In today’s rumor rundown, the Carolina Hurricanes are quickly becoming a team to keep an eye on as it pertains to the trade deadline, the Montreal Canadiens might have their eye on a particular Penguins defenseman, the Winnipeg Jets might be looking for some help and the Los Angeles Kings are probably not even close to finished making moves.
Hurricanes a Team to Watch
In the latest TSN Insider Trading Pierre LeBrun noted that interest has picked up lately on blueliner Justin Faulk. Talks regarding Faulk date back all the way to this past summer and he’s had a strong season logging an average of about 22 minutes per night. He’s got a similar contract to Jake Muzzin and could yield a comparable return.
Meanwhile, LeBrun also notes that fans should expect Micheal Ferland to be moved sooner than later. The Hurricanes don’t want to take the chance Ferland gets injured, especially considering his style of play. Boston, Nashville, and Pittsburgh are among the teams that have shown an interest in Ferland.
Related: NHL Rumors: Panarin, Martinook, Matthews, More
Canadiens Eyeing a Penguins Defenseman?
Pittsburgh Hockey Now is reporting the Montreal Canadiens are interested in Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta. Maatta’s name has come up in the past and is under contract for another three seasons at a $4.083 million cap hit.
Los Angeles Just Getting Started
The LA Kings made likely the biggest trade so far pre-trade deadline, but they might be ready to make a bigger splash. Dennis Bernstein is reporting that Kings GM Rob Blake made it clear that this is just the beginning for his team. He is actively still scouring the trade market, even if he’s not sure when his next trade will come.
When asked about the Muzzin trade, Blake said, “We’re at the bottom of the league. We made this deal for the future of team. The 1st round pick was key. We’re looking at a lot of different options, there are active calls around the league.”
LA will keep looking for draft picks and many expect the next player to move might be defenseman Alec Martinez who will be traded at the trade deadline or at the NHL Entry Draft. It is assumed the Kings will be looking for a second-round pick and either a third-round pick or a prospect.
Other names that might be on the move are Jeff Carter, Trevor Lewis, Tyler Toffoli, Jonathan Quick, and Ilya Kovalchuk.
Related: NHL Trade Deadline: Our Top 10 Must-Watch List
What Are the Jets Going to Do?
There’s tons of speculation coming out of Winnipeg that the team has been linked to nearly every potential free agent forward on the market in some way, shape, or form. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reported yesterday that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has been working to bring in an experienced depth forward in order to “give head coach Paul Maurice more options in his bottom six.”
There’s also been some buzz the Jets are looking to do something similar to what they did last season when they added a legitimate second-line center grabbing Paul Stastny from St. Louis.
Some of the options include Matt Duchene, Kevin Hayes, or forwards like Mark Stone, Wayne Simmonds, and Artemi Panarin. None of these players will be easy adds if the Jets are actually seriously considering them.
The Jets will likely make a move but it would be hard to imagine the team being willing to send two first-round picks in consecutive years out of the organization. More likely is that the Jets make a smaller move to bolster their depth.
