NHL Trade Rumors: Avalanche, Stars, Senators, & Coyotes
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Trade Rumors: Jarome Iginla, Gabriel Landeskog, and Matt Duchene continue to be at the center of Colorado Avalanche rumors, Ottawa Senators looking to add depth for a playoff run, Arizona Coyotes destined to be a major seller at the deadline?
NHL trade rumors should continue to heat up as we near closer to the March 1st deadline. This year promises to have a different vibe due to an impending expansion draft in June. With the Vegas Golden Knights set to select one player from each of the 30 teams, many GMs are facing difficult decisions. Clubs need to figure out how to both preserve their roster, but also keep it intact for a Stanley Cup run.
Things should begin to heat up on the trade market in the near future. After all, we still have a number of players on expiring deals that make for good rental options. Then, we’ve got those inevitable trades still lingering (i.e. Marc-Andre Fleury, Ben Bishop, etc.). Of course, some of these guys could be dealt after the postseason, although GMs may struggle to obtain fair value. Long story short, even though the trade deadline has underwhelmed in recent years, something tells me we’re in for a flurry of activity.
To help keep our readers updated with the latest NHL trade rumors, we’ve decided to release a weekly roundup leading up to the deadline. It will include some of the hottest rumors/speculation of the last seven days with a bit of opinion/reaction.
NHL Trade Rumors: Weekly Roundup (Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, and Arizona Coyotes)
Colorado Avalanche
Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail weighed in on recent Jarome Iginla rumors. Most in the hockey community believe it’s a given that Colorado will move the aging veteran if they’re out of the playoff mix by the end of February (which is probable, if not guaranteed). Mr. Duhatschek believes that Edmonton would be a logical fit given that it’s his hometown and he has some history with GM Peter Chiarelli. [Globe and Mail]
Sean Fitzgerald over at Blackhawk Up discusses the possibility of Chicago adding the veteran for their Stanley Cup run. The Blackhawks still need to do some tinkering to work in Panarin’s new contract next year, but it shouldn’t stop them from adding players that come off the books on July 1, right? [Blackhawk Up]
On Thursday, Adrian Dater reported that Boston was in talks with Colorado regarding captain Gabriel Landeskog. According to Dater, Sakic was seeking Brandon Carlo as part of the return package, someone GM Don Sweeney is unwilling to part ways with at this point. [FanSided]
Re: Future of Avs Forwards
Veteran Jarome Iginla is as good as gone. Iggy signed in Colorado because a few years back it seemed the Avs were destined to be next Chicago or Tampa Bay. How quickly things seem to change. With no use for an aging winger, GM Joe Sakic must look to acquire future assets for the rental. Even if it’s prospects and draft picks, so be it. There’s no such thing as too much depth in the farm system.
Potential Fits for Iginla: Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Edmonton, Minnesota, Montreal
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Moving on to Gabriel Landeskog. I don’t quite understand these rumors. Sure, captains too are vulnerable to being dealt, but it would be a mistake on the Avs part. Landeskog has exceeded expectations off the ice/in the dressing room as a leader. It’s his play on the ice that hasn’t underwhelmed. That being said, Colorado would struggle to find any return package that they would deem fair value for their young captain. So, unless someone is overpaying for the Swedish winger, it seems highly unlikely he’s dealt.
Which brings us to the centerpiece of all Avs rumors, Matt Duchene. There are simply too many factors working against the 25-year-old, most notably being that Nathan MacKinnon occupies his ideal spot on the depth chart. With a few teams in need of a no.1 center, it only seems logical that Duchene is the odd-man out. If Joe Sakic was smart, he’d be targeting a quality LH defenseman that can log north of 20 minutes/night.
Lastly, we’ve heard Semyon Varlamov‘s name creep into NHL trade rumors. Let’s get something straight. Unless the Avs are willing to swallow a large chunk of his remaining three years, any trade seems very unlikely. Simply put, the Russian isn’t performing like a $5.9 million dollar goaltender.
Patrik Nemeth, Dallas Stars
Back in mid-December, Dallas Morning-News writer Mike Heika expressed the Stars need to move on from defenseman Patrik Nameth. The 2nd round pick from 2010 was recently demoted to AHL Texas on a conditioning stint, which doesn’t exactly help GM Jim Nill‘s cause. The Stars have a ton of similar quality defenders, so this could be a case of the Swede simply needing a fresh start elsewhere. [Dallas Morning-News]
Re: The Possibility of Moving Nemeth
Unless the Stars are comfortable losing someone like Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak, or Jordie Benn (among others) to Vegas in the expansion, Dallas needs to move a defenseman or two. Given his recent demotion to AHL Texas, Nemeth is a prime candidate to be dealt prior to the deadline. He won’t fetch much on the open market, but a mid-round pick is better than nothing.
Ottawa Senators
Given the uncertainty surrounding Clarke MacArthur after it was hopeful he’d be back in 2016-17, Ottawa is on the market to add another forward. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that GM Pierre Dorion has spent a lot of time working the phone over the past week or so. [Ottawa Sun]
Re: Potential Fits for Ottawa
It’s no surprise that Ottawa is looking to add a piece for their Stanley Cup run in 2016-17. Speculation suggests that Pierre Dorion is actively seeking another secondary scorer. Given the current outlook of this team, Ottawa could use a guy who excels in a third line setting when the team is healthy, but also has the versatility to slide into a top-six role on a temporary basis, if necessary.
Potential Options May Include:
Scott Hartnell (CLB), P.A. Parenteau (NJ), Josh Bailey (NYI), Alex Burrows (VAN), Drew Stafford (WPG)
Next: Vegas Golden Knights Mock Expansion Draft Roundtable
Arizona Coyotes
Craig Morgan over at FanRag Sports believes the Arizona Coyotes have upwards of six players that could be moved by the deadline. The list includes Martin Hanzal, Anthony Duclair, Mike Smith, Radim Vrbata, Michael Stone, and Shane Doan. [FanRag Sports]
Re: Potential for Coyotes Moves
Don’t expect Arizona to hammer down on the panic button in John Chayka’s first year as GM. The Coyotes may look to move impending UFAs Martin Hanzal, Michael Stone, and Shane Doan, but trading Anthony Duclair still seems farfetched. He’s starting to pick things up of late and unless another team is willing to overpay, I would expect him to stay put.
The idea of trading Mike Smith is laughable. There is no GM willing to take on that contract even if Arizona was willing to retain the full 50 percent. This injury-prone netminder is at risk of being bought out next summer.
Potential Fits for Hanzal: Montreal, Nashville, St. Louis
Potential Fits for Stone: Boston, Detroit, Edmonton, Toronto