Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin (Andre Ringuette / Freestyle Photo / Getty Images), The Sharks would probably have to take on a sizable salary in return in any trade. He has four goals and 8 points in 23 games. But extending unrestricted free agents is not Sweeney’s preference. Given Victor Mete’s lack of playing time and whether his trade request was real or not, this is one sources around the league are monitoring and think could be moved at the deadline. It is believed that more pieces — another player or a draft pick — have been discussed. The 30-year-old forward has two goals and an assist in 11 games this season. The Minnesota Wild are really the only team that can solve this issue. I’ve had several team executives point to that in conversations over the past week. On Sunday, Adam Henrique cleared waivers and was still skating with the big club; the Ducks not choosing to bury him in the minors. But he’s not untouchable, not if he’s going to play like this. A year ago, Brown wouldn’t have been in the conversation here, but NHL teams have noticed a resurgence in his play, based on him playing fewer minutes as a penalty killer and dropping some weight, which has made him quicker off the mark. The Kings’ investment in Athanasiou was modest, and so any return they might get in a deal likely would be modest as well. But he’s a chip that’s very much in play. The Sabres are struggling again and the questions about Eichel’s future have resurfaced and there is some compelling logic to seeing him end up with the Rangers, a team that has attractive young assets that could be packaged in return. Are the Wild going to be buyers or sellers? 1 blueliner on this year’s unrestricted free agent list come July 28 if for whatever reason he can’t come to an agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes before that time. Open Article in App. My sense is to not hold your breath for anything here, especially during the season. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline said Hofmann could join Columbus in the near future. So the guess is that Malkin stays put for now. He has been in and out of the Wild lineup since the team acquired him in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes in January 2019, and with a whopping $4 million cap … One has to wonder how much the upcoming Seattle Expansion Draft will affect the approach each team has for the big day. Come this summer, things get really interesting when the Penguins can give him a new deal, trade him or do nothing. Plus, Kubalik’s not a great fit for this current team.”. -Max Bultman (March 4). Check in here throughout the 2020-21 season to get the latest NHL trade rumors and analysis on which deals have gone down leading up to the trade deadline. Hurricanes get: D Max Lajoie, (Top photo of Mikko Lehtonen: Courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs). The Blue Jackets have carried nine defensemen most of this season, but big changes could be coming by the April 12 deadline. By: Wesly Beausoleil | March 13, 2021 March 12, 2021 Coming out of the All-Star Break, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a lot of questions to answer. ... — Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 12, 2021. So, even with five pending unrestricted free agents — Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Ian Cole, Marcus Johansson and Brad Hunt — who could be enticing to other playoff contenders and the Matt Dumba expansion decision looming, the only chance of Guerin executing a selloff is if the Wild fall off a cliff before April 12. Sources around the league suggested “something along the lines of 4×4, maybe a bit more if he stays healthy all year,” was a reasonable estimate. So what can Winnipeg realistically do? NHL Rumours: Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, AHL By: Dan Mount, Site Manager | January 11, 2021 January 11, 2021 We’re closing in on the start of … It is good experience for the youth including Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway, Kevin Fiala, Kirill Kaprizov, and Nico Sturm. He’s been a strong forward who has been highly effective for the Wild despite the lack of production. The team has announced Rossi will be out indefinitely with an upper body injury. “(Binnington) bet on himself, and he’s going to get paid like those guys expect to be paid and will get paid like the guys that have had success,” St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong said. The 28-year-old center has displayed his ability to be a strong middle-six center that can be a reliable two-way player. Timothy Liljegren has an NHL future, and it could be with Toronto, but as a featured piece for a trade deadline push, he would be the likely candidate in their prospect pool per discussions with teams around the league. But I think it’s safe to say there are probably going to be changes to the lottery format for the second time in seven years. (March 1). There have been trade conversations involving current NHL roster players in the past and present. It can help aid their development and can provide valuable experiences that could be critical in the future. Tanner Pearson is on an expiring deal with no trade protection and should command a decent return — perhaps even a second-round pick — particularly if the Canucks were willing to retain salary or take back some cash in the swap. Damir Zhafyarov, Matt Kiersted and Strauss Mann are three big names to watch as NHL teams look for talent outside of the NHL. A high-ranking NHL executive told The Athletic that there would be interest in players like Adam Henrique and others — think Jakob Silfverberg, Cam Fowler or even Ryan Getzlaf — but that the Ducks may face problems moving them unless they retain some salary. He’s not so talented that he’s a sure thing, and Columbus has to get him to sign on the dotted line, but for a seventh-round pick, this is a nice gamble. Jack Eichel is in the third season of an eight-year, $80 million deal. Hurricanes get: F Cedric Paquette and F Alex Galchenyuk, Senators get: F Jack Kopacka and 2022 seventh-round pick Due to quarantines and the tight salary cap, it will be a tricky time period for NHL general managers. He’s more of a middle-of-the-road, conservative approach, not the swing-for-the-fences approach.” -Fluto Shinzawa (March 8), • There’s a real question about whether the New York Islanders can afford Casey Cizikas this summer, when he can become an unrestricted free agent. His value is much lower than it would have been last season, so making a deal isn’t simple. They could also facilitate a deal by retaining salary, whether it be 25 percent or the maximum 50 percent. Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild San Jose Sharks ... Russell Wilson Rumors: Chances Seahawks Trade QB Before 2021 NFL Season. The trade deadline for the 2020-21 NHL season is scheduled for April 12, but moves and talks are already happening. Our group has played well, but not quite good enough. Minnesota Timberwolves rumors: Trade on the horizon Feb 14, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) talks with a … ... January 19, 2021. Just like in the fall, the Rangers have become the hot topic. As shocked and disappointed as he was by the end of his time in Minnesota, Stalock said Monday during an exclusive interview with The Athletic that he can’t wait to fly to Edmonton on Tuesday. They still believe he’s a franchise goalie and they’d like it to be their franchise. The Bruins have Jack Studnicka, 22, and Trent Frederic, 23, eager to play center full-time. A trade request, like a contract impasse, will rarely draw the ire of a fellow NHL player because the business side of the sport is something each player figures he’ll confront at some point in his career. The Wild are in an interesting situation this season which could have been expected before the season began. His affordability is what makes him a very attractive trade target. This season was supposed to be a year of growth, and expectations had placed the Timberwolves as a fringe playoff team. Updated hourly with news and features from over 150 writers worldwide. The final four seasons feature a no-movement clause. But the real impediment toward a trade could be those three years left. They also know that the pending restricted free agent could command a salary that’s too hefty for the Wild to stomach. The Big Apple loves its Broadway stars, and Eichel would fit the bill. ©2021 The Athletic Media Company. • The fact Alex Galchenyuk stayed back in Ottawa after the Sens-Hurricanes deal Saturday means he can join the Leafs without the 14-day quarantine because he never crossed the border. Any player crossing the border from the U.S. to Canada must quarantine for 14 days. -James Mirtle (March 9), The perceptive Mattias Ekholm, 30, realizes what could be in store for him but told The Athletic, “I don’t try to focus in on it too much.”, Ekholm continued: “But now, when I guess our team is doing bad, we understand nobody’s happy, and neither am I with the way we have played so far. For starters, we’ve had as many as 18 clubs in LTIR this season and currently, according to CapFriendly, 15 clubs with a projected cap hit that exceeds the upper limit of $81.5 million using LTIR. — Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) March 3, 2021. Micheal Ferland’s deal is reportedly uninsured, which is inconvenient, but the contract also carries sneaky value in trade talks since it’s likely to remain on long-term injured reserve for the term that remains on the deal. -Adam Vingan (March 9), The Boston Bruins are not likely to be one of the teams bidding for Ekholm, as GM Don Sweeney does not try to shop for the most sought-after players on the market. The Ducks are also at the 50-player contract limit. -Michael Russo (March 1), • I believe the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to try to bolster their depth on the blue line. Bonino has also had a very underwhelming start to the season. If Florida wants to trade Aleksander Barkov for him, hey, I’m sure the Penguins would be all ears. Well, the team also has to consider its pending free agents this offseason and next, plus who it will lose in the Seattle expansion draft. And, in terms of “buying,” very, very doubtful unless some upgrade at center falls from the sky and the asking price isn’t exorbitant. -Corey Masisak (March 9), • The Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic trade left the Winnipeg Jets without much in the way of NHL players who could garner a top-four defenseman in return. -Arthur Staple (March 1). But there are some ominous signs that point to a quiet deadline. So bookmark Ferland as a possible offseason trade chip, but know that there’s next to no chance of him moving in-season. The C's have a hefty trade exception at their disposal Signing the two-year with the option of heading to free agency, yeah, I think I still had more to prove. Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin fully expects the Wild to make the playoffs. There’s a tangible gap in each position. Corey Pronman ranked the top 27 college and European players who will be free agents, detailing what to expect of each. The Blackhawks aren’t actively shopping Dylan Strome, but teams believe he’s an option for those who are looking for a boost down the middle. David Krejci can still play, however, he is in the last season of his six-year, $43.5 million contract. Granlund was one of the NHL’s unrestricted free agents impacted by the flat cap, as he hung around unsigned well past the October opening of free agency. Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm might be the most attractive all-around player available right now. The Hockey Writers Revisiting Wild’s Nixed Deadline Trade of Parise to Islanders Last Season. -John Vogl (Feb. 18). The experience from the Patrik Laine trade from Winnipeg earlier this season suggests it will be at least a week before Lehtonen arrives. The NHL Trade Deadline is set for April 12, A Goal Horn Story: Ranking the NHL’s Horns 1-32, Prospects News & Rumors: Geekie, Borgström & Damiani, 4 Forwards the Hurricanes Could Target as Trade Deadline Nears, 3 Takeaways From Jets’ Entertaining Series Against the Maple Leafs, 3 Takeaways From the Golden Knights Series Against the Blues, Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Nylander, Muzzin, Andersen & Sabourin, NHL Rumors: Sharks, Lightning, Stars, Rangers, More, Then and Now: The Maple Leafs All-Time Centres, Blue Jackets’ Max Domi Making Important Strides. • In regards to alignment, Gary Bettman said it is likely that the NHL is headed back to the divisions from before this season (other than Arizona moving to the Central with Seattle coming into the Pacific). eval(ez_write_tag([[300,600],'thehockeywriters_com-box-1','ezslot_7',105,'0','0']));report this ad. He is on the last year of his contract with a cap hit of just over $2 million. All rights reserved. -Kevin Kurz (March 11). Also, Bill Daly confirmed that, while no final decision has been taken, it’s more likely than not that the July 23-24 draft will stay as scheduled. While the GM remains possible even more inclined to move Zach Parise than he was when he tried at last year’s trade deadline, Parise’s a year older, the salary cap is staying flat at $81.5 million and he thus far hasn’t looked like the Parise of old, including the one who led the team in goal scoring a season ago. Burns hasn’t been the problem when it comes to this core group, but he might be the first chip to fall on a team that probably needs to start making some changes sooner rather than later. So even though a continuation of their partnership could serve Krejci and his employer well, recent history indicates a parting is more likely. (March 1). One league source recently said the Blackhawks should strongly consider trading Kubalik now. I suspect the Hurricanes look at Torey Krug’s contract in St. Louis and want to work from there ($6.5 million salary ballpark). It can be an effective path to accumulate draft picks as building through the draft is the best way to build a contender. And he’s a free agent in 18 months anyway. Hurricanes get: F Egor Korshkov and D David Warsofsky, Blue Jackets get: F Gregory Hofmann Minnesota Wild Dealt Huge Injury Blow Shug McSween Tuesday, January 12, 2021 Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are looking to turn a page within their franchise and prospect Marco Rossi is supposed to play a major part this season. Krejci is not interested in retiring. They found some ground and got it done. Hopefully we can find it from within. • I wondered if the Montreal Canadiens might make a call on Eric Staal. “If we have to shake things up, I think we will do that. If they want to continue this hot streak and make their way into the postseason, they are going to need Parise to be a huge part of their team. Avalanche get: D Greg Pateryn, Senators get: F Clark Bishop We’ve never had a landscape this crazy as far as teams with so little wiggle room. “I think around the league, he’s looked at as a good No. Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild ... Russell Wilson Rumors: NFC Team Building Trade Offer Seahawks Can’t Refuse? If a goalie is leaving South Florida before the trade deadline, the smart bet is on Chris Driedger. Kyle Palmieri might want to bet on a strong postseason elsewhere to help boost his stock this summer as he seeks his next contract. The consensus among sources around the league seems to be that one player who the Leafs like is winger Mikael Granlund, who will become available if the 6-9-0 Predators continue to drop games. • The NHL is expected to send out a vote memo to the Board of Governors on the proposed draft lottery changes either March 12 or early the next week, and the expectation is the full BOG vote will be completed by the end of next week. After two months of the 2020-21 NHL season, Minnesota Wild rookie Kirill Kaprizov is our leading Calder Trophy candidate. Get the latest Minnesota Wild news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report The Sharks would probably have to take on a sizable salary in return in any trade, regardless. One of the teams that showed plenty of interest along the way was the Leafs, but Dubas simply didn’t have enough cap space to make it happen. Vehviläinen will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. One GM told me Monday it’s not even close, for sure it’s the tightest it’s ever been. Check out the full Trade Deadline Big Board here. The Blue Jackets were in hot pursuit of Lehtonen last spring when he decided to sign with Toronto. My articles are data based and have an emphasis on analytics. Sometimes one move by a contender forces a domino effect from rivals and suddenly you’ve got some action that wasn’t foreseen. There is nothing wrong with the Wild losing in the early rounds as it is good experience, so there is nothing to justify spending assets to make an unessential run in a season with no expectations. -Fluto Shinzawa (Feb. 23). Can both sides find the middle ground? The Ducks are not surprised that another team wasn’t willing to take on the full freight of the contract. I imagine there are a few teams he’d play for, with Florida being the obvious destination because he lives near Miami for a good chunk of the year. The youngsters will most certainly benefit from playoff experience and could be the ultimate test. At this juncture, the secret is out around the league and Jake Virtanen’s lack of production hasn’t helped him maintain the trade value he commanded as recently as the offseason. Evgeni Malkin has more trade value than Letang does simply because, as poorly as he’s played this season, he’s Evgeni Malkin. Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild San Jose Sharks ... NBA Rumors: Celtics, These Teams Could Pursue LaMarcus Aldridge. The Wild should move the upcoming unrestricted free-agents that could garner them an array of draft picks. He’s been really bad for his standards, which are extremely high. It is an even more difficult process this season because of all the logistics involved this season. Check for Habs, Flames, Canucks, Sens, Jets and Leafs trade rumors and more. It’ll be interesting to see how aggressive Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is in the next month, with the trade deadline now just under eight weeks away. -Corey Pronman (March 4). Bjugstad one of the Wild’s best assets that they can dangle at the deadline. And do the Minnesota Wild have a No. -Joe Smith (March 2), • There are two factors that will make this deadline even more challenging for the St. Louis Blues: They will have a difficult time evaluating a roster that saw seven players leave the lineup in the past six games, and with the uncertainly of when the regulars will return, the team won’t know until the final days leading up to the deadline how much cap space it has to spend. Lehtonen is an unrestricted free agent this summer, so Columbus will want to take a look at him. -Harman Dayal (Feb. 18). However, the other option is that they could opt to do nothing at the deadline and stick with the team they got. Ducks general Bob Murray is open to making a move. The Wild currently sit third in the Honda West division with 29 points with games in hand on the St. Louis Blues in front of them. The veteran center has won 53.4% of his draws and could be a huge asset to a team struggling in the faceoff circle. Due to the logistics including quarantines and making the money work, it wouldn’t be surprising to see less action occur on the usually busy day. In fact, one could surmise that he would become No. If the Wild were to retain half of his contract, he would roughly be around $2 million which isn’t too expensive for a rental. Also, Tom Fitzgerald approached Travis Zajac about waiving his no-trade clause a year ago, and he declined. It probably would depend upon the return. But after each side shared its position last month, sources said negotiations have gone quiet. I think Florida and Knight can make it work, but some in the NHL are doubters that will happen. Blue Jackets get: F Patrick Laine and F Jack Roslovic, Wild get: D Ian Cole Share: Judd and Declan open with the latest rumors on Danielle Hunter who still could possibly be on the move via trade if he’s not made the highest paid defensive end in the NFL. The Jets will retain 26 percent of Laine’s salary. The Panthers have zero intention of moving high-end goalie prospect Spencer Knight. -Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal (March 4), On The Athletic’s Big Board earlier this week, it was reported there was “a belief that Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman would consider trading one of his younger forwards like Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha in the right deal.” It’s an eye-catching sentiment, but I get the sense such a deal is unlikely. -Josh Yohe (March 4). Hockey Wilderness Minnesota Wild Schedule, Roster, News, and Rumors | Hockey ... may raise his trade value by having a good 2021 campaign. And the Jets aren’t going to trade a star player like Kyle Connor or Nik Ehlers. Brown does have some control here – he has a modified no-trade clause in his contract. -Eric Stephens (Feb. 28). Younger even than Binnington (26) and with a history of postseason success, Murray got a four-year, $25 million deal ($6.25 million AAV) from Ottawa in the offseason. The trade deadline already narrows the list of potential trade partners, and that’s in a normal year. Other looming decisions for the Wild, Guerin is not going to trade Dumba at the deadline just because of the expansion decision coming down the pike this offseason. If the Blues want to buy, Klim Kostin is the guy teams point to as the obvious candidate. If the Wild were to retain half of his contract, a team would be getting a veteran forward for just over $2 million. Sharks get: D Christian Jaros, Sharks get: F Jack Kopacka They have several pending unrestricted free-agents that can be dangled at the deadline for valuable and important assets. I’m happy with how it turned out.” -Jeremy Rutherford (March 11). Stepan is set to become an unrestricted free agent this off-season and is carrying a steep cap hit of $6.5-million. They never replaced the two veteran right-shot defensemen they lost in the offseason (Zach Bogosian and Kevin Shattenkirk), both of whom played significant minutes during their playoff run. Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press: Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba has had his name in the rumor mill this offseason but he said he’d like to stay in Minnesota and doesn’t want to move anywhere. It takes only one overzealous general manager to make the Penguins an offer they can’t refuse. More: Trade Bait Board | Trade Grades | What to expect from all 31 teams. • Canucks star Elias Pettersson has officially made CAA Hockey his representatives, the agency announced on Feb. 17. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'thehockeywriters_com-box-4','ezslot_5',827,'0','0'])); The reality is there’s no reason for the Wild to buy or add pieces at the deadline in a transition season. He turns 35 on April 28. This will be the first time Parise has been a healthy scratch since signing a 13-year, $98MM contract to join the Wild in 2012. None of them have signaled a fire sale. Or I’m going to have to make a move to bring in support.” To the latter point, up-front scoring help may have superseded blue-line reinforcement. Gregory Hofmann, 28, is a skilled forward with great offensive instincts. While it can always be said that this is a critical time during the NHL season, it has never been more true than this season. • If the New Jersey Devils want to allocate P.K. Asking for a trade is one thing. -Fluto Shinzawa (March 10). Binnington will likely want more than Markstrom and Lehner got — and even than Matt Murray got from Ottawa. Which obviously makes it more difficult to make a trade. I feel like Donny’s never been that guy. The 32-year-old center has two goals and five points in 22 games.