The Calgary Flames appear to be somewhat open to going into a rebuild. They have some talented young pieces and plenty of players that they can move for more assets. They may not want to tear it completely down, but while sitting 29th in the NHL this season, there is interest coming their way for a number of their players. One name in particular that is intriguing and would be a big one is Mackenzie Weegar. David Pagnotta said, "They haven't approached him about his no-trade. There's already s...
The two-time Stanley Cup champions are finding themselves in an unfamiliar situation this season. The Florida Panthers could actually look to sell off a body or two as we approach the March 6th trade deadline. One pending unrestricted free agent that could become trade fodder is physical bottom-six forward AJ Greer, per analyst Jason Gregor on the DFO Rundown . An AJ Greer type player, I just wonder, what type of value he might have for a (rival) team? He has won some Cups... He's a very...
The New York Rangers are ready to pull the trigger on a retool. Several players will likely be heading out the door when NHL rosters are unfrozen and we get closer to the March 6th trade deadline. Depending on how much is torn down, it sounds like top-pairing defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov will start to ponder his own future in New York. Former Ranger and current NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp said on the DFO Rundown that the Russian d-man might not want to stick around for a retool. I'm hearing...
The Los Angeles Kings chose to go for it when they executed the deal to acquire Artemi Panarin and ink him to a new contract. Unfortunately, now Kevin Fiala seems to have suffered an injury that will keep him out a while, but that shouldn't stop the Kings from continuing forward and trying to get into the playoffs and win some rounds. David Pagnotta reminded us, "(The Kings) still have that second-round pick they got from the Habs for Phillip Danault. They basically told everybody they're will...
The Winnipeg Jets have had a very underwhelming season up to the Olympic break. They are 11 points out of a playoff spot and some injuries and a lot of poor performances from players have caused them to be in this position. Josh Morrissey is one of the Jets who have had another strong season and was selected to Team Canada, where he got injured and missed the second game. It's yet to be determined whether the injury is bad or not, but it could impact the rest of the Jets' season. While many wo...
The Minnesota Wild are gearing up to finally make an impact in the playoffs after acquiring Quinn Hughes and looking to do more. By do more, there is a high chance that a center is brought in. They feel they need an upgrade to be able to go toe-to-toe with the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche and actually make a deep run. The center depth is as follows: Ryan Hartman, Joel Eriksson Ek, Daniil Yurov, and Nico Sturm. Given the production and overall play, I only see one top-6 center, Eriksson ...
With a Stanley Cup pedigree, gritty two-way center Nazem Kadri will be in demand when rosters are unfrozen after the Olympics and trades can resume up to the March 6th deadline. There have been a number of playoff contenders commonly linked to the Calgary Flames ' tenacious pivot this season, including the Montreal Canadiens, and Central Division rivals, the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. But when it comes to projecting a landing spot for Kadri, James Mirtle of The Athletic is goin...
The Minnesota Wild already pulled off one blockbuster trade this season, and it sounds like there's growing speculation that there's another one coming. Word is, GM Bill Guerin is using goaltender Jesper Wallstedt as a trade chip in talks, and one team that has aligned perfectly as a trade partner - the St. Louis Blues. Wallstedt is by far the Wild's best trade chip, and he could be landing multiple pieces from the Blues if this deal comes to fruition, projected by The Athletic's James Mirtle ...
The Nashville Predators are open for business ahead of the NHL's trade deadline, and one prime trade target for contending teams, is former Conn Smythe winner Ryan O'Reilly. 'The Factor' has turned back the clock this season and is having a stellar season on both sides of the puck. O'Reilly has scored 20 goals and 56 points in 57 games, to lead Nashville, and at just $4.5 million AAV, he's an easy target for several contending teams. While O'Reilly doesn't have trade protection on his contract...
The Colorado Avalanche have been dominating the NHL all season long, and word is, they will be aggressive ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. While there aren't many gaps in the roster, the Avs are looking to add a top-nine winger who can play up and down the lineup, and bring some more secondary scoring. The Avalanche entered the Olympic break with just $5 million in cap space, so GM Chris MacFarland will have to be creative in order to add multiple pieces ahead of the deadline. Up front, th...
The Los Angeles Kings are not a big fan of Olympic hockey. In Switzerland's matchup against Canada on Friday, Kings winger Kevin Fiala fell awkwardly with Tom Wilson landing on his leg, and Fiala's since had season-ending leg surgery in Italy. It's the worst news possible for the Kings, as they'll now have a giant hole in their top six once the Olympic break concludes. Three points out of a playoff spot, look for GM Ken Holland to make a significant deal ahead of the March 6 deadline. He...
The Montreal Canadiens are expected to be aggressive buyers ahead of this season's NHL trade deadline. The Habs have burst onto the scene this season and if they can put it all together, at the right time, there's a legit shot we see Montreal win a playoff round this spring. Ahead of the trade deadline Mar.6, general manager Kent Hughes is going to make a couple of moves, and word is, Hughes has been making calls, looking for a top-six right winger. There's speculation that the team is willing...
Dougie Hamilton's future with the New Jersey Devils is up in the air. That's putting it mildly. The team was actively trying to trade him earlier this season to open up some cap room. There have been many teams linked to a potential deal for Hamilton , including the Toronto Maple Leafs. But insider Chris Johnston in The Athletic projects a more familiar landing spot for the big, puck-moving offensive defenseman. He predicts Hamilton going back to the Carolina Hurricanes. ...
Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Fiala had surgery on Saturday morning after suffering a serious knee injury in Switzerland's game on Friday against Canada . It's official: his NHL season is over. The incident occured in a collision with Canada's Tom Wilson, in which Fiala landed awkwardly. He had to be stretchered off the ice. Nothing dirty about this collision, freak accident, unfortunate outcome. If someone other than Tom Wilson landed on Fiala's leg, there would be no disc...
The LA Kings are still looking to upgrade and a center is at the top of their needs. Ideally, a center with term would fit nicely in the plans, but even just someone to help with a playoff push and deeper run this season would be of great help as well. According to David Pagnotta, "Charlie Coyle, that's a player that I believe (LA) has some interest in." Coyle is a strong third line center and is able to play as the second line center. He has been doing both his entire career and this season. ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly going to move on from Bobby McMann as he'll fetch a good return and they may feel like he's going to be too costly to re-sign. Whether anyone other than the organization thinks it's a good idea to trade him instead of bringing him back, the Maple Leafs are going to do what they think is best to retool the team again before next season and get back to being contenders. James Mirtle said, "The talk out there is people think he's worth what Kiefer Sherwood g...
The Vancouver Canucks appear to be willing to trade many of their players. Two key ones have already been traded away earlier this season. One of the next to go is Evander Kane, who the Canucks brought in from the Edmonton Oilers prior to the season. As the season hasn't gone as planned, Kane is now being used as trade bait to get them a mid-round pick. If no team is willing to go as high as they're asking, I'm sure Vancouver will drop the price. Chris Johnston said, "The Canucks are willing t...
It was an ugly situation in Milan today, as late in Canada's 5-1 victory over Switzerland, Swiss (and LA Kings) forward Kevin Fiala was seriously injured when he went down awkwardly in a collision with Tom Wilson. He had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher. Kevin Fiala leaves the game after Tom Wilson and Kevin Fiala get tangled (not country locked) pic.twitter.com/ZaWUeyelcS — bnpeki 🇨🇦 Matthew Knies Enjoyer (@bnpeki) February 13, 2026 It was Fiala's lower left leg that took the brun...
As the longest-serving Toronto Maple Leaf, no player has seen more of the drama and playoff failures surrounding this team in the Auston Matthews Era than Morgan Rielly. Now in his 13th year in the Blue & White, the 31-year-old defenseman still has four years to run after this one on his $7.5 million cap hit. But he is simply not the same player that the Leafs handed that eight-year, $60 million deal to back in 2021. The team would like to turn the page and move on from Rielly, but his f...
Shane Wright had a nice little burst heading into the Olympic break for the Seattle Kraken. He had only seven goals and 18 points in the first 52 games, before a run of four goals in the team's final four games going into the recess. Overall, however, the former 4th overall pick (2022 NHL Draft) has been a big disappointment in Seattle, and word started to spread last month that the Kraken were willing to move on from Wright in the right deal (i.e. for some real scoring punch). Wit...
The Los Angeles Kings sit three points out of a playoff spot in the West, but just acquired Artemi Panarin with a contract extension. Their plan is to get in this season and compete while being a better overall team next season as well. They also aren't planning on doing nothing from here until the trade deadline as they need center help. The Kings have some cap space to work with, but are still looking to move out a contract up front before the deadline too. David Pagnotta said, "I don't thin...
Whether the Los Angeles Kings acquired Artemi Panarin or not, they are still searching for center help as they try to keep their window open. Anze Kopitar is retiring after the season and Philipp Danault fell off, so the Kings traded him. All they have as top-6 center options moving forward is Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferierre. David Pagnotta said the Kings are "going to look at the dot. They're going to...see if they can bring somebody in up the middle to give them a nice 1, 2, 3 punch. The...
The St. Louis Blues could end up trading Jordan Kyrou, whether that be before the trade deadline or in the offseason. He has strong trade value and is a good scorer for any top-6, but he is looking to win and has control over the destination he goes to if the Blues were to move him. Kyrou has scored 30+ goals and recorded 70+ points in three of the past four seasons. His ice time has dropped from previous seasons and I doubt he gets to either mark this season because of injury that has kept hi...
The Montreal Canadiens can make a Patrik Laine trade work, but it is going to take a realistic blueprint. Insider Chris Johnston’s view is that at an $8.7 million cap hit, Montreal likely has to retain money, attach value, or do a bit of both to get a deal over the line. The good news for Kent Hughes is the timing helps, because once the Olympic freeze lifts and teams start thinking in cap accrual terms, Laine becomes easier to fit than his full-season number suggests.
How Montre...
The Toronto Maple Leafs keep circling the same deadline question with Bobby McMann. If he is really pushing for a number near $5 million per season on an extension, is this the moment to sell high, and can they actually squeeze a first-round pick out of a contender? On the JD Bunkis Podcast , Sportsnet’s James Mirtle left the door open, but made it clear the market is a lot messier than fans want it to be.
Can Toronto really get a first for Bobby McMann?
Mirtle’s read is that M...