Trade rumblings abound for potential playoff push

DUMP & CHASE

A weekly lap around the NHL by Free Press hockey writers Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre

A few notable pre-emptive strikes have already been made, sending shockwaves throughout the NHL.

Whether it was Bill Guerin taking a big swing to acquire Quinn Hughes for the Minnesota Wild or Kelly McCrimmon putting together a package to bring in Rasmus Andersson to bolster the blue line for the Vegas Golden Knights, some of the big-name players have already been taken off the trade boards that are prevalent at this time of year.

With teams in a full-out sprint to the Olympic break, the other buyers and sellers are starting to emerge ahead of the March 6 deadline.

Lanes are being chosen — or at least coming into much clearer focus, despite very few teams understanding that they’re not likely going to remain in the mix for a playoff spot in either conference.

A recent 5-1-2 stretch has the Winnipeg Jets going into Friday’s action only six points out of a playoff spot with 32 games to go, but they still have five teams to pass to squeeze into the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

As we’ve been discussing for several weeks, it remains a steep and uphill climb for the Jets and, while the organization would fully understand that, they’re probably going to take a bit more time to mull over the options before they plant their flag in either aisle.

It’s also possible the Jets will focus on moving the majority of their pending unrestricted free agents, while also looking to retool the roster on the fly.

About the only thing that won’t be on the table will be shipping out the 2026 first-rounder, which still has the potential to be a Top-5 pick, considering the Jets are still hovering near the basement of the league’s overall standings.

In the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks have already traded their captain (Hughes), their leading goal scorer (Kiefer Sherwood) and are considering other prominent moves, while the St. Louis Blues have been taking calls on a number of players as they consider a significant change to their mix.

Jordan Kyrou’s name has been floated during the past several seasons, but the fact that top centre Robert Thomas has been out there on the rumour mill is a huge surprise. The price tag would certainly be high, but once Thomas gets healthy, if he’s really an option to be traded, there will be a long list of suitors for his services.

Thomas is enduring a drop off in production (11 goals, 33 points in 42 games), but he’s 26 years old and is under contract with an average annual value of US$8.125 million for four more seasons after this one, expiring in 2031 when he’s 31. He’s also reached between 77 and 86 points three times in eight NHL seasons and he’s a strong two-way player with championship pedigree.

If you’re a Stanley Cup contender, Thomas is the type of player that checks an awful lot of boxes and is worth exploring.

Speaking of centremen, another interesting name to consider is Seattle Kraken pivot Shane Wright, whose name was first floated in a report from The Fourth Period.

Wright, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft, has regressed in his second season with the Kraken, producing seven goals and 17 points in 49 games while averaging just under 14 minutes of ice time (which leaves him 10th among Seattle forwards). This after generating 19 goals and 44 points in 79 games during his rookie season.

Since Wright recently turned 22, he still has plenty of upside as a Top-6 player. He also has one more season left on his entry-level contract and, given his production to date, Wright’s next contract is most likely to be a bridge deal and the earliest he can become an unrestricted free agent right now is 2031.

For a Jets team that is still looking for a long-term solution at second-line centre, Wright is someone Winnipeg should consider putting together a package for, depending on the asking price.

Sticking with the theme of coveted pivots, there are some rumblings around Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers, especially after the Original Six franchise sent out a message to the fan base talking about retooling on the fly in an effort to be competitive again next season.

Trocheck is 32 and has three more seasons on his contract that includes an AAV of US$5.625 million, though it’s important to note that he has a modified no-trade clause that includes 12 teams. So while the Jets would most likely have interest in a feisty and productive secondary scorer like Trocheck, other contenders might be in the driver’s seat when it comes to acquiring the soon to be U.S. Olympian.

Let’s take a quick look at the five teams the Jets are trying to leapfrog in the Western Conference and predict how they might handle the deadline.

Chicago Blackhawks: This team is on the rise in the first season under head coach Jeff Blashill, but there is still plenty of work to be done when it comes to bolstering the roster and integrating a few more prospects.

With Connor Bedard back healthy and contributing, GM Kyle Davidson will be tempted to add forward help, provided they have term or team control.

Pending UFAs: F Ilya Mikheyev, F Nick Foligno, F Jason Dickinson, F Sam Lafferty, D Connor Murphy, D Matt Grzelcyk

Nashville Predators: By putting a slow start in the rearview mirror, the Predators are suddenly back in the thick of the playoff chase and in position for Dauphin product Barry Trotz to consider adding talent rather than trying to ship out a few veterans in an effort to change the mix.

Steven Stamkos recorded the 16th hat trick of his career on Thursday and is up to 24 goals and his improved play is one of the reasons for the turnaround.

Pending UFAs: F Erik Haula, F Michael Bunting, F Cole Smith, F Michael McCarron, F Tyson Jost, D Nick Blankenburg.

Los Angeles Kings: This is a win-now organization, so they’re more likely to be adding than subtracting. They don’t want captain Anze Kopitar to play his final NHL game during the regular season, since he is retiring at the conclusion of the campaign.

Pending UFAs: F Anze Kopitar, F Andrei Kuzmenko, F Corey Perry, F Jeff Malott, F Taylor Ward, D Jacob Moverare.

San Jose Sharks: GM Mike Grier made one of the pre-emptive strikes for Sherwood, who is a physical force and a candidate to eclipse 20 goals, while contributing in all facets of the game. Don’t be surprised if he continues to be aggressive in an effort to get back into the post-season.

Pending UFAs: F Kiefer Sherwood, F Jeff Skinner, F Ryan Reaves, D Mario Ferraro, D Timothy Liljegren, D John Klingberg, D Vincent Desharnais, D Nick Leddy, G Alex Nedeljkovic, G Laurent Brossoit

Seattle Kraken: With a new head coach (Lane Lambert) and GM (Jason Botterill), there is ample motivation to be a playoff team. The longer-term view suggests the organization might be alternating between buying and selling, shipping out some pending UFAs but also looking to add secondary scoring from players under contract.

Pending UFAs: F Jaden Schwartz, F Jordan Eberle, F Eeli Tolvanen, F Ben Meyers, D Jamie Oleksiak, G Matt Murray

AROUND THE GLASS:

MASKED MAYHEM

Was is the most unlikely fight in NHL history? A Monday night scrap between Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and San Jose netminder Nedeljkovic had the hockey world buzzing this week.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, speaking prior to Thursday’s game in Winnipeg, broke out in a big smile when asked about it.

“Two concurrent thoughts: The first is, you know, he kind of deserves to have a little bit of fun,” Maurice said.

“And then there’s the thought of hands or face. Like, if you’re going to break something, for him personally I don’t want it to be his face. I’d rather it be his hand. That’s what blasts through your brain. Then really, really happy when it’s over.”

BUFF’S RETURN

Another big story making waves this week was the pending return of Dustin Byfuglien, who has agreed to suit up in October for the Jets alumni game prior to the Heritage Classic.

“He’s training right now. He’s training for that game. I know it,” cracked Maurice.

It was also the talk of Winnipeg’s locker room.

“I’m not going to give that away, but got some special skates done up for it,” Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey said. “It’s crazy how I guess time flies, and it’ll be great to have him back. I know the fans will really love having him back.”

“That’s amazing,” Jets forward Mark Scheifele added. “And to be headed by Wheels (Blake Wheeler) is great. It will be great to see a lot of those guys coming back into town for it — a lot of guys you haven’t seen in a while. That’ll be really fun.”

“I think it’s going to be great to see a lot of those guys throw the jersey on again and have some fun with it,” said Jets captain Adam Lowry, “I think a few of them could probably still play, if they put their mind to it.”

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