The NHL trade deadline is nearing, and this typically festive time of the season appears a bit more quiet and tame than usual. These couple of weeks ahead of the deadline are usually bubbling to the brim with rumors, until everything explodes on D-Day in a sea of fake Twitter accounts and out-of-left-field type deals. Yet here we sit, with very few trade rumors and announcements to pour over while passing the time in the wake of teams taking their bye weeks.
Is the crazy schedule and lack of regular games in the month of February slowing the rumor mill? Is the drama around firing head coaches taking the focus away from trade time? Or is it just a quieter season than we have seen before? (Remember, last year’s trade deadline wasn’t terribly chaotic either.)
Nevertheless, there is still the possibility of players swapping sweaters by the time the clock strikes 3 p.m. Eastern Time on March 1. Here is who and what to keep an eye on as the NHL trade deadline nears.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Just how active will they be?
Multiple sources, including SportsNet, have tapped Toronto to be both a buyer and a seller on “deadline Christmas.” Literally, every big name player in the rumor mill has been connected to Toronto. They want more offense, and have been linked to Colorado’s big fish Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog (more on them in a minute). They want help on the blue line, and the top defenseman on the market, St. Louis Blues’ Kevin Shattenkirk, has expressed that he would be open to a trade and then a long-term deal with Toronto. (More on that too shortly as well.)
Now, the Leafs and their band of young guns have been teetering in and out of wild card contention as of late. Would a big trade be for a current push for the playoffs, or are they just looking to get some veteran blood on the bench to prep for next season?
These are big questions considering that other teams are looking at the same sought-after players that they are.
Montreal Canadiens: Who are they targeting?
Some trade banter starts earlier than others. For Montreal, speculation began around the time they stopped winning every game and were destroyed by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Originally there was just a lot of chatter about the Habs looking to fill in their blue line. Recently however, they have been flagged as a party showing interest in – drumroll, please – both Duchene and Landeskog, two of the most appealing trade prospects out there. Insider extraordinaire Bob McKenzie told TSN’s Montreal 690 Show that history suggests the Habs will make a deadline move, but at a price. The interested team would have to part ways with a handful of players to get such a deal done for a big fish like Duchene or Landeskog.
While we are on the subject of those two players...
How much will Colorado unload?
When your team occupies the bottom rung of their division’s standings a little too well, trade talk is eminent. Enter the Colorado Avalanche, who are in desperate need of a shake-up more than ever.
Jarome Iginla has been part of trade speculation since the beginning of the 2016-17 season – and despite having a down year, his experience could be appealing for a roster in need of a veteran presence. Add Duchene and Landeskog into that mix, and the Avs’ roster has the potential to look a little different on March 2.
Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic was reportedly in attendance at a Bruins-Canadiens game last week. Although the GM and former Avs’ captain is also rumored to be filtering offers left and right for the big name trade prospects.
Shane Doan in the Desert Dogs’ trade mix
Yes, it is completely bizarre to hear the 40-year-old being part of the Coyotes’ expansive trade talk. Talk of center Martin Hanzal setting off before he becomes a free agent on July 1? Sounds legit. Veteran winger Radim Vrbata being a cheap rental player for another team? Sure. But Shane Doan, waiving his no-move clause and leaving the franchise he has played with for 21 seasons?
AZCentral’s Sarah McLellan reported earlier this month that Doan “hasn’t ruled out the possibility” of waiving his NMC, although the opportunity to play for a Cup contender would have to still be the perfect package.
Shattenkirk the big fish in Blues’ trade pond
The St. Louis D-man is easily that most appealing blue-liner floating around out there right now. He is a puck-moving defenseman and a playmaker with playoff experience – something many of the buyers out there are looking for.
That being said, pinpointing where he might end up is a bit tricky. Per ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, the teams that have contacted St. Louis about a trade are a bit snug up against the cap and fearful of a defenseman worthy of contract extension as opposed to a rental player. He has been linked to several teams since the turn of the new year – it’s just a matter of whether someone will cough up the dough for him, or wait until the off season to make an offer.
As previously stated, Shattenkirk has expressed being open to a trade, and showed interest in going to Toronto. Whether or not he is available for them is another story.
Is Ben Bishop really going to move this time?
When the trade market opened up last summer, goaltenders were the ones raking in the big bucks. (Cough, James Reimer, cough.) There was speculation that Tampa Bay’s staple starter Ben Bishop would be on the move as well, although no deal ever came to fruition.
Keep in mind, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman is one cool customer, and while it has been revealed that he is listening to offers for the netminder, he hasn’t shown much more light onto the situation than that. It doesn’t help that the rental market for NHL goalies is hard to get a pulse on and Bishop – a Vezina finalist last season, if you recall – has battled enough injury and drop in performance that he could be looking at a semi-permanent job with another squad.
New home for Thomas Vanek?
Something crazy could happen this season – the Detroit Red Wings could miss the playoffs for the first time in over two decades. There is a possibility that young winger Vanek won’t be around to see it. His name has been in trade rumor talk for some time now. And, perhaps more than any other player, he is likely to be rocking a different jersey after the deadline passes.
Red Wings beat writer Ansar Khan explained in a mailbag forMLive.com that it is unlikely that Vanek will be back with Detroit next season, let alone be available for them to make an offer over the summer:
“Vanek figures to be dealt by the deadline. I imagine multiple playoff-bound teams would be interested due to his offensive ability (14 goals, 36 points in 44 games) and affordable cap hit ($2.6 million). The Red Wings will probably wait until closer to the deadline to get the best possible return (guessing a second-rounder and perhaps an additional third- or fourth-round selection or maybe a prospect).”
Vanek could be the one big move at the deadline. That is, of course, unless something truly crazy happens before 3 p.m. East Coast time on March 1.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!