The Montreal Canadiens announced they traded center Max Domi and a 2020 third-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for winger Josh Anderson.
Montreal Canadiens trade Max Domi to the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Domi and Anderson are restricted free agents with arbitration rights. Domi, 25, completed a two-year, $6.3 million contract while the 26-year-old Anderson is coming off a three-year, $5.5 million deal.
Domi and Anderson frequently surfaced in the rumor mill last season, often linked as a possible swap. While Domi had a 72-point performance in 2018-19, his stats tumbled to 44 points last season and he spent some time on the Habs fourth line during the playoffs.
Anderson tallied 27 goals and 47 points in ’18-’19. However, he was sidelined most of last season by a shoulder injury that required surgery to repair.
The Blue Jackets were in the market for a scoring center while the Canadiens were looking for a power forward. This move seems to address those needs, though time will tell which club benefits the most from this trade.
The first round of the 2020 NHL Draft begins at 7 pm ET. Check out all the latest trade speculation in today’s rumor mill.
LATEST ON THE LIGHTNING
TSN: Bob McKenzie reports the Tampa Bay Lightning aim to be aggressive in the trade market to offload some salary. He’s heard only four players – Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov – are considered unavailable/untouchable. He also assumes the same goes for restricted free agents Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).
McKenzie noted the absence of Steven Stamkos from the untouchables list. It doesn’t guarantee the Lightning captain gets traded but it’s possible, though he feels Stamkos’ health could be a factor.
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Lightning have approached Tyler Johnson’s representatives about a possible move. The 30-year-old forward has a full no-trade clause but LeBrun believes general manager Julien BriseBois and Johnson’s agent, J.P. Barry, want to work together to find an amicable solution.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates Stamkos has a full no-movement clause and an $8.5 million annual cap hit through 2023-24. Throw in his injury history and I’ll be surprised if he’s traded.
Johnson could be agreeable to waiving his no-trade clause but his $5 million annual average value through 2023-24 could be hard to move. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be surprised if BriseBois got some inquiries about Johnson from a couple of clubs, thus prompting his reaching out to the forward’s agent. Whether Johnson will agree to a trade is another matter.
LATEST COYOTES SPECULATION
McKenzie also cited colleague Darren Dreger reporting sources claiming the Arizona Coyotes are shopping Taylor Hall’s rights. The 28-year-old left winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on Oct. 9. McKenzie also wonders if the St. Louis Blues will make a final attempt to re-sign defenseman Alex Pietrangelo before Oct. 9.
SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston reports word out of Buffalo is the Sabres have interested in Nick Schmaltz. The Arizona Coyotes center has six years remaining on his contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $5.85 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Looks like Hall has played his final game with the Coyotes. That’s not surprising given their limited cap space and Hall’s likely desire to play for a contender. As for Schmaltz, I don’t think the Coyotes are keen to move him but that could depend on what a team like the Sabres could be offering.
LATEST LEAFS CHATTER
TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan reports Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas doesn’t intend to trade goaltender Frederik Andersen. Recent speculation linked the Leafs to Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Matt Murray. Dubas spent the past several weeks assuring Andersen no deal was imminent. Meanwhile, Lance Hornby reports Dubas has made adding more grit to the Leafs lineup a priority.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen wasn’t going anywhere unless Dubas could find a goalie of equal or greater value. It would be foolish to trade him if they can’t land someone who can carry them on a deep playoff run.
UPDATE ON JOSH ANDERSON
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun wonders if the Columbus Blue Jackets will attempt to move Josh Anderson before the first round of the draft kicks off tonight. There’s been no progress in contract talks with the restricted free agent winger. It’s assumed Anderson might fetch a first-round pick in a trade, though the Jackets would prefer landing a top-two center. LeBrun wondered if Montreal’s Max Domi might interest them.
SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston reports the Canadiens and Calgary Flames are among the clubs interested in Anderson. He also said the Jackets are considering offers for defenseman David Savard.
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports Anderson could be a trade target for the Rangers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Interested parties could ask the Blue Jackets to speak to Anderson’s agent about a new contract. They probably don’t want to have the hassle of a possible salary arbitration with a player they just acquired.
Domi-for-Anderson? Maybe a move that makes sense for two players that could benefit from a change of scenery but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a fit there for either club.
IN OTHER RUMORS…
Pierre LeBrun reports talks between the Philadelphia Flyers and Winnipeg Jets regarding Jets winger Patrik Laine seemed to cool over the weekend. The Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets could also be interested.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are reportedly seeking a second-line center and a top-two defenseman. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said he’s considering all his options. That doesn’t mean Laine’s going to be traded. Yes, it could happen, but the asking price will be significant, perhaps too expensive for most clubs to bear.
Defenseman Alec Martinez and center Paul Stastny could become trade options for the Vegas Golden Knights. Wingers Jonathan Marchessault and Max Pacioretty have been mentioned to LeBrun but he said there’s no clear indication from his Vegas source that the Golden Knights would move either guy.
Bob McKenzie reports Henrik Lundqvist cannot formalize a new contract until Oct. 9, when he’ll officially become an unrestricted free agent. The New York Rangers last week bought out the final season of the 38-year-old goaltender’s contract. The Washington Capitals are said to be the front-runners for Lundqvist’s services.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators GM Pierre Dorion hasn’t received an offer yet that would convince him to part with the fifth-overall pick in tonight’s draft.
Garrioch also listed Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray, Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury and Columbus’ Elvis Merzlikins or Joonas Korpisalo as possible goaltending trade targets for the Senators. Free-agent options could include Vancouver’s Jacob Markstrom, Washington’s Braden Holtby, Chicago Corey Crawford, Dallas’ Anton Khudobin, Detroit’s Jimmy Howard and Edmonton’s Mike Smith.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Adrian Dater reports Avalanche trade talks are heating up, though it could take until the end of the week before a deal gets done. He’s hearing Nikita Zadorov’s name coming up in trade rumors. The 25-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent. Dater claims there have been no contract discussions with the Avs. Center Tyson Jost and winger Valeri Nichushkin have also surfaced recently in the rumor mill.
A look at TSN’s updated trade-bait board in today’s NHL rumor mill.
TSN: Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray remains on top of Frank Seravalli’s trade-bait board, followed by Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, Columbus Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson, Arizona Coyotes blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Winnipeg Jets left wing Patrik Laine.
Winnipeg Jets winger Patrik Laine (NHL Images).
Seravalli reports the Penguins are looking at an internal salary cap of $75 million. GM Jim Rutherford is looking to free up cap space to “dip a toe” into the free-agent market.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Penguins have $75.3 million invested in 20 players following yesterday’s trade of Patric Hornqvist to Florida for Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour. If they trade Murray it could be for draft picks or prospects. They also have eight blueliners under NHL contracts. One of them could be moved in a cost-cutting deal.
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is No. 10 on Seravalli’s list, but everything I’ve read and heard out of Pittsburgh suggests he’s staying put. He’s got an 18-team trade list but also carries a no-movement clause, meaning he’d have to be protected in next year’s expansion draft. That could be a sticking point if the Penguins shop him.
Regarding Dumba, Seravalli’s colleague Darren Dreger believes the Wild could set a high asking price. GM Bill Guerin would love to land a first- or second-line center but could be willing to accept a “softer deal” of a high first-round pick and a good young NHL roster player. He points out they can hold onto Dumba until their price is met.
Seravalli suggested the Blue Jackets could also attempt to move out Alex Wennberg or Markus Nutivaara to clear space to re-sign Anderson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The latter, of course, is the priority. The Jackets could shop Anderson if contract talks stall.
Ekman-Larsson is among several Coyotes (Phil Kessel at No 6 and Darcy Kuemper at No. 12) on Seravalli’s list who could become cost-cutting candidates, along with Derek Stepan, Michael Grabner and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Ekman-Larsson, however, has a full no-movement clause and controls his fate. Arizona Coyotes insider Craig Morgan recently reported Hjalmarsson currently doesn’t intend to waive his NMC.
Laine’s appearance on the trade-bait list prompted criticism suggesting TSN put him there as clickbait. Seravalli’s colleagues Dreger and Pierre LeBrun dispute this, with Dreger claiming Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is listening on Laine. However, he indicated there hasn’t been a lot of action, perhaps in part over economics going forward or the cost of re-signing him before he becomes arbitration-eligible next summer.
LeBrun believes the Columbus Blue Jackets has some interest in Laine while the Carolina Hurricanes had a brief conversation with the Jets that didn’t go far. The Montreal Canadiens could use a scorer like Laine but LeBrun said they currently don’t intend to get into the Laine sweepstakes.
New Jersey Devils winger Kyle Palmieri, the Ottawa Senators two first-round picks, and Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury are also among the top-10.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli has Palmieri on that list because he’s a year away from UFA eligibility. So far, there’s no indication of what the Devils intend to do with him.
Senators GM Pierre Dorion could listen to offers on those picks. If he moves a first-rounder it’ll likely be the one he got from the Islanders (28th overall) in the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade. Fleury’s a goner if the Golden Knights re-sign Robin Lehner.
Wild winger Ryan Donato, New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk, St. Louis Blues rearguard Alex Pietrangelo and New York Rangers Tony DeAngelo and Ryan Strome also make the cut between spots 11 and 16.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Donato ($1.9 million for one season) would be a cost-cutting candidate. So would Boychuk for the cap-strapped Isles, who has an eight-team trade list as well as an annual average value of $6 million.
LeBrun believes a club could be interested in acquiring Pietrangelo’s rights because re-signing him for eight years would give them a favorable annual average value. DeAngelo and Strome are both RFAs with arbitration rights. One of them could be traded if the Rangers can’t find a way to shed Henrik Lundqvist’s $8.5 million cap hit for next season.
Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei, Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn, and Canadiens center Max Domi fill spots 17 through 20.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes acquired Skjei at the trade deadline and recently shipped out Joel Edmundson. They could use a scorer or an experienced starting goalie, but I suspect they’d find other options than moving Skjei.
The Lightning must free up cap room to re-sign Anthony Cirelli and Mikhail Sergachev. With Johnson carrying a full no-trade clause, Killorn and his 16-team no-trade list seem the most likely to go.
Domi is an RFA with arbitration rights who spent time on the fourth line during the playoffs. He could be moved for a scoring winger if the Habs are comfortable with young centers Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson, Canadiens center Phillip Danault, Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour and Edmonton Oilers blueliner Adam Larsson are in spots 21 through 25.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs could move Johnsson in a package deal for a defenseman or in a cost-cutting move to clear cap room to sign a blueliner in free agency. The rise of Suzuki and Kotkaniemi has some pundits wondering about Danault’s future, but I don’t believe the Habs intend to move him. He’s a UFA next summer but it’s best to keep him around in case Suzuki or Kotkaniemi struggle next season.
Montour is an RFA with arbitration rights and he could be moved for a forward. There was talk of the Oilers shopping Larsson for a top-six right winger but that’s died down of late.
Philadephia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, St. Louis Blues center Tyler Bozak and Hurricanes blueliner Dougie Hamilton round out the list. Patric Hornqvist and Mike Matheson are also there but this listing was published before they were traded for each other yesterday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere’s struggles this season made him a frequent subject of trade chatter. Bozak could be shopped if the Blues re-sign Pietrangelo. Hamilton is a UFA next summer but the Hurricanes could be reluctant to part with him.
In other trade-rumor nuggets, Seravalli believes it’s a poorly-kept secret the Vegas Golden Knights could pursue Pietrangelo via free agency but he wonders how they can afford him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: They can’t unless they forget about re-signing Robin Lehner or find a way to shed a lot of salary. They have $76.5 million tied up in 18 players. Even moving Fleury’s $7-million AAV won’t leave enough for Pietrangelo and Lehner, who could cost a combined $15 million to sign.
Seravalli also reports many are wondering if Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney is quietly checking the trade value of goaltender Tuukka Rask, who has a year remaining on his contract at $7 million AAV.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney must find a suitable replacement for Rask if he’s going down that road, especially if he still feels the Bruins championship window remains open. Rask has a 15-team trade list.
Steven Stamkos returns as the Lightning take 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final, the latest on a potential Patric Hornqvist-for-Mike Matheson trade, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos scored in his return to action as the Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Dallas Stars 5-2 in Game 2 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).
Stamkos, who’s been dealing with a core-muscle issue that sidelined him since July, played only five shifts in the first period but scored the Lightning’s second goal, eluding Stars defenseman Esa Lindell and sniping a wrister past Anton Khudobin. He spent the rest of the game on the Lightning bench. In his post-game interview, Stamkos said he’s still working through the issue, adding it was too early to tell if he’ll suit up for Game 4 on Friday.
Victor Hedman had a goal and two assists, becoming the third defenseman in Stanley Cup playoff history to score at least 10 goals in a postseason. Only Paul Coffey (12 goals) and Brian Leetch (11) have more. Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos’ brief return in Game 3 still provided a big lift to his teammates. You could see it by the way they played and their reaction to their captain’s goal. They took control of the game in the second period, scoring three goals and outshooting the Stars 21-4.
Hedman, meanwhile, is making a strong case as the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. In addition to his goal-scoring efforts, he’s been the Lightning’s leader during Stamkos’ absence, playing a strong game at both ends of the rink.
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports a potential trade in which the Pittsburgh Penguins would send winger Patric Hornqvist to the Florida Panthers for defenseman Mike Matheson could be falling apart over Hornqvist’s no-trade clause and concerns over whether his contract was covered by insurance.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This deal could still go through if those issues are sorted out, but Friedman sounds skeptical. “One hurdle would be challenging enough…but two? Big problem.” If the deal goes through, the Penguins will have a surplus of left-side defensemen, meaning another trade could be likely.
TSN: Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion confirmed his club won’t be re-signing long-time goaltender Craig Anderson.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The decline in the 39-year-old Anderson’s performance over the past two years made this inevitable. Nevertheless, it’s the end of an era between the pipes for the Senators. Anderson is their all-time leader in wins, losses, and games-played, and played a big role in their surprising run to the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.
MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens re-signed forward Jake Evans to a two-year contract extension. The first year is a two-way deal paying him $750K at the NHL level. He’ll earn $800K in the second year.
TORONTO STAR: The Canada Revenue Agency alleges former Maple Leafs Shayne Corson and Darcy Tucker participated in a scheme to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. The duo claimed millions in business losses related to foreign currency trading during their years with the Leafs, but the CRA alleges it was a sham to claim the losses to lower their taxable income. Corson and Tucker deny the allegations.
Could the Rangers trade Tony DeAngelo? Does the acquisition of Joel Edmundson signal more moves ahead for the Canadiens? What’s the latest on Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson? Find out in the Sunday NHL rumor roundup.
DEANGELO ON THE BLOCK?
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes the Rangers could attempt to trade Tony DeAngelo rather than re-sign the restricted free agent defenseman. That’s because a contract of longer than one year for the 24-year-old DeAngelo would all but ensure losing promising Nils Lundkvist to unrestricted free agency on June 2, 2022 without the 20-year-old rearguard having played a game for the Blueshirts.
Lundkvist signed to play in Sweden next season. The Rangers hold Lundkvist’s rights until June 1, 2022. However, Brooks doesn’t like the odds of the young Swede signing with the Blueshirts when they’ve already got DeAngelo, Jacob Trouba, and Adam Fox filling the right-side blueline spots. He feels the Rangers will need a steady flow of impact players on entry-level contracts over the next several years to support and counterbalance the expensive contracts at the top of the depth chart.
Brooks believes it’ll cost the Rangers between $5.5 – $6 million annually to re-sign DeAngelo, who’d be filling the third-pairing spot on the right side. He said there’s no inclination to move him to the left side. Instead, he feels they’ll use DeAngelo as trade bait to bring in a long-term solution for their second-line center position. They could find more affordable options to replace DeAngelo on the third pairing via free agency.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Rangers have $67.1 million invested in 15 players for 2020-21, with DeAngelo, center Ryan Strome, goalie Alexandar Georgiev and winger Brendan Lemieux as their notable restricted free agents. Jesper Fast is an unrestricted free agent who’s reportedly headed to the market.
Brooks has frequently suggested DeAngelo as a trade candidate this year because of the Rangers’ depth on the right side of their blueline and their need to address their second-line center role. General manager Jeff Gorton could re-sign Strome, who has arbitration rights and is a year away from UFA eligibility, but there’s a question over whether he’s worth a potentially expensive long-term investment, especially given the current economic climate.
The Rangers could get some cap relief if aging goalie Henrik Lundqvist is traded, bought out or retires. Trading him would require picking up a healthy chunk of his $8.5-million cap hit. Retirement would be the best option as it would clear the entire cap hit from their books.
The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello believes the most likely scenario is a buyout. However, that will only clear $3 million of his cap hit, as well as leaving $1.5 million in dead cap space for 2021-22. Nevertheless, that could be their only solution.
If Gorton goes the buyout route it could affect what he does with DeAngelo and Strome. It will also depend upon what’s available in the trade market to suitably address the Rangers’ second-line center needs. DeAngelo would be an intriguing trade target but finding a club willing to part with a good second-line center for him will be challenging for Gorton.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE CANADIENS?
TVA SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens acquisition yesterday of left-side defenseman (and pending UFA) Joel Edmundson from the Carolina Hurricanes raises questions over what general manager Marc Bergevin has in store for his club in the coming weeks. The addition and possible re-signing of the 27-year-old Edmundson could create congestion at that position, especially if promising Alexander Romanov makes the roster next season.
Analyst Mike Bossy wondered if more moves are coming, suggesting perhaps Victor Mete’s days with the Habs might be numbered. Mete is a restricted free agent in October and due for a raise.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Matt Larkin recently observed the trade speculation brewing about Canadiens center Phillip Danault. He feels it would be a bad idea to move the two-way center and suggests the Habs should learn from what happened to the Buffalo Sabres when they traded away Ryan O’Reilly to the St. Louis Blues.
The Sabres made that move in part because they felt promising Casey Mittelstadt was ready to move into the No. 2 center role. Instead, Mittelstadt struggled and spent time last season in the minors while O’Reilly went on to greater things with the Blues. Larkin doesn’t want the Habs to risk repeating that mistake with promising Nick Suzuki. He believes Danault would be difficult to replace.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmundson’s addition indicates the Canadiens want more size, experience, and toughness on the left side of their blueline. Maybe that means Mete gets traded, maybe not. It’ll depend, of course, on whether Edmundson re-signs before the UFA market opens on Oct. 9.
I agree with Larkin’s take on Danault. Some of that trade chatter is stoked by the 27-year-old playing a third-line role during the playoffs and some because he’s a year away from UFA eligibility. While Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi played well in the postseason on the top-two lines, that doesn’t necessarily mean we can expect that level of play throughout next season. Maybe they’re ready for prime time, maybe not.
Better to hang onto Danault for next season and observe how things shake out. If Suzuki and Kotkaniemi keep Danault permanently on the third line, then they can look at moving him before the trade deadline. If they’re in the playoff chase, better to hang onto him when depth at center will be invaluable, even at the risk of losing him to free agency next year.
UPDATE ON ANDERSON
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Michael Arace reports the Blue Jackets would like to re-sign Josh Anderson. The 26-year-old right winger is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights who’s a year away from UFA eligibility.
TSN’s Darren Dreger recently reported Anderson would like to stay with the Blue Jackets, but it would take a long-term deal to do that. GM Jarmo Kekalainen might not be keen to do that, as he’s looking to fit him within their roster structure and their salary cap. The flattened salary cap for next season will also affect negotiations.
Arace points out Anderson doesn’t have much leverage. Despite his arbitration rights, he missed most of this season with a shoulder injury. He also noted Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris, threatened to have his client play in Switzerland during their previous contract talks before an agreement was reached.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline recently wondered if a new Blue Jackets negotiator might help the situation. Before accepting the Florida Panthers’ GM role, Bill Zito’s biggest role as Blue Jackets assistant GM was handling contract negotiations. Maybe his replacement can smooth things out. If not, Kekalainen could start listening to trade offers next month.
A look at the latest TSN “Trade Bait” board in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
TSN: Winnipeg Jets winger Patrik Laine is No. 5 on Frank Seravalli’s latest NHL ‘Trade Bait’ list. He believes Laine will be in play as the Jets explore options to address their depth on the blueline and at center. The 22-year-old sniper has a year left on his contract and will be due for a hefty raise next year over his $6.75-million annual average value.
Seravalli cautions Laine is not a lock to be traded, as the Jets could look at free agency to address their defensive needs. That could be challenging as few true standout players reach the market. He also suggested winger Nikolaj Ehlers could be a trade chip, listing him at No. 12.
The Carolina Hurricanes could be a trade partner with their depth in blueline talent. Seravalli considers Jaccob Slavin untouchable but placed Dougie Hamilton on the trade board (No. 20) because he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next year.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Winnipeg Sun’s Ted Wyman and Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe aren’t keen on the notion of the Jets moving Laine or Ehlers. Wyman believes there isn’t a single center on Seravalli’s list worth trading for, suggesting the return for Laine should be massive. “Think Jack Eichel, if he wants out of Buffalo,” though Wyman acknowledged it would take more than Laine to pry Eichel away from the Sabres.
I wouldn’t fault Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff for considering all his options, but you don’t move guys like Laine and Ehlers unless you’re doing a roster tear-down. I don’t believe Cheveldayoff is entertaining that option.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray tops Seravalli’s list, followed by Philadelphia Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk, Columbus Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson, and Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murray’s status has been well-documented. It’s expected he’ll be traded at some point in the offseason. Same for Anderson, who’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
“JvR” has struggled this season under Flyers coach Alain Vigneault and managed just one goal thus far in the playoffs. He lacks no-trade protection but the 31-year-old winger carries a $7 million annual salary-cap hit for three more years.
Ekman-Larsson recently surfaced in the rumor mill when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Coyotes would like to test their captain’s trade value. Arizona Coyotes insider Craig Morgan reports the club’s offseason plans are uncertain at this point because they don’t have a general manager yet. Steve Sullivan is filling in on an interim basis.
Morgan also points out Ekman-Larsson has a full no-movement clause and loves living in Arizona. Perhaps he might change his mind if the club decides on another rebuild. Morgan suggested the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs as two clubs that need blueline help.
Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, New Jersey Devils winger Kyle Palmieri, Montreal Canadiens center Max Domi, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and Penguins defenseman Kris Letang round out the top-10.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere, Domi and Fleury have also recently popped up in the rumor mill. The Ottawa Sun’s Don Brennan suggests the Senators take a run at acquiring Domi and reuniting him with former Coyotes teammate Anthony Duclair. What say you, Senators fans?
In a recent mailbag segment, The Athletic’s Corey Masisak was asked about Palmieri’s future. The 29-year-old winger becomes a UFA after next season. He’s said he wants to stay in New Jersey but Masisak felt dollars and term will determine if he has a long-term future with the Devils.
Letang was briefly mentioned as a trade option following the Penguins’ elimination last month from the playoff qualifying round. GM Jim Rutherford, however, insists he’s keeping his veteran core intact, and that includes Letang.
Hurricanes winger Ryan Dzingel. Blues defenseman Vince Dunn, Lightning winger Alex Killorn and Oilers blueliner Adam Larsson join Ehlers in the 11 to 15 spots. Seravalli suggests Dunn could be moved if the Blues re-sign Alex Pietrangelo, while Killorn could be among the options for the Lightning to clear cap room because of his limited no-trade clause.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dzingel hasn’t been the same since getting traded by the Senators to the Blue Jackets at last season’s trade deadline. He has only 29 points this season after netting 56 with the Sens and Jackets in 2018-19.
Dunn could get moved if the Blues can’t free up sufficient cap space after re-signing Pietrangelo. The Lightning must re-sign Anthony Cirelli and Mikhail Sergachev so Killorn seems most likely to go. Larsson’s been mentioned as a trade chip to bring in a top-six winger. Sportsnet’s Brian Burke suggested he’d be a good fit with the Leafs.
Penguins center Jared McCann, Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, and Leafs goalie Frederik Anderson join Hamilton in spots 16-20.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McCann, Johnsson, and Andersen have turned up in recent media trade chatter. I don’t see the Leafs moving Andersen unless it’s for an upgrade between the pipes.
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