Trade talk is beginning to ramp up in the wake of the Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan trades. Teams might be wanting to fast track their plans to avoid missing out on their targeted players. The risk of overpayment at the deadline is high and general managers are not going to want to be caught flat footed and have to give up too much in one of these last minute trades.
But for some teams, the answer might come from a low risk free agent signing.
Let’s jump right in to some of the biggest rumours around the NHL!
The Oilers update
Last week’s 32 Thoughts gave us a bit of insight into what the Edmonton Oilers are intending to do. Their first-round pick is readily available and they have a valuable prospect in Philip Broberg they’d likely be willing to part with. It sounds like the primary target is going to be forward depth, leading to players like Jordan Eberle, Boone Jenner, and Vladimir Tarasenko being linked to the Oilers.
But, Bob Stauffer believes the Oilers will not trade Broberg as he projects to be a major part of next year’s defence.
But a secondary move might include an upgrade at right defence. With Vincent Desharnais spending a couple of games on the second pairing with Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci might become expendable in the search for a cheaper option to help reallocate those cap dollars to upgrades elsewhere.
The Flyers have a big decision to make
No one really expected the Flyers to compete much this season. But as we hit the 50-game mark on the season, Philadelphia has managed to stay in third place in the Metro Division with a somewhat comfortable six point lead on that spot.
The impending decision revolves around the direction of the team. Do they commit to being buyers and go for a playoff run this season while they have a chance, or do they stick with the original plan and sell off players, risking that chance at a playoff spot?
There are a handful of Flyers being included in many trade rumours lately, including Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Sean Walker, and Rasmus Ristolainen. All four are major parts of this team.
Laughton is one more player that the Oilers have been interested in, going so far as to there being rumblings of a bigger trade with him and Walker headed to Edmonton, a deal which would address both of the Oilers major trade deadline wishes.
But with the unfortunate injury to Mikhail Sergachev, the Tampa Bay Lightning may be another team calling Philly about their potentially available defenders.
Could Kessel make his return soon?
All season we have been waiting for news on Phil Kessel. Will he retire? Will he join a team? And when? There could be an answer soon.
The Vancouver Canucks have been in close contact with Kessel’s team recently, leading to speculation that he may be a cheap deadline add to help give the team more experience for a playoff run.
The management team for the Canucks, including Patrick Allvin and Jim Rutherford, are very familiar with Kessel from his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins. And past experience has shown that those two, especially Rutherford, are very fond of bringing in people they’ve worked with in the past.
Kessel could find some quick success with the Canucks. The team has been operating at a high efficiency all season, so a play creator like Kessel would be a great add to Vancouver’s offensive depth.
The Canucks do not have much cap space left after making a big splash to bring in Lindholm, so a cheap, low risk deal to sign Kessel could be the way to go at the deadline.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
