In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the likelihood of James van Riemsdyk being traded is going up as it’s learned the Philadelphia Flyers are willing to retain salary in a deal. Meanwhile, reports of the New York Rangers not being out of the running for Patrick Kane are surfacing this week.
The Boston Bruins made a trade, likely taking them out of the running for Vladislav Gavrikov and the Colorado Avalanche are awaiting word on the health of Gabriel Landeskog.
James van Riemsdyk Is a Good Backup Option
Chris Johnston on Insider Trading says the Philadelphia Flyers are going to get interest in van Riemsdyk ahead of the trade deadline and because they are willing to retain some of his salary, it makes it almost a certainty he’ll be dealt in the next week or so.
Johnston discussed the crossover from teams in on Timo Meier, saying they’ll also likely be interested in JvR as a secondary option. He said that teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Carolina Hurricanes will be keeping tabs on the forward. So too, teams not in on Meier like Minnesota and Colorado may kick tires as well.
Senators Looking to Add After Zaitsev Trade
Pierre LeBrun noted during the same Insider Trading that the Senators are looking to add a defenseman and a center before the deadline with the cap room they created with the Nikita Zaitsev deal. He notes, “Pierre Dorion’s phone has absolutely lit up since the Zaitsev deal because his counterparts know that he’s more open for business than ever.” The catch is that the team isn’t likely to take on more salary because of the potential sale.
LeBrun notes that the one player they do not appear to be in on right now according to LeBrun is Jakob Chychrun, the price is too high for GM Pierre Dorion’s liking. That could change with one phone call, but there’s nothing imminent at this point.
No Decision Yet From Patrick Kane, Rangers Still Interested
LeBrun posted on Twitter, “From Patrick Kane’s agent Pat Brisson: “Patrick hasn’t made any decision at this point.”
Which is what @reporterchris reported earlier on Insider Trading. We’ll see what the next few days bring.” A decision could be coming soon as the favorites to land him are the New York Rangers and they pulled forwards Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn from Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings due to what the team is calling “roster management reasons.”
As per Larry Brooks of the New York Post:
According to sources, the Rangers have signaled they will try to make it work if Kane — who has yet to declare his intentions — is willing to waive his no-move clause in order to come to New York. We are told interest has not waned in the least since the acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis on Feb. 10.
Bruins Out on Gavrikov
Per Chris Johnston reported just before the defenseman was traded to the Boston Bruins: “Dmitry Orlov’s availability obviously impacts the market for Vladislav Gavrikov. Some had thought Gavrikov was going to be Boston bound. He’s due to miss his fifth game tonight while awaiting a trade.” Clearly, with the Bruins spending multiple draft picks to acquire Orlov, there isn’t an appetite for Gavrikov and they don’t have the draft capital nor the space to make this move now.
Landeskog Could Go on LTIR
LeBrun on Insider Trading says Gabriel Landeskog did skate over the past week but isn’t near a return. There is no firm timeline for when he’ll step back on the ice and it’s not clear whether he will play before the end of the regular season. If he hits LTIR, the Avalanche will become a team to watch as they’ll suddenly have $7 million worth of cap space at their disposal.
Not only that, but if Erik Johnson is out for a while, they could use his $6 million salary and really go after a big name at the deadline.
