NHL Trade Rumors: Kings, Sabres, Flyers, Flames, Oilers & Islanders
A lot of speculation and buzz from around the NHL surrounding the trade deadline as team’s try to jockey for position in the standings and decide if they should buy or sell by April 3rd. Let’s get caught up with the latest from around the league.
As previously written today, we’ve heard that the Los Angeles Kings are engaged in trade talks with the Buffalo Sabres, courtesy of the Fourth Period. While no names were mentioned, TFP also reports that Kings’ GM, Dean Lombardi has been given the go ahead from management to spend up to the league’s salary cap.
The Kings are the latest team to have said to be interested in Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames while Robyn Regehr could satisfy their blue line needs. Drew Stafford of the Sabres could also be on Lombardi’s radar given the Kings desire to add a second or third line center. Both Iginla and Regehr have no-trade clauses and word out of Calgary is that their captain has yet to ask for a trade.
Oilers defenseman, Ladislav Smid is also mentioned as a potential target for the Kings to help shore up their back end as they get set to make a run to repeat as cup champions.
Kings goalie, Jonathan Bernier has also been the topic of trade rumors and with the netminder set to become a restricted free agent this summer, it’s widely expected that the Kings will move him. Lombardi hasn’t indicated if it’ll be by the April 3rd deadline or if he’ll wait until after the season when more clubs could get involved in the bidding and essentially driving the price up.
Staying in Buffalo, Nick Kypreos from Sportsnet says that the Sabres may look at dealing veteran goalie Ryan Miller. With question marks surrounding the netminder position in both New Jersey and Carolina, GM Darcy Regeir may get a decent return for a playoff experienced backstop.
Kypreso also hears that Buffalo will try and trade forward Ville Leino once he returns from injury and is back in game shape.
Meanwhile, with the Philadelphia Flyers sputtering out of a playoff spot, Danny Briere will be a highly sought after commodity at the deadline. Randy Miller via Twitter thinks that the rival Boston Bruins would be the perfect team for Briere. Given the Bruins have identified a gritty third line player as their needs, I’m not sure Briere is their guy.
Sam Carchidi, beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer via Twitter says that Jay Bouwmeester of the Flames would be the perfect puck-moving defenseman that the team needs.
Bob Stauffer, an Edmonton Oilers radio host says that Bouwmeester would be perfect in Edmonton via Twitter. In the next breath though he highly doubts the Flames would deal within the division and not mention with their arch rival.
Finally, from the Islanders camp, B.D Gallof via Twitter warns fans that they shouldn’t expect the Isles to become buyers at this years deadline, despite the club hanging around the playoff picture. Rather Gallof says the time to upgrade for the Islanders will be this summer.
On the other side of the coin, Gallof says the team won’t have a fire sale like many fans have thought might happen. Defenseman Mark Streit‘s name continues to circulate the rumor mill and Gallof states that if he and GM, Garth Snow can’t get close to terms for an extension, that he could be dealt by April 3rd.