NHL Rumor Mill – November 2, 2024
Which Blues player is more likely to be moved by the March trade deadline? Should the Predators bring back Mikael Granlund? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford was recently asked if Brandon Saad, Jordan Binnington and Nick Leddy are the three St. Louis Blues players most likely to be moved by the March 7 trade deadline, assuming the club is out of playoff contention by then.
St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad (NHL Images).
Rutherford believes Saad would draw the most interest. The 32-year-old left winger has a year left on his contract with an average annual value of $4.5 million. With the salary cap projected to rise next season, he could have value for a contender.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s assuming Saad will waive his full no-trade clause. The extra year on his contract would make him more valuable because a contender would have him for two playoff runs. He’s been a reliable 20-plus goal scorer through most of his previous 12 NHL seasons and won two Stanley Cups with Chicago in 2013 and 2015.
Rutherford doesn’t see Binnington being moved because goalies often don’t fetch good returns, especially at the trade deadline. He believes Leddy would be difficult to move because he’s got a year left on his deal unless the Blues retain part of his $4 million AAV.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington’s contract likely keeps him in St. Louis. He carries an AAV of $6 million and an 18-team no-trade list. Leddy has a full no-trade clause for this season.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Rob Couch believes San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund is the top trade target teams will be interested in, pointing to the 32-year-old’s point-per-game pace this season. Couch also noted his 60-point effort with the rebuilding Sharks last season.
Granlund is in the final season of his contract with a cap hit of $5 million. The Sharks can’t retain part of his salary because they’ve used up all three salary-retention spots for this season.
Couch makes the case for the Nashville Predators to reacquire Granlund, who played for them from 2018-19 to 2022-23. He could help the Preds address their need for a reliable second-line center.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granlund’s playoff numbers aren’t great (32 points in 59 games) but he could become a player of interest for contending clubs seeking depth at center.
Sharks general manager Mike Grier will likely hang onto him until the trade deadline to maximize the potential return. Whether the Predators are among the suitors remains to be seen. That’ll depend on where they are in the standings by then.
As good a story as Winnepeg has been, Minnesota is not far behind! Kaprizov is outstanding and Faber looks like he may be the real deal! Always like Zucc.and Ek,quality players!
You’re bang on there. With $14,747,626 lost off the cap for one final season, due to the 3 buy-outs, Guerin has done a magnificent job in keeping the Wild competitive.
Next season, that is finally reduced to $1,666,666. Be interesting to see how he approaches that sudden cash cache that hasn’t been available for several seasons.
Guerin has done a terrific job!
Next summer he will need to sign both Kaprizov and Rossi coming out of their ELCs.
Rossi has been playing the #1 center role and could easily command Lafreniere/Slavkovshy money in the $7.5 million dollar range.
Kaprizov is a top 10 or at least 15 player in the league and will be looking for $10+ million.
Most if not all of the $13 million in savings from the buyouts will be gone.