Author Archives: Trade Man
Jack Todd: Habs need to get bigger, tougher
One of the oddities of the league is how certain organizations can face the same endemic problems for decades without finding a solution. The Canadiens have been too small since John LeClair was traded away and Mario Tremblay put the Smurf Line together in Hartford, with Saku Koivu between Oleg Petrov and Valeri Bure. The Flyers have spent two decades trying to find a fix for a big, lumbering defence and porous goaltending. Neither team has found a real solution.
When the Canadiens made their remarkable playoff run in 2010, they did so thanks to 1) Jaro Halak; 2) industrial-strength shot-blocking from Josh Gorges, Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek; and 3) Michael Cammalleri’s timely scoring.
Ryan O’Reilly’s days as an Av look to be over
Darren Dreger of TSN reported tonight the Avs are asking for a “roster player and a top prospect.” That sounds about right. The Avs will not confirm that’s what they are asking for. They won’t confirm much of anything right now. They have gone into bunker mentality mode on the Factor.
There is a lot more to this story, but until O’Reilly is traded, I’m kind of bound by an agreement not to report anything until then. Sorry. Really, I’m amazed this all happened. A 22-year-old heart-and-soul, two-way center, an absolute rink rat who loved Denver and loved the Avalanche wound up being the final unsigned big-name restricted free agent in the NHL. Really, it’s unbelievable.
Former Flames Rhett Warrener fires up Iginla
Rhett Warrener officially recorded 26 assists during his stint with the Calgary Flames.
It would appear the retired-defenceman-turned-radio-personality unofficially recorded another.
One sleep after Warrener said on the Sportsnet FAN960 radio show that his former teammate Jarome Iginla wasn’t showing the competitive juices that made him one of the NHL’s best players for a decade, the Calgary Flames captain had plenty of fire.
What if Luongo tells the Canucks he wants to stay?
What was once a foregone conclusion may not be so certain anymore in Vancouver, where all of a sudden Canucks GM Mike Gillis is answering questions about goalie Roberto Luongo not being traded.
Gillis was a guest on FAN 590 today and was floated an intriguing scenario from host Nick Kypreos.
“Hypothetically speaking,” asked Kypreos, “let’s say [Luongo] comes into your office tomorrow and says, ‘Let’s end this talk about me moving. I want to stay. If you’re comfortable having me stay, can we put an end to this and stop these talks?’”
Maple Leafs sniper Phil Kessel wants to finish his career in Toronto, his agent says
Phil Kessel wants to be a Maple Leaf for life.
So says his agent, Wade Arnott, who went on Toronto radio Wednesday to say so.
“Phil (Kessel) is still a really young man,” Arnott told the SportsNet Fan590. “He really enjoys living in Toronto and playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
B’s don’t have any interest in Jarome Iginla?
For Boston fans who keep asking me, I do not believe the B’s have any interest in Jarome Iginla. I don’t think they’ll go there.
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) February 13, 2013
#NHLJets acquire Eric Tangradi (@etangradi) from Pittsburgh in exchange for 2013 seventh round draft pick
— Scott Brown (@BrownScottTN) February 13, 2013
Is Whitney done in Edmonton?
Asked if he thinks his future in Edmonton is secure, Whitney said he doubts it.
“I would have to say right now it’s not looking that way. They’re paying me a lot of money and I’m not playing. I like it here a lot. I really like the guys and I like playing here but I don’t think they necessarily like me right now. I’m just frustrated.
“I’m not going to (ask for a trade). I think they’d be looking to do it more than I would. Why would they be paying me all this to not play? I believe I can help a lot of teams. I hope it’s here, I really like it here.”
”
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/02/12/edmonton-oilers-defenceman-ryan-whitney-says-while-he-doesnt-understand-being-scratched-hes-not-looking-for-a-trade
Goalies that the Leafs could be looking into.
If Nonis decides to go shopping, Jonathan Bernier of the Los Angeles Kings, Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks and Nikolai Khabibulin of the Edmonton Oilers are names that have been part of scuttlebutt. Free agents include Brent Johnson and Ty Conklin.
Avs finally looking to move O’Reilly
As we discussed in Insider Trading initial trade talk has Colorado requesting a roster player and top prospect for O’Reilly. #TSN
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 13, 2013
Whitney and Smyth scratched
Ryan Smyth and Ryan Whitney appear to be the healthy scratches tonight.
— Dan Tencer (@dantencer) February 12, 2013
You would have to think that they Oilers will be looking to trade Whitney in the very near future as he clearly does not fit into their plans.
Key NHL players who could be dealt Mark Streit, Nik Antropov, Ryan Whitney, Robyn Regehr, Tim Connolly and Dustin Penner all ripe for the peddling
Forgetting the Perry/Getzlaf scenario, here’s six other UFA names that could move:
Time for a trade?
It appears that the Pens may be looking to swing a deal
If management does not believe first-year pro Beau Bennett — who seems capable of filling a top-six role for a lot of years — is ready to contribute now, it should seriously consider giving up some of the assets it has hoarded (to wit, promising young defensemen) over the past few years to acquire a winger who can have an impact on one of the top two lines.
Blues in the trade market with Halak out?
The listless Blues fell to the Kings 4-1, extending their losing streak to five games. Never on Ken Hitchcock‘s watch has this team suffered such a dramatic downturn.
Now the Blues head out onto the road, starting Wednesday night at Detroit against the surging Red Wings.
Uh, oh!
This debacle left fans wondering if the general manager Doug Armstrong needs to so something. (Since he was in Toronto watching the Maple Leafs and Flyers play, the rumor mill started churning for real.)
No contender has more salary cap space to work with right now. Does Armstrong need to give the team’s chemistry a jolt?
Postma most likely candidate for trade
Paul Postma is the most attractive and moveable asset the Winnipeg Jets own, so expect to hear his name quite a bit as NHL trade talks heat up.
For what the Jets want — a forward adding size and skill — GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will have to dangle serious bait. Postma, at this stage, best fits that description.
Realignment agreement expected soon
THE NHL and NHLPA are working to solve the league’s alignment issues and a solution should be reached in the coming weeks.
The NHL proposed a realignment plan to its board of governors in December of 2011 and it passed. The NHLPA, however, refused to accept the proposal and the league elected to put it on the backburner until a new CBA could be negotiated.
The proposal would have seen the Jets move to a conference with Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, St. Louis, Nashville, Dallas and Minnesota.
Todays Waiver Wire Roundup
CGY claims Joey MacDonald off waivers from DET, BUF Matt Ellis clear waivers, and EDM places Hordichuk on waivers.
— Tim Wharnsby (@WharnsbyCBC) February 11, 2013
Leafs looks Reimer to injury tonight
#TMLtalk news: James Reimer will not return tonight due to a lower body injury
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 12, 2013
February 11, 2013 NHL Trade Rumors
Derick Brassard and Penner Available?
Who is available? Well, a few teams would love Ryan O’Reilly, but God knows how that ends. Once again, Derick Brassard’s name is coming up. That’s been an uneasy marriage, to say the least. The Columbus Blue Jackets have three first-round picks next year — their own and one each from the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. I can’t imagine they’d trade their own for anything less than a superstud, but the other two are strong commodities in a deep draft.
Another player of interest is Dustin Penner. He’s really in the doghouse with just three games played. If the Kings so desired, there would certainly be a market. He’s on a one-year deal. Hard to pin down many more names. Some teams don’t want to deal excess players because depth is critical. Very few teams are out of it, which prevents fire sales, and with the cap going down to $64.3 million US in 2013-14, you don’t want to add a big salary if you can avoid it. Maybe things loosen up in the next week or so.
Speaking of trades, rumours will heat up on Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Stephen Weiss and Jarome Iginla. But the Anaheim Ducks have looked good with Getzlaf and Perry.
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Tyler Myers ($12M) will be healthy scratch for a 2nd game tonight. He has the worst plus/minus (-9) of the NHL… #Sabres
— Patrick Caisse (@PatrickCaisse) February 10, 2013
HTR Believes that this is leading to more speculation that he could be on this way out of town.
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Kessler to return to the Canucks lineup soon.
At #Canucks super skills, Ryan Kesler says he “can see the light at the end of the tunnel” and that his return is “just around the corner”
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) February 10, 2013
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Flames claim goaltender Joey MacDonald off waivers from Red Wings
The Calgary Flames have claimed goaltender Joey MacDonald off waivers today.
MacDonald was cleared to play today after being out since March 14 due to a bulging disc.
The Flames needed a goalie after started Mikka Kiprusoff sprained his MCL last Tuesday in a game against the Red Wings. He is listed as day-to-day.
MacDonald, who turned 33 last Thursday, went 8-5-1, with a 2.16 goals-against average and .912 save percentage for the Red Wings in 2011-12. He stepped in when Jimmy Howard was injured and won seven games in a row at one point, winning the back-up job from Ty Conklin.
http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/02/flames_claim_goaltender_joey_m.html
Gerbe on the Trade Block?
Sources say don’t be shocked if Sabres GM Darcy Regier moves or at least attempts to move Gerbe in the near future.
Gerbe has been relegated to fourth line duty where with his size he’s hardly making any sort of relevant impact. He’s playing 9 minutes on a good night but for the most part is seeing 6-7 minutes of ice a night. This guy isn’t a fourth line player and I’m not so sure what the thought process is here.
