With one week to go before the 2024 NHL trade deadline, picks appear to be few and far between. Chris Tanev, the best defenseman on the market; Already traded To the shrewd Dallas Stars.
Between injuries and the absence of an already weakened right defenseman, the Stars did a great job of addressing a specific and immediate need right out of the trade deadline gate.
When we look back at the trade deadline after the season, we often see several camps. There are teams that will add the best player available regardless of their needs (Rangers). There is a team that adds depth that exceeds its role and makes management look like geniuses (Lightning). A team that does 14 random, cheesy things (Hurricanes). Teams that everyone thought were easily agreed to at the deadline ended up having negligible impact (Rick Nash with the Bruins immediately comes to mind).
All of this is interesting in itself, but there’s a special satisfaction in seeing a team address an immediate need in a simple and rational way. That’s what Mattias Ekholm and the Oilers got last season, and there’s a good chance the Stars will get that recognition again this time.
But that’s easy to say when they’re the only team to ever make a big trade near the deadline. Let’s take a look at some teams with pressing needs and how they can be met within the deadline.
I don’t think the Boston Bruins need (or can) do wild things for a reasonable price (both on the ice and financially), but President Cam Neely’s opinion agree. He spoke to Furut Niizawa of The Athletic.: “Another solid defender would be good, and you could always use help on attack.”
When evaluating these Bruins, you have to look above all at what went wrong in the last playoff game. The list includes unusually poor goaltending, surprisingly good opponents, first-line center soreness, turnovers, and perhaps difficulty adjusting to adversity.
What do you do about it? You don’t automatically trade a goaltender whose sample size of success is much larger than a few games without success, but if he (Linus Ullmark) is a solid defender or a stronger offensive line It is also acknowledged that it is one of the most useful assets in acquiring. Goaltending is the Bruins’ biggest strength, thanks to the tandem of Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, and messing it up means trouble, so it’s a very difficult call, but Swayman is also a problem on his own. Maybe not.
Especially given what he was looking for, Tanev would have been a great “solid” defensive signing, and someone I think the Bruins could get unless they drop him (Noah Hanifin). , Sean Walker, Matt Dumba) is really working on it. need.
As for the center position, the Bruins have done surprisingly well after barely replacing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but there are still some missteps, especially after the All-Star break.
Either way, the Bruins have $1 million in cap space Because they outsource their talent, they need to significantly strengthen the pot on the active portion of their roster. They’re tied for second in the Eastern Conference, so I don’t know if it’s worth messing with the roster.
Folks, I don’t want to hear any Noah Hanifin trade rumors ever again after this deadline passes. It feels like he’s been on the trading block year after year in our lifetimes. I couldn’t be more tired of hearing that story, but I wondered how much more disgusted he must be.
He is an aggressive defender, scoring 10 points three times in his nine-season career (including a career-high 11 points this season) during his full team career year in Calgary. , has exceeded 40 points once.
He’s not a bad player, he’s an interesting hybrid at 6’3″ and physical for a player who can put up points, but he’s always been on the trade block so it’s hard to overstate his impact. I’m worried that it might be too much.
Can you really say you just needed to get it off your chest? Move on. Calgary is looking to sell and is looking for leverage on Hanifin, as Hanifin is a large holding at this point and the Flames have demonstrated their position by trading Tanev. And you’d think Calgary would look for a first-round pick and a top prospect for Hanifin, especially after failing to land a first-round pick for Tanev or one of Dallas’ top three prospects. To them, I hope there are no buyers reading this rant.
If you’ve heard this before, please stop. The Hurricanes could certainly use more scoring potential before the deadline.
Don “We like groups” Waddell I said Thursday Goaltender Freddie Andersen should be back with the team next week. His health is the priority and it’s great to see him make a full recovery. This is a big boost for Keynes. Especially since they won’t be relying solely on him for Pyotr Kochetkov’s breakout and comeback from injury.
So, let me say this once: this is not a “so-so” goaltending or “so-so” depth scoring situation. There is only one beast to tame. And while the Canes haven’t had a huge problem scoring this regular season, the problem with them being the big boys now and not winning a single Eastern Conference title in recent years is largely due to This is due to a lack of scoring ability.
They are working with about Projected cap space of $1.3 million., and Andrei Svechnikov is around again, so I’m not sure they need or can do anything big. I also will never understand trading Martin Nechas to improve scoring. Like, he’s scoring depth. He has 18 goals and 42 points in 54 games and his cap hit is $3 million, but would you want to trade him? Not smart!
Unless a Jake Guentzel trade is in the works. If the Hurricanes intend to bring in a large number of players, it’s possible that Nechus could be moved to his natural center position during the Penguins’ semi-rebuild. But I don’t think these intra-divisional trades will happen because they usually don’t want to do that.
Riley Smith also looks like a player who can make an impact on the Hurricanes’ lineup. $5 million cap reached This is kind of gross and especially not something Keynes could do.
Perhaps acquiring Anthony Duclair could work out if the Canes let go of one of the many prospects currently flying around the world. There are no AHL affiliates.Is it okay to add it?.
Connor McDavid is in the assist era, but who can deny him another winger to play with?The Edmonton Oilers will get about $2 million. cap space With the deadline looming, they have several options, especially if they sign a deal like Tanev with a 75 percent retention rate.
Is it possible that Jake Guentzel, who has a retention rate of about 50%, could be a candidate? The Oilers would have to immediately give up a first-round pick just to acquire Guentzel, and that situation will only get tougher as retention moves forward.
It depends on where the Penguins want to go with all this. Trading Guentzel for a non-contender would be pretty evil, but that’s what showbiz is, baby. And if he were to trade one of his best assets, he would demand a wide range of options and prospects?
Regardless, I want the Oilers to trade for Guentzel, and how much fun would it be if he spent his entire career with Crosby and then played with either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl?
For some reason, Pavel Buchnevich’s contract is only $200,000 less than Guentzel’s, so it’s not the next best value contract. But perhaps signing Buchnevich will allow them to gain more retention and less drama.
Do you think they will do it? Do you think the Devils will target Jacob Markstrom or Jules Saros at the deadline?
New Jersey currently trails Tampa by one point and six points, with three games remaining for the second wild-card spot in the East. This will be interesting, as I don’t blame management at all either way. Plus, there was the added wild card of Barry Trotz becoming his GM for the Predators. How is he going to approach the Saros situation?
The problem with trying to acquire a goaltender before the deadline is that neither team that sells their top two potential netminders will be able to use a Tyler Toffoli type. The Bruins’ acquisition of Linus Ullmark may be the Devils’ only hope of landing the goaltender they have been searching for for so long.
Doesn’t “Frank Vatrano” sound like someone who plays for the Rangers? Don’t people need “The Adventures of Batrano and Vincent His Trocheck,” a social media series that finds the best Italian food in New York City?
Adding Vatrano to the Rangers is a tradition for general manager Chris Drury. He was acquired in a trade two years ago, and the 29-year-old has performed well alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.
The Vatrano type is a good fit for the Rangers, but don’t expect the career numbers he’s currently putting up. He’s getting more playing time and freedom than ever before with the Ducks, but the Rangers have too much on their plate to give him that much ice time. I still want it for the atmosphere.
Look, how many times have we immediately hyped the first (or really) big trade deadline move? I don’t want to pigeonhole Tanev as the best defensive defenseman of all time, but he was great, cheap, and the best of the lean players as far as we knew before this deadline.
Let’s give Leafs general manager Brad Treliving credit for handling the situation by landing it. Ilya Lyubushkin of the Ducks As a defensive cover in a pinch. The structure of this contract also gives Treliving the flexibility to add defensive depth. But when you look at Bouche’s underlying stats, those numbers aren’t encouraging.
So it’s tough for Toronto fans to see the Leafs miss out on Tanev.
I don’t like to overstate Hanifin, but his special skill set as a hybrid big body and scoring defenseman would fit well in the Leafs’ system. I really like Sean Walker and Alexandre Carrier as players, but I worry they’re a little too small for the smart grit the Leafs are trying to acquire.
That’s debatable, and of course you can’t blame them for John Klingberg’s injury, but perhaps the Leafs brought new grit to the back end more than the front end when they made a statement last offseason. It probably should have been assigned.
I want to live in a world where Jake Guentzel is the villain. He was known for being a kind Minnesotan and did nothing for the Penguins except score goals and be a good player, but to the untrained eye he seems to be living in Sidney Crosby’s shadow.
Imagine what a cut on the shoulder would do to him. Jake, do you have a team? and coach for you…
The Golden Knights have the cap space to acquire Guentzel on long-term injured reserve along with Mark Stone. lacerated spleen. It’s Vegas. Why not go all in?
Salary cap information: cap friendly.
