Buying or Selling the Latest NHL Trade and Free Agency Rumors
We're now in the dog days for notable player movement during this NHL offseason.
It's been nearly a month since the 2023 draft (June 28-29) while the frenzy of signings has slowed down considerably since the July 1 opening day of free agency.
Nevertheless, there are a few noteworthy names still available in the free-agent market. The biggest is winger Vladimir Tarasenko, a six-time 30-goal scorer who continues to search for a new home.
A bigger fish remains in the trade market with the San Jose Sharks still dangling superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson. As we'll see, one club came close to landing him earlier this month and still appears to have the inside track.
Trade and free-agent rumors still abound among the NHL media, but which ones are worth buying or selling? That's what we'll attempt to sort out as we look at several of the most significant from the past four weeks.
Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Let us know in the comments below.
Could Edmonton Oilers Defenseman Evan Bouchard Sign An Offer Sheet?
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Offer sheets for restricted free agents are a rare occurrence in the NHL during the salary-cap era. Since 2005-06, only 10 players have received one and only two (Dustin Penner to the Edmonton Oilers in 2007 and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021) were successfully signed away.
The Score's Josh Wegman listed the reasons why this tactic rarely succeeds. General managers could be reluctant to part with draft picks required as compensation for a successful signing. Some could be hesitant to overpay a player even for a short-term contract. They could also fear a retaliatory offer sheet to one of their own RFAs.
Nevertheless, Wegman felt the Edmonton Oilers' limited salary-cap space puts them in a difficult position to fend off an offer sheet for defenseman Evan Bouchard. He suggested the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken should give it a try.
Bouchard, 23, has the potential to become a top puck-moving blueliner. He tallied a career-high 43 points in 2021-22. He struggled last season until the Oilers acquired Mattias Ekholm and made the veteran shutdown rearguard his partner on the second defense pairing. Bouchard regained his form and finished the season with 40 points.
The Oilers have $5.6 million in cap space for this season with center Ryan McLeod also to re-sign. A rival club looking to add another mobile defenseman could succeed in snatching away Bouchard for the right price.
Verdict: Sell
Bouchard might not be interested in entertaining offer sheets. If he is, however, it's unlikely those three clubs will go for it.
The Sabres have nine defensemen already under contract for 2023-24. The Hurricanes have less cap space than the Oilers. The Kraken have the cap space but general manager Ron Francis seems to prefer his careful brand of roster building over splashy and perhaps risky moves like offer sheets.
Could the Washington Capitals Find a Taker for Evgeny Kuznetsov?
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A sub-par performance by Evgeny Kuznetsov contributed to the Washington Capitals missing the playoffs last season. Reports of the 31-year-old center being available in the trade market led to his inclusion on our June NHL Trade Block Big Board.
On July 13, NHL.com's Mike Vogel reported Kuznetsov requested a trade last season. While noting the Capitals usually try to accommodate players who want to be moved, finding a trade partner, in this case, could be difficult given the flattened salary cap this summer. Vogel indicated they would be reluctant to retain salary to facilitate a deal.
Kuznetsov also carries an expensive $7.8 million average annual value through 2024-25 along with a 10-team no-trade clause. Given his age and disappointing output last season, it's not surprising the Capitals haven't found any takers yet despite management's efforts to make trades this summer
Vogel believes Kuznetsov could hasten his departure with a bounce-back effort this season. When he's on his game he's among the best playmakers in the league. Since his breakout performance in 2015-16, he's 18th in total assists with 354.
Verdict: Sell
Unless the Capitals retain a healthy chunk of his salary, it's unlikely Kuznetsov will be traded this summer. A return to form could improve his value if they wish to move him at next year's trade deadline, though if the Capitals return to playoff contention at the same time they could retain him and shop him next summer.
Will the Devils Pursue Connor Hellebuyck or John Gibson?
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After several seasons of rebuilding the New Jersey Devils emerged last season as a rising force in the Eastern Conference. Led by young stars such as Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier and veterans Dougie Hamilton and Timo Meier, the Devils' window of opportunity for Stanley Cup contention in 2024 is wide open.
Despite their improvement, goaltending remains an area of concern. After three NHL seasons, Vitek Vanecek has yet to establish himself as a reliable starter. Akira Schmid showed some promise during the 2023 playoffs but still has just 24 NHL regular-season games under his belt.
This has prompted speculation that the Devils could be in the market for a starting goaltender such as the Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck or the Anaheim Ducks' John Gibson.
On June 29, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported the Devils were interested in Hellebuyck, who won the Vezina Trophy in 2019 and was a finalist for the award last season. However, he added that they didn't want to pay a big price for him as they were comfortable going with Vanecek and Schmid this season
On July 8, the New York Post's Larry Brooks claimed the Devils were "sniffing around" Gibson. This came following a report claiming the 29-year-old goaltender told Ducks management that he wanted out which was quickly denied by the netminder's agent.
Verdict: Sell for now
The Devils aren't in any hurry to swing a major trade for an experienced netminder such as Hellebuyck or Gibson...yet. They'll likely start the season with Vanecek and Schmid to see how well those two perform this season. If they struggle, they can look into improving that position before the March 1 trade deadline.
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Where Will Vladimir Tarasenko Land?
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A six-time 30-goal scorer, Vladimir Tarasenko seemed like a prime candidate to be signed within the opening hours of the NHL's free-agent market on July 1. Instead, the 31-year-old winger is still considering his options after firing his agent on July 5.
The New York Post's Larry Brooks reported Tarasenko had received solid offers of varying lengths worth between $5.5 million and $6 million per season from four clubs including the Carolina Hurricanes. On July 15, Brooks' colleague Ethan Sears pondered the possibility of the Islanders signing the former St. Louis Blue and New York Ranger.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman told the NHL Network that the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators were among Tarasenko's suitors.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch believed the Senators had the cap space to pursue the sniper after trading Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings.
Verdict: Buy on the Predators, Sell on the others
Barry Trotz, the Predators' first-year general manager, has shown a flare for bold moves by signing forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Gustav Nyquist and Denis Gurianov plus he still has $7.9 million in salary cap room. Perhaps he'll make an attempt to land Tarasenko to help the Predators stage a bounce-back performance after missing the playoffs last season.
The Hurricanes, Islanders and Senators all have $5 million or less in cap space. Unless they can shed some salary in a cost-cutting trade, they can't afford to take on Tarasenko, especially after he rejected offers starting at $5.5 million. The Sharks have the cap space but they're a rebuilding club and Tarasenko could prefer joining a contender.
Are the Pittsburgh Penguins the Front-Runners for Erik Karlsson?
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According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, it's down to the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins in the race to acquire Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. Appearing on the NHL Network on July 10, Friedman said he believes the 33-year-old is most likely to head to one of those clubs
Friedman believes it's a bit of a poker game between those clubs with the Penguins and Hurricanes knowing what the Sharks want to do and the Sharks knowing what those two are willing to do. He felt it was now a question of which club was willing to bend to make a deal happen.
Karlsson is coming off a career-best 101-point performance, earning his third James Norris Memorial Trophy as a result. He also carries an average annual value of $11.5 million through 2026-27 and a full no-movement clause, though he could waive it for the right club.
On July 12, The Athletic's Josh Yohe also indicated the Penguins and Hurricanes were considered front-runners for Karlsson. He reported the Penguins came "extremely close" to landing Karlsson on July 1, adding that they were working on a deal during the morning hours before free agency started that day at noon ET. For whatever reason, the deal didn't happen.
Yohe's colleague Rob Rossi took to Threads two days later reporting the Penguins remain confident of landing Karlsson. He said they have multiple plans on how to acquire him once the Sharks decide to make a move.
Verdict: Buy
On July 20, Rossi reported the Penguins and Hurricanes have permission from the Sharks to speak with Karlsson. He noted the Penguins had several people who have talked to him in recent weeks who feel confident that Pittsburgh is his preferred choice. Rossi also indicated that Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang have endorsed pursuing Karlsson.
Salary cap information via Cap Friendly.
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