The weeklong roster freeze is in full effect, but that hasn’t stopped rumors from circulating around the NHL as teams prepare for a busy stretch leading up to the March 6 trade deadline. Despite landing the goaltender they were looking for in Tristan Jarry, Stan Bowman and the Edmonton Oilers are far from done. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs face uncertainty throughout the organization, and the Calgary Flames find themselves in a sticky situation, with several veterans drawing major interest amid the team’s recent surge.
We’re diving into it all in the latest edition of the NHL trade buzz.
What’s next in Edmonton?
Bowman selected Jarry, and while the newly acquired netminder will unfortunately miss several weeks due to a lower-body injury, the Oilers appear comfortable with Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram for now. If that tandem falters, names like Alex Lyon and Laurent Brossoit are expected to reemerge as potential targets.
In addition to goaltending, Edmonton would still like to add the blue line:specifically, a shutdown, Ekholm-type defenderaccording to insider David Pagnotta, although that is easier said than done. One name to keep an eye on could be Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues, who insiders Jeremy Rutherford and Chris Johnston recently linked the Oilers to, as Doug Armstrong has very few untouchables on his roster.
Which shoe will drop first in Toronto?
Things are quickly unraveling in Toronto and the calls for change are growing louder with each loss. Before discussing possible schedule changes, Elliotte Friedman confirmed this that despite the dismissal of assistant coach Marc Savard, both general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube remain safe for the time being.
As far as changes on the ice go, virtually nothing seems off the table at this point. In fact, Nick Kypreos has already floated the nuclear option: trading Auston Matthews this offseason, perhaps to the Los Angeles Kings for a package of three or four quality assets.
More realistically, David Pagnotta expects Treliving to be more aggressive in re-examining the possibility of moving Morgan Rielly, something the Leafs already discussed with him this summer. Matias Maccelli and Max Domi also remain names to watch as Toronto explores salary shedding, though Maccelli has looked noticeably better since returning to the lineup.
Flames veteran updates
After a disastrous start to the season, Calgary has gone 10-4-1 in its past fifteen games and is suddenly back in the Western Conference playoff hunt. Even with this turnaround, the Flames’ veteran core continues to play a major role in the trade market.
Rasmus Andersson continues to generate significant interest thanks to his productive start to the year, with teams like the Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Stars and all the others Candidates for a tax-free state in the mix for his services.
However, Blake Coleman has also caught the attention of his hometown Dallas Stars Frank Seravalli reports that 20 teams have already called GM Craig Conroy to check in his experienced winger so the competition will be fierce.
Finally, Nazem Kadri remains a coveted target for contenders in the league, and the Flames could be willing to maintain salarywhich could not only help get a deal done but also strengthen a potential return package.
Next: Insider expects trade talks surrounding Morgan Rielly to intensify
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