The NHL Trade Deadline is Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET, and a number of players remain the subject of multiple conversations as the days tick down.
Here are a few players to watch before the deadline comes, listed in alphabetical order:
Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Columbus Blue Jackets: The two-time Vezina Trophy winner can be an unrestricted free agent July 1 and has refused to discuss a new contract. Despite Bobrovsky’s struggles in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — in 24 games the 30-year-old has five wins, a 3.49 goals-against average and .891 save percentage — he likely gives the Blue Jackets their best chance to win their first playoff series. But can Columbus keep Bobrovsky and risk losing him for nothing after the season? Or will it look to trade Bobrovsky now and place faith in backup Joonas Korpisalo?
Derick Brassard, F, Florida Panthers: The forward was acquired by the Panthers in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 1, but his stay in Florida could be a short one. Brassard is a proven playoff performer. He helped the New York Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, has played in the Eastern Conference Final three times and has reached double figures in points four times in six trips to the postseason. The 31-year-old can be a UFA after the season and if the Panthers think the playoffs are out of reach they could look to move Brassard.
Matt Duchene, F, Ottawa Senators: He’s one of three top Ottawa forwards who each can be a UFA after the season, along with Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. How many of them will remain past the deadline? A TSN report Sunday said the Senators plan on trading Duchene, despite Duchene telling the Ottawa Sun that his agent, Pat Brisson, recently met with Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion to discuss a new contract and intimating that he’s happy in Ottawa. But it appears that happiness might not result in a contract, meaning the 28-year-old could be used to add to the Senators’ prospect pipeline.
Video: OTT@WPG: Duchene finishes nice passing play for PPG
Ryan Dzingel, F, Ottawa Senators: A seventh-round pick (No. 203) in the 2011 NHL Draft, the 26-year-old has emerged as a talented power forward with back-to-back 20-goal seasons. The Senators likely see Dzingel as part of a young core that includes forwards Brady Tkachuk and Colin White, and defenseman Thomas Chabot. They also could look to move him ahead of the deadline for more young players rather than risk losing him as a UFA.
Kevin Hayes, F, New York Rangers: The forward could be a valuable piece of the Rangers’ rebuilding effort with his size (6-foot-5, 216 pounds) and speed. He also has 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists) in 49 games, which is seven points from his NHL high of 49 points in 79 games in 2016-17. But the pending UFA could bring a sizable return in a trade, something that has to pique the interest of GM Jeff Gorton.
Duncan Keith, D, Chicago Blackhawks: Keith and defenseman Brent Seabrook were the defensive bedrock of Chicago’s Stanley Cup championship teams in 2010, 2013 and 2015. But the Blackhawks are stacked with young defenseman prospects who could be ready for larger roles next season, among them Henri Jokiharju and Adam Boqvist, the No. 8 pick of the 2018 NHL Draft. At 35, Keith remains productive with a plus-8 rating and is averaging 22:44 of ice time in 59 games. Seabrook, 33, is second among Chicago defensemen with five goals. Their contracts will be tough to move; Keith has four seasons left after this one and Seabrook is in the third season of an eight-year contract. But it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to hear their names mentioned if a contending team is looking for help on defense.
Ilya Kovalchuk, F, Los Angeles Kings: The 35-year-old’s return to the NHL after five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League hasn’t gone how he or the Kings expected. He has 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 48 games and the Kings have slid to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Kovalchuk has two years left on the three-year, $18.75 million contract he signed July 1, and the Kings could investigate if there’s a contending team willing to see if Kovalchuk can help a power play and add secondary scoring.
Gustav Nyquist, F, Detroit Red Wings: The 29-year-old is second on the Red Wings with 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) and on pace for an NHL career-high 66. Does that mean he’s a part of the future in Detroit? Or could the Red Wings look to move the pending UFA ahead of the deadline?
Artemi Panarin, F, Columbus Blue Jackets: Columbus’ leading scorer with 67 points (24 goals, 43 assists) can be a UFA after the season, and like Bobrovsky has said he will not negotiate a new contract during the season. Much like with Bobrovsky, the Blue Jackets must balance the chance to win now with the potential risk of losing their best skater for nothing during the offseason, with trading Panarin prior to the deadline and hoping the return, combined with the Blue Jackets’ other players, is enough to get them deep in the postseason. GM Jarmo Kekalainen said all possibilities are being considered. “We’re going to have to look at all our options, and once we have them in front of us we’ll make a decision,” he said.
Video: CBJ@CHI: Panarin cashes in on Bjorkstrand’s nice feed
Jakob Silfverberg, F, Anaheim Ducks: The 28-year-old leads Anaheim with 15 goals and is on pace to score at least 20 for the third time in four seasons. He can be a UFA after the season, and with the Ducks looking to integrate a number of young forward prospects into the lineup, among them Sam Steel, Max Jones, Max Comtois and Troy Terry, they could look to move Silfverberg for future assets.
Mark Stone, F, Ottawa Senators: The 26-year-old leads Ottawa with 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) and has filled much of the off-ice leadership duties left open when defenseman Erik Karlsson was traded to the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 13. Dorion recently told TSN 1290 he would like to sign Duchene, Dzingel and Stone to contracts, but TSN reported Sunday that like Duchene, Stone’s future could be decided by the early part of this week.
Wayne Simmonds, F, Philadelphia Flyers: The 30-year-old averaged 27 goals the previous seven seasons and remains a strong net-front presence at 5-on-5 and on the power play. He’s fourth on the Flyers with 16 goals, including five on the power play. Simmonds’ skating isn’t yet where it needs to be following May surgery to repair a torn pelvis and abdominal muscle, but he feels it’s gotten better as the season has gone on. He’s a pending UFA, and though GM Chuck Fletcher has said he doesn’t want to risk losing Simmonds for nothing, the Flyers might be hesitant to remove a key leader from a team pushing for playoff spot.
Mats Zuccarello, F, New York Rangers: The next stage of the rebuilding effort the Rangers started last season could involve trading the 31-year-old forward before he becomes a UFA on July 1. He’s averaging a personal NHL best 0.84 points per game and could be a big acquisition for a team looking to add to its scoring depth.
from A Viral Update http://bit.ly/2tu8hkM
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