Off-Season Watch: Deadline to waive no-move clause looms

Each day through the Vegas expansion draft and up until free agency on July 1, TSN.ca breaks down the latest news and rumours around the NHL.

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Time to Ask

Teams have until today at 5pm ET to ask players with no-movement clauses to waive them for the expansion draft. Players whose names have come up include Anaheim Ducks defenceman Kevin Bieksa and Ottawa Senators veteran Dion Phaneuf.

For the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the Stanley Cup on Sunday night, it's time to ask Marc-Andre Fleury to waive his no-move. The Penguins are expecting Fleury to waive his no-move in order for the team to protect two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray. The Penguins are expected to try to move Fleury before the expansion draft with the Calgary Flames being reported among the interested parties.

UPDATE: Phaneuf has been asked to waive by the Senators, while Fleury agreed to waive his no-move for the expansion draft in February.

Bieksa could be bought out if he refuses to waive his no-movement clause - the buyout window opens today.

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told the Boston Globe on Monday the team does not expect to ask any of their five players with no-move clauses to waive them. Therefore, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Backes, and Zdeno Chara will all be protected in the expansion draft.

The Bruins are projected by TSN Hockey to expose Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, Jimmy Hayes and Matt Beleskey to the Golden Knights.

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Deal in Place?

According to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets have not approached forward Scott Hartnell to ask him to waive his no-move clause and it doesn't appear that they will.

Portzline writes that speculation is Columbus already has a deal in place to send either a draft pick or prospect to Vegas to ensure the Golden Knights take a player who will cause only minor impact to the Blue Jackets lineup.

TSN Hockey's projected protection lists have Boone Jenner being left available for Vegas. Jenner, 23, scored 18 goals and added 16 assists last season and is a player the Blue Jackets don't want to part with - especially for free. 

Portzline also confirms a report that the Blue Jackets have discussed sending David Clarkson to the Golden Knights to help Vegas reach the cap floor. The Golden Knights would have to pay Clarkson just $1.05 million per year as his insurance policy covers the other 80 per cent of his $5.25 million salary. Clarkson's career is believed to be over to due to a back injury and he is among the players listed by the NHL and NHLPA as exempt from the expansion draft due to injury.

He last dressed for the Blue Jackets on March 11, 2016.

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Trying to Take Advantage

Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports the Rangers have been active in the trade market looking to take advantage of teams who face issues protecting a top defenceman in the expansion draft, or who are willing to part with No. 1 defencemen.

Brooks reports that Tyson Barrie and Jacob Trouba are both players of interest as right hand shots, but the team is not close to a deal on either.

The Rangers are currently expected to use their three defence slots in the expansion draft on Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh, with the former two owning no-move clauses. Brooks reports the Rangers have not asked either Staal or Girardi to waive their no-move clauses, but that could change if the team adds another defenceman. 

The Rangers are currently one forward short of meeting the expansion requirement of two exposed forwards under contract for the 2017-18 season. Derek Stepan is expected to be exposed and fits the requirements, but the team has until Friday to sign one of their restricted free-agent forwards to then expose. That group includes Jesper Fast, Oscar Lindberg or Matt Puempel, and Brooks reports all three are taking a hard line in negotiations, knowing the team must get one of them under contract, or face league discipline.

Fast led the group with 21 points in 68 games last season, but is coming off hip surgery and the start of his 2017-18 campaign is in jeopardy. Lindberg scored eight goals and tallied 20 points in 65 games, while Puempel played in 27 games, scoring six goals and adding three assists. 

At forward on the trade market, Brooks writes, the Rangers would be willing to make a big splash to acquire Barrie's teammate Nathan MacKinnon, but Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic's price is too high to be matched.

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No Deal to Be Made?

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times he has talked to George McPhee about making a deal to protect extra players from Vegas, but isn't sure a deal will be worked out.

"A lot of things are out of my control right now," Yzerman told the Times. "I don't know what other teams are discussing with regard to expansion and Vegas. I know what I'd like to do, but we'll see how it plays out."

The Lightning have four picks in the first three rounds of this month's entry draft to use as trade bait for Vegas, but are without a selection in rounds four and five.

Among the players the Lightning are expected to expose is Alex Killorn, who Smith believes the Lightning will try to trade before the expansion draft. Killorn signed a seven-year, $31.5 million deal last summer, when Yzerman declared him part of the team's core.

Smith wonders if the Avalanche would part with Barrie in a trade for restricted free agent Jonathan Drouin, or if the Minnesota Wild or Anaheim Ducks would part with a defenceman for Drouin. Smith doesn't believe it's a guarantee Drouin is moved, but said he wouldn't be surprised.

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Oshie Hitting the Market?

The Washington Capitals have made it clear they want to keep pending unrestricted free agent T.J. Oshie, but general manager Brian MacLennan said last week it could come down to whether the cap rises.

"If (the salary cap) comes in at $77 (million), we'll probably have a legitimate shot at signing him," MacLellan said, per NHL.com, last month of signing Oshie.

On Sunday, Brooks reported the salary cap will stay flat at $73 million, which means the Capitals may not be able to fit Oshie on their roster.

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