Countdown to Tradecentre: Sens 'open for business' ahead of deadline
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The NHL's March 8 Trade Deadline is approaching, and teams are making decisions on whether to buy or sell, and on which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.
Sens Aggressive in Trade Market
The Ottawa Senators have frequently been in trade rumours, and the expected chatter is only going to increase as the March 8 trade deadline approaches. According to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch, the Senators roster has untouchables, but the team is 'open for business' and general manager Steve Staios has been aggressive in pursuit of players who can help the Sens take a step towards playoff contention.
Forward Vladimir Tarasenko has been at the centre of the trade rumours, as the veteran will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 32-year-old has a full no-trade clause but Garrioch reports that four or five clubs have expressed interest in acquiring Tarasenko. He has 15 goals and 37 points in 52 games this season.
Staios would like to add 'good pros' to the locker room, to take some of the pressure off captain Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, and Claude Giroux. Tkachuk said he would welcome another voice of leadership in the locker room.
“Absolutely, I think whenever you can add to the group and, of course, for me that would be huge just to have another voice and stuff like that,” he said. “Whatever happens, happens. At the end of the day, all I can control is my work, practice, games and make sure I’m ready to go when the puck drops.”
Ottawa (24-27-3) is 27th in the league and sits 14 points behind the Tama Bay Lightning for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They play seven more games before the trade deadline.
Coyotes will be Sellers
Following an 0-10-1 stretch, the Arizona Coyotes will look to be sellers at the trade deadline, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote for The Athletic.
“Yeah, I’ve been open and transparent with our fan base and our players in the sense that [the players] dictate where we’re going, whether we’re buyers or sellers,” Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong told The Athletic on Friday. “And at this point, we’re not rich enough as an organization to go down a road and not receive assets if we’re not going to get into the playoffs.”
LeBrun adds that defenceman Matt Dumba and forward Jason Zucker are the most obvious targets available. Dumba has a $3.9 million expiring contract, while Zucker carries an AAV of $5.3 million. LeBrun adds that players with term, such as centre Nick Bjugstad and goaltender Karel Vejmelka are also garnering interest.
The Coyotes will try to add more draft picks to their already deep cupboard. The team has seven picks in the first three round of this upcoming draft, including three second rounders and three third rounders.
“If you look at any team that’s won the Stanley Cup, it’s pretty much the same: It’s built through the draft,” Armstrong said. “You need a No. 1 center, a No. 1 D-man and a No. 1 goaltender. And you need a whole lot of players around it. The moneymakers come in the draft. Nobody’s trading you Brayden Point — you know what I mean? Nobody is trading you Victor Hedman. You’ve got to find them in the draft.”
Predators on the Fence
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz will wait until closer to the March 8 deadline before making potential sell off decisions.
The Predators have a number of pending unrestricted free agents, including goaltender Kevin Lankinen, defencemen Tyson Barrie and Alexandre Carrier, and forwards Thomas Novak, Yakov Trenin and Denis Gurianov.
Nashville has also been listening to offers on goalie Juuse Saros, who has one year and $5 million left on his contract but no team, so far, has been willing to meet the team's large asking price.