The NHL world has turned its complete attention to the 4 Nations Face-off, and rightly so as the chance to see competitive best-on-best action is to be cherished. Still, in the background NHL teams are still focused on their own paths. There is an eerie calm as much of the speculation has taken a back seat.
The return of regular season play on February 22 is just a short time from the March 7 trade deadline. A storm is brewing, and the moments to be decisive will be few and far between. Let’s take a look at some of the shifts and swells around the trade market in this week’s rumour roundup.
Will Jared McCann be traded?
The Seattle Kraken have been slowly falling further and further behind the playoff picture. Now all but re-signed to accept selling at the deadline, the list of potential trade candidates grows. Jared McCann joins several of his teammates on the trade block. McCann is the most impactful of these Kraken players, and will likely be the most costly to acquire.
Once a Vancouver Canucks draft pick, McCann fully came into his own as a member of the Kraken, the fourth NHL team he played games for. His 40-goal 2022–23 season might be difficult for him to replicate, but a 25- to 30-goal pace seems within reason to expect. McCann has largely played on the wing, but has some experience as centre. It is unlikely a contending team will see him as a full time centre this season.
With some grit and a quality shot McCann can also pick up a depth role on the penalty kill. There is a lot to like about McCann’s game, and with two more years after this at an affordable $5M cap hit the deal is that much sweeter. With the cap rising in the coming seasons, McCann’s contract would age gracefully on a contending team close to the salary cap ceiling. The Kraken are expected to trade pending UFAs Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev, but neither will be able to reshape the future to the extent that trading McCann could.
Brock Boeser not guaranteed to re-sign
The on ice performance of the Vancouver Canucks will continue to fascinate, one way or another. The team enters a critical stretch that could reshape the entire team around Quinn Hughes. It does appear that Brock Boeser might be on the move either way, as the pending UFA is far from a guarantee to re-sign in Vancouver regardless.
Perhaps the Canucks can get their act together, and make a push back into control of their playoff hopes. Perhaps the lack of competition for the Western Conference’s second wild card spot will do a lot of that work for them. Might it be enough to convince Boeser to re-sign? Could they keep Boeser as an own-rental? If they do elect to trade Boeser, the trade return, or rather the reallocation of his salary will be telling of the Canucks plan to re-stabilize amidst the chaos.
Boeser’s home state Minnesota Wild make sense as a potential landing spot, though playoff teams looking for a shooter might be the more logical. Perhaps the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, or Ottawa Senators are among those to watch. Like McMann, Boeser could reasonable score at a 30-goal pace. Boeser has also performed very well in the playoffs, netting 23 points across his 29 career playoff games.
Trevor Zegras trade speculations
This time last season there had been months of trade speculation around Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks. Things have quieted as the Ducks have returned to the bottom of the standings, Zegras having a rough offensive performance like many of his teammates.
The Ducks clearly have not taken a step forward as a team. This might not be alarming on its own, as a long term rebuild was needed and continues. Instead, it should be the concerning stagnation of their core young players that should be most alarming for the Ducks. The team will add another high end prospect to their ranks at the draft this summer, but it is imperative that their young NHLers get better support, one way or another. There is time for patience, but the Ducks cannot continue to let their players lose confidence endlessly.
Zegras epitomizes those struggles. Once one of the league’s flashiest young talents, the 23-year-old has 15 points in 32 games, equaling his output from last season. This is a far cry from the back-to-back 60+ point seasons that Zegras authored the two seasons prior. His style seems to clash with the direction of the team under GM Pat Verbeek. It is easy to imagine that both the Ducks and Zegras benefit from a change of scenery. Teams looking for the upside of a high scoring centre should be interested in Zegras, perhaps most of all those caught in a string of mediocrity.
Buffalo looking to deal Bowen Byram
Speaking of which, the Buffalo Sabres appear more and more likely to trade Bowen Byram. Byram was stuck behind Cale Makar in Colorado, but now finds himself third fiddle behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. Somehow, the Sabres still find themselves closer to drafting Matthew Schaefer than they are to the playoffs. Many teams go decades without so much high end left shot defencemen.
The Sabres clearly need something else to get headed in the right direction. Just as clearly, Byram is growing into a very effective player despite his consistently blocked path to a leading offensive role. For the Sabres it is frustrating to figure what the return should be. As much as future focused fans love charting potential, picking high in the draft, developing elite talent, and accruing future value, the Sabres lack of success has come despite doing those things.
For teams bold enough to acquire Byram, the appeal is clear. Even for some likely playoff teams Byram could be a huge upgrade this season. The future of his career looks bright, and it would be rare to have a shot at a player of this profile. It was surprising to see Byram dealt the first time, but he has only improved his stock as a member of the Sabres.
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