Trade boards are being released and updated as the NHL gets closer to the silly season, the Vancouver Canucks and Quinn Hughes are the headliners of it all, with numerous teams in the running to land the superstar defenseman, while the Buffalo Sabers are trying to figure out what to do now that they once again find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
We’ll dive into it all in the latest edition of the NHL trade buzz.
Insiders’ Trade Board features big names
ESPN insider Greg Wyshynski has dropped an NHL trade sign on Thursday, and it featured some juicy names. Quinn Hughes was on a level of his own, as he should be, not only given his talent, but also because of his situation, where a trade feels like a matter of when, not if.
Things got interesting in the next section, as Jordan Kyrou, Artemi Panarin, Elias Pettersson and Morgan Rielly were grouped together and labeled as shocking prospects. They all have significant hurdles to any potential trade, but they’re on the list for a reason — and they’re certainly names to keep an eye on.
Rasmus Andersson and Alex Tuch highlighted the upcoming UFA column, with contenders in Vegas and Dallas linked to the Flames’ blueliner, and recent rumors about the Edmonton Oilers keeping an eye on the Sabres’ star winger.
Quinn Hughes and more in Vancouver
A Hughes trade is being talked about ad nauseam, and the lotteries are constantly changing, with new candidates popping up and arguing every day. New Jersey, Detroit and Washington appear to be the frontrunners at the moment, although we know how quickly things can change.
When they pull the plug and deal their captain, the Canucks will understandably be looking for some reward in return suggests Nick Kypreos It could be four or five pieces, such as players, prospects and first-round draft picks.
It has also been said by Elliotte Friedman that they prefer a young center in any package, while in related non-Hughes news, Vancouver has also said kicked tires on disgruntled Kings center Phillip Danault while trying to solve their problems in the middle.
Friedman said:
“I’m not really sure what the timeline is going to be here. I’d be lying if I said I knew it was imminent. The one thing here is that if this happens directly for the Canucks, I think they’re going to make sure they get this right. What I think they’re doing is, as soon as word gets out, you get a call – or you think you’re going to call – and they call you, and you start to find out: Okay, what’s on the table? What’s not on the table? What can we get? What can’t we get? I think Vancouver is going through that right now.”
He added: “I don’t want to proclaim that it’s imminent or not. I don’t have any reason to believe that it is. But it’s one of those things that I think the Canucks are trying to see. What are our options?“
“What I don’t know is, if they get something they like, are they willing to do it now? They’re willing to listen and they’re certainly talking to teams, but I can’t tell you for sure what the willingness is to actually do it.”
What can be done in Buffalo?
The Sabers are staring at a 15th straight season of missing the playoffs, and with seven teams, seven points and the final wild card spot, it’s hard to imagine the drought won’t continue.
Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson told management before the season that things need to get better and fast, so what does another year at the bottom of the East mean for their futures?
Teams around the league will be calling, and they already have when it comes to Thompson. The real question is whether Kevyn Adams will still be in charge of making such a callwhich could lead to a busy upcoming trade deadline and offseason in Buffalo.
Next: Who’s in and who’s out? The latest in the Quinn Hughes Sweepstakes
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