In today’s NHL rumors rundown, with the trade deadline just days away, several updates are coming out of multiple franchises. The Edmonton Oilers have numerous conversations going on. The Vancouver Canucks are considering flipping a player they just acquired, and the Philadelphia Flyers are still talking about signing two defensemen they’ll likely end up trading. Finally, the Arizona Coyotes pulled Jason Zucker from the lineup for trade-related reasons. Who is interested in acquiring him?
Latest Oilers Deadline Updates
Elliotte Friedman reported during the Sportsnet broadcast, that the Oilers are in on Jake Guentzel. He also reports Edmonton has had conversations about Adam Henrique (Anaheim Ducks) and other forwards but he’s not sure which one the Oilers are targeting as their top get.
The belief is that news on Guentzel changes rapidly. The Oilers thought they were in, then they thought they were out. Now, they believe they have a chance again since teams talking to the Pittsburgh Penguins have backed off the idea that an extension is paramount to any trade. So too, because the Vegas Golden Knights were in on Guentzel, but traded for Anthony Mantha, that may changed their interest level.
Chris Johnston on TSN Insider Trading reported the priority for Edmonton is to acquire Henrique. It is assumed the Oilers see him as a strong third-line center option who can also play wing and take key matchups. He is a reliable two-way forward and the Ducks can retain salary in any trade.
Bob Stauffer also noted during the intermission of the game between the Oilers and Boston Bruins that GM Ken Holland told him he would acquire a depth forward at minimum before Friday. Stauffer believes the Oilers could make as many as three moves and waiving Sam Gagner was part of the play to pick up additional cap space.
Canucks Might Flip Lindholm to Acquire Guentzel
In one of the more surprising rumors to surface on Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks are pushing for Guentzel as well, with Chris Johnston of TSN reporting that the Canucks are contemplating trading Elias Lindholm to the Boston Bruins to make room as part of a series of moves.
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It’s an incredible pivot for the Canucks if they make this move. They paid a high price to acquire Lindholm and there was early talk that they would consider an extension. That they are thinking about trading him speaks to the realization the organization either made an error or they see Guentzel as the superior player. It would also suggest the Canucks are concerned about letting Guentzel go to a team like the Vegas Golden Knights or Oilers.
Flyers Talking Contracts Before Likely Trading Walker and/or Seeler
Teams have consistently inquired about Philadelphia Flyers’ defenseman Sean Walker. However, the Flyers weren’t closing the door to an extension. Contract talks have been quiet since the weekend commenced and according to reports by multiple insiders, the Flyers are carefully considering all options.
Related: 2024 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Frank Seravalli notes that with three days remaining, the likelihood of the Flyers re-signing both Walker and Nick Seeler seems increasingly slim. At the very least, it appears one of them is likely to be traded.
Plenty of Interest in Jason Zucker
The Coyotes pulled Jason Zucker from the lineup in what is being pegged as a trade-related decision. The expectation is that he’ll be moved and this is a practice often employed by teams to avoid injury. Jeff Marek tweeted, “Plenty of teams have shown interest in Zucker – Boston, Vancouver, Nashville, Carolina, Florida, New Jersey and Vegas (although the Mantha trade may have changed that).”