More trade rumours as here are 3 things that I want to discuss as the offseason gets closer.
#1) Sharks to trade one of Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns.First I want to get started with a rumour that was going around last week and that is that the Sharks are heavily considering moving one of their two highly expensive right shot defensemen in Burns or Karlsson. Now both these players are coming off pretty productive seasons with Karlsson and Burns putting up 35 and 54 points respectively but Karlsson missed 32 games this year while Burns played the entire year. Now normally with two guys who have this caliber of production you would think that they would both want to be kept but the fact is their are both older players with Burns currently 37 and Karlsson 31 and they both make a lot of money with Karlsson making $11.5 million and Burns making $8 million and all that cap space could be used in other positions so it seems as though 1 will have to be traded to create cap space. Now of these two players I would think that Burns is the one most likely to go due to a couple of things and first is the ability to keep healthy as while Karlsson is a good player, especially offensively, he has been injury prone for most of his career including this year where he missed 32 games due to injury while Burns has been able to stay rather healthy over the years. and secondly is the contract. While Karlsson is 6 years younger and definitely has a higher upside, along with being injury prone he also has a $11.5 million dollar cap hit for the next 5 seasons and has a full NMC so San Jose would have to ask Karlsson to be moved, while with Burns even though he is older at 37 years old he only has a 3 year contract and has a $8 Million dollar cap hit opposed to a $11.5 million dollar cap hit and has a 3 team trade list so even though it isnt much more it is something. And I feel that if Burns would agree and San Jose or a 3RD party were to retain between $2-2.5 million on his current deal then a team in desperate need of a top 4 right shot defensemen who could get Burns for the next 3 years at only between $5.5-6 million dollars would absolutely agree to that, so I feel that Burns could be moved in the offseason while Karlsson will remain a Shark past this year.
#2) Forsberg done in Nashville.Filip Forsberg stayed with the Predators past the Trade Deadline so that he could help the Predators fight to get into a playoff spot and go on a playoff run and while his over 40 goal season did help the Predators make the playoffs they were swept by the Avalanche in the first round and now questions are coming in about the future of Forsberg with the Predators after he took a very long skate around the Predators arena following their game 4 loss. Forsberg has done a fantastic job with Nashville this season scoring 42 goals and 84 points this year but only had 1 goal in the 4 playoff games and while the Avalanche are a good team I thought that the Predators would have won at least one but they didn’t. So what’s next for Forsberg in my opinion, is that after having multiple dialogues with Nashville about a contract in season and nothing coming from it I think that Forsberg, unless they are able to close what seems like a huge gap, will move on from Nashville and head to free agency to sign with a new team. So if he doesn’t sign with Nashville where else could he sign, and I think Calgary if they don’t bring back Gaudreau, Los Angeles as his buddy Arvidsson plays there, Vancouver if they decide to move Miller, Philadelphia as they need another top 6 forward and so does New Jersey, so any of these five teams I could see be interested in Forsberg in the offseason but I definitely think Forsberg will wear a New Jersey next year.
#3) 3 non playoff teams could move their first round pick before the draft.The Islanders, Devils and Senators have all been rumoured over the past couple of weeks to be considering trading their first round pick to get a immediate impact player who can help them in their lineup. For New Jersey I think that the possibility has definitely become less likely since they got the 2nd overall pick up from 5th, but while I see it as highly unlikely I do think there is a chance that if they could get a offer that would help them in the now, with acquiring either a forward as I have heard that they might consider trying to get Fiala or Miller and the pick would make them front runners for those players, or a goalie like John Gibson who I think would be great in Jersey and the 2nd overall pick would definitely be a talking point so while I don’t see it happening there is a possibility. For Ottawa I think it really boils down to what prospect they could get at 7 as opposed to a player that could make their team better now. Their has been heavy speculation that the Senators have a lot of interest in Kevin Fiala and I think if they were to move the pick and maybe a prospect for Fiala that the Wild would do this deal and while no other top 6 forwards have been linked to Ottawa if they were to offer the 7th overall pick, I think they could definitely get a top 6 forward to help in the now. And finally with NYI the 13th overall pick they probably are the most likely to trade their 1st round pick given that it is a mid round pick instead of a top 10 pick. Now the Islanders should be on the look out for a top 6 winger and top 4 defensemen so they could be another team that looks into trading for Kevin Fiala and there was talk last offseason that they were interested in Tarasenko and even though that relationship has basically been mended I still would not be surprised if they revisit that and include their first round pick, and then they are also one of the teams interested in defensemen Jacob Chychrun and the 13th overall pick would be a great starting point for trade talks with Arizona. So while it is far from a guarantee that any of these first round picks are traded, if the package can include a impact player I think that anyone of these picks could be traded.
And here is a list of all signings for the NHL from APR 23rd to MAY 2nd.
Pacific
Anaheim
The Ducks and Sam Carrick have come to terms on a extension that will be for 2 seasons beginning in the 2022-23 season and will have a AAV of $.850 Thousand dollars per year. Carrick has his first full NHL season this year and did rather nicely putting up 11 goals and 19 points in 64 games and with the Ducks not having too many bottom 6 forwards for next year I believe that he will be a regular in their bottom 6 next year.
Vegas
Center Ivan Morozov who was a 2RD pick of the Golden Knights in 2018 signed his 2 year entry level contract with Vegas with a AAV of $.925 Thousand dollars per year and the contract will start in the 22-23 season.
Forward Brendan Brisson who was a 1RD pick of the Golden Knights in 2020 signed his 3 year entry level contract with Vegas with a AAV of $.925 Thousand dollars per year and the contract will start in the 22-23 season.
Central
Chicago
Left Winger, Center Sam Lafferty and the Blackhawks have come to terms on a 2 year extension with a AAV of $1.15 Million dollars per year and the deal starts in the 2022-23 season. Lafferty wasn’t having the best of years in Pittsburgh and was moved mid season to Chicago where he rebounded putting up 5 goals and 11 points in 46 games with Chicago and with the Blackhawks future mirky as they enter a rebuild, he should be a reliable bottom 6 forward for the next few seasons.
Colorado
Left side defensemen Danila Zhuravlyov who was a 5RD pick in the 2018 draft of Colorado, signed his 2 year entry level contract with the Avalanche that caries a AAV of $.855 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will begin in the 2022-23 season.
Minnesota
Right Side Defender Simon Johansson who was a 5RD pick of the Wild in 2018 signed his 2 year entry level contract with Minnesota with a AAV of $.855 Thousand dollars per year and the contract will start in the 22-23 season.
Winnipeg
Center Chaz Lucius who was a 1RD pick in 2021 by the Jets signed his 3 year entry level contract with the Winnipeg Jets that caries a $.925 Thousand dollar AAV and the deal will kick in the 22-23 season.
Atlantic
Detroit
Left side defensemen Simon Edvinsson who was a 1RD pick in the 2021 draft by Detroit signed his 3 year entry level contract with the Red Wings that has a AAV of $.925 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will start in the 2022-23 season.
Florida
Defensemen Santtu Kinnunen who was a 7RD pick in 2018 by the Panthers signed his 2 year entry level contract with Florida and the contract caries a AAV of $.855 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will begin in the 2022-23 season.
Toronto
Center Bobby McMann who was a undrafted free agent signed a 2 year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs that has a AAV of $.763 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will kick in the 2022-23 season.
Metro
Carolina
Forward Alexander Pashin who was a 7RD pick in 2020 of the Hurricanes signed his 3 year entry level contract with the Hurricanes that carries a $.827 Thousand dollars per year and the deal will begin in the 2022-23 season.
Pittsburgh
Left winger Raivis Ansons who was a 5RD pick in the 2020 draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins signed his 3 year Entry level contract with the Penguins that caries a $.844 Thousand dollar AAV and the deal will start in the 2022-23 season.
Washington
Goalie Garin Bjorklund who was a 6RD pick of the Capitals in 2020 signed a 3 year entry level contract with the Capitals that caries a $.843 Thousand dollars AAV and the deal will start in the 22-23 season.
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