Rumor Mill Buzzing as 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Approaches
Rumor Mill Buzzing as 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Approaches
NHL Rumor Mill – April 9, 2021
NHL Rumor Mill – April 9, 2021
The latest on Taylor Hall, Jaden Schwartz, and Alex Iafallo, the Panthers could be up to something following a cost-cutting trade, plus updates on the Coyotes, Blackhawks and Wings in today’s NHL rumor mill.
UPDATES ON TAYLOR HALL
TSN: Darren Dreger reports Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is having discussions with multiple teams regarding Taylor Hall. General managers are talking to the 29-year-old left winger’s agent wondering what a contract extension would look like.
Interest is growing in Buffalo Sabres winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).
The New York Islanders had an interest in Hall prior to their recent acquisition of winger Kyle Palmieri. Some wonder if Isles GM Lou Lamoriello might circle back before the trade deadline.
Frank Seravalli reports the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t in the mix for Hall, though they’ll continue to monitor what the price could be for the winger leading up to Monday’s deadline. They had an interest in Palmieri and in Nashville Predators winger Mikael Granlund but it could be a quiet trade deadline for the Leafs.
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun believes it could take a three-team deal or the Sabres taking on a contract or two to make a Hall trade work. That’s because few buyers have sufficient cap space to take on the winger’s contract. A team executive speculates a team could get Hall for a second- or third-round pick plus send the Sabres a contract to make it work if the winger’s still on the market by Monday.
SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston reported Hall is willing to consider signing a contract extension with an acquiring club. The St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins are said to be in the mix.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Just because Hall is willing to consider an extension doesn’t mean he’ll sign one. He was willing to consider an extension with the Coyotes and then signed a one-year deal with the Sabres. As for the Isles, they only have around $3 million in long-term injury reserve cap dollars available. Lamoriello would have to get creative to pull that off.
PANTHERS PLANNING ANOTHER TRADE?
TSN: Pierre LeBrun believes the Florida Panthers could make another deal or two after shedding salary yesterday in a five-time trade that sent veteran winger Brett Connolly to the Chicago Blackhawks. He feels GM Bill Zito is keeping an eye on the future but also wants to reward his club for the way they’re playing.
Zito could set his sights on potentially a top-four defenseman and a top-six winger. It’s believed he “kicked the tires” on Kyle Palmieri before he was shipped to the Islanders. Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard could be a target given Zito’s previous job as the Jacket’s assistant GM.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Matt Larkin also thinks Zito could be active in the trade market before Monday. He could pursue a forward like Hall or a defenseman like Savard or Josh Manson of the Anaheim Ducks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zito’s been busy as he also recently shipping Vinnie Hinostroza to Chicago in another cost-cutting deal with the Blackhawks. I’ll be surprised if the deadline passes and he hasn’t made a significant acquisition.
COULD SCHWARTZ OR IAFALLO BECOME AVAILABLE?
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports St. Louis Blues winger Jaden Schwartz has popped up on his radar over the past day or so. Blues GM Doug Armstrong might be willing to move him but only for a significant return. Schwartz has a 15-team no-trade list. Pending UFAs Mike Hoffman and Tyler Bozak are believed to be available.
TSN: Frank Seravalli reports Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake is starting to take calls on winger Alex Iafallo. Blake and Iafallo’s representatives are still attempting to negotiate a contract extension but this could go down to the wire. Seravalli speculates the 27-year-old winger could be moved if he’s not signed before Monday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hoffman or Bozak are more likely to be moved by the Blues than Schwartz unless somebody’s willing to overpay for the latter. As for Iafallo, it sounds like things could go either way. His situation will be worth monitoring over the next couple of days.
LATEST ON THE COYOTES
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun speculates this could be a quiet trade deadline for the Arizona Coyotes. They’re carrying nine pending UFAs, including such notables as Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Derick Brassard and Antti Raanta. With the Coyotes in playoff contention, however, it seems unlikely they’ll move them unless someone comes up with a meaningful offer for one of them.
AZ COYOTES INSIDER: In a recent interview with Craig Morgan, Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong said the trade rumors regarding winger Conor Garland were the result of another club calling about him. Armstrong said it leaked out but didn’t come from him. He spoke with Garland about the other club’s interest in the winger. He praised Garland as one of his core players, saying he was impressed with his play.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes’ recent surge into the fourth and final playoff spot in the Honda West probably takes them off the trade-deadline sellers’ list. I don’t see Armstrong shopping Garland. The 25-year-old winger is his club’s leading scorer and a restricted free agent this summer so there’s no pressure to move him at the trade deadline.
UPDATES ON THE BLACKHAWKS, DEVILS AND WINGS
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman remains willing to leverage his salary cap space if cap-strapped teams need help making a trade. He’s spoken to the Leafs about that several times in recent weeks as they could use a third-party broker to get a trade done. The San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings are willing to do the same.
NJ.COM: Chris Ryan reports the New Jersey Devils might not be done dealing after shipping Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to the Islanders on Wednesday. They could also shop pending UFAs Ryan Murray, Dmitry Kulikov, Sami Vatanen and Nikita Gusev.
MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan thinks there could be a market for lower-salaried, pending UFAs such as Bobby Ryan, Sam Gagner and Jon Merrill while higher-salaried free agents such as Marc Staal, Darren Helm, Patrik Nemeth and Jonathan Bernier could be more difficult to move. Injuries to Ryan, Bernier, Nemeth and Gagner will also be a factor.
NHL Trade Deadline: Top Five North Division Targets
NHL Trade Deadline: Top Five North Division Targets
Top 5 Goaltenders Who Could Be Dealt By the NHL Trade Deadline
Top 5 Goaltenders Who Could Be Dealt By the NHL Trade Deadline
NHL Rumor Mill – April 8, 2021
NHL Rumor Mill – April 8, 2021
Last night’s Kyle Palmieri trade shakes up TSN’s trade bait list. Check out the latest on Mike Hoffman, Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and more in today’s NHL rumor mill.
TSN: St. Louis Blues winger Mike Hoffman moves into third on the NHL trade-bait list after the New Jersey Devils traded Kyle Palmieri last night to the New York Islanders.
St. Louis Blues winger Mike Hoffman (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hoffman was a healthy scratch from last night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Blues coach Craig Berube said that move was made to insert Sammy Blais into the lineup. Trade speculation about the winger will ramp up if he’s scratched from the Blues’ next two games before Monday’s trade deadline.
Buffalo Sabres left wing Taylor Hall remains the top forward on the trade-bait list.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cites NHL insider Doug MacLean telling CHED radio host Reid Wilkins he’s heard the Oilers are interested in Hall, who spent his first six NHL seasons in Edmonton until traded to the Devils in 2016.
MacLean said his “reasonable source” indicated the Oilers were looking at a deal that has Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins under contract for next season for a combined $12 million.
Staples believes the Oilers would have to trade a forward such as Zack Kassian or James Neal to free up the salary-cap dollars necessary to acquire Hall or move out a goalie like Mikko Koskinen. The Oilers’ first-round pick would also have to be included in the deal.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: What MacLean’s source seems to be suggesting is the Oilers are looking at getting ahead of the free-agent market by acquiring and signing Hall, who (like Nugent-Hopkins) is due to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
I don’t see how the Oilers can afford to acquire Hall at the trade deadline. They’re maxed out at the cap and have $2.3 million in long-term injury reserve money remaining. They also don’t have any picks in the second, third- and fifth rounds of this year’s draft so I don’t believe general manager Ken Holland will part with this year’s first, or next year’s for that matter. I also don’t see a trade market for Kassian or Neal.
Anything’s possible, of course, and if Holland could pull this off without giving up a first-round pick it’ll be an impressive feat. I just don’t believe we’ll see Hall coming to Edmonton at the trade deadline.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno sits at No. 4 on the list.
THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen won’t trade Foligno without the captain’s approval. The 32-year-old forward has a 10-team no-trade list and it sounds like he’d be open to a move but only for the right situation. The Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild could be among his suitors.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I had my doubts that Foligno would be traded but this report changed my mind. He could be moved by the deadline if Kekalainen first receives a suitable offer and Foligno is willing to accept it, especially if it comes from one of the teams on his no-trade list.
Philadelphia Flyers center Scott Laughton remains at No. 9.
NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Jordan Hall isn’t putting much stock into Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying he can see the Pittsburgh Penguins having an interest in Laughton. While Penguins general manager (and former Flyers GM) Ron Hextall knows Laughton’s value and could be interested, Hall believes the Flyers’ asking price could be quite high.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mike DeFabo reports Hextall is in the market for a big, physical forward, preferably an experienced center. Laughton could fit the bill but, as Hall pointed out, the Flyers will set an expensive price for him.
DeFabo notes the Penguins have few tradeable assets plus there’s also the salary crunch to contend with. He anticipates Hextall could instead acquire a bottom-six forward if he makes a move at all.
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson moves up into tenth on the list.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy wonders if the Bruins and Anaheim Ducks are talking trade again. The two clubs have a recent history of deals before the trade deadline.
Boston assistant GM John Ferguson Jr has been scouting the California-based teams. Murphy isn’t sure the Bruins are looking at Manson but they have had inquired about the blueliner in the past. The Ducks’ asking price, however, could be high.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy also reported the Bruins were among the clubs interested in Kyle Palmieri before he was shipped last night to the New York Islanders, with one of the trade scenarios involving Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk. The source couldn’t confirm if the Bruins said no to that.
The Bruins do need blueline help. If a suitable deal for a scoring winger isn’t available perhaps GM Don Sweeney shifts his focus to a defenseman like Manson. The asking price, however, is reportedly a first-round pick and a top prospect.
Blues defenseman Vince Dunn and center Tyler Bozak sit 13th and 18th respectively on the list.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie wonders if the Montreal Canadiens could pursue Dunn or Bozak. With Brendan Gallagher going on LTIR, they have sufficient salary-cap wiggle room to make another addition before the trade deadline. Adding a top-four defenseman is a bigger need for the Habs than a bottom-six center.
Others who’ve moved up or debuted on the list include Calgary Flames goaltender David Rittich (15), Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Nikita Zadorov (17), Dallas Stars blueliner Jamie Oleksiak, Blue Jackets rearguard Michael Del Zotto (30) and Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (38).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t think the Blackhawks will trade Zadorov while they’re still jockeying for a playoff spot in the Discover Central Division. The Jackets aren’t facing pressure to trade Merzlikins. He has another season left on his contract and is exempt from this summer’s expansion draft.
Dropping on the list is Florida Panthers goaltender Chris Driedger (22) and Flames center Derek Ryan (33).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Driedger’s played very well backing up erratic Panthers starter Sergei Bobrovsky. Trading him while they battling the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Central wouldn’t be a wise decision.
Islanders Acquire Palmieri and Zajac From The Devils
Islanders Acquire Palmieri and Zajac From The Devils
The New York Islanders acquired right-wing Kyle Palmieri and center Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for their 2021 first-round draft pick, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2022 and minor league forwards A.J Greer and Mason Jobst.
New York Islanders acquire Kyle Palmieri & Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils also retained half of Palmieri’s $4.65 million cap hit and half of Zajac’s $5.5 million cap hit. Both are due to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Zajac waived his no-trade clause to facilitate this deal.
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello signals his club is all-in for the Stanley Cup this season. This move provides additional depth and experience to his forward lines for what could be another deep postseason run.
Palmieri was the prize here. A five-time 20-plus goal scorer who plays with an edge, he should fit in well with head coach Barry Trotz’s system. He won’t replace sidelined captain Anders Lee’s offense but his energetic style should be a good fit on either wing among the Islanders’ top-six.
Zajac, 35, is past his prime as a top-six two-way center but he should slot in somewhere on the Islanders’ checking lines. His leadership and experience should prove invaluable.
The Devils did well to get a first-round pick for Palmieri, even though it will be among the bottom third of the first round. Zajac’s declining value accounts for why they got a conditional fourth in next year’s draft. Greer and Jobst will likely head to the Devils’ farm team as they give more playing time to their promising youngsters for the remainder of the season.