Countdown to TradeCentre: Sens' and Habs' wants

The National Hockey League's Trade Deadline is on Monday, Feb. 26, and teams will be making decisions on whether to buy or sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out the latest trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

Re-tool, Not Rebuild

Both the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens are shaping up as sellers ahead of the trade deadline, but TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote in The Athletic that he believes both teams will pursue hockey trades to improve their current rosters for next season.

LeBrun believes the price tag for Mike Hoffman, who's listed at No. 4 on the TSN Trade Bait board, is more than just a first-round pick. He notes the team is also getting calls on Zack Smith and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who both have at least two years left on their current contracts.

On the blueline, LeBrun writes teams will have to overpay to pry Cody Ceci from Ottawa, since the Senators must safeguard themselves in the event Erik Karlsson is not interested in re-signing. He adds some Western Conference teams have debated internally about acquiring Dion Phaneuf, but his $7 million cap hit won't be easy to move.

In Montreal, LeBrun reports Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin wants a young centre back in any package for captain Max Pacioretty. He adds that Bergevin, like Senators general manager Pierre Dorion, will also have the luxury of choosing whether to wait until the draft to move key pieces - since only Tomas Plekanec is a pending unrestricted free agent. In Ottawa, only Johnny Oduya is slated to hit the open market in July.
 

No Blockbuster Coming

Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli is no stranger to making big trades, but he has no plans to add another one to his resume next month.

Chiarelli told Pierre LeBrun he won't be overhauling his roster in the midst of the Oilers' disappointing season.

“Of course not,’’ Chiarelli told The Athletic. “I’ve said that to our fans. Part of what we’re striving for here is stability and continuity and sticking to a strong plan. We’re not going to stray from that. It doesn’t mean we’re not going to make a trade here and there. But a blockbuster, blow-it-up (trade)? No.’’

Instead, Chiarelli is more likely to sell off the team's unrestricted free agents in Patrick Maroon and Mark Letestu. Maroon is ranked second on the TSN Trade Bait board, while Letestu is 17th.

The Oilers posted 103 points last season, but have just 47 points through 49 games this year.

“We probably overachieved last year, and we’re underachieving this year,’’ Chiarelli told LeBrun. “We’re somewhere in between. And I believe in-between a contending team. Now, what is contending? It’s broadly defined.’’

​Looking Long-Term

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger was asked Monday morning which one of the two defencemen - Erik Karlsson or Drew Doughty - he believes the Leafs would have more interest in should they both hit the market after next season. Dreger said he believes the Maple Leafs are unlikely to land either player, but went along with the hypothetical.

"I think it could be Doughty," Dreger told TSN Radio 1050 Toronto. "And it's for all reasons, No. 1 is his Stanley Cup experience and No. 2 is how he plays the game. Drew Doughty has committed to the balance of being a Norris trophy-winning defenceman and what that means is he's as good defensively as he is offensively and he leaves points on the table just based on the commitment to playing better defence. 

"Erik Karlsson, again, has won two Norris trophies so it's not like he wouldn't make a team instantly better but in terms of what Doughty and the Los Angeles Kings have accomplished, if he were to get to market - and I'm still not a believer he's going to leave Los Angeles but if he would, I've got to believe Toronto would at least kick tires. The cap hit would be tremendous, so it may not be the perfect scenario for the Maple Leafs but I'm sure that they'd inquire."

Incoming Upgrade?

According to Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe, the Bruins are looking to add a right winger to their second line who can boost the unit defensively.

The Bruins' second unit is currently made up of rookie Jake DeBrusk, David Krejci and Ryan Spooner. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said last week the line's ice time has been down since he doesn't have full faith in the two wingers ability in their own end.

“We’ve got a winger that’s played mostly centre," Cassidy said of Nash. "And a younger winger. So that’s where [Krejci] might get lost. That’s usually on the road. At home, it’s a little easier to manage that part of it. On the road, we’ve tried to move him around, maybe play extra shifts with another line, if somebody’s coming out of the box - any special circumstances. So yes, at times, he’s probably missed a little bit. But David’s playing well for us. We’re all mindful of that. I think that line’s been good, for the most part.

“David can play against anybody,” Cassidy said. “I’m concerned a little bit about the wingers. Sometimes if there’s an offensive defenceman out there, is that a bad matchup? The other night, it’s [John] Klingberg. Jake’s still learning that part of the game. Spoons is used to being a centre.”

Shinzawa believes Vancouver Canucks forward Thomas Vanek or Chicago Blackhawks veteran Patrick Sharp could fill the Bruins' current need.