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Trade Rumors: Blackhawks & Flyers

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It didn’t take long for new Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson to make some waves in his now-official role. In media availability this afternoon, Davidson made it clear that he sees the Blackhawks as a rebuild. If that is indeed the case, then it may be more than just rentals departing Chicago in the near future. Of course, the two big names that could be on the move if Davidson and company move into a full-blown fire sale are Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The face of the franchise, Kane and Toews were the lynchpins of a dynastic run in Chicago and have continued to produce as the franchise has struggled in recent years. With just one year remaining on the matching eight-year, $84MM they signed long ago, Kane and Toews are now much more palatable trade targets if the Blackhawks choose to go that route. With that being said, the duo do have trade protection and any move would likely come from cooperation between the player side and the front office. In the latest edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Darren Dreger suggests that those conversations could be on the horizon, but anticipating a move prior to the trade deadline is likely unrealistic.

  • While Marc-Andre Fleury has been seen as a much more likely trade victim in Chicago, that may not be the case after all. Chris Johnston notes that there has always been an understanding that the Blackhawks would honor Fleury’s wishes despite only limited trade protection. At this time, he hears that Fleury is leaning toward staying in Chicago through the end of the season rather than accepting a trade. It remains unclear what this means for Fleury’s future, but Davidson’s insistence on a rebuild likely means that his time with the Blackhawks will end after this season, though likely not any earlier. Should Fleury’s mindset on being traded change in the coming weeks, he will remain a highly sought-after target and Chicago could certainly benefit from the trade return.
  • Another anticipated top rental target whose status is still unknown is the Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude Giroux. Pierre LeBrun reports that Giroux is still on the fence about moving and controls his own fate with a No-Movement Clause. The 34-year-old certainly would like a shot at a Stanley Cup and isn’t going to get one in Philadelphia this season. On the other hand, with 39 points in 49 games this season, Giroux isn’t showing any signs of slowing down and will have other chances at a title if he decides to ride out the year with the Flyers and save his next move for free agency. From the team’s point of view, Giroux will be worth an exorbitant amount if he does decide he is willing to be traded. LeBrun believes that Giroux could be considered the most valuable rental on the market and initial talks that the Flyers have had with potential suitors reflects that valuation. Philadelphia is expecting to receive a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a young roster player (or a package of equal value) for Giroux. Loyalty aside, the team has to be hoping that Giroux is open to a move.
  • The Flyers face a trickier situation with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. When he was acquired this summer, the team had a different vision for how this season would play out. That involved a more obvious upward trajectory for the club, which would have made signing Ristolainen to an extension an easy call. However, given Philadelphia’s struggles and Ristolainen’s himself, it is unclear how the two sides move forward, if at all. Darren Dreger notes that the two sides are talking contract and there is a significant possibility of an extension. However, if those negotiations do not yield an agreement before the trade deadline then Ristolainen could hit the block. Despite a down year, the big, two-way defender would draw widespread interest.

Snapshots: Niemelainen, Goloubef, Debunked Rumors

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The wallet of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Markus Niemelainen is a little lighter today. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced today that Niemelainen has been fined $2043.75 for cross-checking, the maximum fine allowed under the terms of the CBA. The incident in question occurred during the Oilers’ match-up with the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Niemelainen cross-checked Jets forward and fellow Finn Kristian Vesalainen in the third period as he cut toward the net on a scoring chance. Despite what in retrospect was an obvious and vicious cross-check to Vesalainen’s face, no penalty was called on the play. Niemelainen is somewhat fortunate to have escaped with only a fine in this situation.

  • Following multiple PTO’s with the AHL’s Belleville Senators this season, including suiting up for 11 games, veteran defenseman Cody Goloubef finally has a contract – except it isn’t with Belleville nor with Ottawa. Instead, the 32-year-old has signed a contract with SC Bern of the Swiss National League for the remainder of the season. Goloubef undoubtedly had his sights set on a return to Ottawa, having played in 29 games with the club over the last three seasons, but for whatever reason that did not come to fruition. An alternate captain for Belleville last season, Goloubef clearly still has strong ties to the Senators organization but it is unknown if he was offered a contract with the AHL Sens and opted to go to Switzerland instead. Bern gains a two-way defender with 160 NHL games to his credit as they fight to earn a playoff berth.
  • The nearer to the trade deadline, the more rumors begin to emerge and, of course, not all rumors are grounded in truth. Two such whispers that were put to rest this weekend revolved around Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub and Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel. While both the Sens and the Hawks are struggling again this season expect to be sellers at the deadline, they aren’t eager to move cost-controlled assets that are actually contributing on a regular basis. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports rather definitively that Zub will not be moved this season, which makes perfect sense. The 26-year-old is signed through next season at $2.5MM and while he will be an unrestricted free agent at that time, possibly making him a deadline target next season, the Senators don’t want to move on too quickly from a blue liner playing top pair minutes while also leading the team in plus/minus. In Chicago, the Blackhawks have even less reason to trade young winger Hagel, signed on for just $1.5MM AAV for two more years and still a restricted free agent after that. The 23-year-old is fourth on the team in scoring and second in goals, shooting percentage, and Corsi. While Chicago is understandably receiving interest in Hagel, The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reports that they have zero interest in moving him.

Trade Rumors: Canadiens, Petry, Stars, Coyotes

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Though unimaginable just a few short months ago, the defending Stanley Cup finalist Montreal Canadiens are fully open for business, according to new GM Kent Hughes. Hughes tells TSN’s Pierre LeBrun that the team is “open to everything” when it comes to trading away players amidst this dismal season. Montreal is on pace for a historically poor campaign and Hughes must do all he can to try to right the ship. It remains to be seen if that is just moving some select players or an outright fire sale. Confounding the situation is the fact that the Habs are not your typical sellers; the team has just a handful of expiring contracts to ship off as rentals and is mired in long-term contracts. Montreal has more than $70MM in annual salary committed through the 2023-24 season, with many contracts extending well beyond that point too. So while Hughes can name drop Ben Chiarot as a player who he has discussed the possibility of a trade with, the critical moves for the Canadiens will not be the obvious rentals but getting out from under some of their long-term commitments. Is that something that Hughes can do before the trade deadline or will the dismantling of the roster truly begin this offseason?

  • At least one term player who could be on the move is veteran defenseman Jeff Petry, whose name has begun to circulate on the rumor mill alongside Chiarot’s. Petry is suffering through an uncharacteristically bad season, which understandably makes the Canadiens wary of the remaining three years left on his $6.25MM AAV contact. While only mentioning Chiarot by name, Hughes noted to LeBrun that he had begun discussing trade potential with a number of his veteran players, in part to determine how they were feeling about being a part of the current Habs roster. It seems Petry was one of these players and didn’t hide that he was equally dissatisfied with being in Montreal as the club has been with his performance. On TSN’s “Insider Trading”, LeBrun reported that Petry has indicated that he is open to moving on. More specifically, he would actually “welcome a trade.” LeBrun hears that one team who could be interest in Petry becomes attainable are the Dallas Stars, who seem to be moving on shortly from a cornerstone right-handed defenseman of their own in John Klingberg. If the Stars want Petry though, they will have to pay up. Hughes was adamant that he will not trade Petry at a discount due to his poor play and the team’s struggles this season, a policy that he may apply to all of his core players. This could lead to trades for Petry and others having to wait until the summer or perhaps even next season when the memory of the horrific 2021-22 Montreal Canadiens has faded in the minds of potential suitors.
  • One other hindrance to the Habs’ ability to make trades this season is an inability (or unwillingness) to retain salary. Montreal is currently in the Long-Term Injured Reserve salary cap overage and actually have the highest real money payroll in the league currently. Especially when it comes to term players, Hughes is not going to want to add any more unnecessary salary to his roster, even though doing so has become a common way for sellers to land improved trade returns. However, there is good news for the 16 other teams currently in the LTIR or with less than a minimum salary’s worth of cap space – the Arizona Coyotes are still willing to play ball. The ’Yotes jumped head first into their rebuild this past offseason when they took on the likes of Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, Anton Stralman, Andrew Ladd, and Shayne Gostisbehere from cap-strapped teams in order to land a treasure trove of draft picks as well. Looking at a whopping seven picks in the first two rounds of the 2022 NHL Draft and plenty of cap space still to spend, GM Bill Armstrong is ready to keep it going. With a cap number that is already among the bottom third of the league and an incredible $36MM coming off the books this summer in unrestricted free agents, the Coyotes are willing and able to keep taking on bad contracts in trades, reports TSN’s Chris Johnston. With that being said, as the team looks to improve next season from a 2021-22 pace that would be worst in the league if not for Montreal, Johnston notes that Armstrong and company will be a bit more particular about who they are willing to take on this time around. The caliber of the player going to Arizona appears to be more of a concern than the weight of the contract as the ’Yotes hope to make progress in their rebuild while also taking advantage of the salary cap.

Trade Rumors: Canucks, Tippett, Mrazek, Ducks

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek didn’t hold back on their reporting late this evening on “Hockey Night in Canada”. The duo behind “32 Thoughts” had plenty to contribute, starting with Friedman’s report on the Vancouver Canucks. With the Vancouver front office finally coming together, with Patrik Allvin being named GM of Jim Rutherford’s new-look front office, the Canucks are starting to get busy in trade talks. Although the .500 club is still in the Western Conference wild card race, the reality is that any true playoff success for Vancouver lies in the future. It should come as no surprise then that the Canucks are listening to trade offers – and not just for talked-about target J.T. Miller. Friedman reports that nearly any Vancouver forward could be had for the right price outside of captain Bo Horvat and young star Elias Pettersson. That includes Conor Garland, who the team just acquired themselves this past summer and signed to a reasonable five-year, $24.75MM deal. It is believed that the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers are in pursuit of Garland, though there is likely no shortage of interest in the skilled forward, who has 102 points in 155 games dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season.

  • The Florida Panthers are one of the biggest surprises of the season, currently leading the top-heavy Atlantic Division with a .744 points percentage that is also third-best in the NHL. The Panthers are expected to go all-in on a Stanley Cup run this season and specifically are hoping to land a legitimate top-four defenseman. As they go about working the phones, Marek reports that one major name they are dangling is Owen Tippett. The 2017 first-rounder still has yet to make his mark in the NHL, struggling to find enough consistency at the top level to stick in the Florida lineup. However, he is only 22 and still a well-regarded as well as well-liked prospect. Tippett will likely end up as the centerpiece to any big trade the Panthers make this season.
  • With Jack Campbell playing at an elite level this season while Petr Mrazek has struggled with injuries and inconsistency, the latter has proven to be little more than a pricey backup for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season while the former will be the team’s offseason priority as an impending free agent. As a result, teams have begun to inquire about Mrazek’s availability. If Campbell does stay in Toronto, the team will have a proven starter and have some promising young options like Joseph Woll and Ian Scott behind him. Marek also adds that the Maple Leafs are in hot pursuit of undrafted OHL standout Mack Guzda, who would further boost the depth chart if Toronto can win a heated race for his services. This hypothetically makes Mrazek and his $3.8MM cap hit expendable, even though he just signed with Toronto this past summer. However, for now the Leafs are maintaining that Mrazek remains a part of their plans. Marek was not so sure about that, but does report that any decision on a Mrazek trade will have to wait for the offseason.
  • Among the other suitors for Guzda are the Ducks, Hurricanes, Islanders, Rangers, Penguins, and Predators. (Notably, Guzda is a Tennessee native.) One of those teams is about to get much more serious in their pursuit, as well as in the trade market. Friedman notes that Anaheim is closing in on naming a general manager. While there are still several names in contention, he believes that Pat Verbeek is the odds-on favorite. Once a permanent GM is named, the Ducks will become a fascinating team to watch; they are both well within the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, yet also possess numerous high-value rentals.

Trade Rumors: Chiarot, Oilers, Coyotes, DeBrusk

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While the Marc-Andre Fleury-Washington Capitals connection was the highlight of the most recent “32 Thoughts” column from Sportnset’s Elliotte Friedman, the insider had plenty else to say about the burgeoning trade market. Though just a small note, the inclusion most likely to come to fruition is Friedman’s report that several teams are pursuing Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot. Chiarot’s name has been out there among trade candidate all season and it isn’t going away. As the top impending free agent on the NHL’s worst team, Chiarot is a near lock to be dealt. Friedman reports that the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, and St. Louis Blues are among the teams confirmed to have interest in Chiarot, but Friedman also keys in on another possibility: the Toronto Maple Leafs. The rumblings out of Toronto suggest that the Leafs are targeting a defenseman at the trade deadline and they may very well need one to escape the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division. Friedman notes that the club kicked the tires on Chiarot when he was a free agent and could be a top contender to land him this time around.

  • Another report that is hardly outside the box is Friedman’s suggestion that the Edmonton Oilers have looked into just about every goalie that could potentially be traded this season. Among the list of names are some who have already been linked to Edmonton, such as Columbus’ Joonas Korpisalo and Dallas’ Braden Holtby and Anton Khudobin, but other interesting targets include Philadelphia’s Martin Jones and Washington’s Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek. However, the key piece of Friedman’s report is that the Oilers may end up empty-handed if they aren’t willing to improve their offer. Friedman hears from potential trade partners that Edmonton is not willing to move their first-round pick and increasingly hesitant to move their second-rounder as well. Without a third- or fourth-round selection this year, the Oilers are seemingly only peddling late-round picks, with top prospects likely off the board as well. That won’t get it done in a sellers’ market.
  • One goalie who likely won’t wind up in Edmonton is Arizona’s Karel Vejmelka. Though there have been few bright spots in the Coyotes’ dismal season, Vejmelka’s play has given fans in the desert some hope. The 25-year-old rookie, an unheralded import from the top level in Czechia, has performed well this season. By league standards, his .901 save percentage and 3.40 GAA may not seem like much to be excited about, but as a first-year NHLer playing behind one of the worst rosters in the league, the keeper has held his own in 25 appearances. Rather than quickly flip Vejmelka to another team, the ’Yotes seem insistent on extending the goaltender instead, including him as a core piece in their rebuild.
  • Still in Arizona, where rumors circle the struggling squad, Friedman reports that young forward Lawson Crouse is unlikely to be traded despite recent speculation. The hulking power forward is not without his flaws, but with 10 goals and 20 points in 40 games, Crouse is well on his way to a career year. Although the Coyotes have shown their willingness to move on from high-potential players for the right price by placing Jakob Chychrun on the block, Friedman states that they have begun telling suitors that they would prefer to keep Crouse.
  • Elsewhere, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa writes that the market for Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk is in fact as cold as it seems. There was a flurry of speculation when DeBrusk first requested a trade, but it has quieted down significantly since Boston’s play improved in the new year. This isn’t because the Bruins aren’t listening though. Instead, Shinzawa reports that teams seem hesitant to make the commitment to DeBrusk, at least at the Bruins’ asking price. While his play has improved of late, it is still far off his performance earlier in his career and not up to the level that his $4.41MM qualify offer demands. The challenge for the Bruins is to find a team willing to pay the asking price that either is willing to qualify or otherwise negotiate an extension with DeBrusk or conversely a team that sees him as a rental, as recent rumors have suggested the New York Rangers might. Neither the Bruins nor DeBrusk want to extend their relationship, but it may be easier said than done to find the right deal.

Why The 2022 Trade Deadline Could Be A Seller’s Market

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The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline is not exactly imminent. The delayed March 21 date this season is 11 weeks away and a lot can change in that amount of time. However, the end of the holiday trade freeze is the unofficial start to trade season leading up to the deadline. In the first few months of the season there have been ten trades completed, but outside of the Jack Eichel deal there have been very few moves of any substance. That may not change any time soon either.

An active trade deadline requires there to be identifiable buyers and sellers and they must be willing and able to deal. Buyers should not be an issue this season; the eight teams currently in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference may be locked in, as nearly 100 percentage points separate the eighth and ninth team in the conference standings, while the Western Conference includes 13 teams with .500+ records. Therein begins the sellers problem though. Only three teams out west look like potential sellers right now, while there could be more teams willing to sell in the east but many are in a rebuild and don’t have much to offer, while others are merely lacking impact rentals. There are also a number of fringe teams that probably should be sellers, but are close enough to a playoff berth that would mean so much to their players and fan base that they may hold out.

The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek notes another wrinkle that could limit sellers: five teams are currently operating with an interim GM. The Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks have hired new heads of their respective front offices in Jeff Gorton and Jim Rutherford, but neither has in turn hired his GM yet and seem unlikely to make major moves independently. This could take Gorton’s Canadiens, one of the most obvious sellers on paper, off the market. Rutherford’s Canucks hope to be in the playoff race, but he has already vowed that the team will either sell or stand pat this season and the longer it takes to hire a GM, the more likely it will be the latter. The Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks are all operating with temporary GMs, all of whom have limited experience. Chicago and Anaheim fired their most recent GMs and have internal replacements for the time being, while San Jose GM Doug Wilson is currently away from the team for medical reasons. As Duhatschek points out, the likes of Kyle Davidson, Jeff Solomon, and Joe Will are not only new to the GM position, but lack the relationships around the league to make impact moves. So while the Blackhawks look like bona fide sellers and the Sharks and possibly the Ducks could get to that point, will they actually be willing to make trades?

The Seattle Kraken also fall into a category all their own. The NHL’s newest team was just put together in its entirety this off-season. Although they struggled mightily all season and do possess a number of expiring contracts, it remains to be seen if GM Ron Francis is ready to blow it up.

On top of all of this, the rental market among potential sellers is not strong. Of the top 20 impending UFA’s in per-game scoring this season, zero are on teams with sub-.500 records and just three are on teams not currently in a playoff spot. Expand that to the top 50, and only ten players are on sub-.500 teams: Phil Kessel, Travis Boyd, and Johan Larsson for Arizona, Vinnie Hinostroza for Buffalo, Chris Wideman for Montreal, P.K. Subban for New Jersey, Tyler Ennis for Ottawa, and Calle Jarnkrok, Colin Blackwell, and Mark Giordano for Seattle. Even if valuable defensemen like Ben Chiarot and Colin Miller or even a future Hall of Fame goaltender like Marc-Andre Fleury are considered, it’s not exactly an inspiring list for teams adding at the deadline. More importantly, it’s a short list for a potentially large group of buyers.

For those teams looking to make a meaningful trade this season, the conundrum is when to make a move. On one hand, with a small group of exciting targets it may be beneficial to make a trade early and possibly avoid the high prices of deadline bidding wars. On the other hand, the pool of sellers could also expand closer to the deadline and prices could drop if there is a flood of supply to meet the demand. Until that happens though – if it even does – there will be few moves to make early on and quite possibly right up to the deadline. Serious contenders should be prepared to pay up or sit tight this season.

Snapshots: Wheeler, Khudobin, De Haan

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The Winnipeg Jets could get quite the emotional boost tonight, as captain Blake Wheeler is expected to play in his 1,000th career NHL game Sunday at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Winnipeg is just 4-5-1 in their last ten games and has fallen out of playoff position in the Western Conference, but they’re carrying some momentum after a chaotic 8-4 win against the New Jersey Devils on Friday. The Leafs, however, enter the game without the services of Mitch Marner for a second straight game and are on the second half of a back-to-back. Saturday night saw them erase a 3-0 second-period deficit against the Minnesota Wild but only took home one point with a 4-3 shootout loss. It’s an important game for the Jets and Wheeler, who’s yet to score a goal this season and has just 10 assists in 18 games. It’s a slow start for the normally consistent Wheeler, who’s had at least 15 goals in every season of his 14-year career. He enters his 1,000th game with 279 goals and 538 assists for 817 points.

Some more snapshots from around the NHL on this Sunday morning:

  • Coming in at No. 5 on The Fourth Period’s Trade Watch List 2021-22 is Dallas Stars goalie Anton Khudobin. Over the weekend, multiple reports appeared suggesting the Stars were actively trying to find a trade partner for the 35-year-old Khudobin. With just a 3-3-1 record and .873 save percentage on the year, he’s quickly becoming the odd man out in a crowded goalie situation in the Lone Star state. Offseason addition Braden Holtby is having somewhat of a renaissance season with a .927 save percentage in 10 starts, while up-and-comer Jake Oettinger has yet to lose this season and has a .951 save percentage in five starts. Oettinger began the season in the AHL but it’s becoming apparent that after a promising rookie campaign last year, he’s simply too good for a third-string role. Khudobin has two seasons left on his contract with a $3.33MM cap hit and has a four-team no-trade list in effect this season, per CapFriendly.
  • Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan also finds himself on that same Trade Watch List. Listed at No. 7, de Haan has no points in 21 games this season but has been solid defensively on a Blackhawks team that sits in the bottom-ten in the league in goals against. The 30-year-old has oft appeared in trade rumors, and as he’s in the final year of his contract with a $4.55MM cap hit, those won’t be quieting down anytime soon.

Trade Rumors: Kessel, Hertl, Girard

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After months and months of speculation, the constant trade talk surrounding Jack Eichel is finally over after the star Buffalo Sabres center was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this month. So where does the trade market go from here? Though still early in the season, there is thought to be some trade chatter ongoing between teams who expected different results early on this year, whether that is a surprise contender looking to load up, a struggling preseason favorite in need of a shake-up, or a bottom-dweller looking to move talent as soon as possible to maximize the return. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy and Matt Larkin recently broke down the trade market and believe the top available name could be the product of that latter scenario. The pair feel that Phil Kessel is set to step into Eichel’s shoes, not only as a major name on the block but also as a player that is guaranteed to be traded. The 1-13-1 Arizona Coyotes have all the makings of a last-place team and Kessel is an aging veteran and respected champion on an expiring deal; the fit is poor and should be resolved soon rather than waiting until the deadline whilst Kessel plays meaningless games and risks injury for the ’Yotes. The scoring winger should be attractive to any number of teams and Arizona could take the first impressive futures package offered to them to further their rebuild.

  • Though mentioned by Kennedy and Larkin as a top trade chip, piling on top of plenty of recent speculation, Tomas Hertl may not be as guaranteed to move as people have been led to believe. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz writes in a recent mailbag that Hertl seems be enjoying this season more than last. A winning record so far certainly helps, but Hertl is also appreciative of his growing role as a team leader amidst a culture turnaround in San Jose. Kurz believes that Hertl has a 50/50 chance of signing an extension with the Sharks, which doesn’t even speak to his likelihood of being traded. If the team continues to win and stays in the playoff picture all season and the possibility of a renewed deal between the two sides remains, Hertl may not move after all. There are some cap management factors working against a deal for both team and player, with the Sharks’ restrictions limiting Hertl’s contract potential and making such a move more risky for San Jose, but if the team is playing well and Hertl is happy, producing, and leading the young locker room, it will be difficult for the Sharks to opt for a trade instead of working toward an extension.
  • Meanwhile, Kennedy and Larkin do not mention Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard as top trade bait, but his name has been a fixture on the rumor mill in recent days. According to Mike Chambers of The Denver Post, the Avs made a late run at Eichel and floated Girard as the centerpiece of the deal. Now, even with Eichel off the market, Chambers believes that GM Joe Sakic is still willing to part ways with Girard. Though young and offensively gifted, Girard has some glaring defensive weaknesses that Colorado would rather not deal with given his $5MM cap hit. Girard is still an elite defenseman, but the well-balanced Avs are looking to use that cap space in a different way, if at all possible, by landing another elite forward. With phenom Cale Makar locked up long-term, a number of reliable veterans in support, and other promising young defenders like Bowen Byram and Justin Barron, the team could survive the loss of Girard if it means adding another difference-maker to their top-heavy forward corps. If the Avalanche continue to fall short of expectations this season, it will only serve to fuel a potential shake-up with Girard as the most likely trade victim.

Latest On Sharks’ Evander Kane, Tomas Hertl

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Between the ongoing investigation into Evander Kane and the trade rumors swirling around Tomas Hertl, it seemed that potentially neither would be back with the San Jose Sharks this season. Add in that Hertl is believed to be one of the Sharks’ core members who was upset with Kane’s presence in the locker room last year and did not want him to return, it certainly did not seem that both would be back in 2021-22. Yet, it is growing increasingly more likely that this in fact will be the case.

Kane tells ESPN’s Linda Cohn that he expects the NHL’s current investigation into allegations that he bet on NHL games, and Sharks games in particular, to go nowhere. Kane states that these allegations were entirely fabricated by his estranged wife during the course of an ugly and public divorce:

Obviously (the accusations are) incredibly false. It’s unfortunate that transpired, and it’s unfortunate that those false allegations were made. I understood the magnitude of them immediately. I know (they’re) not true. I know none of what she was saying was true. I was very confident, comfortable with knowing that I was going to be exonerated and am going to be exonerated of those allegations.

While Kane’s investigation is far from his only off-ice concern – bankruptcy case, gambling addiction, and other unsavory allegations – it is seemingly the only grounds that the NHL would have to suspend him or San Jose would have to terminate his contract. And while the Sharks could explore trading Kane, it would be difficult to move his baggage an an extremely no-trade clause does not help. If Kane is cleared, it seems likely that he will be back with the Sharks this season.

Unless that fact itself is the final straw for Hertl, he too seems to be heading back to San Jose to begin the season. Speaking to NHL.com’s Tracey Myers, Hertl stated that he not only expects to attend training camp and open the year with the Sharks, but he is open to extension talks as well. Of course, it seems more likely than not that Hertl heads elsewhere as a free agent next summer, if not via trade sooner, but he will not be requesting a trade out of San Jose; quite the contrary, in fact. Hertl is looking to take on more of a leadership role with the Sharks this season to fill the gap of departed veterans like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Pavelski. Hertl clearly cares about locker room chemistry and still seems to be thinking only of the present in San Jose and not his future. Will he remain as focused if the locker room he is trying to lead includes Kane though? That could be the big question for the Sharks early this season: can the two co-exist and, if not, which one is moved first?

Rangers’ Ryan Strome Drawing Trade Interest

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The New York Rangers’ Expansion Draft protection list contained a surprise inclusion, but it wasn’t Ryan Strome. (Kevin Rooney?) Strome has bounced around during his NHL career, but has found a good fit in New York with back-to-back career years in terms of per-game scoring. Yet, Strome may be protected from selection by the Seattle Kraken, but that doesn’t guarantee that he will be on the Rangers roster next season. Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland reports that Strome is drawing considerable interest on the trade market.

Rosters are currently frozen through Wednesday’s Expansion Draft, but that was preceded by a mini-trade deadline on Saturday that resulted in a flurry of activity and surely far more conversations than what actually came to fruition. Strome’s name apparently came up in these talks and when transactions are unlocked later this week, he may be on the move. Of course, this depends one whether the interest that Strickland reports is being encouraged. If the Rangers are listening to offers or even shopping Strome, then a deal could happen soon. The Rangers are known to be in the market for an improvement down the middle and could be looking to open up cap space and a top-six center spot in one fell swoop by moving Strome. However, if this interest in Strome is developing without any involvement from New York, it could mean nothing. If the Rangers are unsuccessful in trading for an established center, they will have a hard time upgrading Strome on the free agent market this season and could be hesitant to move him.

One team who is eyeing Strome, should he be available, are the Ottawa Senators. Strickland notes that Ottawa in particular is interested in adding the center. This could be a savvy move for the Senators, who are looking to take a step forward in their rebuild this season, but would not have to sacrifice too much for Strome, whose contract expires after next season. Ottawa may also need to replace center Chris Tierney, who was left exposed in the Expansion Draft. If Strome excels playing on the young Ottawa roster, the team has more than enough cap space to extend him. If he struggles or the team falters again this season regardless, the Senators could flip him at the trade deadline to recoup their assets.

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