NHL Rumor Mill – January 22, 2022
A look at the potential trade value of some notable free-agent defensemen plus the latest on the Blackhawks and Oilers in today’s NHL rumor mill.
WHAT COULD BE THE ASKING PRICE FOR TOP PENDING UFA DEFENSEMEN?
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun pondered which of this season’s notable unrestricted free agent defensemen might fetch a first-round draft pick at the trade deadline. There are a number of pending UFAs blueliners but not all of them could move on deadline day. For example, the Anaheim Ducks could retain Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson as “own rentals” if they’re still in playoff contention.
John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars could fetch the biggest return. LeBrun speculated it could be a package of a first-round draft pick, a prospect and perhaps another pick. He pointed out the Columbus Blue Jackets got a first and a third for David Savard before last year’s trade deadline.
Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg (NHL Images).
LeBrun also reported the Buffalo Sabres hope to land a first-rounder for Colin Miller while the Montreal Canadiens wish to net the same return for Ben Chiarot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I would also add Mark Giordano to this list. The 38-year-old has tallied a respectable 14 points in 34 games on the low-scoring Seattle Kraken. It wouldn’t surprise me if a contender in “go-for-it” mode parted with a first-rounder for an experienced blueliner like Giordano.
Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy believes Chiarot would be an excellent fit with the Bruins. Whether GM Don Sweeney is willing to ship his first-rounder to his club’s long-time rival for a postseason rental is another matter. I’ve seen some readers suggest offering up Jake DeBrusk straight up for Chiarot, but if it were that simple that deal would’ve gone down by now.
BIG CHANGES COMING FOR BLACKHAWKS?
NHL NETWORK: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was asked which Chicago Blackhawks could stay or go by the March 21 trade deadline. He’d heard a report claiming everyone was available except Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Seth Jones.
Friedman believes the Blackhawks unprotected list is very small. He thinks at some point earlier this season they may have been asked about moving Kane but doesn’t feel they’re willing to do that. He also doesn’t see them parting with Alex DeBrincat unless it’s for a significant return.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe Marc-Andre Fleury is the Blackhawks’ best trade chip. They’ve been shopping Dylan Strome for some time but haven’t found any takers. Dominik Kubalik could be available given the decline in his production since his 30-goal rookie campaign in 2019-20. I’d expect they’ll want to hang on to younger players like Kirby Dach and Brandon Hagel.
Kane and Toews each have a year remaining on their contracts. Any discussion about their futures will likely take place during the offseason.
COULD MARTIN JONES BE A TRADE OPTION FOR THE OILERS?
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Bruce McCurdy cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman raising the name of Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Martin Jones as a trade option for the Oilers during a recent appearance on the Jeff Marek Show.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McCurdy noted Friedman didn’t mention Jones during a subsequent spot with Oilers Now. He was probably just musing out loud about trade possibilities.
Jones has a 6-6-2 record this season with a 3.31 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. That doesn’t make him much of an improvement over Mikko Koskinen and Stuart Skinner in Edmonton. Jones’ inconsistency was why the San Jose Sharks bought him out last summer and why he inks a one-year, $2 million deal with the Flyers.
Like the Oilers, the Flyers need to reverse their fortunes soon if they hope to climb back into the playoff race. They could shop some of their pending UFAs like Jones before the trade deadline if they’re out of the race by then but that could come too late to help the Oilers.
You get a 1st rounder!
You get a first rounder!
Ever d rental gets a first rounder!
The market is pretty saturated. Many teams don’t have a first next year. Very few have cap space.
What am I missing here?
The ability of general managers to overpay at the trade deadline. No one believed a GM would part with a first-rounder for David Savard or Nick Foligno at last year’s trade deadline. And yet, the Lightning and Leafs did.
Your preaching to the choir Lyle. But 6 nhl teams already traded their first next year. 4 of those contenders. Most teams have no cap. That can be worked around but how many teams can be the third party? How much salary can the trading team hold.
Collectively nhl gms do not learn. I’ve been on that bus forever. But there simply arnt enough 1sts to go around.
Your present state of mind
Next years first obviously
leafs coach complaining about lack of effort its his job t motivate maybe leafs need a coach that does his job
Nothing. They are all looking at last trade deadline when the options at D were slim, now there is as you say plenty of D out there, mainly because so many teams in the east are already out of the playoffs. I think there are at least 20 good to great D UFAs are out there and only 2-4 of them will fetch a first. Klingberg is one, Lindholm another. Miller, Gio and most of the rest will not
Just as a change of scenery trade
Chicago Olofsson
Buffalo Kubalik
stats, age, round drafted, LH shots, both play RW/LW
interesting trade for both teams
Toews isn’t available cause nobody wants him. Nice marketing though.
If Don Sweeney traded Debrusk straight up for Chariot he be an idiot.
Chariot isn’t worth a 1st or 2nd and no Boston doesn’t need him.
He brings physicality and not much else.
Let someone have him
And debrusk is worth a 3rd round pick at best. So is chariot worth a third at least?
Chris like anyone on here your entitled to your opinion.
Debrusk will bring back more then a 3rd round pick or he stays.
Chariot does not increase the probability of a W.
Even if I was to agree that they both have the same value.
Montreal wins, as they have a controlled asset and Boston has a UFA.
Habfan30 if your going to comment, trying being factual, other then the home boy.
There is reported over a dozen teams interested in Debrusk.
Yes there is alot of interest in Chariot, and if a team wants to give up a 1st round pick. Then ok .
I’m certainly hoping it isn’t Boston.
Other then being physical and constantly out of position. You can keep him.
You can be a fan of Chariot.
I rather Boston send the 1st round pick to Wpg see if they can land Dillon
What bad contracts are going back to Boston from those dozen teams?
The line of teams wanting Chiarot is pretty long.
The line of teams wanting DeBrusk is…none.
I don’t believe Chiarot should be traded, period.
Does anybody in Boston want to keep DeBrusk?
If Sweeney pulled off a one for one heist he’d be GM of the year instantly.
We have no idea who wants DeBrusk, depends on the ask and the offer.
DeBrusk is a 3rd line winger who has had offensive success in the past playing on the 2nd line.
What’s that worth? I dunno, but it ain’t nuthin, and is more than a 3rd.
Chariot is a stud in Montreal and was a 3rd pair d man in the peg Some dumb. Gm will overpay for him maybe a 1st. But he doesn’t move the needle all that much more then. Someone like Braun Would rather have. Giordano but not for a 1st. Only. Chycryn Lindholm. Manson and. Klingberg. Worth a 1st and more
Guess that’s where we don’t see eye to eye. You literally described a top 6 reclamation project. I don’t see those as ever worth more than a third.
Plenty of teams are willing to take a chance on DeBrusk, but not at the cost of a first, which is supposedly what Sweeney wants
Ya we don’t see eye to eye on DeBrusk Chrisms. I don’t see him as a reclamation project, I see him as a contributing 3rd line winger with upside.
That line was buzzing all game today and had 2 goals, he contributed on both with one assist and helped create a turnover on the other, and set up 3 other quality chances directly.
He doesn’t suck, and could play on any team in the league and contribute. Salary too high by a $1M, unless he gets on the 2nd line, which he won’t in BOS, as he is blocked by March and Hall.
Which is why he requested the trade, they weren’t looking to trade him. Won’t give him away as that would be a mistake.
I agree with you Cappy I really think all these rentals aren’t worth a 1st rounder especially someone the age of Giordano or Chariot who is a bit one dimensional.
RIP Clarke Gilles
Just throwing it out there.
To Toronto:
Connor McDavid
Leon Drasaitl
Zack Kassian
To Edmonton:
Mitch Marner
William Nylander
Nic Robertson
Rasmus Sandin
Petr Mrazek
Justin Holl
1st round 2022
1st round 2023
2nd round 2023
Mitch Marner for Darnel Nurse could work Oilers not moving best two players in the game.
When was the last time anyone saw a trade of that magnitude? Works only in fantasy leagues/pools.
For anyone who’s been looking for the turnip that fell off the turnip truck, look no further
What these Leaf’s would fetch at the trade deadline:
Nick Ritchie ….3rd rounder from a desperate GM whose never actually seen him play
Wayne Simmons….6th rounder from a desperate GM whose seen him play
Petr Mrazek….7th rounder or a gas contract coming back
Alex Kerfoot….2nd rounder at the last minute
Kyle Clifford…..7th rounder
Justin Holl….3rd if GM is drunk, 5th if sober
Colin Miller just underwent surgery this week for the dreaded “upper body injury” and is estimated to be out 6 weeks. Even when healthy he’s not worth more than a 3rd rd pick at best. Coming off surgery probably a 5th.
Lot of talk about the Oilers and what they should do. In my opinion the only move they should be looking at is firing Holland. It appears most of his moves stretching back to his final years in Detroit are based on emotion verses good solid hockey knowledge.
The moves he made this off season were brutal and is the sole reason why they are in the position they are.
He is done as a GM, the longer he try’s to stay on the more he sulleys his good name
Flamefan, looking at that Oilers roster and you have to wonder how Holland rights the ship. I know some have commented that there’s still a lot of games to play and that things could still turn around this season – but that sounds to me like wishful-thinking.
Right now they are paying 5 guys (McDavid, Draisaitl, Nurse, Keith and Hyman) 46% of the cap and next year. with the cap only rising by $1 mil and Nurse’s deal ($5.6 now) jumping to $9,250,000, it becomes 50%. For 5 players. And I haven’t even factored in Nugent-Hopkins and his $5,125,000 when he comes off LTIR.
Most of those are long-term with the only imminent cap relief being Keith and his $5,538,462 which runs out after next season.
That’s a tough row to hoe.
George,
I think the Oilers can be fixed and I don’t think it would take much because there is a lot to work with but it has to happen in the off season not at the trade deadline and Holland is not the guy to do it.
I think the one person they have to move is RNH. Rework their defense and sign a goalie.
One more thing and maybe some of the posters that are closer to the Oilers than I am can weigh in.
I have heard the Oilers locker room is toxic which doesn’t help either.
That has to be fixed before anything.
Again by someone other than Holland
First off, the toxic room thing has not been reported by folks close to the team. Is it? I dunno, but losing sucks.
By all accounts Koskinin is a decent guy, who has been asked to carry the team as their starter has been out almost all year, and he isn’t good enough.
Tough spot for the guy, so maybe rally around your buddy and get a flippin win tonight against your biggest rival. Let’s go boys, if your sick of losing do something about it.
If I am Holland I chase a guy like Varlamov, or nobody. Get a guy who can start or see who steps up and contributes, or who cries poor me. Adjust in the off season.
One or the other.
IMO
RIP Clark Gillies he played when hockey was hockey . Not ice capades like now.
When the men were men! And so we’re the women… when mustaches had mustaches. And the cups were 3x the size.
Perhaps goalie options aren’t there’s for the flyers currently they try and retool their top 9 to stop the bleeding
To PHI: Koskinen, Turris, a 1st and prospect
To EDM: Giroux (50%retained), Jones
Jones not great, bout equal to Koskinen but can ya honest say they don’t need some locker room tension relief ? So moving scapegoat Kosk for Jones is a temp fix till Smith is ready and Giroux brings a totally different fresh dynamic to that room and force so teams to spread their D coverage.
If ya can defend to win just out score em again.
Meant to say Oilers to retool their Top 9
Turris for mazarek. Edm needs a goalie and leafs save cap space for trade deadline and next year.