BS Meter on the Latest NHL Rumors 2 Weeks From The Trade Deadline
The NHL's March 8 trade deadline is just two weeks away. So far, however, there's been no activity in the trade market since Feb. 2, when the Winnipeg Jets acquired Sean Monahan from the Montreal Canadiens.
As the hockey world awaits the usual flurry of deals leading up to the deadline, the NHL rumor mill remains busy. There's plenty of speculation among NHL pundits and insiders over which teams will be busy making moves and which players could be changing teams soon
Some of that trade chatter involves the players we noted in our Feb. 16 NHL Trade Block Big Board. Others involve players not listed on that board such as Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and Ottawa Senators blueliner Jakob Chychrun.
With so much speculation flying about, it is time to put our "BS Meter" to work on the five most notable trade rumors of the past week. Feel free to express your thoughts on this subject in our app comments below.
Toronto Maple Leafs Could Part With Their First-Round Pick
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Under previous general manager Kyle Dubas, the Toronto Maple Leafs regularly made moves to bolster their roster leading up to the trade deadline. Among their acquisitions were Ryan O'Reilly (2023), Mark Giordano (2022), Nick Foligno (2021) and Jack Campbell (2020).
Dubas' replacement Brad Treliving could attempt to make a trade by the deadline, perhaps to shore up his defense corps. However, years of moves by his predecessor have left the Leafs with a shallow pool of prospects, no second-round picks for the next three drafts and no first-rounder in 2025 to draw on for trade bait.
The Leafs do possess their first-round pick in the 2024 draft. On Feb. 16, Sportsnet's Justin Bourne cited his colleague Nick Kypreos speculating that Treliving could use that pick as trade bait to bring in some blueline depth.
Kypreos and Bourne believe using that first-rounder is the only useful trade chip that Treliving has to make a meaningful addition. The Leafs don't want to sacrifice the few good prospects currently in their system.
BS Meter: Not BS
The Leafs have the longest active Stanley Cup drought (56 years) in NHL history. Core players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander are in their playing prime right now. Treliving must do what he can to give those stars and their teammates a chance to end that long Cup drought.
Boston Bruins Could Pursue Noah Hanifin
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Noah Hanifin has been engaged in on-again, off-again contract extension talks with the Calgary Flames since October. However, it appears he's no longer interested in a new deal. On Feb. 17, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman speculated that the 27-year-old defenseman intends to head to the free-agent market on July 1.
Friedman said neither the Flames nor the Hanifin camp had any comment on this. Nevertheless, it's believed he could end up on the trade block by the March 8 deadline as the Flames can't risk letting him walk away this summer without getting anything in return.
Following Friedman's report, Boston Hockey Now's Jimmy Murphy noted that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has long coveted Hanifin. He wondered if Sweeney would attempt to acquire the puck-moving blueliner by the trade deadline or wait until the offseason to sign him as a free agent.
The Bruins don't have much trade capital to draw on. They have no picks in the first three rounds of this year's draft, while The Athletic ranked their prospect pool at 30 out of 32 teams. They also have limited cap space, meaning they'll need the Flames to retain part of Hanifin's $4.9 million cap hit.
BS Meter: It's BS
We're not doubting Sweeney's interest in Hanifin. He could try to acquire and sign him to a contract extension. However, he lacks the pieces to outbid other suitors for Hanifin. He'll be in a much better position this summer to pursue the blueliner via free agency when he'll have a projected $26 million in cap space.
Jakob Chychrun Could Get Moved Again At The Trade Deadline
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On March 1, 2023, the Ottawa Senators acquired Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes. With the first anniversary of that deal fast approaching, there's speculation the 25-year-old defenseman could be on the move by this year's trade deadline.
According to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch, Chychrun is generating interest from teams in the market for players signed beyond this season. On Feb. 18, he reported that the Senators have set a high asking price for the puck-moving blueliner.
Chychrun is signed through next season with an average annual value of $4.6 million plus a 10-team no-trade list. If no club meets the Senators' price, Garrioch believes they're content to wait until the offseason for better offers.
This isn't the first time Chychrun has surfaced in this season's rumor mill. On Jan. 25, Senators general manager Steve Staios expressed his disappointment that the defenseman was the subject of media trade chatter. He praised Chychrun's performance, adding he would look into re-signing him.
BS Meter: It's BS
Staios didn't sound like he was in a hurry to put Chychrun on the trade block and seemed keen to sign him to a contract extension this summer. That doesn't mean the blueliner isn't garnering attention from other clubs, but it'll take a significant offer to tempt Staios into moving him.
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Calgary Flames Getting Trade Offers For Rasmus Andersson
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The Calgary Flames have dominated the NHL rumor mill in recent weeks. With Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1, it's expected the Flames will trade both defensemen by the March 8 deadline.
Rasmus Andersson is another Flames blueliner who has recently surfaced in the rumor mill. On Feb. 16, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported that the 27-year-old Swede is garnering interest from potential suitors drawn by his contract and his age.
Unlike Tanev and Hanifin, Andersson is signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $4.6 million. His six-team no-trade clause doesn't go into effect until July 1. He logs a team-leading 23:59 in time on ice per game, netted 49 points last season and 60 in 2021-22 and plays a strong all-around game.
It's understandable why teams would inquire about Andersson's availability. The Flames appear poised to retool their roster. They've already traded Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks while Tanev, Hanifin and goaltender Jacob Markstrom are the subjects of frequent trade chatter.
BS Meter: Not BS
Clubs are likely calling about Andersson's availability. However, that doesn't mean the Flames will trade him. He's not a UFA this summer, so they're under no pressure to move him like they are with Tanev and Hanifin. It would take a significant offer for the Flames to part with Andersson, who remains the lynchpin of their defense corps.
Jake Guentzel's Injury Could Hurt His Trade Value
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Speculation over Jake Guentzel's future with the Pittsburgh Penguins has been growing throughout this season. The 29-year-old winger is among their leading scorers but is also eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. With the Penguins' playoff hopes fading, there's conjecture that they could trade him by the March 8 deadline
On Feb. 14, Guentzel suffered an upper-body injury in a 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers. He's sidelined for four weeks and placed on long-term injury reserve, meaning he won't return to action until after the March 8 trade deadline.
The day after Guentzel was sidelined, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggested that could complicate what approach the Penguins take leading up to the trade deadline. With the winger on LTIR, Rorabaugh believes his trade value is limited.
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli disagrees. He believes there's a large enough sample size with Guentzel to know what his capabilities are. Seravalli doesn't foresee this being a bump in the road if the Penguins want to trade him.
BS Meter: Not BS
Guentzel is expected to return shortly after the trade deadline, so that likely won't dampen interest in him. Nevertheless, potential suitors could be reluctant to part with a first-round pick or a top prospect if there's concern his performance could be affected by his injury. They could insist on conditions being attached to any draft picks they send to the Penguins.
Stats via NHL.com with salary and draft info via Cap Friendly.
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