A look at some notable off-season trade goals at the NHL Rumor Mill today.
daily face: Frank Serravalle released his latest list of NHL trade targets on April 27.
Bystander note: I’m only getting to this now because of the usual surge of rumors regarding teams being eliminated in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
San Jose Sharks Defender Eric Carlson And Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes First and second sitting respectively.
Bystander note: Both have featured prominently here in recent weeks, especially towards the end of the regular season with their clubs long excluded from play-off competition.
Serravalle believes the value of Carlson’s trade may never be higher for sharks. However, his huge necklace and the requirement of complete immobility would make it difficult for him to move. Hayes is not as expensive (or talented) as Carlson. However, his contract was still a major hurdle in the way of a trade.
Colorado Avalanche Defender Samuel Gerrard Check in at No. 3. Seravalli thinks the Avs don’t want to move Girard but they don’t have much choice given their salary cap restrictions this summer.
Bystander note: Gerrard has appeared in Trade Rumors before. By hitting the cap of an affordable $5 million and his puck-shifting skills, he was attracting a lot of attention. It would be the most likely commercial candidate for Avs unless they can find another way to make room.
Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm And Vancouver Canucks center JT Miller Fourth, fifth.
Bystander note: Lindholm wasn’t obligated about signing a contract extension this summer. Maybe he’ll change his mind after the Flames fired head coach Darryl Sutter.
Miller has been floating around in rumors despite a seven-year contract extension starting July 1st. They need to free up a lot of space but I would expect the Canucks to look at other options such as Brook Bowser And Connor Garland.
Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov And Winnipeg Jets center Pierre Luc Dubois Sixth and seventh sitting.
Spectator notes: These two have also appeared frequently in recent rumors. It is reported that Capital Management is not satisfied with Kuznetsov’s performance this season. However, his $7.8 million cap through 2024-25 is a stumbling block.
DuBois, meanwhile, is a restricted free agent one year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. Often associated with Montreal Canadiens. Much will depend on what price the Jets are asking and where the Habs land in the draft lottery, where the prize is the hugely popular Connor Bedard center.
one of the following St. Louis Blues defense (Colton ParaykoAnd Justin Volk, Nick Lady or Marco Scandella) ranked eighth. One of them can be moved as a cost-cutting measure.
Bystander note: Lots of speculation about this after the Blues were disqualified from playoff contention. Scandello has the highest affordable cap ($3.275 million) and only has a modified brand while the others have full contracts without trading. However, he also missed most of this season due to injury.
Tampa Bay Lightning straight ahead Ross Colton And Boston Bruins wing Taylor Hall Rounding out the top ten.
Bystander note: Seravalli notes that Lightning has less than $10 million to fill eight spots on the list. Colton is a restricted free agent this summer. I still see him replace him Alex Killorn, who is expected to leave as UFA. Bolts will find a way to keep him.
Hall made this list because the Bruins, like many other NHL clubs, should free up space this summer if the salary cap rises by only $1 million as expected to $83.5 million.
The 31-year-old left winger carries a maximum of $6 million through 2024-25 as well as a 16-team no-trade clause and a clause preventing him from being demoted to the minors. I’m not saying it won’t be traded but I don’t see many teams wanting to add this contract to their books.
Anaheim Ducks center Adam HenriqueAnd Vancouver Canucks Defender Tyler MyersAnd Los Angeles Kings blueliner Sean WalkerBruins rearguard Matt Grzelecik And Vegas Golden Knights cannon Alec Martinez Fill in holes 11 through 15.
Spectator note: We are now in the category of deep players whose transfer should be within everyone’s reach although there are some contract sticking points that need to be addressed.
For example, Myers is 33 and has the remainder of his contract out and has a $6 million cap. $5 million of that will reportedly be paid to him in September as a signing bonus. That might make him an easier move by this point, but the 10-team no-trade list could also be problematic.
Edmonton Oilers wing Kyler YamamotoAnd Pittsburgh Penguins straight ahead Michael GranlundAnd Philadelphia Flyers Defender Ivan ProvorovAnd Winnipeg Jets behind me Logan Stanley And San Jose Sharks wing Kevin LaBanque Complete the rest of the list.
Bystander’s Note: All of these players at some point in their careers have attracted a lot of attention in the trading market. Their recent struggles (for some like Granlund and Provorov) could make their contracts a hard sell if the salary cap remains fixed for next season.