In today’s NHL rumors rundown, are the Seattle Kraken ready to start selling pending UFAs if they start to fall down the standings? Meanwhile, is Ivan Provorov attracting interest around the NHL? Who is calling and are the Blue Jackets ready to move him? The Edmonton Oilers are having interesting phone conversations, and the Carolina Hurricanes talked to 28 different teams about a Martin Necas trade.
Kraken Have Several Assets They Could Sell
As the Seattle Kraken navigate the NHL’s wild card race, their status as potential buyers or sellers at the trade deadline remains uncertain. Should the team fall out of playoff contention, several of their pending unrestricted free agents are expected to attract significant interest from around the league.
The Fourth Period reports key forwards Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde have already garnered attention, while Daniel Sprong, William Borgen, and Josh Mahura also present intriguing options for teams that need forward depth. Tanev holds a 10-team no-trade list, while Gourde, a proven playoff performer, has a 23-team trade list. That adds a layer of complexity to potential deals. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, teams have already called about Gourde’s availability. The club is “not in a rush to move him.”
The Kraken don’t have a ton of cap space to retain salary, but all three of their retention slots are open. If retaining makes their trade candidates more appealing to contending teams, it is something they could consider.
Oilers Among Teams Inquiring About Provorov
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Columbus Blue Jackets are fielding inquiries about defenseman Ivan Provorov but appear hesitant to move him for now, hoping to remain competitive this season. However, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun predicts it’s only a matter of time before the Blue Jackets part ways with the defenseman, given their slim playoff hopes.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Minten, Nylander, Woll & Grebenkin
LeBrun anticipates Columbus will demand a first-round pick in exchange for the veteran defenseman. This aligns with returns for similar players like Noah Hanifin and Sean Walker, who fetched first-round picks in pre-deadline trades last season.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers continue to explore blue-line upgrades, with reports linking them to Provorov as well as other defensemen, including David Savard and Marcus Pettersson. OilersNow with Bob Stauffer believes that the Oilers are looking at David Jiricek and Provorov from the Blue Jackets. He believes that of the two, Provorov would be their preference.
With Edmonton struggling to solidify their defense, Provorov’s availability could offer a much-needed boost to the Oilers’ playoff push. However, it remains unclear if the team would be willing to part with a first-round pick to acquire him.
Oilers general manager Stan Bowman appeared on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer on Thursday and revealed that he’s had conversations with player agents and been told their players want to join the Oilers. That won’t matter in the case of the Blue Jackets, but it could be a development with other defensemen who may hit the market.
Hurricanes Talked to 28 Teams About a Necas Trade
TSN’s insider Pierre LeBrun reports in The Athletic that 28 teams were interested in acquiring Necas. He writes:
“My understanding is that 28 NHL teams reached out to Carolina on Necas, with varying degrees of interest…..“We had serious offers, but nothing that we were anguishing about doing,” Tulsky said.”
source – ‘Re-signing Necas, dealing with Andersen’s latest injury and more: Catching up with Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 11/18/2024
Among the teams to make serious pitches were the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Blue Jackets.