In today’s NHL rumors rundown, what do the Vegas Golden Knights do now that Mark Stone is out indefinitely? Most insiders expect a trade, but where does Vegas turn? Meanwhile, what shoe drops next for the Vancouver Canucks? All roads in Edmonton seem to lead to a Jesse Puljujarvi trade and what are the Boston Bruins looking for on the trade market? Perhaps more importantly, what aren’t they willing to do to get what they need?
Golden Knights Lose Mark Stone, Trade Coming?
The Golden Knights were dealt a tough blow learning that Mark Stone would be out indefinitely after undergoing a second surgery on Tuesday. He’s what stirs the drink in Vegas and it is expected the team will quickly start looking for pieces that can come in a help replace his production by committee. It has not been determined if he’ll miss the remainder of the season but should he go on LTIR, the Golden Knights have over $12 million in cap space with which to make a move.
Names like Timo Meier, Vladimir Tarasenko, and other big names will logically be connected to Vegas in trade talks now.
What’s Next for the Canucks?
After moving Bo Horvat, what other dominos will fall in Vancouver? Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic writes, “The Canucks kickstarted trade season with Monday’s blockbuster deal sending captain Bo Horvat to the Islanders. But they’re likely not done.”
Who goes next in Vancouver will be a fascinating story to watch. Pieces of LeBrun’s article are below. He writes:
Defenseman Luke Schenn is a pending UFA and will be in demand leading up to March 3. Contenders love to add physical, veteran blueliners…My understanding is that some contenders have reached out to the Canucks to check on Schenn, including the Bruins and Lightning.
source – ‘LeBrun: Why the Canucks acted early on a Bo Horvat trade, and are more blockbusters coming?’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 02/01/2023
The other obvious player to watch for in trade talks is Brock Boeser. Unlike in the Horvat deal, the Canucks did give other teams an opportunity to talk with Boeser about a trade ahead of the deadline. He has two more years on his deal after this season at a $6.65 million cap hit.
As for why the Canucks traded Horvat well ahead of the deadline, Patrik Allvin said the team liked the offer and didn’t want to risk an injury to the player that would jeopardize the deal.
Puljujarvi’s Run With Oilers Coming to a Close
As per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, “Puljujarvi’s time in Edmonton is coming to a close one way or the other. A split is not only in his best interest, but it would help the Oilers free up the space to fill needs elsewhere.” The NHL insider took a deep dive into what the Oilers will have to do to become cap compliant and when looking at most scenarios, Puljujarvi’s name stands out.
As for potential fits, he names the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, or teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, and Columbus Blue Jackets, who might be willing to take on his salary.
Bruins Don’t Want to Give Up Major Assets in Trade
Emily Kaplan noted during an interview on NHL @ ESPN, that the Bruins want to be active in the trade market but are looking for players that don’t require the organization to give up a ton of assets. She notes that the Bruins have been burned in the past when adding rentals and want to avoid that happening again.
They are looking for depth forwards, ideally, players who have some term left on their contracts for cost certainty. “Another thing I’ve heard they’ve been scouting is for a depth defenseman.”
