NHL Trade Deadline Rumors and News

[DewsSox79]

Lol its funny cause Dewey brought up Holmstrom, and said we tried to compare them. I guess we say it the Dewcakws way "Fucking idiot"

i said he isnt holmstrom. dero posted stats of both players trying to compare and make his point with points. really not hard to understand

 

[icehogfan08]

i said he isnt holmstrom. dero posted stats of both players trying to compare and make his point with points. really not hard to understand

My point being your brought him up...

 

[icehogfan08]

Rumor Roundup: Trade market slows down

The NHL trade deadline is less than three weeks away, but despite some notable names being kicked around the rumor mill, there hasn't been much trade activity so far.

The main reason for that is the lack of available talent. There aren’t a lot of teams in sell mode right now and those who are have little to offer.

TSN's Bob McKenzie reported the pickings are so slim for top-six forwards that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke may have to decide to stand pat at the trade deadline.

Considering the Leafs have won six of their past 10 to climb back into a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, it might not be a bad idea for Burke to stick with what he's got, provided the team continues to play well up to deadline day.

Leafs center Mikhail Grabovski was mentioned as a centerpiece in many trade rumors that involved players such as Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf and Columbus’ Jeff Carter.

Grabovski's performance in recent games (seven points in his past five games, 20 points since Jan. 3) could bolster his trade value, but it also increases his value to a Leafs team trying to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

KINGS CAPPED OUT

Like the Maple Leafs, the low-scoring Los Angeles Kings are also in the market for a scoring forward.

But the pickings are just as slim for Kings GM Dean Lombardi and his limited cap space will also hamper his efforts.

It's believed Lombardi is seeking a first-line winger, but they're as scarce as first-line centers right now.

WILL RUUTU COME OFF THE BOARD?

The market for top-six forwards may get thinner in the coming days if the Carolina Hurricanes don't get a decent offer for right winger Tuomo Ruutu.

It was rumored Ruutu, slated for unrestricted free agency this summer, wouldn't be re-signed by the Hurricanes, but GM Jim Rutherford intends to meet with him this week to discuss the Finn’s future.

Rutherford already surprised the hockey world by re-signing defenseman Tim Gleason, a player many thought was available for trade. It's possible Rutherford will attempt to re-sign Ruutu if trade offers are lacking, but the right winger’s salary demands have to be reasonable for that to happen.

NASH’S NAME POPS UP AGAIN

Rick Nash's name has once again appeared in the rumor mill, this time courtesy of a report by Sportsnet's John Shannon, who said he was contacted by friends of Nash claiming their pal wasn't happy with the direction the Blue Jackets had taken and wouldn't stand in the way of a trade.

This isn't the first time speculation over Nash's “unhappiness” has popped up. His response last month to a hypothetical question posed by a Columbus Dispatch reporter that he wouldn't refuse a trade if he were asked to waive his no-trade clause by management created a bit of a sensation.

Nash's insistence that he wanted to remain with the Blue Jackets was overlooked and that he would continue to put his trust in management's decisions.

Nash undoubtedly cannot be pleased over how things have gone this season. Still, there's no indication Blue Jackets management intends to shop its captain and franchise player, so it could fall upon Nash to demand a trade if he truly wants out of Columbus.

DON’T EXPECT IGINLA TO BE TRADED

Another month, another opportunity for Calgary Flames right winger Jarome Iginla to deny he wants to be dealt.

Following the morning skate leading up to Monday's Flames-Ducks game, Iginla said he intended to stick with the Flames and believed they had a good chance at making the playoffs in the very tight Western Conference.

‘Iggy’ won't be dealt this season, but despite his frequent denials - and those of Flames GM Jay Feaster - that he’ll be traded, he'll probably end up having to answer the same questions again in the off-season, especially if the Flames miss the playoffs.

 

[icehogfan08]

THN.com Top 10: Players in need of a new home
As the Feb. 27 NHL trade deadline approaches, many players’ names will be bandied about in rumors. But for a variety of reasons, some NHLers need a change of scenery more than others. (You’ll note the absence of Jarome Iginla from this list, a fact that will puzzle some. But Iginla is comfortable in Calgary and the team clearly is comfortable with him. I’ve said many times I believe he should be traded, but these other 10 are in a more uncomfortable predicament than the Flames captain.) Here are the 10 NHLers most in need of a new playing home:

10. Mike Komisarek, Toronto

Komisarek’s stay in Toronto has been tumultuous to say the least, with the veteran defenseman often a healthy scratch when he wasn’t recuperating from a broken arm. He is under contract for two more years at $4.5 million per season, but if he can get away from the Toronto fishbowl, the 30-year-old still could salvage what was an above-average NHL career.

9. Paul Stastny, Colorado

He is on pace for a fifth-straight season of at least 20 goals and is Colorado’s second-leading point-getter, but Stastny also makes more money ($6.6 million a year) than anyone on the Avs roster and the sense is his development has stalled. He’s still only 26 and with just two years left on his contract after this season, he might benefit from playing elsewhere – and if they moved him, Colorado would benefit from the healthy trade return Stastny would bring.

8. Chris Stewart, St. Louis

A former member of the Avs who went to the Blues in the Erik Johnson/Kevin Shattenkirk blockbuster deal last year, Stewart is averaging third-liner minutes (16:13) and is a restricted free agent this summer. Just 24 years old, he is on pace for a 16-goal season – down from 28 last year – and almost certainly will entice a rival GM into thinking he can turn his game around in a new city.

7. Marek Zidlicky, Minnesota

The veteran defenseman made public his dissatisfaction with being a repeated healthy scratch last week and would welcome a trade. His age (35) and contractual status (one more year at $4 million) aren’t the most attractive, but on a team clearly bound for the playoffs (and not fighting tooth-and-nail for them as the Wild are) he could relax and rediscover the offensive game that has abandoned him this season.

6. Alex Semin, Washington

The Caps still are in a tough fight to make the post-season and Semin, although marginally better of late, still is on track for just 48 points in 77 games, which would be his worst offensive year since 2007-08, when he had 42 points in 63 games. A pending unrestricted free agent, he’s cost himself a lot of money, but could look to sign a short-term contract that will allow him to re-establish his reputation as a premier sniper.

5. Jeff Carter, Columbus

Never the biggest ray of sunshine to begin with, Carter has looked like anybody other than someone who intended to play out the remainder of his contract (one that has a whopping 10 years still to go) in Columbus. With only 12 goals and 19 points in 32 games – and with a cap hit of more than $5.2 million a season – it won’t be easy to find him a new home. But if he were in a more competitive situation, Carter’s scoring prowess would likely improve.

4. Derek Roy, Buffalo

Barring a miracle, the Sabres will miss the playoffs this year and some suspect owner Terry Pegula will want some type of significant change. Of the many underachievers – your ears should be burning, Ville Leino – Roy would bring the most significant return. Although he’s on pace for his worst offensive year since his rookie season and has Buffalo’s third-worst plus/minus rating (minus-12) among its forwards, the 28-year-old makes a relatively affordable $4 million and has just one more year left on his contract. Eight years in that market may be enough.

3. Ales Hemsky, Edmonton

Simply put, Hemsky looks like he’s set to fly out of Oil Country at the first chance. He’s being outscored by Ben Eager, is on pace for 36 points this season, and is a UFA this summer. That’s exactly the kind of player teams will covet at the trade deadline. If he isn’t playing elsewhere in March, many will be shocked.

2. Scott Gomez, Montreal

Gomez has muddled through the worst year of his professional career in terms of both his health and his production and now is at a very strange place for a pro athlete. On the one hand, he’s almost certainly untradeable this season; but on the other, it’s hard to imagine a way he’ll be back in Montreal next season. If there’s an amnesty clause built into the next collective bargaining agreement, the 32-year-old will be bought out almost immediately. If not, Canadiens management, already dealing with a horrible public image this season, will face pressure to bury his contract in the American League. So he’s not yet gone, but not really here. No wonder he can’t score – and no wonder he needs another employment address.

1. Rick Nash, Columbus

Let’s be clear – Nash’s devotion to the Jackets franchise is to be applauded. But there comes a point in every athlete’s life where he begins not to be judged by the post-season games he’s played, but by the lack thereof. At age 27, and with just four playoff games played, Nash is at that point. If he stays in Columbus, his talent has the potential to make the team decent enough to avoid the top three picks it needs to build for the future. If he leaves, he’ll bring a mountain of assets in return and speed the franchise’s rebound. It’s short-term pain for the team and for Nash, who genuinely loves the city, but it’s in the long-term best interests of both to part ways.

 

[HawkWriter]

Tim Sassone tweeting that Hawks are in talks for Sutton and possibly Burish.

Dreger says the Blackhawks are shopping for a goaltender.

 

[Everyday I'm Byfuglien]

Heard Sutton before but Burish... that's amusing.

Not saying I wouldn't welcome him back (I would), but it really felt like he sorta yapped his way out of town. He'd be a nice fit in more ways that one.

Goaltender- pass.

 

[Captain Iago]

Didn't Bowman, less than a week ago (hell, just a few days ago), say that anyone who stated the Hawks were close to a trade was "an idiot?"

 

[icehogfan08]

I heard the goalie rumor to on the NHL network. Nabokov is the target

 

[Everyday I'm Byfuglien]

Noooo thanks to Nabokov.

 

[DewsSox79]

burish and sutton would really solve our problems. I really hope it stays what it is, a rumor.

 

[Captain Iago]

burish and sutton would really solve our problems. I really hope it stays what it is, a rumor.

Meh, Burish is a step, albeit small, in the right direction. If Sutton is what's out there available, then oif.

They're not going to solve the all of the problems, I agree.

 

[icehogfan08]

Those are not upgrades, I can see Burish maybe as coming is as a familiar face, but he's nothing better than what we have now. Sutton is just another 5-6 D-man, I'll pass on both

 

[icehogfan08]

Eklund, TSN, NHL network all reporting hawks are interested in the Islanders Nabokov.

 

[HawkWriter]

Didn't Bowman, less than a week ago (hell, just a few days ago), say that anyone who stated the Hawks were close to a trade was "an idiot?"

I'm not to sure, but at this point in the year I wouldn't believe/trust one word that a GM/Coach/Ownership/Etc says before the trade deadline.

 

[DewsSox79]

Eklund, TSN, NHL network all reporting hawks are interested in the Islanders Nabokov.

is there a link that discusses the return for him?

 

[Everyday I'm Byfuglien]

Eklund, TSN, NHL network all reporting hawks are interested in the Islanders Nabokov.

Yuck

 

[Capt. Serious]

Nabby has outplayed both Craw & Emery.

Funny how if Craw is bad, he's the worst goalie ever then Emery has a bad game & it's ok.

Emery's GAA 2.80. He'd be under .500 with a team like Columbus.

 

[derosabomb]

good to see joecawks is embracing how much he sucks at life now.

 

[icehogfan08]

is there a link that discusses the return for him?

Hvent seen anything yet just going off tweets. I suspect something because the icehogs just Richards to the EZcHL unless they are going to give Salak anther chance.

 

[HawkWriter]

I've heard that Campoli is a possibility.

Personally I would be happy to bring Campoli back. More of a #4/5 guy than Sutton/Erskine/etc that we've been hearing. Campoli is a lot more physical and blocks more shots than a lot of people give him credit for.

I realize people are pissed about his last play in a Blackhawks sweater, but o well. I'd take him back at the right price.