NHL Rumor Mill – February 23, 2024
NHL Rumor Mill – February 23, 2024
Teams are expressing interest in Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich, the Canadiens inquired about Ducks forward Trevor Zegras, the Golden Knights could get busy in the trade market if Mark Stone is sidelined long-term, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
BLUES ARE GETTING CALLS ABOUT BUCHNEVICH
THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford reports a league source claims the St. Louis Blues are getting calls about Pavel Buchnevich. General manager Doug Armstrong is listening but he’s not shopping the 28-year-old winger, who has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.8 million. Buchnevich also carries a 12-team no-trade clause.
Rutherford’s source believes it would take a substantial offer for Armstrong to consider moving Buchnevich. Still, teams are operating on the premise that it’s possible to acquire him. With so little high-quality talent in this year’s trade market, Buchnevich could have a much higher value.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson indicates the Oilers have been scouting the Blues. He believes they’re looking at Buchnevich as a second-line winger option. Matheson believes the cost to acquire him could be comparable to what the Oilers gave up in last year’s Mattias Ekholm trade (a first-round pick, a fourth-rounder and a prospect).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are currently battling for a wild-card spot. Armstrong could be reluctant to part with one of his best forwards while his club remains in the playoff chase.
Buchnevich has another year left on his contract which means Armstrong is under no pressure to move him at the deadline. If he doesn’t get any suitable offers, he’ll wait until the offseason.
I think it’ll take more than a couple of draft picks and a prospect to get Buchnevich. The Blues are retooling rather than rebuilding their roster. They’ll want something that helps them now and in the future, and that likely means a good young NHL player as the centerpiece of the return.
CANADIENS CALLED ABOUT ZEGRAS
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marc Dumont cited TSN’s Pierre LeBrun recently reporting that the Anaheim Ducks were casually taking calls about Trevor Zegras. LeBrun also confirmed the Montreal Canadiens were among the callers. He indicated the Ducks haven’t been calling around mentioning Zegras but rather it’s other teams making inquiries.
Dumont doubted that a Zegras trade would come to fruition by the March 8 deadline. However, the young Ducks forward could be a name worth keeping in mind for the offseason.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Based on this report, the Ducks aren’t shopping Zegras and no one’s made an offer for him. Like Dumont, I don’t expect the 22-year-old forward to be on the move by March 8 but this could be something that carries over into the offseason.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has mentioned he’d like to add more scoring to his roster. He has the depth in draft picks, prospects and promising youngsters to make a competitive bid for Zegras if he becomes available. The youngster’s dazzling offensive abilities would be a big boost to the Canadiens scoring lines while his age makes him a good fit alongside their other young players.
However, there would be some concerns here. One is Zegras’ poor defensive play, though that can be improved with time and maturity on his part.
Another is whether he can handle the intense pressure of playing in a major hockey market. Zegras hasn’t faced the kind of media and fan scrutiny in Anaheim that he would have to endure in Montreal playing for a storied franchise like the Canadiens. Some players have handled it well while others have wilted under that harsh spotlight.
Finally, there’s the asking price. You’re not getting Zegras for a bunch of mid-range picks, second-tier prospects, and veterans or castoffs. The Ducks will want a significant return such as a first-round pick (Montreal’s 2024 without any top-10 protection), a top prospect (hello there, Lane Hutson) and a good young NHL player. Hughes has a reputation as a tough negotiator but so is Ducks GM Pat Verbeek.
STONE INJURY COULD SEND VEGAS INTO THE TRADE MARKET
TSN: Darren Dreger speculates the Vegas Golden Knights could go shopping for help if captain Mark Stone ends up on long-term injury reserve for the rest of this season. Stone is currently listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury and they’ll reevaluate him near the March 8 trade deadline.
Dreger said losing a heart-and-soul player like Stone hurts the Golden Knights. However, they’ll do everything they can to backfill on the trade front.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights did the same thing last season when Stone went on long-term injury reserve following back surgery. He carries an average annual value of $9.5 million, so placing him on LTIR will give them considerable cap relief. It could make them a major player in the trade market leading up to March 8.
DEVILS REJECTED OFFERS FOR MERCER
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying some teams that have been speaking with the Devils have asked about the availability of Dawson Mercer. However, they told those clubs that the 22-year-old forward is not available.
CAPITALS COULD BECOME TRADE-DEADLINE SELLERS
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Washington Capitals could become sellers if they haven’t made any progress in the standings by the trade deadline. Trade candidates would include pending free agents such as Anthony Mantha, Max Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson.
FLYERS IN CONTRACT EXTENSION TALKS WITH SEELER
TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Philadelphia Flyers are engaged in contract extension talks with Nick Seeler. The 30-year-old defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and was a frequent fixture in trade rumors this season involving the Flyers.