NHL trade-deadline day
What teams and players might make headlines
Here are 10 important questions going into Monday’s 3 p.m. ET NHL trade deadline.
❚ With the Blue Jackets and Capitals significantly improving their teams this week, will the Penguins answer with a deal?
For sure. Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is historically one of the most aggressive traders. He lost two more defensemen, Brian Dumoulin (concussion) and Kris Letang (upper body), in Saturday’s outdoor game. He will be looking at defensemen.
❚ Which team has done the best job in the early deals?
Most would say the Blue Jackets because they have added Matt Duchene (28 goals) and Ryan Dzingel (22 goals). But Capitals GM Brian MacLellan helped his team considerably by adding speedy Carl Hagelin to be a fourth-line role player and Nick Jensen to be a dependable third-pairing defenseman. Jensen could help the Capitals as much as Michal Kempny did last season. Stars GM Jim Nill also added veteran defenseman Ben Lovejoy and creative forward Mats Zuccarello for reasonable prices. The Senators are also doing a good job stockpiling draft picks.
❚ How should we rate the crop of available players for the deadline?
The best forward group in recent memory. Mark Stone, Kevin Hayes, Wayne Simmonds and Mike Hoffman are four players who will significantly upgrade teams. There are rumors about Simmonds ending up with Tampa Bay, but several teams are interested. Nyquist is having a good season. Marcus Johansson (Devils) could add secondary scoring to a team. The defense crop is weak, unless a GM wants to make a trade to land one of the Hurricanes’ defensemen. Carolina GM Don Waddell would probably be willing to deal Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce or Justin Faulk, especially if he could acquire a forward who can play in his top-six.
❚ Who is the sleeper in this market? Hoffman (Panthers) has another year left on his contract paying $5.187 million, and teams are interested because he isn’t a rental. He has 26 goals.
❚ What do the Red Wings want for Gustav Nyquist?
GM Ken Holland has asked for a firstround pick, but he would probably take a second-rounder and a young player, like he did in the Jensen deal with the Capitals. The Red Wings would prefer to re-sign Nyquist.
❚ Who’s under the most pressure to make something happen?
Predators GM David Poile. He has the league’s most talented defense and a proven goaltender. The Predators are considered one of the top Western Conference contenders but don’t look sharp. They could use another scorer, particularly for the power play, where they rank last. When you have a chance to win it all, you don’t stand pat at the deadline.
❚ Why didn’t the Predators get Matt Duchene?
The price was considered too high. Based on what Columbus gave up, it seems logical to conclude the Predators would have had to give up Eeli Tolvanen, a first-round draft pick and two other players.
❚ Will the Hurricanes deal forward Micheal Ferland?
They’d prefer not to because they are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. But several teams, particularly the Golden Knights, have interest in Ferland (16 goals, 33 points). If the Hurricanes can acquire a forward who can help them now, they will move the pending unrestricted free agent.
❚ Will goalies Sergei Bobrovsky or Jimmy Howard move?
Don’t see it happening. There’s no goalie marketplace.
❚ Any other names circulating in the marketplace?
Since the Blue Jackets are all in, it’s presumed they won’t trade Artemi Panarin. But why wouldn’t they trade him if the Blue Jackets can get a return that helps now? The Red Wings’ Luke Glendening (two years left on his deal) also is out there because he is a valuable role player with quickness and the ability to win faceoffs. The Rangers would move Chris Kreider, who has a year left on his contract, in the right deal.