The TLN Rumour Recap is back as the trade winds are blowing across the NHL. With most teams passed the quarter mark of the season, general managers across the league are starting to determine if they are going to be buyers or sellers. There’s more trade calls happening now than there’s been all season long. Here’s the latest rumours from around the NHL:
Winnipeg Jets Receiving Trade Interest
The Jets sit 14-8-2 on the season and appear to have a bit of a log jam on defence. Former first-round pick Logan Stanley has hardly played this season and GM’s around the league have started to notice. Stanley is a 6-foot-6 towering presence on the blue line who is an above average skater for his size and someone who loves to play with an edge. He’s only appeared in four games this season and has been leap frogged on the Jets depth chart by Dylan Samberg, now also battling Declan Chisholm for minutes.
I had linked Stanley as a trade target for the Toronto Maple Leafs last month as he checks a lot of boxes and appears to have the frame and style that Brad Treliving is looking for. Recently, Ottawa Sun columnist Bruch Garrioch mentioned Winnipeg has been receiving some serious interest in the Kitchener, ON native:
Teams have been kicking the tires on Winnipeg Jets D Logan Stanley. The 25-year-old is making $1 million and is an RFA. He’s rugged and can block shots. It’s fair to say the Jets aren’t shopping Stanley, but that’s not stopping league executives from calling to see what it might take.
Stanley requested a trade from Winnipeg last season as he hasn’t been able to find consistent minutes since Paul Maurice left for the Florida Panthers. It’s hard to teach 6-foot-6 and at just 25 years old, there’s still a ton of upside to his game and perhaps a change of scenery is what’s needed to take his game to another level.
Seattle Kraken GM Looking for Stops
Ron Francis has been busy working the phones looking for some goaltending help. The Kraken have been led by Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord in the crease this season and their .883 and .898 Sv.%’s aren’t necessarily turning heads or helping the team win games.
Garrioch also mentioned the Kraken of late and had this to say about Francis’ search for a stop:
Neither Phillipp Grubauer nor Joey Daccord has been consistent for the Kraken this season, and the club is concerned. Grubauer has four years left with cap hit of $5.9 million per season and has a 3.35 goals-against average with an .893 save percentage. To make matters worse, the club has goaltender Chris Driedger making $2.5 million in the minors. Seattle has lost five straight as it prepares to face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday at home after a lengthy road trip. The talk is the Kraken are among a few teams that have reached out to Montreal GM Kent Hughes to see what route he’s going to take with his netminders.
The Canadiens just signed Samuel Montembeault to a three-year extension and he appears to be the goaltender of the future in Montreal. Habs GM Kent Hughes is still carrying three goalies as Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau have quickly become prime trade candidates. With the Kraken intending to compete for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot and not necessarily rebuilding anytime soon, the veteran Allen makes sense for Francis to acquire.
Predators GM Unhappy with Tyson Barrie
After the Predators traded Mattias Ekholm to the Edmonton Oilers for a package that included Tyson Barrie, the Preds didn’t realize it would be less than a full season later and the relationship with Barrie would crumble.
Recently on Daily Faceoff it was reported GM Barry Trotz was unhappy with how Barrie handled himself being scratched for the first time in Nashville and let’s just say then having the trade permission go public was the cherry on top that Trotz didn’t need:
Tyson’s game hasn’t translated as well as we had liked with us this year. He’s having a tough time not being on the first power play [unit] … so, the other night, he was healthy scratched for the first time in his career. Different players react to it differently. I didn’t like the way he reacted to it. (As for the trade permission being granted) – We were very disappointed it got out, because there’s only about four people in the world that knew about it. I was very disappointed in that. It didn’t come from the Preds, I do know that 100 percent
Barrie’s proven himself to be a reliable offensive defenceman throughout his career, however this season the production hasn’t been there. He’s yet to score and has chipped in with 10 assists through 22 games. The 32-year-old is in the final season of his contract, paying him $4.5 million against the cap and he does not hold any trade protection. Considering Trotz has given his agent permission to seek a deal, don’t expect to see Barrie in a Preds uni for much longer.
The Maple Leafs need help on defence as bad as any team in the league, however Treliving prefers blueliners who have size and play with a serious edge, which is 100% not Barrie’s game. While he is right-handed which apparently is appealing to the eye of the Leafs GM, don’t expect to see a deal made together.
Quick Hits
- Patrick Kane is set to make his debut for the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night as they host the red-hot San Jose Sharks. Kane hasn’t appeared in any action since May 1st and hopes to hit the ground running in Motown. The Wings have been hot of late with a 7-2-1 record and have been getting some unreal goaltender from Alex Lyon in net.
- Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland responded to reports of young defenseman Philip Broberg being given permission to seek a trade. Holland claims the reports are inaccurate and has spoken to Broberg’s agent privately to try and clear up the matter. There’s no doubt Holland is making trade calls as the team searches for bottom-six depth and another goaltender.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have been hammered with injuries of late, but they’re also open for business. Reports have surfaced stating the Jackets will listen to trade calls on just about anyone on their team and that could include Patrik Laine and Johnny Gaudreau.
- The NHL’s rumour mill is spinning faster than it has all season long and there’s little doubt before the holiday roster freeze there’s going to be a flurry of activity and expect to see some transactions coming down the chimney in the very near future.
