NHL Rumor Mill – December 6, 2023

by | Dec 6, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 6, 2023

The latest on Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie, more suggested blueline trade targets for the Leafs, an update on Oilers rearguard Philip Broberg and the Devils need to improve their goaltending in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON BARRIE

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: Michael Gallagher cites Predators general manager Barry Trotz expressing his unhappiness with Tyson Barrie during a recent interview with Nashville’s 102.5 The Game.

Trotz was upset that Barrie’s agent leaked the news that the Predators permitted him to speak with other clubs about a trade for his client. He noted that “only four people” knew about that conversation before it was reported, adding that he was 100 percent certain it hadn’t come from the team.

Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie (NHL Images)

The Predators GM said he wasn’t pleased with the way Barrie handled it, going on to criticize his play during this season. “He has to be a good player for us so he can be a good player for anybody in the league if we do decide to move him.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how this affects Barrie’s trade value as well as Trotz’s efforts to move him.

THE ATHLETIC: Shayna Goldman looked at five possible trade destinations for Barrie. The Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames could be in the market for a puck-moving defenseman.

The Stars need to add someone to take some of the workload off Miro Heiskanen. The Devils could use some help with Dougie Hamilton sidelined indefinitely. The Jets and Blackhawks need to bolster their power play while the Flames need some offense.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars, Devils and Jets are possible playoff contenders. They could be the most willing to acquire a rental player like Barrie, who’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. The Blackhawks could be more in the market for another forward with Taylor Hall done for the season while the Flames appear to be in sell mode.

MORE SUGGESTED BLUELINE TRADE TARGETS FOR THE LEAFS

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel looked at possible trade options to improve the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defense corps.

His categorized list includes Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev of the Calgary Flames, David Savard and Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadiens, Jake Middleton and Jon Merrill of the Minnesota Wild, Jakob Chychrun of the Ottawa Senators, Erik Gudbranson of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ilya Lyubushkin of the Anaheim Ducks, and Sean Walker of the Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tanev has been linked the most to the Leafs. Lyubushkin and Walker have also been mentioned by others as suggested options for the Leafs but there’s no indication they have a serious interest in either guy. Merrill could become available if the Wild fail to climb back into the playoff race.

The Canadiens could trade Savard to Toronto given his lack of a no-trade clause but I don’t think they’re interested in doing that as they value his experience and leadership. Siegel admits it’s unlikely Middleton, Matheson or Chychrun become available. He doesn’t advocate pursuing Gudbranson but pointed out Leafs GM Brad Treliving likes players with size and has a past connection to him.

OILERS DENY BROBERG TRADE REQUEST RUMOR

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited a report yesterday by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli saying the Oilers granted permission for Philip Broberg’s camp to seek a trade.

However, Oilers GM Ken Holland said he has not given Broberg’s agent Darren Ferris consent to speak with other clubs. Ferris, meanwhile, replied that this reflects his and his client’s frustration with the Oilers. “I’m actively collaborating with Ken to address and resolve the issue privately.”

TSN’s Ryan Rishaug said the two sides spoke frequently in recent days but things seemed to have boiled over on Tuesday. Staples believes moving Broberg could come back to haunt the Oilers as he thinks they don’t know what they have yet with the young defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Broberg, 22, spent the last two seasons bouncing between the Oilers and their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. He’s seen action in just 10 games thus far this season.

I agree there’s a risk here that Broberg could go on to shine with another NHL club. However, it sounds like he and his agent don’t believe he’s going to get his opportunity with the Oilers. If so, Holland might not have much choice but to peddle him for the best possible return, which isn’t likely to be high right now given his difficulties in cracking the lineup.

WILL THE DEVILS PURSUE A GOALIE?

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli believes the New Jersey Devils need to upgrade their goaltending and soon if they hope to be Stanley Cup contenders this season.

Seravalli doesn’t have much confidence in Vitek Vanecek and believes Akira Schmid still has a long way to go. Given the absence of defenseman Dougie Hamilton to a torn pectoral and the blueline’s already inconsistent play this season, he doesn’t think their current goaltenders can bail them out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has reportedly been shopping around for a reliable starting goalie since the summer. He was believed to have an interest in Connor Hellebuyck before the latter re-signed with the Winnipeg Jets.

It’s thought Fitzgerald has been eyeing clubs currently carrying three netminders like the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings. However, there’s no certainty that he’s going to pursue a trade with those teams. The Devils GM could be forced to wait in the hope that better goalie options become available.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 4, 2023

by | Nov 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 4, 2023

The Devils fall to the Blues and lose Jack Hughes, the Flyers defeat the Sabres, Sidney Crosby approaches another milestone, and the Rangers get bad news on Adam Fox and Filip Chytil. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues center Kevin Hayes scored his first two goals of the season in a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Hayes finished the night with three points while Jordan Binnington made 33 saves for the Blues, who improved their record to 4-4-1. Curtis Lazar replied for the Devils (6-3-1), who lost scoring leader Jack Hughes to an upper-body injury in the first period when he lost his balance and crashed into the boards behind the Blues net.

St. Louis Blues center Kevin Hayes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes played one more shift and left the game before the end of the first period. Following the game, Devils coach Lindy Ruff said the 22-year-old center would be reevaluated on Saturday.

Three first-period goals carried the Philadelphia Flyers over the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-1. Travis Konecny scored his ninth of the season to move into a tie for the NHL goal-scoring lead with Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat and Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano. Bobby Brink and Joel Farabee each collected two points for the 5-5-1 Flyers. Henri Jokiharju scored for the Sabres as they dropped to 5-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers goaltender Carter Hart (mid-body) and center Sean Couturier (lower body) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game with a lower-body injury.

Both clubs are off to surprising starts this season. The Flyers were expected to be near the bottom of the standings while the Sabres were considered a playoff contender. There’s still a long way to go in this season for both clubs but it’s safe to say that the Flyers have exceeded expectations thus far while the Sabres have not met theirs.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will be appearing in his 1,200th career NHL game when his club faces off on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby is already the Penguins’ all-time leader in games played. He will tie Owen Nolan for 127th overall on the league’s all-time list.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers placed defenseman Adam Fox on long-term injury reserve with a lower-body injury. Fox was sidelined by a leg-on-leg hit from Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho on Thursday. They also placed center Filip Chytil on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that occurred during the same game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those are significant losses for the Rangers. Fox is their top defenseman while Chytil centered their third line. The absence of former Norris Trophy winner Fox hurts the most given his workload as their blueline linchpin.

CBS SPORTS: Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He’s already missed the first seven games of this season due to an injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin was fined $25,000.00 by the NHL “for unprofessional conduct directed at the officials” during Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

TSN 1200: Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub will remain sidelined for at least the next two games as he continues to recover from a concussion.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers sent defenseman Philip Broberg to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Broberg struggled to play up to expectations this season and lost his spot on the Oilers’ blueline to Vincent Desharnais.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 30, 2023

by | Sep 30, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – September 30, 2023

Could Anthony Duclair re-sign with the Sharks? Will the Sabres trade Victor Olofsson? Could the Lightning land Flames goalie Dan Vladar? Could the Oilers shop Philip Broberg? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

DUCLAIR OPEN TO SIGNING WITH SHARKS

BAY AREA NEWS’ Curtis Pashelka recently reported on social media that Anthony Duclair is open to remaining with the San Jose Sharks on a long-term deal. He said he’s concentrating on the upcoming season and there haven’t been any contract talks yet but indicated there would be a time and place for that.

San Jose Sharks winger Anthony Duclair (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duclair was traded to the Sharks this summer by the Florida Panthers in a cost-cutting move. The 28-year-old winger is now on his seventh team entering his 10th NHL season. It sounds like he’s seeking stability after bouncing around so much in his career.

Whether it gets it from the rebuilding Sharks is another matter. They could see him as a value bargaining chip at the March 8 trade deadline to bring in a good future asset or two.

WILL THE SABRES MOVE OLOFSSON?

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Michael Augello reports Sabres winger Victor Olofsson enters this season with his future in limbo. He was bench late last season and was the subject of offseason trade rumors.

Olofsson is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams may have explored the trade market for the 28-year-old winger but an Achilles injury to winger Jack Quinn may have changed Olofsson’s situation temporarily.

Barring a slew of injuries this season, Augello believes the chances are slim that Olofsson will still be with the Sabres by the March 8 trade deadline. They have sufficient cap room to retain up to half of the winger’s $4.75 million cap hit to facilitate a deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Depending on how long it takes Quinn to recover and if any other promising young forwards make the cut, Olofsson will likely be skating with another club by March 8.

The Sabres are deep in forward depth on their roster and within their prospect pipeline that it’s unlikely they’ll re-sign Olofsson A solid performance on his part this season will serve to enhance his value in the trade market.

CAN THE LIGHTNING AFFORD TO ACQUIRE VLADAR FROM THE FLAMES?

SPORTSNET (stick tap to NHL Watcher): Elliotte Friedman isn’t putting much stock in trade rumors linking Calgary Flames backup goaltender Daniel Vladar to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Friedman doesn’t see how that deal would work, pointing out that the Lightning doesn’t have a plethora of draft picks. He also noted that the Flames aren’t going to give Vladar away as they’ll want “a nice price for him.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For those who missed it, the Lightning will be without starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy for the next eight to 10 weeks as he recovers from lower-back surgery. Vladar was listed by some observers as a possible trade target for the Lightning.

With promising Dustin Wolf knocking on the door, the Flames could peddle Vladar at some point to make room for the youngster. As Friedman observed, however, they aren’t just going to give him away. They also have the luxury of keeping the waiver-exempt Wolf in the minors until they get a suitable offer for Vladar.

COULD THE OILERS TRADE BROBERG?

SPORTSNET: Mark Spector recently suggested that Philip Broberg must step up his game and impress the Edmonton Oilers or risk becoming trade bait later this season. The 22-year-old defenseman has yet to play up to expectations.

Spector expects Broberg will be paired up with veteran Mattias Ekholm once he returns from an injured hip flexor. It’s hoped that Ekholm can help Broberg the same way he helped Evan Bouchard last season.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – September 17, 2023

by | Sep 17, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – September 17, 2023

Check out the latest on Hurricanes’ Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen plus a recent look at some possible Oilers trade assets in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

LATEST ON PESCE, SKJEI AND TERAVAINEN

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock observes the Carolina Hurricanes appear to be rolling the dice on the expiring contracts of defensemen Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei and winger Teuvo Teravainen. The trio is slated to become unrestricted free agents next July.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).

DeCock believes the Hurricanes are unlikely to be able to re-sign both Pesce and Skjei if they’re still unsigned by the end of the season. They’ll have also foregone the opportunity to move them for significant returns by the trade deadline.

Teravainen is less of a gamble for the Hurricanes as his trade value has declined due to his recent on-ice struggles. It may make sense to let the 29-year-old winger play out the final season of his contract and let him depart via free agency.

General manager Don Waddell said the club is waiting to see how things go this season and then they’ll deal with it. DeCock believes the potential costs of being trapped in a negotiating corner with those players are outweighed by the competitive benefits.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pesce regularly surfaced in this summer’s trade rumors while Skjei and Teravainen made occasional appearances.

It’s still possible for at least one of them to be shopped before the start of the season. However, the Hurricanes are among this season’s Stanley Cup contenders. They stand a better chance of winning it with those three in the lineup right now.

Things could change over the course of the season. At least one of them could play so well that the Hurricanes re-sign them. Perhaps one of them becomes a trade chip to address a pressing need elsewhere on the roster. Maybe the Hurricanes struggle under the weight of heightened expectations forcing Waddell to make a bold move. Or possibly all three end up getting shopped at the trade deadline.

DeCock’s colleague Chip Alexander reported Pesce has changed agents. Perhaps that signals the possibility of a contract extension for the 28-year-old defenseman in the coming weeks.

POTENTIAL OILERS TRADE BAIT FOR THE COMING SEASON

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell recently listed five Edmonton Oilers assets that could be moved at some point before the March 8 trade deadline to address potential issues in goal, on right defense and at right wing.

Mitchell believes their 2024 first-round pick could be in play if it’ll fetch an effective asset like Mattias Ekholm. If they seek a right-shot defenseman, blueliner Philip Broberg could be the asking price.

Winger Dylan Holloway and prospect center Raphael Lavoie could also become trade bait. So could veteran defenseman Brett Kulak.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are said to be all-in on pursuing the Stanley Cup this season. That means sacrificing pieces of their future to address their potential weaknesses by the trade deadline. Their first-rounder in the 2024 draft plus youngsters like Broberg and Holloway could become valuable bargaining chips at some point this season.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 26, 2023

by | Aug 26, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 26, 2023

Check out the latest on the Hurricanes and Oilers in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON THE HURRICANES

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Cory Lavalette was asked about Carolina Hurricanes defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce. The question was whether they could be moved for assets while clearing salary-cap space or as part of a move or multiple moves to bolster the Hurricane’s scoring.

Lavalette suggests both scenarios are possibilities. He believes the Hurricanes don’t need to panic about this as they’re under the salary cap and can afford to wait for the right offer. They can afford to move Skjei and/or Pesce given their solid blueline depth for the coming season.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).

If Pesce is the most likely trade candidate as rumored, Lavalette believes Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell would expect at least a first-round pick in return. They could use that pick as bait leading up to the trade deadline to fill any holes in the roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lavalette doesn’t think that the Hurricanes need to add a scorer. He believes Jesperi Kotkaniemi will eclipse 20 goals and 55 points this season based on his production following his slow start to last season. He also noted that the Hurricanes offense was nearly identical to that of the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights last season.

Nevertheless, Lavalette conceded that they have the ability to add to their offense if the need arises once they declutter their defense. In other words, Pesce and/or Skjei could be used as trade bait to land a scorer.

I believe they could use more scoring punch. With all due respect to Lavalette, it was painfully apparent in the Eastern Conference Final that a lack of offense was a key reason why they were swept by the underdog Florida Panthers.

The Hurricanes dominated the play throughout that series. Yes, the Panthers got strong goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky and timely scoring led by Matthew Tkachuk. However, I think the Canes could’ve prevailed had they had a healthy Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty in the lineup. Svechnikov will be back but they could look at landing a scorer by the trade deadline.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: Bryant Baucom believes Teuvo Teravainen, Jack Drury and Andrei Svechnikov are the three players on the Hurricanes with the most to prove this season.

Teravainen’s production suffered last season in part due to injuries and the loss of a family member. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and surfaced in trade rumors earlier this offseason.

Drury, 23, finds himself in a logjam of centers that are much more valuable to the Hurricanes’ success. A restricted free agent next summer coming off his entry-level contract, he could become a possible rental player leading up to this season’s trade deadline.

Svechnikov is coming off a season-ending knee injury. If he takes longer to regain his form, the Hurricanes could be forced into the trade market to find a scorer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE Svechnikov obviously isn’t going anywhere given his value to the Hurricanes. It could take him some time to get back into the scoring groove again but he faces no danger of getting traded. Nevertheless, Baucom is correct in his assessment that how quickly Svechnikov’s returns to form could create an urgency to bolster their offensive attack.

Teravainen could have a bounce-back performance. If he does, I expect the Hurricanes will hang onto him for the playoffs and worry about his contract after this season. Drury, on the other hand, could become expendable if he fails to improve this season.

COULD THE OILERS TRADE BROBERG?

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell wondered if the Edmonton Oilers might consider trading Philip Broberg this season. He is listed as the Oilers’ top prospect by colleague Corey Pronman.

Mitchell observed that the Oilers are in “win-now” mode. While Broberg has tremendous potential, they need their entire roster to play at a championship level. His size and speed could make him an enticing trade target for clubs more focused on the future.

If the Oilers did move Broberg, Mitchell speculated that they could seek a right-handed, big-minute defenseman to skate on the top pairing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The pressure will be on the Oilers this season to finally get over the championship hump. They could move Broberg before the trade deadline for a rental asset if they feel the player they’re receiving can help them win that elusive Stanley Cup.

Of course, that could change if Broberg makes significant strides in his performance this season. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he gets traded at some point this season for the type of defenseman envisioned by Mitchell.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 19, 2023

by | Jan 19, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – January 19, 2023

A growing number of teams could be interested in Bo Horvat, the latest on Brock Boeser and Jesse Puljujarvi plus a look at some potential Canadiens trade bait in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST CANUCKS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek and Michael Russo suggested the Boston Bruins could be a good destination for Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat. They mused over the possibility of the Bruins acquiring Horvat and signing him to a contract extension should Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci retire at the end of this season.

The Carolina Hurricanes could also be a landing spot for Horvat. However, they’re unwilling to part with Martin Necas.

THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma reports the Bruins, Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche are kicking tires on the Canucks captain. However, there are cost certainty concerns and the Canucks have not granted permission for potential suitors to talk contract with Horvat’s agent.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cites an NHL source confirming the Bruins and Canucks have talked about Horvat. The Avalanche, Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings and Seattle Kraken are also believed to be really interested in Horvat but the Canucks’ asking price is high. The source expected prospect Fabian Lysell and a first-round pick would have to be the starting point in any talks between the Bruins and Canucks.

THE ATHLETIC/VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Jesse Granger and Owen Krepps included Horvat in their lists of potential trade targets for the Golden Knights if winger Mark Stone and his $9.5 million cap hit end up on long-term injury reserve. Stone is currently listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

POST MEDIA: Michael Traikos added the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins as possible suitors for Horvat. He wondered whether an offer of a first-round pick, a top prospect and a young roster player would be too much or too little.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat (NHL Images).

Traikos also believes the Canucks can’t afford to wait too long to move Horvat. St. Louis’ Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, San Jose’s Timo Meier, Ottawa’s Alex DeBrincat, Philadelphia’s James van Riemsdyk and Montreal’s Sean Monahan could soon become available in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot of playoff contenders would love to have Bo Horvat on their roster for the 2023 playoffs and perhaps beyond if they can reach an agreement on a contract extension. Most, however, won’t be able to afford the Canucks’ asking price. A number of them will lack sufficient cap space to pull it off unless they get creative and pull off a three-team swap to spread around the remainder of Horvat’s $5.5 million cap hit.

As for the Canucks’ asking price, Rutherford said earlier this week that he’d be interested in acquiring players on entry-level contracts who are struggling with their current teams. He probably won’t balk at getting a first-round pick but he’d like to add young NHL-ready players given ownership’s insistence on retooling the roster rather than rebuilding.

All of this is just spitballing right now. Teams are making inquiries into Horvat’s availability and what it would cost. It’ll likely only be two or three clubs that’ll come up with suitable bids. I don’t rule out Horvat getting traded in January but I think a February deal is more likely.

THE ATHLETIC’s Pierre LeBrun and Michael Russo report teams are still interested in Canucks winger Brock Boeser. He’s signed through 2024-25 with a $6.65 million annual cap hit. It’s possible the only way he gets traded is if the Canucks retain part of his salary. The Minnesota Wild have spoken to them about Boeser but they might not be able to make it work cap-wise without Vancouver retaining salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Province’s Ben Kuzma shares that view. Canucks management reportedly wants to clear the entirety of Boeser’s cap hit from their books. If they maintain that stance, they might have to wait until the offseason to move him when teams have more cap room.

UPDATES ON THE OILERS

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes it’s time for the Edmonton Oilers to part ways with Jesse Puljujarvi after he was made a healthy scratch for Evander Kane’s return to the roster on Tuesday.

GM Ken Holland has been working the phones. However, he couldn’t find any takers for Puljujarvi last summer because he refused to accept discounted future assets for a player who was a top-six forward last season. The decline in the 24-year-old winger’s performance this season leaves management praying that someone will take his $3 million contract off their hands.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reported the Oilers have had some promising conversations with a couple of teams regarding Puljujarvi. That’s potentially good news for Oilers fans concerned that the club might have to package Puljujarvi with an asset to move him before the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Color me skeptical about the Oilers’ chances of moving Puljujarvi before deadline day without bundling him with a draft pick or prospect. Sure, anything’s possible but his stock has really tumbled since last summer when it wasn’t that high to begin with.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson dismissed the notion of the Oilers parting with defenseman Philip Broberg as part of a package offer to the Arizona Coyotes for Jakob Chychrun.

Matheson considered it unlikely to happen because the Oilers don’t see Chychrun as a fit they need plus they like Broberg too much.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers’ focus seems to be on acquiring a shutdown defenseman like Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov or Montreal’s Joel Edmundson. And no, they won’t part with Broberg for either of those guys.

POTENTIAL CANADIENS TRADE BAIT

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan reports the Canadiens could have a different look following the March 3 trade deadline. Veterans like Edmundson and forwards Jonathan Drouin, Evgenii Dadonov, Sean Monahan and Josh Anderson could be in play as the Habs continue their rebuilding process.

Drouin, Dadonov and Monahan are slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer. GM Kent Hughes will attempt to get something for them by the deadline. Hughes acknowledged Edmundson and Anderson have frequently surfaced in media trade rumors but called those reports “not necessarily accurate.”

Don’t expect the Canadiens to shop Samuel Montembeault. Hughes said they want to keep the 26-year-old goaltender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drouin and Monahan have been sidelined by injuries while Dadonov hasn’t played well this season. Those factors will affect their value in this season’s trade market. I doubt he’ll be able to get first-round picks or top prospects for them.

Edmundson and Anderson would have more value but they’re both signed beyond this season. Hughes could be less inclined to move them but I don’t doubt that he’ll listen to offers that include a first-rounder.