In today’s NHL news and rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a few potential trade options that other teams will look at. But, how many of those options are realistically on the table? Meanwhile, are the Calgary Flames going to pull an offer from Noah Hanifin after the way negotiations went this season? Are the New Jersey Devils going to push all in this season and is Hanifin their guy? Finally, would the Ottawa Senators consider Daniel Alfredsson as a potential head coach?
Maple Leafs Possible Trade Options
Jonas Siegel from The Athletic delves into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ trade options, highlighting the challenge of a shallow prospect pool. Among six suggested options, backup goalie Dennis Hildeby, Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan are options that the Leafs likely won’t want to move. But, the one player teams will be keying in on in Matthew Knies.
Siegel writes:
“Matthew Knies is one name opposing GMs will undoubtedly have circled. Knies has played so well though and boasts such enticing upside that he’s presumably a complete no-go for the Brendan Shanahan-Brad Treliving front office.”
source – ‘What can the Maple Leafs trade? What should they trade?’ – Jonas Siegel – The Athletic – 12/26/2023
Related: NHL News & Rumors: Maple Leafs, Oilers, Lightning, Devils
He notes that the Leafs won’t consider trading him. “Too important in the present. Too important in the future.” Instead, Siegel wonders if Toronto would be open to moving a third-round pick to acquire someone like Ilya Lyubushkin. Or, they might be open to trading Nick Robertson, who has struggled with consistency, is smaller, and doesn’t have a defined power play role.
Flames Likely Won’t Offer Same Hanifin Deal Again
While speaking about the Calgary Flames and their potential trade plans, Ray Ferraro wondered about where things sit between the team and defenseman Noah Hanifin. During the latest Ray and Dregs Podcast, He noted, “The other guy into that conversation I’ll throw is Hanifin, more than anybody. More than Tanev because he, he turned down eight years and the $60 million.”
Darren Dreger responded that Hanifin turning down that kind of money has to change the organization’s perspective on the player. “That’d be enough for me. I’d be, I’d be, we’re not putting $60 mill back on the table in Calgary,” he said. Ferraro agreed and said the longer the team hangs onto him the more he’ll be worth in trade. The suggestion here seemed to be that the Flames will trade Hanifin, but just ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
Would the Devils Be Interested in Hanifin?
In the most recent edition of 32 Thoughts Podcast Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discuss the idea of the New Jersey Devils bringing in Hanifin. He could really help with their defensive struggles and many see him as ideal fit.
After wondering out loud of this is the season the Devils decide to go for it, Friedman noted:
“But I’ll bet you that you could trade for that guy and have a long conversation with him about do you want to stay here? Do you want like, is this the kind of place you envision yourself being like, to me Hanifin, If the Devils want that jolt to improve their defensive play right now, he is the obvious guy to me, the obvious guy.”
Senators Unlikely to Make Alfredsson Head Coach
While the Ottawa Senators look for a head coach, don’t expect that coach to be Daniel Alfredsson. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, it’s not an option the Senators want to toy with and risk losing him from their organization.
Seravalli notes, “Is that the last thing you want to do if you’re the Sens after all this work to get Daniel Alfredsson back in the fold because relations were so strained during the Eugene Melnyk era is to have him come back, he’s the coach for two and a half years and you have to fire him and he never comes back. I don’t think they want to be in that situation. I personally don’t think he wants to be in that situation. So I’d be surprised if he ends up being the guy.”
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