In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there’s talk about which defenseman the Anaheim Ducks might move. The Chicago Blackhawks have a popular player in Brandon Hagel, but are they going to trade him? The Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in a few players that may not be available and the Vancouver Canucks might prefer to move Brock Boeser over J.T. Miller. Finally, what’s the latest on the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers, who have a couple very big trade assets potentially available?
Ducks Could Move Lindholm, Not Manson
During Wednesday’s Market Rumblings segment on The Fourth Period, Dennis Bernstein reported the Anaheim Ducks may be more inclined to move Hampus Lindholm, and less inclined to move Josh Manson ahead of the deadline. Reports are that Lindholm is already set on testing the free-agent waters this summer and there’s a much greater risk of losing him for nothing.
Meanwhile, Bernstein reports that Manson is interested in staying in Anaheim even though there are multiple teams that would be open to acquiring him either in trade or via free agency. Among those teams are the Edmonton Oilers (father Dave Manson is now a coach there) and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Apparently, both the Oilers and Maple Leafs are on his no-trade list.
Four Teams Asking About Hagel
While the Maple Leafs are interested in Manson, Frank Seravalli reports Toronto is also one of four teams who have kicked tires on Brandon Hagel out of Chicago. Seravalli writes:
If you’re looking for this year’s version of a Blake Coleman or Barclay Goodrow addition, look no further than Hagel, who has generated significant interest in Chicago. Provided that the Blackhawks’ high price is met, he’s a good bet to move (subject, of course, to the opinion of Chicago’s next GM). At least four teams are known to have engaged in conversation on Hagel: Florida, Toronto, New Jersey and Calgary.
Related: Rangers’ Disastrous 2018 Trade With Lightning Could Get Worse
The Flames are seemingly out of the running now with the acquisition of Tyler Toffoli and Seravalli says the Maple Leafs are focused on defense. Whatever team lands him is going to have to give up a first-round pick plus a top prospect, says the NHL insider.
News that Hagel is potentially available isn’t consistent. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times saw Seravalli’s report about Hagel but said Hagel is virtually off the table. Instead, he believes the Blackhawks are focused on moving other pieces. He writes:
Pending unrestricted free agents Marc-Andre Fleury and Calvin de Haan are the Hawks’ biggest trade chips. They rank third and 13th, respectively, in TSN’s leaguewide trade-bait rankings.
The Hawks happily would deal fellow pending UFAs Ryan Carpenter and Erik Gustafsson, too, if another team was interested. Pending restricted free agents Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik have been on the market for months already, even though there are persuasive arguments for keeping both.
source – ‘NHL trade deadline slowly creeping into Blackhawks’ consciousness’ – Ben Pope- Chicago Sun Times – 02/15/2022
Trade Chatter Surrounds Brock Boeser
Seravalli also reports that talk surrounding Brock Boeser has grown louder in the last number of days. Boeser has seen a resurgence under Bruce Boudreau and with 10 goals in 21 games, the forward has attracted a lot of attention. Seravalli points out that Jim Rutherford has “repeatedly stressed that creating salary cap flexibility is key” and adds:
“…there is a sense the Canucks are not sold Boeser’s play will be commensurate with the large qualifying offer due to him this summer, which makes him a prime candidate to move.”
There’s a thought in Vancouver that perhaps J.T. Miller — the forward everyone thought might be traded — isn’t actually moved and instead the Canucks move Boeser. Seravalli wonders if the New Jersey Devils be a fit?
Stars Unlikely to Move Klingberg or Pavelski
According to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic, the Dallas Stars aren’t looking to move either John Klingberg or Joe Pavelski despite how often their names come up in trade rumors. For as long as the Stars are in a playoff race and with both the GM and head coach potentially on the hot seat if Dallas doesn’t make the playoffs, both players are needed for this season’s run.
Shapiro wrote on Twitter Wednesday:
“I brought this up on the podcast. But for Twitter… let’s tap the breaks on Joe Pavelski and John Klingberg moving at deadline talk. Dallas in is playoff race with a GM on hot seat who needs to make the playoffs with an owner desperate for playoff revenue. They aren’t a seller.”
This, of course, does pose a question. What happens if the Stars are hanging into the playoff race until the very end but don’t make it? Would hanging onto these two players and not getting first or second-round picks for them be the thing that gets the GM released? Both players are pending UFAs and both could leave at the end of the season.
Panthers a Team to Watch On Giroux
As per NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the Florida Panthers have been designated as a “team to watch” in the Claude Giroux NHL trade deadline sweepstakes. As part of his ‘32 Thoughts’ column for Sportsnet, he notes, “No guarantees, but it makes a lot of sense for everyone involved.”
