Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors

Devils Notes: Markström, Merzļikins, Smith, Hatakka

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Reporting in recent days from both Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has illustrated just how close the Devils were to acquiring goaltender Jacob Markström from the Flames in a pre-deadline blockbuster. Speaking on Monday’s episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, Friedman said the teams were close in principle on a trade but could not reconcile with each other on the financial aspect of the deal. The Devils remained firm on Calgary retaining some of Markström’s $6MM cap hit – something first-year GM Craig Conroy isn’t willing to do over the remaining three seasons of Markström’s deal.

Seravalli added Tuesday that discussions were serious enough to “get to [Markström]’s level to approve it,” a necessary step since he boasts a no-movement clause in his contract. With the two parties at an impasse that Seravalli thinks “probably” can’t be revisited, New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald will likely look elsewhere to upgrade his goaltending with 23 days until the trade deadline.

As the Devils look for a cheaper option, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes said Tuesday that they’ve had interest in Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzļikins. It’s not a gigantic discount, though, as Merzļikins’ $5.4MM cap hit is only $600K less than Markström’s and runs through 2027. The 29-year-old Latvian has had an underrated bounce-back season, posting a .904 SV% and 1.3 goals saved above expected in 29 games, per MoneyPuck. While he and Markström both have inconsistent track records over a five-year sample, the latter’s peaks have been much higher – Markström’s 18.4 goals saved above expected this season have him on track for a third top-five Vezina Trophy voting finish in the last five years.

Still, either would be a massive upgrade on what Vítek Vaněček has done for them this season. His -11.1 goals saved above expected are second-worst in the league and the worst among starters for prospective playoff teams. Only Ottawa’s Joonas Korpisalo has performed worse overall relative to shot quality, saving -11.9 goals above expected. The Devils, who are 5-4-1 in their past ten games, are now at full health for the first time in weeks and sit two points back of the Red Wings for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, a gap that can easily be closed with improved play between the pipes.

In much lower-stakes news, the Devils assigned defenseman Santeri Hatakka to AHL Utica on Tuesday to make room for veteran Brendan Smith, who was activated off injured reserve and returned to the lineup in yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Predators. Hatakka, 23, had shown promising results with two assists and a +7 rating in seven showings but was a casualty of roster management as he did not require waivers to head to the minors. A pending RFA upon completion of his entry-level contract, the 2019 sixth-round pick of the Sharks will remain near the top of New Jersey’s list for blue-line call-ups for the rest of the season.

Smith, 35, made his return after missing 10 games with a knee sprain. The pending UFA had three shots on goal in 17:27 of ice time against Nashville, his 35th game of the season. The 6-foot-2 enforcer has averaged 14:30 per game this year while flipping between defense and wing, recording a goal and five points with a +2 rating.

Pacific Notes: Tanev, Couture, Schultz, Thompson, Patera

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Flames aren’t generating the level of interest they’d hoped for in pending UFA defenseman Chris Tanev as the March 8 trade deadline approaches, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman told CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal on Monday. Calgary GM Craig Conroy has only received offers consisting of second-round picks (and extras) for Tanev, not the first-round pick he’s holding out for.

Tanev, 34, isn’t performing up to his shutdown expectations this year – a tough spot for the Flames to be in as they try and recoup as much value as possible for his services over the past four years. He’s been one of the best pure possession-control blue-liners since signing with the Flames in 2020, even earning some Norris Trophy consideration in 2022, but his possession numbers this season look quite pedestrian. Despite his respectable +10 rating, Tanev’s expected rating is now in the negatives after posting a combined expected +37.3 rating over his first three seasons in Calgary. The Flames are generating less and allowing more at even strength with Tanev on the ice than in years past, and contending teams with keen analytics departments are likely tempering their trade offers in kind.

More updates from the Pacific Division to kick off the week:

  • Sharks captain Logan Couture is now listed as week-to-week after suffering a setback related to the groin issue that sidelined him for the first 45 games of the season, head coach David Quinn said Monday (via Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now). He will not travel with the team on their upcoming road trip and has been ruled out of the next two games as a result, but his absence now appears to be much longer than that. He’d played in just six games this season before the All-Star break, recording one assist and averaging 18:45 per game. With that news, the already basement-dwelling Sharks will be without each of their top two centers for the foreseeable future – Tomáš Hertl is undergoing knee surgery and could miss the rest of the season. For now, offseason trade pickup Mikael Granlund is expected to anchor the top line, while emerging rookie William Eklund will get a longer look at center on the second line.
  • Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz took part in Monday’s morning skate after missing Saturday’s game against the Flyers for personal reasons, Alison Lukan of Root Sports reports. As such, he’s expected to return tonight against the Devils, placing rookie Ryker Evans alongside Brian Dumoulin on the team’s bottom pairing. The 22-year-old Evans has been the far superior two-way player this season, but the Kraken’s 28th-ranked offense needs Schultz’s puck-moving ability and power-play expertise to help get the team on the scoresheet. Now in the second season of a two-year, $6MM deal, the 33-year-old Schultz has 16 points and a -11 rating in 42 contests this season while averaging 15:58 per game.
  • Golden Knights netminder Logan Thompson is dealing with an illness and is unavailable for Monday’s game against the Wild, per the team. The 26-year-old has started the majority of Vegas’ games this season, with Adin Hill missing a significant chunk of the campaign due to injury, posting a 16-10-4 record and .906 SV% in 31 games. Hill is now healthy, and he’ll be backed up tonight by Jiří Patera, who the team has recalled from AHL Henderson under emergency conditions with Thompson out. The 24-year-old has made four starts for the Golden Knights this year and one relief appearance, recording a passable .901 SV% and 3.75 GAA.

Kraken Receiving Interest In Jordan Eberle, Alexander Wennberg

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Kraken are receiving interest from multiple teams regarding winger Jordan Eberle and center Alexander Wennberg ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports.

Both players are again top-six fixtures for Seattle, who have yo-yoed their way in and out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference all season long. They’re pending UFAs with hefty cap hits of $5.5MM and $4.5MM, respectively, but the Kraken have all three salary retention spots open and could keep money on the books for the rest of the season to facilitate a deal if they do intend on selling at the deadline.

The Oilers have already been linked to Eberle in their pursuit of a complementary top-six winger, with Pagnotta reporting another one of his former teams, the Islanders, as well as the Maple Leafs, have demonstrated interest. The Bruins and Avalanche have called about Wennberg, who’s one of the few quality centers remaining on the deadline rental market.

Whether the Kraken will decide to sell off assets at the deadline is an entirely different question. A recent 3-6-1 stretch now has them six points out of playoff position, but there’s still a shot for Seattle to squeak in for their second consecutive playoff appearance. With a quickly aging group still comprised primarily of expansion draft selections, however, they’d likely do well to recoup value for some veterans and retool around Vince Dunn, Matthew Beniers, and Jared McCann.

Eberle would presumably fetch more value than Wennberg, and rightfully so. He’s having a down season in the goals department – just nine in 49 games, but his 28 points are fifth on the team, and he leads all Kraken players in even-strength Corsi share. He’s been their best two-way skater this season – not just forward – and with eight 20-goal seasons under his belt, he carries immense breakout potential if paired with the skill level of a contending team’s top six.

Thus, a reunion with Edmonton makes the most sense out of the three teams listed. There’s no better breakout potential for Eberle at right wing than alongside Leon Draisaitl on the Oilers’ second unit, and he could do wonders for Draisaitl-anchored lines that have struggled defensively without Connor McDavid.

Wennberg is more of a depth add than an impact pickup for a contender – he’s likely not suited for anything above a third-line role on a team with contending aspirations. He has leveraged major minutes since joining Seattle, logging 18:23 per game over the last three seasons.

Like Eberle, he’s struggled on the scoresheet with eight goals and 21 points in 51 games. Unlike Eberle, he’s shooting above his career average and has some of the worst possession metrics on the Kraken – only Brandon Tanev has a worse Corsi share at even strength among full-time members. His expected -3.6 rating is the worst on the team, and he’s won less than 50% of his faceoffs for the 10th time in 10 NHL seasons. As such, he’s likely a complement to the Bruins’ and Avs’ cast of middle-six centers that lack punch, not a significant upgrade. Even at a half-retained $2.25MM cap hit, his disappointing season might be too much to swallow and a third team may need to retain another 50% of his salary to facilitate a trade.

Latest On Noah Hanifin

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin’s agents are expected to present their decision on a contract extension to team management “in the coming days,” TSN’s Chris Johnston reports on Tuesday’s edition of “Insider Trading.” Hanifin, 27, is a pending UFA and would immediately become the top defenseman available on the trade market if the Flames make him available ahead of the March 8 deadline.

As of now, they haven’t done so. Hanifin has changed his willingness to sign an extension in Calgary multiple times over the past nine months, dating back to an initial report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun in June that Hanifin would not sign a new deal.

Multiple teams have documented interest in Hanifin. The Panthers inquired about him soon after the June report went public, while the Coyotes showed interest in him as recently as December.

There was renewed optimism for an extension after Hanifin publically reversed course during the 2023 preseason, saying he was “absolutely” willing to remain in Calgary. Multiple sources reported the Flames and Hanifin made progress on an eight-year extension carrying a $7.5MM AAV ($60MM total value), but the team then paused contract talks with all pending UFAs after a 2-6-1 skid to start the season. The two sides have not engaged in further talks, but the deal is reportedly still on the table for Hanifin if he opts to extend.

Johnston doesn’t know which way Hanifin’s camp will sway, although one option is ruled out: letting him walk for nothing in July. “If Calgary is not able to reach some kind of contract extension with Hanifin, they will use the time between now and March 8th to find a suitor somewhere to trade him,” Johnston said.

The good news for Calgary is that Hanifin is having one of the best seasons of his career. He’s third among a deep Flames defense corps in scoring, but his nine goals and 26 points through 50 games have him on pace to crack the 40-point plateau for the second time in the last three years despite a decrease in power-play time.

Hanifin is also logging the most minutes of his career at 23:33 per game – a figure that will increase as the deadline draws closer based on his recent usage. He’s seen significant penalty kill time with positive possession control results relative to his teammates, too. However, at even strength, his 49.6% Corsi share is a career-low.

Combine his potential on-ice impact with his bargain-bin $4.95MM cap hit, which Calgary could easily retain up to 50% of, and they’ll likely net their second first-round pick of deadline season after fetching one from the Canucks as part of the return for center Elias Lindholm last week – if Hanifin doesn’t sign an extension, of course.

West Notes: Holloway, Karlsson, Maroon

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers have announced the recall of forward Dylan Holloway from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. Holloway returned from a lower-body injury just before the NHL All-Star break and spent the break with the Condors where he tallied two goals and two assists in four games.

The former 14th overall pick had a poor start to the NHL season as he went pointless in his first dozen games and had just a single goal in his first 14 games. After his return from injury, he was much more effective with a goal and an assist in just four games before his AHL assignment.

With Holloway back, the Oilers will be looking to tie an NHL record with their 17th consecutive victory when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.

In other Western Conference notes:

  • The Vancouver Canucks recalled forward Linus Karlsson from the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL. Karlsson has been sent back and forth multiple times throughout the regular season and will have another NHL opportunity after having gone a month since last dressing for Vancouver. The 24-year-old had a solid January with three goals in five AHL games and is having a good season overall with 10 goals and 17 assists in 30 games. At the NHL level, Karlsson has dressed in four games but is still in search of his first career point.
  • The Minnesota Wild placed forward Pat Maroon on the injured reserve today as he deals with an undisclosed injury he suffered back on January 27th. Maroon has had his name thrown around ib trade rumors as of late as he is in the last year of his two-year contract and could be a valuable depth addition to a team. Maroon has four goals and 12 assists in 49 games in his first season with the Wild and could add valuable experience to a team in need of leadership and toughness. Maroon won three Stanley Cups in a row from 2019-2022 with the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Penguins “Not Afraid” To Trade Jake Guentzel If Extension Talks Don’t Progress

at CDT | by 23 Comments

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas won’t shy away from moving winger Jake Guentzel before the March 8 trade deadline if the two sides aren’t close to an extension, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe writes Thursday.

Keeping the pending UFA around long-term is still Dubas’ preference, as Yohe relays, but the team is unlikely to let him walk for nothing this summer. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last month that Dubas planned to hold talks with Guentzel’s camp over this weekend’s All-Star break.

Previous reports indicated Guentzel’s agent, Ben Hankinson, could wait until the end of the season to discuss an extension. If Hankinson holds firm in that approach, the apparent likelihood of a Guentzel trade in the next five weeks increases dramatically.

Guentzel, 29, is on pace for his third straight 30-goal season. He’s been stapled to future Hall-of-Famer Sidney Crosby’s wing since breaking into the league in 2016-17, recording 219 goals and 463 points in 499 career games.

That chemistry is something Dubas recognizes, per Yohe, and plays into his desire to keep the winger with the Penguins long-term. Yohe cites a rising salary cap and “keeping [Crosby] with his preferred left wing for the rest of his career” as primary reasons why Dubas is amicable to an extension that will likely take Guentzel into his mid-30s.

Crosby’s desire to remain on a line with Guentzel won’t be enough for Dubas to lose out on recouping value in a deadline deal, however. Sources have told Yohe that Dubas “isn’t afraid to trade Guentzel, even if Crosby and [head coach Mike] Sullivan would prefer to keep him employed in Pittsburgh.”

The Canucks’ acquisition of pending UFA center Elias Lindholm from the Flames on Wednesday likely sets the baseline for any Guentzel trade talks if he’s being dealt without an extension in place. Given Guentzel is far out-producing Lindholm this season, there’s a fair argument to be made that he could fetch slightly more. However, there may be some league-wide concern that Guentzel’s production could dip without Crosby on his line.

It’s a reasonable fear, but few players have put up points with consistency like Guentzel has. He’s averaged over a point per game over the past six years and has never been on pace for less than 34 goals in a full season since 2018. Combine that with the fact he’s averaged over 20 minutes per game in every season since 2018 and has solid power-play impacts, and it’s fair to assume he could command more value than Lindholm’s up-and-down track record over the past half-decade.

The Penguins could drive up the asking price further by offering to retain some of his $6MM cap hit, which wouldn’t affect the squad past this season. Guentzel has a 12-team no-trade list, per CapFriendly.

Kings Open To Trading Arthur Kaliyev

at CDT | by 29 Comments

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that the Los Angeles Kings could be willing to move on from winger Arthur Kaliyev if they can make a swap and acquire a depth player with some edge to their game as a potential replacement for the 22-year-old. Kaliyev has struggled to carve out a role with the Kings and may have reached a point in Los Angeles where it might be best for the team and player to go their separate ways.

Kaliyev has been a healthy scratch several times this month and has struggled this season with just six goals and eight assists in 38 games. Kaliyev has had his name pop up in trade rumors over the last few weeks and is likely looking for more consistency in his ice time and deployment. The former second-round pick looked as though he was turning the corner last year with 13 goals and 15 assists in 56 games but wasn’t able to carry his momentum into this season despite having a strong training camp.

Much has been made about Kaliyev’s offensive style not suiting the system that Kings head coach Todd McLellan likes to deploy as McLellan likes his teams to play an energy game where attention to detail and defensive responsibility are top of mind. Kaliyev’s talents lie more in the offensive side of the game, while his defensive skills are not his strong suit.

The Kings could wait to see what happens over the next few weeks with the club’s play heading into the trade deadline but given the struggles with Kaliyev’s development, it appears they would like to address some of their needs elsewhere before it’s too late.

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Rafferty, Newhook, Bertuzzi, McMann

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Veteran Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson is drawing some interest ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast Friday. Johnson is currently on injured reserve and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, although he’s eligible for activation and hasn’t been ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Sharks.

The 35-year-old is in his first season with Buffalo after signing a one-year, $3.25MM contract in free agency last summer. He hasn’t been the defensively-stabilizing force they hoped for, given the price tag. He’s playing a career-low 14:11 per game and, despite the restricted usage, has a poor 46.1% Corsi share at even strength, 5.5% worse than the Sabres’ share without him on the ice. He’s notched three goals and no assists through 41 games, although they weren’t expecting him to be a factor offensively at this stage in his career.

With Buffalo’s playoff chances down to below five percent, they won’t be buyers at the deadline. It’s unlikely they ship out any high-profile names, either, but Johnson’s role on the team has already dried up, and they could get some value back for him by retaining 50% of his cap hit. His 961 games of experience and a Stanley Cup ring with the Avalanche in 2022 are both points of emphasis for contenders looking to shore up their blue line this time of year, and he carries a small bit of added trade value as a right-shot defender.

Elsewhere from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Red Wings have assigned defenseman Brogan Rafferty to AHL Grand Rapids, the team said in a statement Friday. This is the sixth straight day that the 28-year-old Rafferty has been ferried between leagues. Detroit has brought up the minor-league mainstay on game days only to serve as last-minute injury insurance with Ben Chiarot sidelined with an undisclosed ailment. Rafferty has yet to play an NHL game this season despite his four recalls in January.
  • Canadiens forward Alex Newhook skated Friday for the first time since sustaining a high-ankle sprain in early December, the team said. The 22-year-old is nearly eight weeks into his 10-to-12-week recovery timeline, so his return to the ice today means he should have enough time over the next month to gear up for a return. Acquired from the Avalanche last June via trade, the 2019 16th-overall pick was on pace for a career-high 47 points before the injury.
  • Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi is back with the team Friday after missing Wednesday’s 1-0 overtime win over the Jets for paternity leave, TSN’s Mark Masters reports. Bertuzzi will be available for the second half of Toronto’s home-and-home with Winnipeg on Saturday, although the Maple Leafs will need to clear a roster spot for him to return. He was placed on the non-roster list, which kept their active roster at 23 when Ryan Reaves was activated from injured reserve earlier in the week. Per The Hockey News’ David Alter, depth forward Bobby McMann was not at practice today, suggesting he may be headed for the waiver wire in the next few hours for the purpose of assignment to AHL Toronto. Bertuzzi has had strong possession impacts in his first season with the Leafs but has struggled to produce in a top-six role, scoring six goals in 45 games.

Columbus Willing To Entertain Offers On Patrik Laine, Ivan Provorov

at CDT | by 24 Comments

In today’s issue of TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets are willing to listen to offers on forward Patrik Laine and defenseman Ivan Provorov. Making high-impact additions in the last two summers, it appears the Blue Jackets are at least willing to entertain the idea of a major selloff.

To say that trading away either player is complicated would be an understatement. Laine’s $8.7MM salary over the next several years makes it near impossible for most teams to acquire, while Provorov is less than a year removed from being acquired by Columbus in the first place.

Nevertheless, the value that each player could bring to an organization is inherent. Although relatively streaky and bringing some health concerns to the table, Laine is one of the more well-respected goal scorers in the league, while Provorov has transitioned nicely to the Blue Jackets, on pace to tie his career-high in points with 41.

In Laine, although his goal-scoring ability is apparent, there have been questions surrounding his work ethic throughout his time with the Blue Jackets. Infamously, earlier in the season, Columbus’ head coach, Pascal Vincent made Laine a healthy scratch, reportedly creating a rift between Laine and the rookie head coach. Keeping this in mind, it could be a reasonable possibility that if Vincent is set to lead the Blue Jackets in the future, he may not envision Laine as a part of that plan.

Drafted second overall by the Winnipeg Jets back in the 2016 NHL Draft, Laine has a total of 204 goals and 388 points, currently putting him in fourth place in both categories among all players of his draft class. Having already been traded once in his career back during the 2020-21 season, Laine’s name being mentioned in trade rumors should put him in familiar territory.

Provorov, on the other hand, is much more known for his defensive attributes rather than his offense. Over a seven-year span with the Philadelphia Flyers, Provorov played in a total of 532 games for the Flyers, scoring 217 points in the process. A regular member of the top penalty kill unit for both Columbus and Philadelphia, although Provorov’s physical play has decreased over the last handful of years, he still regularly racks up nearly 180 blocked shots each season. An effective top-four option for any team throughout the NHL, Provorov’s $4.725MM salary over this season and next is much more palatable to most teams than the contract of Laine.

At the end of the day, given that both players are signed beyond this season to relatively large sums of money, it is unlikely that the Blue Jackets will be able to find a trading partner until the draft or the opening of the free-agent market next summer. Nevertheless, with plenty of competitive teams looking to make a significant upgrade in a wide-open playoff race, Laine and Provorov could quickly become some of the bigger names on the trade market leading up to the trade deadline.

Trevor Zegras, Pavel Mintyukov Out Long-Term

at CDT | by 10 Comments

Ducks center Trevor Zegras and rookie defenseman Pavel Mintyukov both sustained long-term injuries Tuesday night against the Predators, the team announced. Zegras will undergo surgery on a fractured ankle and miss six to eight weeks, while Mintyukov will be sidelined for six weeks with a separated shoulder.

Zegras has struggled with his health and consistency this season as he already missed 20 straight games earlier this season and has scored just four goals and three assists in 20 games since his return. It’s been a tough few months for the 22-year-old as he had contentious contract negotiations with the Ducks in the summer and missed training camp. After he returned from injury, he struggled to get to his game in recent weeks and even found his name bandied about in trade rumors over the past few days before getting hurt.

Mintyukov is the Ducks’ 10th overall pick from 2022 and has been a pleasant surprise this year on their backend with two goals and 17 assists in 40 games. On top of being a solid offensive contributor, the 20-year-old has provided the Ducks with a physical presence as well as some solid work in the defensive zone. The Ducks figure to utilize newly acquired Gustav Lindstrom in Mintyukov’s absence.

Ducks’ general manager Pat Verbeek has been active on the trade market over the past week, and it will be interesting to see if he re-ignites the Zegras trade talks when he is healthy once again.

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

scroll to top