NHL Rumors: Blues, Penguins, Oilers, Flames

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the St. Louis Blues are listening to trade proposals on Pavel Buchnevich. Will the Pittsburgh Penguins take one more run at trying to sign Jake Guentzel before trading him? If teams are asking about signing Guentzel to an extension, what does that mean for the Edmonton Oilers? They like the player, but can’t afford to bring him in for anything more than a rental. What is the latest on Chris Tanev trades talks out of Calgary? How many teams are in on him and how many are willing to meet the Flames’ asking price?

Blues Willing to Listen on Offers for Buchnevich

According to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, the St. Louis Blues are not actively seeking to trade winger Pavel Buchnevich but are open to entertaining offers. Rutherford suggests that any potential deal would likely commence with a first-round draft pick and might even require two first-round picks to materialize.

He explains:

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, according to a league source, the Blues aren’t actively shopping Buchnevich. But they are listening, which they’d be foolish not to, considering the current state of the trade market, with very few true difference makers available. The source said the club would have to be wowed by an offer to even consider it.

source – ‘What I’m hearing about the Blues, Pavel Buchnevich and potential trade interest’ – Jeremy Rutherford – The Athletic – 02/22/2024

He already contributed 43 points in 53 games this season, ranking second on the Blues, and is projected to surpass 65 points for the third consecutive season.

Penguins Might Try One More Time To Sign Guentzel

According to Elliotte Friedman in his 32 Thoughts column, there is still a ton of buzz surrounding Jake Guentzel and a possible trade out of Pittsburgh. Kyle Dubas admitted that he’s already tried making a deal or two to shake up the roster. The opportunities to make those trades haven’t been there.

Friedman then notes that everything is circling back to Jake Guentzel. He believes the Penguins will take another run at signing the talented winger. He also says clubs that some of the clubs who have reached out are asking about talking extension with Guentzel. If they’re permitted to do so, that could hurt a team like the Edmonton Oilers who don’t have the cap space to get into extension talks.

He adds, “The Oilers are also very aware that for every dollar that comes in, someone needs to go out. So, they are doing legwork in several different directions.” If teams are willing to offer more to the Penguins because the player will be extending his contract, Edmonton could easily be outbid versus a scenario where everyone is making a pitch for a rental player.

The Latest on Chris Tanev Trade Talks

As per Friedman, the Flames are currently maintaining their stance with Chris Tanev, waiting on the market to offer up a first-round pick or an equivalent. There is notable interest from Dallas, with speculation that they may also be interested in Noah Hanifin. Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver are among the other teams showing interest. Colorado has shown intermittent interest, and various other teams have also been in the mix.

There are some concerns about his durability, which is one of the reasons the market has offered a first-rounder out of the gate. And, because he’s a rental player believed to be interested in testing free agency in the summer, it’s hard to justify overpaying for a short-term, potentially injury-prone (even though that’s not entirely accurate) defenseman.