line which features star Aleksander Barkov. The talented center has spent much of the last three years playing alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgeni Dadonov, who arrived last season. However, with Hoffman and how well forward Nick Bjugstad played on the top line at times last season, it’s likely Barkov could get all new linemates next season, giving the team more depth on both their second and third lines.
  • Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette writes that the Montreal Canadiens have done nothing to get better this offseason. The scribe writes that when you finished the season as the 28th worst team in the league, you need to make big changes. Instead, the team’s biggest trade of Alex Galchenyuk for Max Domi didn’t make the team better, especially since most experts believe that Arizona won the deal, but at best it’s a wash. Then the team’s biggest free agent signing was bringing back Tomas Plekanec, who isn’t the same player he once was and since he spent the majority of the season with Montreal last season, also can’t be anything more than a wash as well. The scribe also points out that if the team was rebuilding then they wouldn’t have tried so hard to go after Tavares or Paul Stastny this offseason. It just looks like another down year in Montreal.

Eastern Notes: Tavares, O’Reilly, Ryan, Pickard

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With the John Tavares watch about to hit the 11th hour before free agency hits, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reminds people that the superstar center doesn’t have to make a decision today. He can wait to make a decision later. However, the longer he waits, the more telling his decision will be.

If he opts not to agree to a contract tonight, then the New York Islanders are almost guaranteed to be out of the running for Tavares as even the Islanders can’t offer an eighth year after tonight. If all New York can offer is seven years, then it’s highly unlikely he’ll return to New York.

The other implication to not choosing a team today is that many teams are waiting for Tavares to make a decision as well as players. The dominos will begin to fall after Tavares signs, so the longer Tavares waits, the more the market will be held up. For example, Toronto, who has dubbed center Derek Ryan as their consolation prize if the can’t sign Tavares, according to The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required), must force the highly-coveted Ryan to wait. That’s also the case with trade candidates such as Jeff Skinner and likely Ryan O’Reilly as their value is likely to shoot up once Tavares is off the board.

  • It looks the O’Reilly sweepstakes are even more muddled than ever as many felt that if the Buffalo Sabres were to trade away their star center, it would be before the Sabres would have to fork over his $7.5MM signing bonus which is due at midnight tonight. If no deal is made within the next few hours, then the situation can go two different ways, according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. The most likely scenario would suggest that if they pay him the $7.5MM themselves, the plan would be to keep O’Reilly and hope that he wants to stay with the team. However, Harrington also adds that perhaps Buffalo is willing to eat the $7.5MM to get a greater package in return from a team with the possibility that a trade has already been worked out and they are both waiting for July 1. The scribe adds that the two teams who have most coveted O’Reilly are the Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues. However, the Blues are not offering their top prospect, Robert Thomas, as part of any trade.
  • While many teams believe that the holdup of a potential Erik Karlsson trade is being held up because of the $2MM bonus due to forward Bobby Ryan on July 1, that is not correct, according to Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. The scribe writes that Ryan and the four years and $29MM remaining on his contract, which are expected to be included in any Karlsson deal, already received his $2MM bonus on May 15, which means he will only cost a team $5.5MM next season.
  • Sean Shapiro of The Athletic writes that many teams are looking for cheap backup goalie options and suggests that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Calvin Pickard could quickly find himself in high demand. Pickard, who was a solid backup for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2016-17 season, found himself in an odd position after being taken in last year’s expansion draft by the Vegas Golden Knights and then traded off to Toronto to share AHL goaltending duties with Garret Sparks. Together they helped clinch the Calder Cup Trophy as he finished with a 2.31 GAA and a .918 save percentage. Backing up Sparks during the AHL playoffs, Pickard got into three games, putting up a 1.00 GAA and a .956 save percentage.

Hurricanes Notes: Free Agents, Darling, Skinner, Tavares

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The Carolina Hurricanes have already made some noise this off-season, acquiring Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox from the Calgary Flames for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, but what else the team plans to do this summer remains a mystery. In speaking with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, GM Don Waddell indicates that they may simply stick with the status quo for now. Waddell confirmed that the team is not pursuing contracts with pending unrestricted free agents Cam Ward, Derek Ryan, and Lee Stempniak and expect all three to hit the open market on July 1st. Ward, the Hurricane’s long-time goalie, is rumored to be headed to the Chicago Blackhawks, while Ryan is expected to re-join former Carolina coach Bill Peters and his recently-traded teammates in Calgary. Stempniak’s name has not drawn much attention so far this off-season, as the veteran struggled in 2017-18 with nine points in 37 games. Waddell did not discuss recently non-qualified free agent forward Joakim Nordstrom, likely implying that they are moving on from him as well. Waddell also did not offer any updates on negotiations with restricted free agents Trevor van Riemsdyk, Lucas Wallmark, and Valentin Zykov.

  • Waddell did state that the team has no plans to move goalie Scott Darling and are committed to having him on the roster moving forward. The 29-year-old struggled in his first year with Carolina after signing a long-term contract last summer, but the team hopes that his second season as a starter will go smoother. However, Carolina is looking to add a goalie in free agency and have spoken to upwards of six candidates already. The question remains what type of goalie they are looking to bring in. A starter to compete with Darling could look like Robin Lehner, Kari Lehtonen, or Jaroslav Halak, while a steady backup could be Ondrej Pavelec, Chad Johnson, or a reunion with Anton Khudobin.
  • As of now, there is no imminent trade involving forward Jeff Skinner. Skinner’s name has been one of the hottest on the rumor mill and many speculated that the Los Angeles Kings signing Ilya Kovalchuk could be the domino that would lead Skinner to being dealt to a team that missed out on the sharp-shooting veteran. Instead, Waddell says that talks with other teams have been ongoing and they have seen some good offers, but haven’t been “comfortable” with accepting any of them. One has to wonder that if they could pull off a trade as big as the one during draft weekend but aren’t comfortable with “good” offers for Skinner, if they are even looking to trade the talented winger at all.
  • For any ’Canes fans out there still holding out hope that Carolina was a secret seventh team in on the John Tavares sweepstakes, Waddell confirmed that he has had no contact whatsoever with Tavares’ camp. The Hurricanes do have more than enough cap space to add a Tavares though, so perhaps Waddell will be active in free agency after all, but focused on other big names.

Trade Interest In Carolina’s Skinner Remains Strong

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After being the centerpiece of biggest trade of the NHL Entry Draft, the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t done yet. Not even close, according to News & Observer’s Luke Decock. The team still needs a goalie and still have the assets to move some key players, including defenseman Justin Faulk and most especially winger Jeff Skinner, who has been one of the most talked about players available via trade. And while a deal did not take place this weekend, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to be moved.

In fact, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that trade interest in Skinner is still strong. However, most teams are waiting to see where superstar unrestricted free agent John Tavares lands first before looking to pull the trigger on a Skinner trade. It looks like Skinner might be the consolation prize to the Tavares sweepstakes. Therefore, expect Carolina to wait for the free agent market to shake out before dangling Skinner (and Faulk) for the biggest gains.

“It gives us some options as we sit here today to look at anything,” general manager Don Waddell said. “We came into this weekend talking if we could do something to make our hockey club better we would look at it. We weren’t worried as much about the position as gaining the assets. We have a lot of other possible pieces to move around.”

Skinner had a down year last season when he scored just 24 goals and 49 points, but that is compared to his 37-goal season in 2016-17 and at age 26, he has already had three 30-goal seasons, making him one of the most marketable players in the NHL who can inject immediate offense into any lineup. He has one more year at a reasonable $5.725MM. If a team can get Skinner to sign an extension along with the trade, then the price for the winger might increase even more.

 

Jeff Skinner Discussions Heating Up

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One of the biggest prizes on the trade market as we inch closer to the start of the 2018 Entry Draft is Jeff Skinner, who could inject instant offense into almost any team in the league. The three-time 30-goal man has been confirmed available by his GM Don Waddell, and recently linked to the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings. Well now Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Carolina Hurricanes are “inching closer” to a deal for Skinner, and adds that three teams—but not necessarily the ones listed above—are in the “late stages of discussions.” Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer doesn’t believe things are as close, and notes that the team has not asked Skinner to waive his no-trade clause for a specific team as of yet.

Skinner, 26, scored 24 goals and 49 points in what many consider a down year for the winger, but still provides tantalizing offensive potential for an acquiring team. The fact that he is basically plug-and-play 20-goal scorer with upside for much more, as well as being one of the most dynamic skaters in the league, should leave no one wondering why there are several teams after him down to the wire. With just a single year left on his current contract before unrestricted free agency though, he’s doesn’t provide a long-term option without agreeing to an extension. That’s something he can’t technically sign until July 1st, and something that’s not clear Skinner even wants at this point.

Scheduled to hit the open market at just 27, Skinner could position himself as one of the very best forwards available in free agency next summer. Though currently the group looks like a “Superclass” there could be plenty of extensions waiting for July 1st for players like Tyler Seguin, Logan Couture and Blake Wheeler. Even if there isn’t, Skinner still has one of the best resumes of any offensive player in the league, starting with his 31-goal rookie campaign in 2010-11.

It will be interesting to see what he costs as a rental option before the draft, if an extension isn’t agreed upon. The Hurricanes aren’t exactly in a position to rebuild, meaning they could target NHL-level players in return. Pittsburgh for instance had reportedly made Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary and Dominik Simon available to the Arizona Coyotes in negotiations over Max Domi. Perhaps Carolina would be interested in adding proven NHL talent like that in exchange for their expiring asset.

Blues, Penguins Interested In Jeff Skinner

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The Penguins and Blues are among the teams that are interested in acquiring Hurricanes winger Jeff Skinner, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link).  Skinner has been frequently speculated as a trade candidate in recent months as he gets set to enter the final year of his contract, one that carries a salary cap hit of $5.725MM and also a full no-move clause.

St. Louis has been looking for help in their top six dating back to last season and Skinner would certainly give them some more scoring punch as he has averaged 28 goals over the last five years.  The Blues also have a deep group of prospects up front including winger Klim Kostin and Jordan Kyrou as well as center Robert Thomas that Carolina will certainly be asking about as a possible return.

The fit in Pittsburgh is a little more curious.  There’s no doubt that Skinner would fit in nicely alongside one of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin inside their top six but they lack the cap space to add Skinner in; while they have just over $9MM in room per CapFriendly, they still have as many as six players to sign for their NHL roster.  While they could presumably deal a winger or two the other way to help offset the money, Carolina will be looking for a more significant return and the Pens also don’t have their first-round pick having dealt it for center Derick Brassard back before the trade deadline.

Meanwhile, LeBrun notes that the Kings, who have been interested in Skinner for a while, have turned their focus to UFA winger Ilya Kovalchuk.  They are one of the teams that are known to have already made a contract offer and they lack the cap space to add both him and Skinner.  Kovalchuk isn’t allowed to sign until July 1st but could make a verbal commitment before then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Carolina Hurricanes Put Jeff Skinner’s Name “Out There”

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The Carolina Hurricanes are a very interesting team to watch as we approach the draft on Friday night, armed with the second-overall pick and looking to make a splash in the trade market. Today, GM Don Waddell was on Sportsnet radio and spoke about scoring winger Jeff Skinner and where his future may take him:

Jeff Skinner has been with this franchise, he’s a 30 goal scorer, proven 30 goal scorer. We don’t score a lot of goals. Saying that we did, you know it’s no secret we put his name out there and we’ve gotten a lot of interest. Again though, when you’re trading that type of player you have to be careful because if you just want to move a player along, certainly there is lots of teams that would love to have that player. But he’s a big asset for us, and we’ve got to make sure that we get some kind of assets that we feel are gonna help us either today or in the future for a guy like Jeff.

Waddell goes on to downplay the idea that Noah Hanifin is available, but his comments about Skinner will do nothing to cool the hot stove over the coming weeks. Obviously there’s no guarantee that Skinner will get moved before next season, but there is an appetite there from the Hurricanes especially given that he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Skinner is coming off a 24-goal campaign in 2017-18, but has proven that he can register even more than that in a good season, racking up 30 or more goals three times. The 26-year old is still in the prime of his career and would be a lethal offensive mercenary for a team to plug into their attack, if even only for a single season.

The Hurricanes have built an intriguing group of young players through the draft and trade, but still haven’t been able to put it all together. Much of that is due to poor goaltending, something that Waddell has promised to resolve this summer. If Skinner is moved out, there could be even more opportunity for their younger players to step into prominent roles, with names like Martin Necas and Janne Kuokkanen just waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves.

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