In today’s NHL rumors rundown, two of the biggest available players this trade deadline are off the market, so who can replace them? Elsewhere, Yanni Gourde, one of the top trade deadline targets for many teams, is set to miss an extended period of time. Finishing off, the Dallas Stars have placed Tyler Seguin and Nils Lundkvist on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), and may have a move on the way.
J.T. Miller & Marcus Pettersson Off The Market
Late in the evening on Jan. 31, the Vancouver Canucks made a pair of big trades. The first was sending J.T. Miller, Erik Brannstrom, and prospect Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a protected first-round pick. They quickly flipped the pick, sending it alongside Vincent Desharnais, Danton Heinen, and prospect Melvin Fernstrom to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor.
Related: Grading Rangers & Canucks Blockbuster J.T. Miller Trade
According to The Hockey Writers‘ Trade Bait Board, Miller was the top target, with Pettersson being number five on the list and the second defenseman.
Centers and defensemen are always the top targets at the trade deadline, and according to the trade bait board, that leaves Brock Nelson as the top center option, and Ivan Provorov remains the top defenseman, which leaves Bowen Byram and Rasmus Ristolainen as the next options.
There are still questions on whether or not the Canucks are done and if they will trade Elias Pettersson, too. It is unlikely, but there have been reports that the Canucks had options to move neither player, one player, or both. With plenty of talks between the Canucks and other teams, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, and others, they are aware of the market and what teams are offering. They are now in a position that they don’t need to trade Pettersson, and have regained some leverage in a deal if they opt to go that route.
Gourde’s Injury Takes Him Off Trade Market
After seeing two of the top trade targets get moved and starting to go down the list, Gourde was one of the players that plenty of teams have been linked to. Unfortunately, Gourde is sidelined for 5-7 weeks after a sports hernia surgery. Gourde has been out of the lineup since Jan. 2 with a lower-body injury and with just over a month until the trade deadline, his 5-7 week timeline puts him out of the running as a trade candidate.
Teams highly value third-line centers with playoff experience, so not only will interested teams be disappointed about the news, but the Seattle Kraken could have gotten a nice return for him, too.
Gourde scored six goals and 16 points through 35 games this season, and while that isn’t his most productive season, he is still a good defensive presence and has a ton of playoff experience. The Kraken also have Brandon Tanev, who has been rumored to be available as well.
Stars Gearing Up For Big Addition
When the Stars announced that Seguin would miss the rest of the season, it was expected that they would use the $9.5 million in cap flexibility to acquire a top-end player. In addition to that, the Stars announced on Feb. 1 that defenseman Nils Lundkvist had season-ending surgery, so there is an additional $1.25 million to play with.
Shortly after the announcement of Lundkvist and Seguin being placed on LTIR, NHL insider Kevin Weekes made a connection between the Stars and San Jose Sharks, with a trade forming surrounding center Mikael Granlund. The Sharks center scored 60 points in 69 games last season, and another 45 in 52 games so far this season. He is set to become a free agent this summer and only has a cap hit of $5 million.
Granlund has had some of the toughest matchups in the league, always being the go-to guy for head coach Ryan Warsofsky to ice. The Sharks are a bottom-feeder this season, but outside of some rookies shining bright, Granlund has been one of the biggest positives. If the Stars can bring him in and add some veteran experience in the middle-six to replace Seguin, it will be a great move for them.
