The latest on Andrej Sekera, James Wisniewski, Joffrey Lupul, Ryan O’Reilly, Antoine Vermette, Braydon Coburn and more.
Latest from TSN’s insiders.
Are the Columbus Blue Jackets poised to move defenseman Jame Wisniewski?
TSN.CA: Bob McKenzie reports the Chicago Blackhawks are among the teams with interest in Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Andrej Sekera. McKenzie also reports Arizona Coyotes defenseman Zbynek Michalek’s been sidelined a week with a concussion. While he could still be traded, his injury could affect the return the Coyotes could receive, perhaps a conditional draft pick depending on his health…Pierre LeBrun believes the Los Angeles Kings are leaning toward adding a player or two and deal with Slava Voynov’s cap hit if he’s acquitted in his domestic violence trial and reinstated by the league. The Kings still haven’t received clarity from the league on this issue…Darren Dreger reports Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski could be available but his cap hit ($5.5 million annually for two more years) is an issue…LeBrun reports the Montreal Canadiens still hope to add another forward and defenseman, but he doesn’t see the Habs pursuing Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul citing the three years and $5.25 million annual cap hit left on his contract ..Dreger also believes a deadline deal involving Colorado Avalanche forward Ryan O’Reilly is unlikely and it’s possible he could be dealt during the NHL draft in June.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lots of interest in Sekera but I’ll be surprised if the Blackhawks land him. Asking price is apparently a first-round pick and a prospect…Should be interesting to see if the Kings actually gamble on adding a player at the deadline. They’ve currently won eight straight so some pressure is off management as they’ve climbed back into playoff contention, but depth is essential down the stretch…The Jackets might have to pick up a chunk of Wisniewski’s salary if they hope to move him before the deadline. Failing that, maybe he gets moved in the offseason. One of my readers wondered why I believe Wisniewski will get more interest in the trade market than Lupul. Two reasons: Wisniewski’s contract is shorter and he’s a right-handed blueliner, which is a valuable commodity among NHL teams this season…LeBrun notes the Habs won’t sacrifice their future to add short-term depth. After landing Devante Smith-Pelly yesterday, GM Marc Bergevin could stand pat if there’s no deal out there which suits him. Definitely don’t see him going after Lupul…I think the Avs will wait until the offseason to make a decision on O’Reilly, when there should be more suitors.
Update on the Bruins, Sharks and Blues.
CSNNE.COM: Joe Haggerty reports the pressure is on Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli to find a replacement for sidelined center David Krejci. He considers Arizona Coyotes center Antoine Vermette the likely target. “If the Coyotes are looking for a first round pick and a top-level prospect in exchange for Vermette, the hope would be that the Bruins can widen the deal’s scope and get either Keith Yandle or Zbynek Michalek included in the trade discussions as well,” write Haggerty. Such a move, however, might mean moving out a salaried player this summer if they wish to retain those players after this season.
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS: Mark Purdy examines several trade scenarios for the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline. One is giving up young talent and prospects for a rental player to help them make the playoffs. Another is trading away pending UFA goalie Antti Niemi for a high draft pick or talented young player. Another is trading mid-level players like defenseman Scott Hannan, or forwards Tyler Kennedy and James Sheppard for picks and prospects. Purdy speculates the most likely option is making no moves at all, sending a message to the team they’re getting the opportunity to gut it out and make the playoffs.
STLTODAY.COM: Jeremy P. Rutherford reports Blues GM Doug Armstrong appears to be in the market for a defenseman. Options could include New Jersey’s Marek Zidlicky or Arizona’s Keith Yandle or Zbynek Michalek. They could also look to add depth at forward.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chiarelli has in the past shown a willingness to wheel and deal near the trade deadline, as he did in 2011. Still, he’s got limited assets to move if he hopes to land Vermette or explore a wider deal…The Sharks are struggling to remain in the playoff race so it’ll be interesting to see what GM Doug Wilson does. It doesn’t sound like he’ll be a buyer…With Kevin Shattenkirk still a long way from returning to the lineup I wouldn’t be surprised if Armstrong landed a depth defenseman. Not sure if he’ll go after Zidlicky, Yandle or Michalek. Maybe he tries to get Roman Polak back from Toronto?
Coburn, Tlusty and Petry moving soon?
PHILLY.COM: Frank Seravalli reports the Flyers have a glut of defensemen and could send Braydon Coburn packing by the trade deadline. With Kimmo Timonen set to return to the lineup on Saturday, the Flyers must shed a salary to make room on their payroll. Nick Grossmann, Luke Schenn, Michael Del Zotto and Carlo Colaiacovo could also be available, but Coburn could have more value. He has a year remaining on his contract worth $4.25 million with a limited no-trade clause of 10-12 teams he’d accepted being dealt to.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe there will be interest in Coburn, who could probably be had for a draft pick or prospect as the Flyers can’t take back any salary. However, those clubs could try to squeeze the Flyers to absorb part of his remaining salary.
NEWSOBSERVER.COM: Chip Alexander reports Carolina Hurricanes winger Jiri Tlusty could attract interest as a playoff rental leading up to the trade deadline. Tlusty is an unrestricted free agent in July and could interest clubs seeking a two-way forward who can help on the power play.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Bruce McCurdy wonders if the Chicago Blackhawks are the logical destination for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jeff Petry, who is expected to be dealt by the trade deadline.
Updates on the Canadiens and Panthers.
MONTREAL GAZETTE: Pat Hickey speculates the Canadiens acquisition of Devante Smith-Pelly from Anaheim yesterday could be the only move they make before the trade deadline. He claims Habs GM Marc Bergevi was shopping for a physical defenseman but the play of Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi and Greg Pateryn may have changed his mind.
MIAMI HERALD: Jack McCarthy reports Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon suggests more moves could be in the offing for his club in the wake of trading Sean Bergenheim last night to Minnesota. Tallon, however, also cautions he won’t be doing anything crazy as his club remains in the playoff chase.
Anyone else feel as though San Jose has to do something? Every year it falls to whether they should buy or not. They don’t and fail in he playoffs. They need to do something big.
I think it hurts them that Marleau and Thornton have full NTC’s and are apparently not willing to waive them….though that’s fair, they negotiated NTC’s in good faith, they shouldn’t then be expected to agree to be traded.
While I don’t ever expect to see and end to the NT/NM clauses in the NHL, at the next bargaining sessions team owners should argue in favour of adopting the old baseball 10-5 rule – or a variation thereof. In other words, such clauses would appear only in the contracts of those who have been in the NHL for 10 seasons, the last 5 with the same team.
I feel management want to go one direction with the team and some of their Older players are not willing to move on to allow it and it is creating a stalemate in regards to player movement and direction.
I think if Big Joe and Marleau suddenly agreed to move you’d see a bunch of movement on that team beyond them.
They’ve been buyers a few times. I remember the Campbell trade.
But as of right now I think they should be sellers. Get their re-tool on the way.
I still say neither Lupul or Wiz get traded before the deadline, especially when there are less riskier options out there..at both positions.
If I’m not mistaken, this was supposed to be a year SJ took a step back to restocked the cupboards, I doubt the trade any prospects or picks. I agree with Purdy, they’ll stay the course.
Sharks may move a James Sheppard, Scott Hannan or Tyler Kennedy, but that doesn’t count as something big. Going after Kessel is a gamble, especially during the season with playoffs on the line. If Wilson does pull the trigger for a top-tier player this late in the season and they don’t make the playoffs, he’s most likely out as GM.
Sharks may move a couple of 3rd/4th liners for a third line center with a different skill set than Sheppard, but a big move is highly unlikely.
Kimmo Timonen will be dealt if he can get a couple games in before the deadline. Despite shooting from the left side he will have value to Chicago if they can clear some cap space, Anaheim, Detroit, Boston, Montreal, Vancouver and a few others seeing he will be a cheap rental for this year only.
While the recent play of Beaulieu, Tinordi and Pateryn is encouraging for the Habs I am not convinced those 3 are ready for deep playoff run, maybe Beaulieu. Subban and Markov have logged lots of ice and are a bit banged up. Gonchar may be done , at his age I don’t think he could keep up as the playoffs run deep. Gilbert is ok as a 17 minute guy , Emmelin is hurt and not sure of long term impact. Weaver is good in the trenches but at 38 a long playoff run would be draining …..If the price is right they should consider someone who plays shutdown defence and who has playoff experience and is not late 30’s. Playing every second night for 2 months takes a big toll on the body.
Don’t worry they will only play every second night for about 10-12 days.
saskleafan , you must be used to watching the laughs garbage team year after year , because your ignorance is showing ,when was the last time you watched a habs game ? They r playing really good hockey , with the rooks on d playing the way they r and price in nets they could go far this is the first habs team in twenty years that has this much all around depth . why dont you go to a retirement home so that you can talk to someone that watched the leafs win back in the day anyone seventy or up might remember them winning something .
Waa. it’s ok, he was joking. It’s alright.
relax babouie, pretty sure it was a joke, and big deal if it wasnt 😀
Pretty sure it was a joke babouie. You gotta calm down.
who do think that scernio fits that is on the trade market ….I go back to my comment on polak if st Louis traded him y would the habs need him for the stretch run if the blues felt they could do without him and go with gunnarson and what will it cost the habs
last yrs trade for vanek didn’t really cost them anything and I fiqure MB if he can pull that off again he will if not he wont give up any talent he has in the farm system for a rental
StLouis was stacked on D back then, now that Shattenkirk is on the IR I am sure they would gladly take Polak back. The Habs should look at someone like Fayne in Edmonton, Michalek in Arizona …..Eller would be involved going the other way because Mtl needs to shed salary to take on salary…could be other pieces too. Bergevin has indicated he prefers hockey deals and not rentals. I think Emmelin has worn out his welcome if he and Parenteau were not hurt I’d say they could be moved too if the right deal came along.
My bad Michaelk is a UFA so be could be had for a pick or B prospect
Beaulieu is an ex-Seadog. He will be just fine and carry that team along. Go Seadogs!!!!!!! 😛
Perhaps montreal will move Phillips in and start a geriatric wing in the locker room. Markov, Gonchar and he could have great times.
Got to know the Sharks a little better watching Stadium Series show on EPIX.
I wondered why you got John Scott ( I thought to just fight) and it looks like he’s there to liven up a pretty dead room of guys! Even with Burns and Pavelski’s energy they don’t look like a happy group!
If you like Scott so much – we should send you Kaleta..
Not looking like the Wiz wants to go anywhere and is making it pretty difficult for CBJs to move him he has a ntc and his list of teams that he would accept a deal to are all teams with no cap room amd with deep bluelines according to Aaron Portzline. He wants to stay in lumbus.
Coburn is a very under rated player. He is a solid 3/4 D man who has been forced to play the #1 role. His salary of 4.25M is much more palatable than the $5M that Franson will be looking for. He should be able to fetch a top prospect or a late #1 draft pick
Scott id think he might fetch 2nd or a couple 3rd rounder or a player who has similar contract that’s about all
I used to think Coburn was underrated. I no longer feel that way. His play suffered when he lost his partner, Kimmo Timonen. He is way too inconsistent as a defender for a veteran player. I’d take a 2nd rounder for him. I wouldn’t expect much more.
2nd for Coburn?
Yikes.
I wouldnt go more than a 4th or maybe a mid level prospect. Coburn also isnf the healthiest of players.
2nd round pick is probably more in line with his production and performance. Even looking at his career, the minutes he’s played, how good of a team Philly was each of the years he’s been on the roster… he’s still a 4/5 spot defenseman on any contending team. A late 1st or top prospect is overpaying for a D that’s making 4.25 and has played horrible this year… partly because as another person mentioned he lost his D partner but that goes to show you what kind of player he is. If he stepped up and exceeded expectations than you’d have a good case for a better return but instead he’s fluttered and fell well below the level that Philly was probably expecting.
A first and a prospect for Sekera? If that’s the asking price for a rental D-man then maybe there is hope to move Phaneuf this week…lol. Sekera has played well for the past year but he is by no means the missing piece that wins someone The Cup. If someone’s desperate enough to trade a 1st and a prospect for him then there’s gotta be suitors out there who would pay Phaneuf’s inflated salary…
If that’s the market for a quality top 4-D then the Bruins should strongly consider moving some of their D for future assets because a 1st round pick and prospect for an UFA who isn’t a solidified top-2 D is quite a subsantial return IMO… then again it’s the deadline and over-paying for rentals happens every year.
dont expect a big return for chara , he is still a dman i would love to have , but anyone that has watched the bruins for more than one or two games this year has seen chara and seidenberg constantly get beat or caught up ice over and over and over . the book has been out on chara and seidenberg since toews and kane came out publicly during stanley cup finals that they have been giving the boston defence to much respect and they would just skate skate directly at chara that he was to slow to turn to the outside against fast players . this resulted in chara being on the ice for twelve of the hawks last fourteen goals against boston. his salary is a cap killer for the next two or three years
Boston is in trouble from a Cap perspective. They have $56M committed to 12 players for the 2015 season. OUCH!!
PC is going to have to work miracles to get Krug and Hamilton resigned and then find another 6-8 players to fill out the roster. Good luck Pete!!
I like that you started by saying you’d love to have Chara, by the end you had me convinced of how bad he is. Chara has always been a great player, and a guy other teams were intimidated by. But you’re right, he is older and has lost a step, he’s a big guy so it must be hard to keep up for a long career, especially with knee issues. Unfortunately he is probably a good example of what is wrong with long contracts, but it’s a game teams have to play now. You can’t sign elite younger guys now unless you give them that 8 year contract, but even an elite 36 year old player most times isn’t worth the cap hit of a 29 year old elite player, which is what it comes down to. So teams end up with a good older player they are loyal to, but who’s cap hit is killing them. It seems like this will lead to teams going through a cycle of being not good with young players, good with players in their prime and then declining with their older players…I think it’s a problem that is very hard to manage.
Sekera isn’t worth a first and a prospect yet again neither is Phaneuf. His contract drives his value even lower then it already is.
WHAT! Only one post by SHTICKY and what.. all of three total posts mentioning the leafs? I know its cold out east but when did the internet shut down?
I”ll throw something out there though..
To all the kessel naysayers ( basically all of leaf nation) why on earth would you ever get rid of that guy. You trade him off and where are your goals going to come from? franson.. whoops! Lupul.. ahhh no. JVR? get serious… Kessel’s hands don’t come around very often… so might I suggest
GET HIM A CENTER! AN ACTUAL CENTER! BONAFIDE TOP LINE CENTER!
he’s not a 2 way guy.. so what! every team that wins the cup every single year has one way guys..
you trade off kessel and youre gonna miss him….
Figure it out T.O. how do you win 10 games ( or 12.. whatever it was) then fire your coach while youre in a playoff spot.. then bomb and now you want to trade off the whole team because said coach grew up behind trotz and his d systems…
Bury Clarkson.. Keep phaneuf ( cuz he’s not that bad, just overpaid).. shoulda kept franson but oh well.. get rid of Kadri and Gardiner.. continue paying lupul for his 29 games he plays every year …
its the ebb and flow of hockey… you just don’t get rid of a guy like kessel because he ( along with the rest of the team) forgot to score for 20 games….
Exactly, the leafs could use a leader and top center, (possibly same Guy) and maybe a new coach. Like you say kessel has been a dominant scorer over the past 3-4 seasons and would be hard to replace his production! Im not in favour of a blow up, but hey i guess Im not in charge 😀
Don’t think they trade Kessel right now anyway. If they somehow win the lottery and draft CMD then they will regret letting Kessel go. Thats the ideal situation of course.
I think everyone knows that the Leafs have been looking for a 1C for a long time; unfortunately none are available.
I don’t think there is a position harder to fill than a really good 1st line centre…there just aren’t that many Goetslaf’s or Crosby’s out there.
I don’t think you need a Crosby, Getzlaf, Stamkos down the middle to be successful. These kind of players are the exception, not the rule. Most #1 centers don’t put up those kind of numbers. Plenty of teams have found success without a 80-100 point 1st line center, or even 1st line player for that matter.
Very well said. Leafs shouldn’t be rebuilding, again but re tooling. See what it’ll cost to get Pavelski or Couture from SJ. Bury Clarkson. Sign a couple of Sekera types in the offseason then you got yourself a team.
Clarkson ca’t be buried; his contract is full of bonuses and demoting him saves the Leafs next to nothing.
Coaches shouldnt be fired when you are 4 5 months from the playoffs? Randy had them in a playoff spot last year aswell in Dec, how that work out? He should have been fired in the summer. Fantastic ideas tho trade Kadri the only guy who has showed any consistency keep the team and coach that have been bad for years, and cross your fingers and hope the “ebb & flow” changes…
I know the Leaf haters are bothered by it, but discussion about Toronto yesterday led to 150+ comments, no Leafs today and this is #27 all day. Of course they’re nuts to get rid of Kessel, if they do. I know everyone who hates the leafs talk about him being one-dimensional, but it’s a necessary dimension. the problem is they have him without the other pieces, you’re right about a true #1 centre which is also very hard to come by. But he’s only 28 so you keep him and keep building. The problem this year is they are trying to make them play a defensive game that they are not built for. I’m not saying they don’t have to build the team around that system, but they don’t have it now. You keep Kessel, JVR, Lupul and Reilly and move anyone else if the deal is right. Again, not saying they should move everyone else, just that option is open. I like Franson, and the day he was traded he said he’d like to resign in Toronto this summer if possible, if they do that then they stole a 1st round pick for letting a guy go for a couple of months in a season that was lost anyway. To fit him in though they’ll have to trade Phaneuff, he’s better than he gets credit for but there is only so much cap space to go around.
The idea of just signing a first line center is great, and if there were 30 elite 1st line centers in the league there would be one in Toronto. But the reality is that there is not. There are 30+ players with elite level skills, but very few with an elite all around game. Going with the line of thought that you have to give something to get something, Kessel (being an elite scorer and skater) is the best asset available in the NHL right now. I think that Shanny is looking at some of the competitive teams that win without elite players and is looking to build a team that is structurally balanced and competitive at this point. If Kessel can bring in 2 players that are top 6F/4D plus prospect and or 1st round pick then I believe that the gamble that his production will be replaced and the team will role more consistent lines is worth it. Back when the Leafs iced a team with 5-6 20+ goal scorers they were competitive most nights. No they never won the cup, but they weren’t abysmal to watch either. Start by bringing a balanced offense and structured D to the team without over paying for anyone, then add an elite player to put the team into contenders after the fact. There are only so many Crosby’s and Ovechkin’s out there.
Winnick to the pens for 2015 4th 2016 2nd and Sills is what i hear
Funny how many haters were so wrong AGAIN and said they’d be lucky to get a late round pick…as soon as it’s a Leaf player, they think that the rest of the hockey world devalues them as much as they do. The Leafs have already got more in the Franson/Santo trade than most Leaf haters on this forum thought they’d get for all there deadline day moves. Must be hard to swallow that pill a little eh boys?
Just a matter of time before you start hearing about how the 2nd rounder isn’t this year so they got nothing.
Bettman denied this trade. He said it was too much of a return for Winnick. He said “Obviously the Pens didn’t take into consideration the Leaf factor, we will allow nothing more than a 2047 7th rounder” I kid, I kid!
Not sure I consider myself a Leaf hater but I’ll admit they got WAY more than I thought they would or should have for Winnick. They kept half his salary but that’s not that big a deal. They took back Sill who appears to be a marginal NHLer with 60 pims and 4 pts through 40 games. Given that Tlusty went for a lot less the Leafs made out like gangbusters on this one.
Its a bigger deal than the dollars persay,the fact thy held moneyonthis deal and are currently holding money on Gunnarsson this year means they are only allowed to hold salary on 1 moe contract in a trade for this season, which could make it difficult to move anyone else…the return was ok but Nonis is still a tool.
Tlusty to the Jets.
Not that it’s at all going tohappen, ut I’d love to see the Isles get Wiz. Need a gritty D man for the playoffs.