BLUE-LINE HELPLINE
If the Maple Leafs do decide to beef up their defence via trade, there are plenty of options …
The Rangers’ Adam McQuaid, Niklas Kronwall of the Wings, the Hurricanes’ Dougie Hamilton and Jay Bouwmeester of the Blues could add experience and blue-line savvy to a contender (we’re thinking of one in particular) if the price is right. Kevin McGran’s Over The Boards sizes up the needs of Canada’s NHL teams,
If the Stanley Cup playoffs were to start now, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets would all be 16 wins away from becoming the first Canadian team since 1993 to capture the chalice.
Meanwhile, Vancouver and Edmonton would have just missed. And fans in Ottawa would be rooting to lose one more: the draft lottery, because the Colorado Avalanche own the Senators’ first-round pick and top prospect Jack Hughes looks like a franchise-type player.
This is the week when most teams across the NHL hold mid-season meetings. Professional and amateur scouts weigh in, situations are assessed and general managers start to refine their plans heading toward the Feb. 25 trade deadline. Who will sell? Who will buy? What are the prices?
For the first time in a while, there appears to be a reasonable split of buyers (who think they have a shot at the playoffs) and sellers (already playing for next year). For the buyers, that’s good news. What might have cost a second-round pick in recent years — say, a fourth-line centre — might only cost a third- or fourth-rounder if there are more of them available.
Last year, the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup after staying on the sidelines on deadline day, but did add depth defencemen Michal Kempny and Jakub Jerabek earlier in February. A handful of similar moves have already been made.
Here’s what Over The Boards thinks each Canadian team should and shouldn’t do leading up to the deadline:
TORONTO
Recent injuries to goalies Frederik Andersen (groin) and Garret Sparks (concussion) revealed the team’s true Achilles heel. GM Kyle Dubas acquired Michael Hutchinson as a stopgap from the Panthers for a fifth-round pick, but another goalie with NHL experience is a must. The team is built for a long run, so there’s no point risking it because of a lack of depth in net. Ryan Miller in Anaheim might fit the bill, though the return of Curtis McElhinney from Carolina would be welcome in some quarters.
They could also use some grit in the form of a hard-nosed winger with enough speed to keep up. Wayne Simmonds could be that player if the Flyers — as expected — are in sell mode. Micheal Ferland might be available, too, if Carolina drops out of contention.
Grit might also come in the form of a defenceman, ideally with a right-handed shot. Adam McQuaid could fit the bill cheaply from the New York Rangers, but wouldn’t coach Mike Babcock love to have Jay Bouwmeester of the Blues in his locker room? Or Niklas Kronwall of the Wings?
Dubas is on record as saying he’d rather acquire a player on a long contract, but the price would be much higher. The Hurricanes remain an interesting match, with Dougie Hamilton believed to be on the market. They were interested in William Nylander and are also enamoured of Kasperi Kapanen.
MONTREAL
GM Marc Bergevin deserves a great deal of credit for moves that have sparked the Canadiens, who are unexpectedly in the wild-card hunt. Max Domi, for one, has excelled in a way he hadn’t in Arizona.
Like Dubas, Bergevin isn’t looking for rentals. If the Canadiens remain in contention, they’d consider trading prospect Nick Suzuki, who played for Canada at the world junior championship and is putting up big numbers in the OHL. The return for the 19year-old, a first-round pick from the Golden Knights in 2017, would have to be high — maybe a pending restricted free agent whose contract demands might be on the high side. The Habs have plenty of cap space this season and going forward, so Brayden Schenn — with a year left on his deal in St. Louis — might be an interesting target. Also Detroit’s Gustav Nyquist, if they think they can resign him.
If they decide to sell, Jordie Benn, a depth defenceman with some pretty decent numbers, would be on the block. He’s cheap at $1.1 million (U.S.), can play either side, and the Habs have to make room for prospect Noah Juulsen eventually.
OTTAWA
Ugh. Anything could go wrong has gone wrong for the Ottawa Senators. What GM Pierre Dorion has to do is get over the fact that his first-round pick is gone. He shouldn’t make moves designed to climb the standings in an attempt to avoid the embarrassment of potentially missing out on the No. 1 overall selection. Just get over it and move on. That means selling optimism instead of playoff seats. With Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot, there’s a decent start. Dorion should do all he can to re-sign Matt Duchene (the key return for that firstrounder) and Mark Stone. The Leafs and Sabres have shown that turnarounds can happen quickly. If those two pending unrestricted free agents can’t be re-signed, though, the time to move them is now.
They also have other pieces that can be sold for picks and prospects. When he’s healthy, goalie Craig Anderson, with one year left on his deal, could fetch a decent return — maybe from the Islanders, Blue Jackets or Flames.
WINNIPEG
The Jets have the salary cap space to add an impact player this season, but next year they’ll face a crunch similar to the Leafs’ — so GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will be looking for rentals.
The Jets added Paul Stastny at last year’s deadline and he helped them reach the Western Conference final. He moved on as a free agent, though, and really hasn’t been replaced. Look for another big move like that — maybe Duchene, if Ottawa is moving him. The Jets are deep and young and can afford to surrender picks.
They’ll also be in on the Simmonds sweepstakes if the price is right. Grit is their shortcoming, too. The Jets could also use a high-end defenceman and have been linked to Jake Muzzin of the Kings. They’ll likely keep pending UFAs Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot and Brandon Tanev.
CALGARY
GM Brad Treliving’s biggest issue might be goaltending. Like the Leafs, the Flames lack depth at the position. Veteran Mike Smith has had an up-anddown year and might be finished, while backup David Rittich might be ready for prime time. They’ll want someone with playoff experience. Detroit’s Jimmy Howard could be pried loose.
On the blue line, rookies Oliver Kylington and Rasmus Andersson have been pretty decent with a couple of veterans injured. They’d like to shore up the blue line, though — think Kronwall or Carl Gunnarsson.
Right now, the Flames are all about that fabulous first line. James Neal hasn’t been very good since coming over as a free agent, and Sam Bennett remains a work in progress. Some secondary scoring might help. Neal is unhappy, as is Michael Frolik. If the Flames could find buyers, they could open cap space for some offensive help.
EDMONTON
GM Peter Chiarelli might be in the tightest spot of all. The Oilers aren’t generally considered good enough to make the playoffs this season, but they’re actually close enough to make it. If Chiarelli feels any heat, he might add a few rentals just to see where it goes. A scoring winger to complement Connor McDavid would be nice.
They’re up against it with the cap, though, and should probably throw up the white flag — dumping any salary they can and trading mid-level players to accrue picks and prospects. Pending unrestricted free agent goalie Cam Talbot — to the hated Flames, or maybe the Hurricanes — could add up. Defencemen Matt Benning and Kris Russell, plus forward Zack Kassian, have contracts the Oilers might be wise to shed, and could help a contender. If, on the trade call, Chiarelli could mutter Milan Lucic’s name without the other team noticing, that would be helpful, too.
VANCOUVER
Like the Canadiens, the Canucks surprised their fan base with a better-than-expected start to the season. Calder candidate Elias Pettersson was the reason. Add him to youngsters Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat and the Canucks have a good young core — ahead of Ottawa’s, but behind Toronto’s.
They’re on the right track, and GM Jim Benning should avoid the folly of thinking that making the playoffs is important right away. They might make it with this group, but trading picks or prospects for immediate help would be a mistake.
Defenceman Alexander Edler is a pending UFA with a notrade clause and wants to retire aCanuck. Teams might pay a lot for him as a rental, but he’d have to agree. Best-case scenario for Vancouver: He waives the notrade clause, then re-signs in July. Blueliner Michael Del Zotto is also a pending UFA and more likely to be traded.