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02/27/2019 edition:

Monday’s Mark Stone Trade: What We Didn’t Know

By Jim Parsons on Feb 26, 2019 07:20 pm

The biggest deal to go down during Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline was probably the Mark Stone trade that sent the two-way forward to the Vegas Golden Knights for defenseman Erik Brannstrom, forward Oscar Lindberg and a 2020 second-round draft selection.

But, before that trade finally happened, a whole lot more took place than most fans watching the deadline day coverage probably realize. While we may never have the whole story and could be missing pieces here and there, the overall storyline of how this deal, the other teams involved and how it almost didn’t happen is coming together.

Stone Decided Not to Re-Sign in Ottawa

Down to the wire the Senators were trying to re-sign Stone to a new contract. Ultimately, he chose not to stick around. Wanting to test free agency, ready to see what else was out there, seeing the team’s best players traded just days prior, and believing he deserved a better chance to win, a number of factors drew Stone away from the Senators organization.

Once the Senators were advised of that decision, he was made available on the trade market.

The Demand for Stone Was Incredible

There were a number of teams — rumored to be as many as eight — talking with the Ottawa Senators about the price of acquiring Stone. Among them were the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vegas Golden Knights (the eventual winner).

Ottawa Senators right wing Mark Stone celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

On Sunday evening, the Calgary Flames withdrew from the sweepstakes because the ask was simply too high and the competition too great. Any deal that was going to happen between the Flames and Senators had to include either Jusso Välimäki or Rasmus Andersson going the other way but the Flames had no indication that Stone was going to re-sign in Calgary and they had no desire to move Välimäki. By Monday morning, the Flames were publicly out of the race.

GM of the Florida Panthers, Dale Tallon, admitted he had submitted what he believed was a strong offer but that Stone was not going to offer to extend at this time if Florida had acquired him. In the end, that was the deal breaker and while Florida remained willing to deal if Ottawa came back to them, the Senators never did.

George Richards of The Athletic wrote an article:

For most of Monday morning, one of the teams really interested remained the Winnipeg Jets, but for the Jets (including everyone else) the ask for Stone was extremely high. So high, the Jets grew tired of waiting and went with their backup plan — Kevin Hayes.

Bob McKenzie had a Tuesday morning radio hit on Vancouver’s TSN 1040 and said, …”things took a turn for the worse for Ottawa and a turn for the better for Vegas when Winnipeg just decided, ‘You know what? It’s going to be too rich for our blood. We’d rather do Kevin Hayes and a whole bunch of depth deals.”

At this point, the landscape for a Stone trade started to shift.

Columbus had no more room to add Stone, simply because they’d gone all in on Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid and at that point, Ottawa was down to three teams: the Predators, the Islanders, and the Golden Knights.

Related: NHL Rumors: Canucks, Panthers, Senators, Oilers, More

The Final Negotiations Between Vegas and Ottawa

Thinking that defensive prospect Brannstrom was a flashy enough player to help sell tickets in Ottawa, the Senators eventually chose the offer presented by Vegas. Still, the Stone to Vegas deal wasn’t a slam dunk.

Pierre LeBrun writes:

While the Golden Knights were on the phone trying to work out an extension for the forward, Sens GM Pierre Dorion was growing extremely nervous and hounding the Golden Knights making sure the deal was close to being finalized as the clock ticked down on deadline day. If things didn’t get done, as LeBrun describes it, Dorion needed to move onto “Plan B.”

The other option for Ottawa was rumored to be either Nashville or the New York Islanders. The Islanders had offered a first-round pick and Anthony Beauvillier and the Sens would have gone that direction had things not worked out with Vegas. The problem was if Vegas took any longer, the Sens risked that deal not being available.

In the end, Vegas got a deal finalized with Stone under the wire and they agreed to make the trade. The Senators had no time to renegotiate the return with a now-signed Stone ready to make the move.

Related: Golden Knights Extend Mark Stone for 8 Seasons

Stone is the Player Vegas Always Wanted

Far back to when rumors swirled that Vegas had interest in Erik Karlsson (before he was traded to San Jose), the Golden Knights were keeping tabs on what was going on in Ottawa. LeBrun reports assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon and Stone had a connection from junior hockey (notice in the video below, it is McCrimmon who greets Stone at the airport) and McCrimmon had always wanted Stone. Vegas actually tried to acquire Stone last summer.

Had the team not acquired him now, it was a very good bet the Golden Knights and Stone would have hooked up during free agency. It was part of the reason the offer in trade was lower than most expected. In the end, Vegas didn’t want to run the risk of a team like the Islanders or Predators having Stone in their system, him liking the environment and then having the ability to get the extra year on a contract extension.

Vegas bit the bullet and pulled the trigger now.

From the details being released about how everything went down with Stone going to Vegas, it’s no wonder the trade took so long to happen. It’s also not surprising Ottawa ended up taking less than they might have liked and the Golden Knights got what most see as an incredible deal for a versatile and well-rounded hockey player.

The post Monday’s Mark Stone Trade: What We Didn’t Know appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

NHL Rumors: Canucks, Panthers, Senators, Oilers, More

By Jim Parsons on Feb 26, 2019 01:36 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, most of the news comes from explanations as to why teams who weren’t active at Monday’s trade deadline weren’t active. Why didn’t the Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes, Florida Panthers, and Edmonton Oilers really do much? Plus, how did things go so sideways for the Senators when it came to Mark Stone?

Winnipeg Changed the Stone Scene When They Signed Hayes

Bob McKenzie had a Tuesday morning radio hit on Vancouver’s TSN 1040 and said, …”things took a turn for the worse for Ottawa and a turn for the better for Vegas when Winnipeg just decided, ‘You know what? It’s going to be too rich for our blood. We’d rather do Kevin Hayes and a whole bunch of depth deals.”

Erik Brannstrom, Chicago Wolves, Dec. 2018 (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)

That changed everything for Ottawa who was being offered mostly first-round draft picks without A+ prospects like Erik Brannstrom. The Islanders were rumored to have stepped up and offered a first-round pick and Anthony Beauvillier but there might have been some trouble on the extension part of the deal.

McKenzie thinks the reason they chose Brannstrom was because they believe he can sell tickets as an exciting defensive prospect.

Related: Rangers Trade Adam McQuaid to Blue Jackets

Vancouver GM Asks for Patience

Via an interview with TSN Radio Vancouver, Canucks GM Jim Benning said to Canucks fans, “The message to our fans is to continue to be patient. We’re going to do things the right way. We’re going to draft and develop and we’re going to develop this thing piece-by-piece so we can be competitive for a long time.”

(Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)

There is some news specific to a could certain players. First, Dan Murphy reports that Jonathan Dahlen’s agent had asked for a trade on Dahlen’s behalf because his players is unhappy with how quickly he’s rising through the system. The Canucks simply feel he hasn’t worked hard enough to be promoted.

Murphy also reports that the Canucks spoke to Alex Edler about waiving his no-trade clause but he was unwilling to do so. The two sides are still working on getting an extension done.

Related: NHL Rumors: Johansson, Karlsson, Kronwall, More

Arizona Didn’t Want to Subtract to Add

Dave Vest is reporting the Arizona Coyotes and GM John Chayka stood pat on trade deadline day because “There wasn’t something that made sense … There weren’t any moves that we felt were significant upgrades assuming that there was some sort of subtraction involved with that.”

The Coyotes are battling for a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference and while they wanted to add, weren’t willing to subtract to do so.

Panthers Went After Mark Stone

George Richards of The Athletic wrote an article about the Florida Panthers deadline day and said that GM Dale Tallon confirmed that he made a substantial offer to the Ottawa Senators for Mark Stone and were willing to offer a similar eight-year contract extension.

Ottawa Senators Mark Stone (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

Richards writes:

The Panthers did move a few pending free agents for draft picks yesterday when the moved Derick Brassard, Bogdan Kiselvich, and Tomas Jurco. Talon said the team is going to be very aggressive after the season and use that cap space to take another big swing.

Most assume that means Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky.

Related: Golden Knights Extend Mark Stone for 8 Seasons

Red Wings Want to Extend Jimmy Howard

Obviously, Jimmy Howard was not moved at the trade deadline yesterday and according to Ansar Khan of MLive, that’s because the Detroit Red Wings are hoping to re-sign him for another two seasons.

Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings, December 20, 2017 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Howard has played well and gives the Red Wings their best chance to win. Khan reports that they hope to announce the extension sooner than later. “We basically agreed we’d get to the trade deadline and see if anybody was looking for a goaltender,” Holland said. “I’ll sit down with (Howard’s agent) in the next week or two.”

The Red Wings are also looking at extending coach Jeff Blashill and likes the experience he offers the Red Wings during their transition period.

As for any other moves at the deadline, there were some teams who kicked tires on Niklas Kronwall but he didn’t want to waive his no-move clause.

Related: Oilers Trade Deadline Must-Know Details

Oilers Believe They Have a Shot

Interim GM Keith Gretzky addressed the media after yesterday’s trade deadline closed and the Oilers didn’t make any moves, not even dumping salary. Gretzky said it was in part because he didn’t feel it was fair to write off the season yet and also because whatever came back for pieces like Zack Kassian or Alex Chiasson, it had to help the team today and tomorrow. There were simply no deals out there for them to make in that regard.

Gretzky did admit he had long conversations with one team about Chiasson but at the end of the day decided to keep the player. There was also some chatter the Oilers tried to land Connor Brown from Toronto for Matt Benning-plus, but the Oilers didn’t feel ready to pull the trigger on that move.

The Oilers will let the new GM who is hired in the offseason do most of the surgery now needed to fix the Oilers.

The post NHL Rumors: Canucks, Panthers, Senators, Oilers, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

Oilers Trade Deadline Must-Know Details

By Jim Parsons on Feb 25, 2019 01:04 pm

As Monday comes and the NHL Trade Deadline is well underway, most of the action on deadline day does not surround the Edmonton Oilers. That doesn’t mean the Oilers won’t be involved.

While the team is certainly not a buyer, the Oilers aren’t opposed to making a “hockey trade” and while it’s uncertain as to whether or not they are officially sellers, with such a tight Western Conference race, Edmonton won’t be shy about moving some contracts that likely won’t help much in the event they make the postseason.

The Oilers have a game on Monday evening against the Nashville Predators but management chose to stay back in Edmonton and run trade deadline operations from their home base. That suggests, at the very least, the team is looking to do something.

Here are a few options:

Alex Chiasson on the Move?

The name brought up most often out of Edmonton is Alex Chiasson. A winger who was signed on a professional tryout in the offseason, he’s exceeded expectations. The problem for Chiasson is that he’s been ice cold since mid-December and it’s hard to know what he really is.

Oilers forward Alex Chiasson (Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)

Edmonton will likely move him if they get anything better than a third-round draft pick in return, but moving him doesn’t solve their salary cap problems for next season. In fact, the Oilers have discussed the idea of an extension.

Related: NHL Rumors: Johansson, Karlsson, Kronwall, More

Zack Kassian is a Popular Guy

Kassian offers a lot of the attributes teams may look for at this time of the season. He’s a big body, he’ll willing to hit and fight, he’s got speed and good hands and he knows his role. He’s not a top-line guy, but he can provide a useful role for a team. For all those reasons, the Oilers have talked about keeping him and their preference might be to do so.

(Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports)

That said, if the offers come in for Kassian and there is a good return there, he’s just under $2 million in cap space off the books next season and he’s streaky. He’d be worth moving if the Oilers can accomplish some of the goals they set out to accomplish heading into Monday’s deadline day.

Related: NHL Rumors: Jets and Laine, Maple Leafs, Stars, More

Matt Benning Could Help the Oilers Clear Space

Matt Benning serves as a useful third-pairing defenseman but he’s also making $1.9 million on the books next season. He’s a player that can be replaced in the lineup or less expensive defensemen can be found in the offseason to fill in his role if the Oilers can move him at this year’s deadline.

Matt Benning, Edmonton Oilers, Oct. 21, 2017 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

He’s not talked about much, but he’s got a dirty streak to his game that a lot of GM’s like. He also possesses a decent shot from the point. He may be the surprise move for the Oilers on Monday.

Fix the Alex Petrovic Mistake

Edmonton needs to rectify the move made by Peter Chiarelli when he sent Chris Wideman and Jason Garrison to the Florida Panthers. This is not to say that Edmonton should take back a contract, but if they can somehow grab a later-round draft pick for Petrovic, they should jump on the opportunity.

Milan Lucic the Big Surprise?

It would be crazy to think it would happen but there is talk out there that some teams might inquire about Milan Lucic. The reason is that teams like Ottawa have dumped so many pieces they need to get to the salary cap floor and a player like Lucic could help them do so.

Oilers forward Milan Lucic (Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)

The issue here is that Lucic has a no-move clause and it seems unlikely he would waive it to go to Ottawa. Moving what’s left on Lucic’s deal could go a long way to help Edmonton relieve some of its cap burdens over the next few seasons. If they can somehow pull off that trade, it would be a small miracle.

Related: Final NHL Trade Deadline: Our Top 10 Must-Watch List

Other Oilers Options

• The Oilers should try to move Brandon Manning. There won’t be many if any takers.

• There were whispers the Oilers might move Kris Russell to shed his salary. I don’t believe that will be the case and Russell has been reliable, even though he’s often been the whipping boy in some respects.

• If the Oilers can move Tobias Rieder, they may try. He’s got 11 assists on the season and no goals.

The post Oilers Trade Deadline Must-Know Details appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

NHL Rumors: Johansson, Karlsson, Kronwall, More

By Jim Parsons on Feb 25, 2019 11:18 am

As we continue on with the rumor rundown on NHL Trade Deadline day, there are updates on the New Jersey Devils and Marcus Johansson, the San Jose Sharks and Erik Karlsson, the Boston Bruins are eager to get something done and the Blue Jackets might be looking at a veteran defenseman out of Detroit.

Marcus Johansson Should Be Moved Today

The New Jersey Devils made the first move on Monday morning when they sent goaltender Keith Kinkaid to the Columbus Blue Jackets. There is an expectation the team isn’t done.

Darren Dreger reported that Marcus Johansson should get moved on Monday by the Devils and that the team is looking for a second-round pick in return. There is news the Boston Bruins might be interested. But, because of his history with Brad Marchand, he might use his no-trade clause to avoid the Bruins.

Unfortunately, Johansson left Devil’s practice early today due to some sort of apparent injury so that’s worth keeping an eye on. On a side, note, he helped celebrate his three-year-old daughter’s birthday party on Sunday and said he was happy he could be there for it. Johansson is well aware that he could be moved today.

Related: NHL Rumors: Jets and Laine, Maple Leafs, Stars, More

No Rush on Erik Karlsson

Pierre LeBrun is reporting that among all the news today, there will be very little said and done when it comes to Erik Karlsson.

Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks, Oct. 9, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

For the San Jose Sharks, today will be all about improving the roster and despite the fact Karlsson is a pending unrestricted free agent, the Sharks will worry about his contract and the potential eight-year deal they can offer him in the summer or after the deadline comes to a close.

Related: NHL Rumors: Ristolainen, Oilers, Penguins, Islanders, More

Boston Bruins Trade Targets

There have been multiple reports on Monday that the Boston Bruins are in on a number of options. Darren Dreger tweets to watch the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders today. The Bruins are in on Mark Stone, Wayne Simmonds, and Tyler Toffoli.

The Bruins were in conversations prior on Ryan Dzingel and Gustav Nyquist so the expectation is that they are eagerly looking to do something.

Related: NHL Rumors: Dzingel, Staal, Stars, Hurricanes

Blue Jackets Interested in Niklas Kronwall

The Columbus Blue Jackets have already added Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and goaltender Keith Kinkaid. Is it possible the team isn’t done?

Niklas Kronwall #55, Detroit Red Wings – December 18, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that they’ve shown interest in Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Portzline writes, “#CBL being in on D Adam McQuaid and Niklas Kronwall gives you the sense of what the Blue Jackets are looking for on the back end. Depth, sure, but snarl, too. Bet they regret letting Ian Cole walk over the summer.

The expectation is that Kronwall might not want to leave Detroit. In the past, he had publicly stated his desire to remain with Detroit for his full career but indicated earlier this month that he would consider moving if Ken Holland approached him and asked.

Craig Custance reports that the Red Wings have not asked for Kronwall’s 10-team list and they won’t. Sounds like they’ll only approach him if there’s an offer worth having that conversation over.

Related: Final NHL Trade Deadline: Our Top 10 Must-Watch List

Interest in Other Flyers Players Not Named Simmonds

Craig Custance of The Athletic reports that outside of Wayne Simmonds, there are a pair of other pending unrestricted free agents in winger Michael Raffl and goalie Brian Elliott are also garnering interest.

Brian Elliott (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Within the jumble of the goaltending situation that’s taken place in Philadelphia this season, Elliott could make for a decent backup for a playoff-bound team.

As for Simmonds, he is not joining the Flyers at practice today with the expectation he will be traded.

The post NHL Rumors: Johansson, Karlsson, Kronwall, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

NHL Rumors: Jets and Laine, Maple Leafs, Stars, More

By Jim Parsons on Feb 25, 2019 09:06 am

Today being the final day of the NHL Trade Deadline, there is plenty of buzz going on around certain players. The Winnipeg Jets are considered a team that should be active, but would they actually consider moving Patrik Laine? What about the Toronto Maple Leafs who haven’t done much in a couple weeks. What is on their agenda?

Would the Winnipeg Jets Really Move Patrick Laine?

The Winnipeg Jets will be a team to watch on Monday and one of the names that came up early was Patrik Laine. It would be hard to imagine the team moving him but Brian Lawton tweeted early on Monday that someone called and his source said the Jets didn’t hang up the phone.

On and off, Laine has struggled this season. He’s also a pending restricted free agent and is bound to ask for a ton of money. Are his struggles in Winnipeg something the Jets are worried about long-term? The thing to consider is that Laine went for long streaks without scoring and he still might get 40 goals this season. That has to mean something.

Related: NHL Rumors: Dzingel, Staal, Stars, Hurricanes

What Will the Maple Leafs Do on Monday?

Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star is reporting the Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to forwards Chris Kreider and Luke Glendening, and defenseman Adam McQuaid. These might not be likely moves but if Kyle Dubas is willing to move a contract with some term, Kreider could be a name that moves considering he has another season left at $4.625 million. Dubas isn’t overly interested in adding rentals.

Chris Kreider, New York Rangers, Mar. 22, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The reality is, it should be a relatively quiet day in Toronto. The cost of certain assets being quite high and Toronto already making their big move to acquire Jake Muzzin means there may not be a lot going on in Leafs nation. Keeping in mind the Leafs still have a lot of work to do when it comes to in-house contracts and juggling money, the team can’t afford to take on any more dollars that don’t expire this season.

If the Maple Leafs do make a move, they might consider adding a little toughness and are eyeing another defender. They have heavily scouted the Carolina Hurricanes.

There are also rumors the Leafs have talked to the Kings about Kyle Clifford and Philadelphia about Wayne Simmonds.

Related: NHL Rumors: Ristolainen, Oilers, Penguins, Islanders, More

Cody Ceci Getting Some Interest

The Ottawa Senators pulled Cody Ceci out of the Senators lineup on Sunday and there is word he is getting interest from some teams in the NHL.

One of the teams originally rumored to be interested was the Edmonton Oilers but according to sources close the team, that is no longer the case.

Stars Looking at Replacing Zuccarello?

Stars GM Jim Nill has said they were probably done after adding Mats Zuccarello but reports are his injury changed things. Pierre LeBrun is reporting that Nill is actively working the phones today and looking for several options.

Dallas Stars center Mats Zuccarello (Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports)

Not a huge surprise considering the news is that Zuccarello is out a month and the Stars are on the bubble as a playoff team, sitting in the top Wild Card spot. With such a tight Western Conference, the Stars would hate to have wasted the move of trading for Zuccarello if they don’t make the playoffs and he doesn’t stick around past this season.

Related: NHL Rumors: Simmonds, Hayes, Oilers, Blue Jackets, More

Quick Rumor Hits

• Chris Johnston said on Sportsnet’s coverage Monday morning, the Vegas Golden Knights are the frontrunners on Mark Stone. Elliotte Friedman also noted there is word this morning that Vegas Golden Knights have re-entered the Mark Stone trade talk.

• John Shannon reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets will continue to be busy. They added Keith Kinkaid in net and word is that they still might consider moving Artemi Panarin for the right pieces that can help a current playoff run. Brian Burke didn’t think this was a sign the team would move Sergei Bobrovsky, but a depth move.

• Shawn Hutcheon reports that outside of Toronto, the Tampa Bay Lightning have checked in on defenseman Adam McQuaid out of New York.

• Aaron Portzline of the Athletic is reporting forward prospect and former first-round pick Sonny Milano is available out of Columbus. The team is not expecting a first-round pick in return.

• Ryan Rishaug reports Alex Petrovic and Matt Benning are two D-men he could see the Oilers looking to move today if they can find suitors. Benning has another year left at 1.9m and Petrovic is UFA, both are right shots.

The post NHL Rumors: Jets and Laine, Maple Leafs, Stars, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

Final NHL Trade Deadline: Our Top 10 Must-Watch List

By Jim Parsons on Feb 25, 2019 12:00 am

As Monday comes and with less than 24 hours until the NHL Trade Deadline passes, we have time for one final NHL Trade Deadline: Our Top 10 Must-Watch List. For this list, we’ll do something a little different. We’ll cross out the players who were on the list last week to show where they were listed and if they’ve changed places based on being traded or if their circumstances have changed.

With that mind, here is our final list:

 1. Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets: Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators

Artemi Panarin took this spot last week because at that time, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel hadn’t been traded to Columbus. But, in a matter of a few days, GM Jarmo Kekäläinen decided to go the opposite direction of what everyone expected and loaded up, giving the Blue Jackets an extremely formidable team. As a result, there’s a good chance the Blue Jackets keep everyone and press their luck, trying to win the Stanley Cup this year.

Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators, Nov. 15, 2016 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

As a result, Mark Stone now takes the No. 1 spot. With Duchene and Dzingel gone and Codi Ceci being pulled from the lineup, expect Stone to go at the deadline even though reports are that talk has cooled. It has only cooled because the asking price is so high. Don’t let that fool you. Someone will either pay (GM’s can’t help themselves this time of year) or the price will drop.

Related: NHL Rumors: Dzingel, Staal, Stars, Hurricanes

2. Matt Duchene, Ottawa Senators: Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers

Matt Duchene was traded to Columbus so he comes off the board. Taking his spot at No. 2 is Wayne Simmonds. You know people think he’s going to go when his own teammates have a moment after the game in the locker room and given him the MVP game helmet because they don’t think he’ll be there 24 hours later.

Most experts believe he’s gone and even Simmonds has said he’s confident he’ll be traded and there are certainly going to be teams that want him. Tampa, Winnipeg and Nashville might be front runners.

3. Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators: Kevin Hayes, New York Rangers

Stone moves up to No. 1 on our list so putting Kevin Hayes in Stone’s old spot only makes sense. For many teams, Hayes is “Plan B” if they miss out on Stone. The Winnipeg Jets are rumored to be in heavily on Hayes and speculation is a first-round pick and a prospect gets the deal done.

Kevin Hayes, New York Rangers, Mar. 22, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

This might be one of those things where the second Stone is announced, Hayes will quickly follow.

Related: NHL Rumors: Ristolainen, Oilers, Penguins, Islanders, More

4. Alex Chiasson, Edmonton Oilers:

We’ve left Alex Chiasson where he is because we think, of any Oilers player, he’s the most likely to move. TSN doesn’t have him ranked in the Top 10 (they have him at No. 28) but there’s sense someone will come asking and if the Oilers can get a second-round pick or better, they’ll probably pull the trigger.

Edmonton Oilers right wing Alex Chiasson and Connor McDavid (Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

If that’s not what’s offered, the Oilers have no issue keeping Chiasson and offering him an extension. If he doesn’t move, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear an extension get signed, even if the Oilers aren’t sure who their next GM will be.

Related: NHL Rumors: Ristolainen, Oilers, Penguins, Islanders, More

5. Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers:  Gustav Nyquist, Detroit Red Wings: 

While there is a chance the Detroit Red Wings could re-sign Nyquist, there is also a better-than-average chance the Red Wings get a solid offer consider what players with a similar skill set have moved for already. That may be too much for Detroit to ignore.

(Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)

The latest whispers are that the San Jose Sharks are extremely interested. It makes sense considering the Sharks just watched him score a goal and register eight shots against them in the Red Wings loss to San Jose on Sunday.

• Update: Nyquist, was in fact traded to San Jose a few minutes after this post went live on Sunday evening. The return was a 2nd round pick in 2019 and a conditional third in 2020. Detroit retained 30% of Nyquist’s salary in the deal.

Related: NHL Rumors: Simmonds, Hayes, Oilers, Blue Jackets, More

Best of the Rest

6. Brandon Manning, Edmonton Oilers: Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets:

While we took Panarin out of the top five, it was hard to completely remove him from the list considering the Blue Jackets loading up could be in an attempt to feel comfortable moving Panarin. They might want to recoup the draft picks and some prospects they gave up in the Duchene and Dzingel trades. We’ll call this 50/50 now.

7. Adam McQuaid, New York Rangers:

McQuaid was scratched from the Rangers lineup and that’s usually an indication the team has something on the go for the player. There are rumors that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets could be landing spots. The expectation is about a third-round pick.

8. Gustav Nyquist, Detroit Red Wings: Derrick Brassard, Florida Panthers:

The expectation was the Brassard would be traded quickly after being acquired by the Florida Panthers, but they finally pulled him from the lineup and he should be moved at some point on Monday. It was never in the Panthers plans to keep him.

9. Kevin Hayes, New York Rangers: Dougie Hamilton; Carolina Hurricanes

Recent reports suggest the Hurricanes are eager to update their scoring situation and that means moving on the many defensemen who have rumored on to be on the go. We could pick either Brett Pesce or Justin Faulk here but Hamilton could be the guy who goes.

10. Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers: 

Zuccarello was traded to Dallas and then injured. Reports are he’ll miss as much as a month with a possible broken arm. Still, he’s off the list now and taking his place is Marcus Johansson. A Devils forward who could be one of the better grabs of the trade deadline, New Jersey has been pretty quiet so far, but will move some pieces on Monday.

The post Final NHL Trade Deadline: Our Top 10 Must-Watch List appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

NHL Rumors: Dzingel, Staal, Stars, Hurricanes

By Jim Parsons on Feb 24, 2019 05:28 pm

In today’s third instalment of the rumor rundown, we take a look at the long-term potential for Ryan Dzingel in Columbus, if teams are scared off from pursuing Eric Staal, and if the Carolina Hurricanes will finally be able to move a defenseman for some scoring help. Plus, what just happened in Dallas where the newly acquired Mats Zuccarello and star Jamie Benn just went down to upper body injuries?

Dzingel to Re-Sign in Columbus?

The Columbus Blue Jackets added forward Ryan Dzingel in what most people believed was a rental trade meant to give the Blue Jackets better odds of competing for a Stanley Cup this season. Recent comments by both the team and player suggest there may be more to his stay in Columbus.

Ryan Dzingel #18, Ottawa Senators – February 3, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The trade is certainly a “win now” trade but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Sunday that the team hopes that Dzingel will consider sticking around long term. At 26 years old, he has plenty to offer the team and is familiar with state of Ohio, having played three years at Ohio State University.

Kekalainen said, “He is definitely one of those players that we have identified as a candidate to stay here into the future.”

So too, Dzingel was open to the possibility according to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. “There’s a very high chance of that if they want me,” Dzingel said.

Carolina Wants to Add a Forward

News & Observer’s Luke DeCock writes he believes the Carolina Hurricanes are looking to add at the trade deadline as he believes the Hurricanes want to add another forward and could see the team moving a defensive player for a potential forward.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton (James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports)

The Hurricanes willingness to move a defenseman is nothing new. They have been rumored to be willing to ship out one of Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk or Brett Pesce for the right price.

It is this need for scoring that makes it seem unlikely the team ultimately decides to move Michael Ferland before the deadline.

Related: NHL Rumors: Simmonds, Hayes, Oilers, Blue Jackets, More

Teams Steering Clear of Eric Staal

Sportsnet is reporting via Elliotte Friedman that Minnesota Wild center Eric Staal does not want to be traded. While he has little control over that actually happening, his public comments are scaring off teams who don’t want to add a player that might be upset he was moved.

Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal celebrates his goal with defenseman Ryan Suter (Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)

Staal has a 10-team no-trade list he can use to slow a trade but at the end of the day, he has no desire to leave Minnesota. Teams don’t often want players who have no willingness to come and it’s a sure fire bet that Staal would look to circle back with the Wild during the summer and that makes him purely a rental. Teams are only willing to give up so much for that kind of contract.

Related: NHL Rumors: Simmonds, Hayes, Oilers, Blue Jackets, More

Immediate Concern in Dallas

During Sunday’s debut game for Mats Zuccarello as a Dallas Star, the team got bad news on two fronts. Both Zuccarello and Jamie Benn were hurt during the game.

Benn left the game with an upper body injury and Zuccarello blocked a shot and left the bench. No word on what this does for the Stars heading into the trade deadline. GM Jim Nill said they were done with the addition of Zuccarello but if the injuries are serious does it change the team’s stance on what to do next? Clearly, without those two, the chances of being competitive in the postseason go way down.

First speculation is that Zuccarello could be out at least four weeks with a broken arm.

Panthers Inquired About Mark Stone

Apparently, the Florida Panthers asked about Mark Stone but after he didn’t give any indication of a willingness to extend long-term, the Panthers dropped out of the race.

The post NHL Rumors: Dzingel, Staal, Stars, Hurricanes appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

NHL Rumors: Ristolainen, Oilers, Penguins, Islanders, More

By Jim Parsons on Feb 24, 2019 03:11 pm

In our second Sunday installment of the NHL rumor rundown, we look at the Tampa Bay Lighting and their interest in a Sabres defender, the Penguins are actively looking for a right-handed defenseman thanks to a couple quick injuries, the New York Islanders coach thinks they’ll keep all of their core guys and one new Oiler is hoping to end his career in Edmonton while a ton of other names are potentially on the move.

Tampa Interested in Ristolainen?

Andy Strickland is reporting the Tampa Bay Lightning might be looking to add a top-tier defenseman and have their eyes on Rasmus Ristolainen out of Buffalo. He says of the talk, “Speculation of Rasmus Ristolainen to Tampa Bay won’t seem to go away.”

Considering some of the moves teams in the Eastern Conference have made so far heading into the trade deadline, — the Blue Jackets, Bruins, Capitals and others — it’s not shocking to see that Tampa is looking to respond. They might still be the favorite out of the East, but things got a lot more complicated for them over the past 48 hours.

Related: NHL Rumors: Simmonds, Hayes, Oilers, Blue Jackets, More

Penguins Looking for a D-Man

After losing both Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin to injury on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins might be in the market for a defenseman. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports that one of his sources told him that before the game even ended, the Penguins were trying to find a right-handed d-man in trade.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour (Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports)

Kingerski said, the Penguins may be circling back to Anaheim Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour or might have interest in Colin Miller or the Vegas Golden Knights. Montour has a year left at a $3.387 million cap hit and Miller has been a healthy scratch of late in Vegas. Miller signed a four-year, $15.5 million extension in the offseason and the Golden Knights might not be shy about moving that contract.

Montour has garnered some interest around the NHL and while the Ducks aren’t shopping him, they are listening to offers. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers are among the teams that have shown some interest.

Related: NHL Rumors: Stone, Dzingel, Duchene, Simmonds, More

Islanders Likely to Keep Their Core

The New York Islanders were a team heavily discussed when it came to some big names on the trade market. As players like Duchene and Dzingel have come off the board, the chatter seems to be slowing. This is also true as far as what the Islanders will do with a number of their pending free agents, some of which were potentially rumored to be moved.

(Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)

Andrew Gross of Newsday tweeted that Islanders coach Barry Trotz said regarding the deadline and as it pertains to his team, “I think there’s not going to be a lot of movement for us. We feel we’ve got a good core group and we’ve got good chemistry in that and Lou is working the phones and trying to improve our hockey team.” He added, “I don’t think there’s going to going to be a whole lot of deletions. We trust in Lou, Lou has got great experience. He’s working diligently to try and improve our hockey club and if there’s a right fit, he’ll make the move.”

Related: NHL Rumors: Kings, Red Wings, Rangers, Penguins, More

Lots of Edmonton Oilers Rumor Quick Hits

The newest (and also oldest) Edmonton Oilers veteran player, Sam Gagner said on After Hours, “Hopefully I can call Edmonton home for the rest of my NHL career.” He is certainly excited to be back with the team he started his NHL days and the Oilers are glad to have him considering he’s potted two goals in three games since coming back.

Sticking with the Oilers, it sounds as though there is plenty of interest in winger Alex Chiasson prior to Monday’s deadline and the Oilers will move him for the right price. Ryan Rishaug of TSN suggests anything less than a third-rounder though and he stays put. Rishaug also says the Oilers are happy enough to move Matt Benning and Alex Petrovic and are inclined to hang onto Zack Kassian.

He also said, “While things can change in 24 hrs, doesn’t sound like any discussions have been had with Russell camp about potentially waiving his NMC. Due 4M next season, 1.5 the next in salary. Don’t think they are looking to move him right now.

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The post NHL Rumors: Ristolainen, Oilers, Penguins, Islanders, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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