Following a busy weekend on the trade market, headlined by Seth Jones landing in Florida and the Avalanche bringing in depth they’ve been looking for, trade deadline action is really heating up.
Those two contenders don’t appear to be finished just yet, and with plenty of other clubs making calls, we’re most likely in for a busy week.
Here’s a collection of some of the most intriguing situations around the league, as highlighted by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman on Monday’s edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.
Busy Avalanche aren’t done yet
Colorado has kept us on our toes all season, tinkering with the lineup via trades targeting just about every position. And even after last month’s three-team blockbuster that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina and brought Martin Necas to the Avalanche, among other assets, and Saturday’s trade to add a little sandpaper to the blue line in Ryan Lindgren, Friedman believes the front office is still shopping.
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“I still think they could go after their (second-line centre) spot,” he said on Monday’s podcast. “I don’t think this is over.”
The club has struggled to strike a balance down the middle, with a big drop-off in production after Nathan MacKinnon on the top line. The acquisition of Casey Mittelstadt last spring looked like a strong fit at first, but his struggles lately have put the position back in the spotlight. The return of winger Valeri Nichushkin should help a lot down the stretch, but with Colorado’s window still wide open in a division that’s been a battle all year, it can’t afford to lose pace in this race.
Vegas ready to shoot its shot with big-name trade targets
Since Vegas’ arrival in the NHL, no franchise has taken as many big swings on the trade and free agency market as the Golden Knights. And while their pool of trade chips isn’t as deep as it once was — for starters, they’ve already traded away their first-round picks in 2025 and 2026 — they’re always in on the top names. That applies this year, too.
“I think if Rantanen’s there, they take a shot,” Friedman said on Monday’s podcast. “Can they do it? I don’t know. But they’ll take their shot. (Brayden) Schenn, I think they’re in and around it. They’ll take their shot. I don’t know if it’s gonna end up going their way — there’re definitely teams that can outbid them with what they’ve got. I think they will add scoring somewhere, but I just look at them and I say, ‘I always assume the big swing first.’”
It’s unclear if Schenn is truly still on the trade block, considering the hot streak the Blues are on, but the fact GMs Doug Armstrong and Kelly McCrimmon are familiar trade partners (they worked together to send Ivan Barbashev to Vegas ahead of the 2023 deadline) is intriguing — as is the idea that Vegas could be one of the clubs rumoured to be interested in uniting the Schenn brothers.
“That’s a team that I’ve also wondered about, if they got Brayden, would they go for Luke, too?” said Friedman.
Predators open for business, but Trotz won’t blow up core
After the Nashville Predators made a splash with their shopping spree last summer, headlined by the signings of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, the club has fallen drastically short of the hype. The team sits second last in the Central Division, well off-pace of any post-season hopes, its goal-scoring woes persisting all year. As the losses have piled up, so too has speculation that general manager Barry Trotz might make drastic moves to shake up his core.
“He’s gone to a lot of his players and he’s asked them, ‘Are you still in?’” Friedman said of Trotz’s conversations with his core. “‘Because if you’re not, I’ll move you.’”
Per Friedman, the resounding response from the players was that they want to stay and fix what’s broken down in Nashville.
“As far as I know, I don’t think there’s anybody there who is protected or is part of their core who’s asked out,” said Friedman.
The Predators have five players with no-move clauses: Stamkos, Marchessault, Filip Forsberg, Josi Roman and Brady Skej. And, per Friedman, while Ryan O’Reilly doesn’t have any trade protection built into his contract, the organization views him among that core.
“I have no reason to believe, as we record this, that O’Reilly has changed his mind on being in Nashville,” said Friedman.
So, while all signs point to the Predators’ core staying intact through the deadline as the club tries to fix things in-house, there’s a handful of players in supporting roles who could be on the move. Here’s who Friedman is watching this week:
Thomas Novak: Per Friedman, there was plenty of trade interest around Novak last year but rather than moving him, Nashville opted to sign him to an extension. His production dropped off this season, but his position and his contract (two more years at $3.5 million per) make him a viable trade target for contenders looking for depth down the middle.
Colton Sissons: Friedman calls him “the kind of versatile forward that teams really like.” His $2.86-million cap hit for one more year makes him an affordable option, too.
Michael McCarron: A winger signed through next season with a $900,000 AAV, McCarron should be coveted by teams looking for a big body down the wing.
Luke Schenn: Schenn has been in the rumour mill for a little while now, with teams calling about his brother, too. His $2.75-million AAV extends through next year.
Maple Leafs looking to add a centre, but should they consider D?
Friedman believes the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top deadline priority is adding another centre, but with all this uncertainty around winger Mikko Rantanen’s status with the Hurricanes, might we see GM Brad Treliving make some calls there?
“If it becomes a thing, it’s just Treliving’s way that he would poke into Rantanen,” Friedman said on the podcast. “Now, obviously, it could never be a long-term thing unless their cap situation completely changed. But I find it very hard to believe that if Rantanen got out there, Toronto wouldn’t at least see what it took to do it.”
Another question about the club’s deadline approach is on the blue line — an area the team has always targeted this time of year. With a solid group intact thanks to summertime shopping, that’s perhaps been less of a priority for Toronto but recent minor injuries to both Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson could bring the blue line into the spotlight.
“I just wonder if they want insurance,” said Friedman.
Could Kraken keep Gourde?
As a pending UFA, Yanni Gourde’s name has been out there among players to watch on the trade market ahead of Friday. His injury status — he’s been out since the end of January after undergoing sports hernia surgery, but appears to be nearing a return — complicates things around his trade value. But the bigger question is whether or not he’s actually available.
“I have heard that Seattle’s considering keeping Gourde,” Friedman said on Monday’s podcast. “I don’t know what the chances are, but I’ve heard they’ve talked about it. He’s an alternate captain there, they do like what he provides on and off the ice. I’m curious to see if they get an extension done.”
As for other members of the Kraken:
Brandon Tanev: Friedman believes the winger will be dealt, saying, “I don’t think there’s much interest there on either side to pursue an extension.”
Jaden Schwartz: With a year still remaining on his deal, how Kraken management approaches players such as Schwartz will be interesting and can tell us a lot about the direction of this club beyond this spring.
Andre Burakovsky: He has two more years at $5.5-million AAV.
Oliver Bjorkstrand: Another big-money contract, though with just one more year on his deal at $5.4 million, he could be a candidate to move to a contender at the right price.
Jared McCann: “I don’t think they have put McCann out there,” said Friedman. “I’ve heard that’s the other way around — that’s teams calling them to say, ‘Would you do this?’” Friedman believes a team would have to come in with an incredibly enticing offer for any talks to begin.
Jamie Oleksiak: With a modified no-trade clause, he’s got some say in his destination, but Friedman says teams are calling.
Canucks’ moves might come in the summer
If you’ve been on the edge of your seat when it comes to Elias Pettersson trade possibilities and how to settle the turmoil around the Vancouver Canucks, you’d better get comfortable. Because while the clock is ticking on the league’s trade window, Friedman doesn’t expect movement on the Pettersson front by Friday. This is a story that is most likely to stay awhile.
“I think the Pettersson stuff, I’m not expecting it to happen this week — with the caveat of, anything can happen. All it takes is one phone call,” he said on Monday’s podcast. “But if it’s not this week, it becomes one of the big storylines of the summer — as long as he doesn’t get going.”
Panthers won’t move Bennett (but will keep shopping)
What do you get when you take a Stanley Cup champion and add a bunch of cap space and LTIR flexibility? We’re about to find out, thanks to the Panthers, who have already made a major move on the trade market with Saturday’s acquisition of defenceman Seth Jones. News that Matthew Tkachuk likely won’t be back before the post-season tells us they’ve got more room to play ahead of Friday’s deadline.
“I think you have to look at them right now and say, ‘With all that cap room, they’re going to strike again,’” said Friedman.
While Friedman didn’t outline who, exactly, the Panthers are coveting, he did deliver an update on contract talks with forward Sam Bennett — no deal yet, but also no trade talks. He’s staying — for now, at least.
“There was a time, earlier in the season, where I think the Panthers and Bennett were close (to an extension),” said Friedman. “I think whatever happens, they’re gonna keep him, they’re gonna go for it, and we’ll see how it plays out in the summer.”