In today’s NHL rumor rundown there is speculation as to what the Calgary Flames will do after making it known they intend to stay busy on the trade front, could the Nashville Predators become sellers at this year’s trade deadline, and will the Detroit Red Wings have to cover some of the cost to move a couple of expected trade pieces?
Flames Possible Trade Targets
Eric Francis took a look at possible targets the Calgary Flames might pursue after making it known they weren’t planning on sitting on the salary cap space they created when the moved Michael Frolik. Francis name-dropped Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings winger Tyler Toffoli, Florida Panthers winger Mike Hoffman, Edmonton Oilers winger Zack Kassian, and Florida Panthers winger Evgenii Dadonov.
Some of these options are quite interesting in that Kreider has a no-trade option and he may not choose Calgary as a destination. So too, the Oilers are working on an extension for Zack Kassian, not out of the playoff picture and he’s mentioned he’d like to stay in Edmonton. Same goes for Florida’s Hoffman and Dadonov.
The best possible option might be Toffoli.
Related: Nashville Predators: Top 5 Draft Busts
Poile Wonders if Predators Will Be Sellers
Yahoo! Sports Thomas Williams spoke with Nashville Predators GM David Poile and after saying he’s not considering replacing head coach Peter Laviolette, he is considering the Predators being sellers this season.
Typically a contender, Nashville is struggling and the Feb. 24 trade deadline is creeping closer. Poile says the organization will need to decide soon what they are, buyers or sellers. He said:
“I guess the point I’m saying today is, sitting here outside of the playoffs, we have for the last several years been buyers at the trading deadline. If we don’t improve here shortly, we might be a seller for the first time in a number of years.
Poile added that he’s hoping the Predators are not seller but that he’s open for business and willing to listen to different teams and any of their interest in certain Predators players.
Related: 7 Detroit Red Wings Numbers That Should Be Retired
Jets Not Afraid to Go For It Again
The Winnipeg Jets have often been a tram willing to trade top picks in exchange for that one piece they believe will put them over the top in the playoff race.
While that strategy didn’t work with Kevin Hayes last season or, for argument’s sake, Paul Stastny the season before, Ken Wiebe of The Athletic reports the Jets aren’t shy about going to that well again. He writes Kevin Cheveldayoff said he’d do so, “If the circumstances are right.”
Related: NHL Rumors: Kovalchuk, Sabres, Flames, Oilers, More
Red Wings Will Have To Sweeten Trade Pot?
As MLive’s Ansar Khan points out, the Detroit Red Wings might have more trouble trading a couple of their big blue line trade chips than they thought. It was expected both Mike Green and Trevor Daley would be dealt before the trade deadline, but they’ve both struggled.
As Detroit’s top-paid defensemen (Green at $5.375MM and Daley at $3.167MM) Khan suggests the Red Wings may have to retain salary to move either. To this point, the Red Wings have not used any of their three retained salary slots yet.
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Jim Parsons is a senior THW freelance writer, part-time journalist and audio/video host who lives, eats, sleeps and breathes NHL news and rumors, while also writing features on the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a trusted source for five-plus years at The Hockey Writers, but more than that, he’s on a mission to keep readers up to date with the latest NHL rumors and trade talk. Jim is a daily must for readers who want to be “in the know.”
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