Off-Season Watch: Who made Phaneuf's 'yes' list?

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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Who made the list?

Ottawa Senators defenceman Dion Phaneuf submitted his 12-team approved trade list on Thursday. According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers all the made the list.

LeBrun reported Thursday the Ottawa Senators “priority right now” is try to trade defenceman Dion Phaneuf after he refused to waive his no-movement clause for the expansion draft.

LeBrun added that there is interest in Phaneuf, but the Senators will have to retain some salary or take back a bad contract in order to move the defenceman.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger adds that at least one of the three teams listed by LeBrun said they cannot take on Phaneuf unless Ottawa retains salary and takes a contract back the other way.

The three locations would appear to have clear ties to the defenceman. Phaneuf is orignially from Edmonton, Montreal is the closest possible location to Ottawa and his wife, Elisha Cuthbert, is an actress, likely explaining why L.A. made the list.

Moving Phaneuf to a team on his approved trade list would allow the team to protect Erik Karlsson’s defence partner, Marc Methot.

Phaneuf was traded to the Senators in February 2016 after spending seven seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He owns a cap hit of $7 million through 2020-21.

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One In, One Out?

In Jonathan Drouin, the Montreal Canadiens acquired a skilled a young winger, who may just push another skilled young winger out of the picture.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said on Thursday’s edition of Insider Trading he believes the Canadiens are definitely shopping Galchenyuk after adding Drouin and signing him to a six-year deal.

Dreger said the Canadiens still have a need along the blueline and trading Galchenyuk for a defenceman such as Jonas Brodin of the Minnesota Wild or Travis Hamonic of the New York Islanders would make sense.

Galchenyuk is a set to become a restricted free agent this summer after a disappointing 17-goal and 44-point season. Still just 23, Galchenyuk scored 30 goals and notched 56 points in 2015-16. Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said after the season Galchenyuk would not be ready to play centre next season and would remain on the left wing.

Dreger notes that it’s possible Drouin could develop into the No. 1 centre the team had hoped Galchenyuk could become.

Galchenyuk was selected third overall in the 2012, Drouin was selected third overall one year later by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Cost Cutting?

While the addition of Drouin could force Galchenyuk out of Montreal, it could also have a ripple effect on another Habs winger – Alexander Radulov.

Radulov had been negotiating from a position of strength ahead of unrestricted free agency on July 1 as a high-skill scorer on a team in desperate need of goals. However, as TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun writes, the Canadiens have now acquired another top-end scorer in Drouin and while they want Radulov back, they will set their price.

The 30-year-old Radulov scored 18 goals and added 36 assists in 76 games with the Canadiens this season, his first in the league since leaving for the KHL in 2012.

After signing Drouin to a $33 million deal, the Canadiens are left with roughly $17 million in cap space (likely more if the cap is increased) with three restricted free agents (Galchenyuk, Nathan Beaulieu and Nikita Nesterov) and four unrestricted free agents, including Radulov.

Watch the Wild?

It's no secret the Minnesota Wild will likely take one of the hardest hits from the player they lose in the expansion draft. 

Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher admitted Wednesday the team did not have a deal in place with the Golden Knights and therefore don't control who they will lose.

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie said Thursday the Wild are now the team to watch, with Jonas Brodin's coming up a lot in trade talk.

Brodin is currently projected to be protected by the Wild in the expansion draft, but trading him would allow the team keep Jared Spurgeon or Marco Scandella on defence. 

The 23-year-old scored three goals and added 22 assists in 68 games last season, logging 19:34 of ice time per night.

Just as Dreger noted in Insider Trading, McKenzie says the Canadiens would seem to be a logical fit.

At forward, Chris Stewart, Jason Zucker and Eric Haula all projected to be exposed to the Golden Knights and if the Wild were to acquire a forward in return for Brodin, Eric Staal could also be left available to Vegas.

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