BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Matthias Ekholm (NSH), Taylor Hall (BUF), Alex Edler (VAN), and more!
Keith Jones and Patrick Sharp think the Calgary Flames have a better chance at the playoffs this year than the Oilers. Read about that here.
Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.
A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.
Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.
NHL Rumors and Speculation
Ken Weibe of Sportsnet believes that Nashville’s available defenceman Matthias Ekholm would be an ideal trade candidate for the Winnipeg Jets and the proposed ask from the Predators could include prospect defenseman Dylan Samberg, goalie Mikhail Berdin, and Finnish forward Kristian Vesalainen.
BLH’s Thoughts: The first thing I thought about as I read this article was that the Oilers really can’t afford to have their divisional rivals get any stronger than they already are and that they should trade for Ekholm. But the fact of the matter is teams like Winnipeg and Toronto, their window is only open for this year or next before they’ve got some serious decisions to make with young players and/or expiring contracts.
Edmonton’s window is about to open right up and I really don’t know if it would be in their best interests to make any blockbuster deals this season. They could have up to $30M in cap space this summer and management really needs to get things right in net, down the middle on the 3rd line, and possibly in the top-6 on the left-wing.
The Athletic’s Thomas Drance says it’s a “no-brainer” that the Vancouver Canucks deal their veterans who are on expiring contracts as there’s no reason to re-sign them since they don’t move the needle when it comes to the needs of the club if the plan is to win a Stanley Cup.
- “Dealing Pearson should be a no-brainer for any front office thinking critically about what this team needs and when. Same goes for Brandon Sutter. And Travis Hamonic. And Jordie Benn. And Alex Edler.”
BLH’s Thoughts: As I reported early last week, the Oilers have an interest in Brandon Sutter that goes back as far as 2019. In my opinion, depending on the price, Edler, Pearson, and Hamonic should be on their radars as well. There’s nothing wrong with inquiring on veteran talent for a playoff run, but as I said above, I also don’t think they need to blow their brains out this year.
Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report looked at five possible trade destinations for struggling Buffalo Sabres $8M winger Taylor Hall.
- Boston Bruins – “The Boston Bruins remain among the NHL’s best teams. They’re jockeying with the Washington Capitals for first place in the East Division. Acquiring a top-six winger like Hall could boost their hopes for a Stanley Cup run.”
- Carolina Hurricanes – “Secondary scoring depth also remains a concern, as they’ve shuffled players in and out of their second-line left-wing position.”
- Columbus Blue Jackets – “They’re in danger of sliding out of playoff contention in the Discover Central Division. That could push general manager Jarmo Kekalainen into the market for a top-six forward such as Hall.”
- Florida Panthers – “The Florida Panthers are having one of their best seasons in years. However, a slump or an injury to a key player could threaten their postseason hopes, perhaps forcing general manager Bill Zito to put in a call for Hall.”
- Montreal Canadiens – “With his club tumbling in the standings, general manager Marc Bergevin could seek help in the form of Hall’s scoring.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Never count a team like Vegas out of the running for these kinds of players… Also, the Calgary Flames rumors tied to Hall have never really died down and with things not going that great in Cowtown, maybe those start to heat up again.
With that list, I don’t know about Columbus, they’re kind of already out of the picture and I don’t know if I see them digging their way out this year. I’d love to see the Panthers go for it and the Hurricanes have prospects coming out of the wazoo as well as some underachieving players who have higher tickets that could be used as trade fodder. Montreal and Boston would be good stories, but I wouldn’t be as excited if Hall went to those clubs as much.
Could the Edmonton Oilers get in on Hall? It’s a fair question to ask I feel. They could use a complimentary top-six winger to play with Leon Draisaitl. That said, how would the money even work without sending James Neal to the Sabres and getting salary retained on Hall’s deal? I wouldn’t do it if I was Buffalo, there are too many other teams with way better offers.
However, the one MEGA caveat to all of this, Mr. MVP has a NMC… So he holds all the cards if the Sabres plan on getting anything for him and if the only team he wants to go to is Edmonton… GM Kevyn Adams will have his work cut out for him.
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