Expect to see flurry of deals
Last Friday’s game between the Flyers and Capitals had the potential to upend not only the playoff race in the Eastern Conference but the NHL trading market with the deadline coming up fast.
Despite the 5-2 Capitals win, they’re now expected to sell after falling flat in a loss to the Coyotes two days later. The Flyers could do some deals because they’re unexpectedly in a playoff spot with less than six weeks to go in the regular season.
With many teams in limbo, the weekend provided some muchneeded clarity around the league one year after the 2023 trade season featured a ton of big-name players changing places well before the deadline. Expect a flurry of activity as the week goes on ahead of the Friday 3 p.m. EST deadline.
“Everybody’s kicking tires,” Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong said Sunday. “I think there were some big guys that went early and everybody’s trying to put some pieces together on their team that will help it and people are trying to look for the best value possible.”
There’s value to be found at just about every position for Stanley Cup contenders looking for an upgrade.
Need a scoring winger? How about the Penguins’ Jake Guentzel. A No. 1 goaltender? The Flames’ Jacob Markstrom is signed through 2026. A do-it-all fourth-line center? The Capitals’ Nic Dowd is under contract for two potential playoff runs. Defensemen? The Flyers have three pending free agents in Sean Walker, Nick Seeler and Marc Staal.
“We’re still open,” Flyers GM Briere said Friday. “There’s been a lot of discussions. There’s a lot going on. You’ve seen what’s happened in the market. There’s a lot of defensemen that are gone now, so we’re getting a lot of calls on our guys.”
The Stars last week got arguably the best defenseman available in acquiring Chris Tanev from the Flames and didn’t have to give up a first-round pick to do it. The Flames’ Noah Hanifin could also still be traded, along with Capitals veteran Joel Edmundson, among others at the position.
What might start the dominos falling? The Penguins lost on the road to the Flames and Oilers on back-to-back days, which could push GM Kyle Dubas closer to being a seller after he said their play would determine how he approaches the deadline.
By the time bitter rivals face off Thursday in Pittsburgh, the rosters of the Capitals and Penguins could look drastically different.
“Our priority would be the future of our club,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said. “All decisions will be based on (that). It’s not, ‘Hey, we’re going to go out and rent a guy for the playoffs.’ We’re not in that game. We’re here to look for opportunities to find more young players, add more young players to our roster and compete.”
While the Capitals and Penguins, and to some extent the Blues, are among the recent champions looking to tweak their rosters, the list of those competing for the Cup this season include the Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Golden Knights, Avalanche, Jets, Oilers, Canucks, Bruins, Panthers and Rangers.
They’re expected to be the league’s biggest buyers, looking for the right combination of rental players and those signed beyond this year.