BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones (EDM), Sam Bennett (CGY), Taylor Hall (BUF), and more!
Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.
This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.
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*NEW* Are the Edmonton Oilers poised to make a tough trade before next year? Maybe…
NHL Rumors and Speculation
Mark Spector (Sportsnet) says that if the Oilers are going to move a prospect out in a trade, it will be a defenseman and names Dmitri Samorukov, Caleb Jones, and Ethan Bear as the candidates.
- “He is still an unknown talent, but among a glut of left shot defencemen that could be had.”
- “…if Jones can sweeten a deal for a right-now forward we think the Oilers would bite.”
- “This is a player who would have to bring back a Top 6 left winger or true 3C whose contract status leaves him in club control for a while. It’s almost impossible that Bear gets moved before a playoff run, but for the right guy, the Oilers might trade Bear and open the door for Evan Bouchard to get some minutes.”
Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic) says that Florida Panthers can’t replace injured defenseman Aaron Ekblad but they’re going to scour the market for a defender,
- “The Panthers aren’t willing to give up a first-round pick or an elite prospect, the big picture and where the franchise is headed under first-year GM Bill Zito overrides everything else. But if there’s a soft deal before the deadline that can help their blue line, my sense is that Zito will look into it.”
LeBrun also believes that the Montreal Canadiens aren’t done making trades and that one possible fell through the day the Eric Staal trade was completed,
- “My sense is that they were working on another move Friday on the same day they got Staal but that move either fell through or got put on hold.”
Lastly from LeBrun’s latest, he’s reporting that the San Jose Sharks are open to renting out cap space for draft picks,
- “Meanwhile, San Jose has told teams it has cap space for rent. The Sharks have more than $6 million in cap space and are seeking to leverage that into an asset or two. Keep an eye on them potentially being that third team in a complicated cap deal to facilitate trades.”
Sarah Goldstein (The Athletic) says that the Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals are in the market for a goaltender,
- “The long-term injury to Pavel Francouz has created concern for the Colorado Avalanche. No. 1 Philipp Grubauer is playing out of this world this season, but the injuries in the bubble last summer to both their top goalies should be reason enough for the Avs to go out before the deadline and add some veteran insurance.”
- “The Cup-contending Washington Capitals might — stressing might — also trade for a goalie, as colleague Tarik El-Bashir chronicled over the weekend.”
Scott Burnside (The Athletic) believes the following players should have their bags packed already because there’s a very good chance they’ll be traded,
- Taylor Hall (BUF) – “We keep hearing buzz of a first-round pick being involved. That seems beyond fanciful given the reality that Hall hasn’t been very good for quite some time dating to his trade to Arizona early in the 2019-20 season. The one-time league MVP has two goals in 33 games this season. Please. A third-round pick and some other bits and baubles? Maybe even that’s too much.”
- Good Fit With: Maple Leafs, Oilers, Islanders
- Bobby Ryan (DET) – “A trade to Pittsburgh might make sense as the Penguins are looking for depth players who can move up and down their lineup and provide help on the power play. Ryan, 34, is making just $1 million on an expiring contract, so the return will be modest, likely a late-round pick or a collection thereof.”
- Good Fit With: Penguins
- Luke Glendening (DET) – “Speaking of the retooling Red Wings, Luke Glendening is the kind of small deadline acquisition who often has a larger-than-expected impact come playoff time. Think Barclay Goodrow and his impact in Tampa during its run to the Stanley Cup last summer.”
- Good Fit With: Hurricanes, Penguins
- Kyle Palmieri (NJ) – “He is the kind of player who has the potential to be “that guy” on a contending team like the New York Islanders or Carolina and might be the most attractive rental player on the market. Palmieri epitomizes character and is a consistent producer despite a lull this season, the final year of his current deal.”
- Good Fit With: Islanders, Hurricanes, Bruins
- Sam Bennett (CGY) – “The fourth pick in the 2014 draft is still just 24 years old, so there’s plenty of time to revive a career arc that stalled early in Calgary. He can play with an edge… Given his age and if an acquiring team figures they’ve got the room to re-sign Bennett, you might get a third-round pick in return.”
- Good Fit With: Oilers
- Dmitry Kulikov (NJ) – “Kulikov is a depth defenseman who can play minutes in a team’s top-four with a more offensive partner, which is never a bad thing for a team hoping to enjoy a long playoff run. Think Tampa Bay with Zach Bogosian and Luke Schenn last summer.”
- Good Fit With: Bruins, Oilers
- Ryan Murray (NJ) – “A trade for Murray would be for needed reinforcements, so you’d have to expect his return would be less than what might come in a deal for Kulikov, or Vatanen for that matter. It’s the kind of quiet deal that almost always gets done at the deadline.”
- Good Fit With: Bruins, Jets
- Tanner Pearson (VAN) – ” on an expiring contract with a $3.75 million cap hit, is one of those assets. Assuming the 28-year-old returns to the lineup in a timely fashion from injury, he can play on your team’s scoring lines and chip in on a secondary power-play unit… If the expectation was that Pearson would be ready for the playoffs, he could be placed on LTIR and traded to a team with cap issues that wouldn’t have to accommodate his cap hit.”
- Good Fit With: Maple Leafs, Islanders, Hurricanes
- Ryan Dzingel (OTT) – “If you’re Toronto or Edmonton and looking to add a little scoring punch, the cost to acquire Dzingel would be modest as he is on an expiring contract with a $3.375 million cap hit — likely a third- or fourth-round pick at most, and he steps right into your lineup. That is not an inconsequential factor.”
- Good Fit With: Maple Leafs, Oilers
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