The Olympic roster freeze on February 4 is already starting to spur action in the trading market, and it’s just the beginning of what should be chaotic over the next two weeks. The Vancouver Canucks aren’t messing around anymore and it looks like Elias Pettersson could be next. The New York Rangers realignment leaves very few players off-limits. And what comes next for the Calgary Flames after trading Rasmus Andersson to Vegas?
We dive into all that in the latest edition of NHL Trade Buzz.
Rumors surrounding a Pettersson trade have gotten loud in the past, but it has never felt more concrete that a change of scenery could be coming. Insider Frank Seravalli said Monday that teams around the league are starting to believe the star center will be dealt — not just this year, but within the next 15 days.
He selected the Detroit Red Wings as a strong candidate, although the list of interested teams doesn’t stop there. The Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Utah Mammoth and Buffalo Sabers are all connected in some capacity.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has noted that this is the case there is no indication that Pettersson would waive his no-trade clausebut where there’s smoke, there’s fire – and it appears the Canucks are fine with all this noise surrounding a potential move.
The redesign is underway in New York and changes are coming. Ahead of UFA, Artemi Panarin feels like the first shoe to drop: it’s just a matter of where he wants to go. Nearly every contending team is interested in the superstar winger, with Colorado, Florida, Minnesota and Washington currently standing above the rest.
That said, Panarin is far from the only big-name Ranger who could be dealt with. Several reports have suggested they are open to moving former first overall pick Alexis Lafrenière, while GM Chris Drury may also be keen to approach Mika Zibanejad about waiving his no-movement order. Not to mention Vincent Trocheck, who could end up being the most coveted of them all given the remaining life on his contract.
Smaller pieces the likes of Carson Soucy, Sam Carrick, Brennan Othmann and possibly even Braden Schneider are additional names to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. Soucy and Carrick in particular could make sense as depth targets for the Edmonton Oilers.
What comes next in Calgary?
Now that Andersson is a Golden Knight, the question becomes: what’s next for GM Craig Conroy and the Flames? Nazem Kadri now becomes the obvious top target, and TSN insider Darren Dreger believes there is a there is a good chance it will be moved. Central Division powerhouses Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota are still mentioned as potential landing spots.
Then there’s Blake Coleman, who has attracted significant interest on the trade market but is rumored to be great stay in Calgary when all is said and done. Recently acquired Zach Whitecloud is another candidate that must be turned around before the deadlineand with the Toronto Maple Leafs looking for a shooting defenseman, the dots are starting to connect. Finally, gritty fourth-line winger Ryan Lomberg is another name to keep an eye on as a UFA who could come in handy in the playoffs.
Next: Artemi Panarin Trade Buzz is growing – but oil companies not in the mix
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