Buying or Selling Late Rumors 3 Days From the NHL Trade Deadline
The 2024 NHL trade deadline is only three days away, and the rumor mill is starting to spin out of control. That means it's time to take another look at some of the bigger names and rumors floating out there and buy or sell whether they make sense.
Are the Edmonton Oilers looking at a top-six winger?
Are the New Jersey Devils becoming sellers?
Are the Boston Bruins maybe trading a goalie?
We take a look at all of that and more in the latest buy-or-sell.
Noah Hanifin Headed to the Lightning?
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The Calgary Flames have already traded two of their notable rentals, and they have one more big piece to dangle to teams in defenseman Noah Hanifin. He is one of the top rental players available and should have a robust market of contenders looking to add a two-way defenseman to their lineup.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman mentioned in his 32 Thoughts podcast this week that the Flames and Hanifin are focusing on teams where he will have an interest in re-signing, and the Tampa Bay Lightning could be at the top of that list.
Given his partial no-trade clause, Hanifin will have at least some say over where he goes. The Lightning would make a ton of sense for him both short-term and long-term.
Buy or sell: Buy. Buy. Buy.
The biggest obstacle here would be the Lightning finding enough trade pieces to satisfy Calgary's price. They don't have a first-round pick until the 2026 NHL draft, don't have a pick until the third round this year, and don't have a particularly deep farm system.
However, Hanifin and the Lightning seem like a perfect fit from a hockey perspective.
The Lightning have needed to upgrade their defense for most of the season, and that was only compounded when Mikhail Sergachev broke his leg in early February. They are clearly not ready to give up on whatever championship window this core group might have left, and Hanifin would be a significant addition.
The Lightning also have a knack for making major blockbuster moves at the deadline. Acquiring Hanifin and re-signing him is the exact type of move they have been known to make.
The Lightning are projected to have $10.6 million in salary-cap space this offseason and would almost certainly need to move another contract to fit a Hanifin extension next season, but they tend to find a way to make it work.
Pavel Buchnevich and the Oilers
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The Edmonton Oilers have been one of the NHL's best teams since early November and look like one of the top Stanley Cup contenders this season. You only get so many attempts at a championship with players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their prime, and it's critical to not let them slip away without doing everything in your power to try and win,
That means the Oilers need to be all-in at the trade deadline and willing to pay for whatever help they need. One intriguing name that has been connected to them is St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich.
Buchnevich still has one year remaining on his deal at a team-friendly rate of $5.8 million per season. Given his near point-per-game production since joining the Blues, every winger-needy contender in the NHL should be interested in that, even if the trade price is high.
The Oilers have reportedly been following the Blues and keeping tabs on Buchnevich to give Draisaitl an upgrade on his wing.
Buy or sell: Sell
The Oilers' interest in Buchnevich would be logical, and they have some intriguing prospects to offer a Blues team looking to retool. However, there are also a lot of factors that make it seem like a stretch.
For one, the Oilers would need to get creative with salary-cap space and get the Blues to retain something or get a third team involved (or make a separate trade).
Also, for as much as the Oilers might need another top-six winger, they probably have far more pressing needs on their roster when it comes to fishing their Stanley Cup puzzle. That includes more help on defense and the biggest possible need of them all—goaltending depth.
Even without a better winger for Draisaitl, the Oilers still have one of the best offenses in the league. Buchnevich also would not have much of a role on the Oilers' power play, which might limit some of his potential production.
The Blues are under no pressure to rush a trade here. They could revisit it in the offseason if they do not get what they want.
Edmonton just seems like it has other areas it needs to focus on. Adding Buchnevich and then losing in the second round because Stuart Skinner gives up four goals per game would not make anybody happy.
Devils Trading Tyler Toffoli
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When the New Jersey Devils acquired Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames at the start of the season, no one would have expected him back on the trade block a few months later. But things don't always go as planned.
The Devils figured to be a Stanley Cup contender with Toffoli providing outstanding scoring depth to help that cause.
On one hand, Toffoli has been exactly as advertised. As of Monday, he had 26 goals and 44 points in 60 games and is on track to top the 30-goal mark for the second year in a row.
However, the Devils have not been as advertised for a variety of reasons including goaltending, major injuries to key players and questionable coaching decisions from now-fired former head coach Lindy Ruff.
They are not totally out of the Eastern Conference playoff race, but they are facing an uphill battle. Toffoli will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he has rocketed up the trade boards at The Athletic and Daily Faceoff.
Buy or sell: Buy
The Devils have to be realistic about their situation, and this season has been a massive disappointment. They have so much ground to make up to catch either Philadelphia in the third Metropolitan Division spot or one of Detroit or Tampa Bay in the wild-card race while also having to jump over several teams.
Toffoli could bring back a significant return, especially for someone who might end up leaving this summer as an unrestricted free agent anyway.
If the Devils can get a first-round pick or a similar asset for Toffoli, that could give them even more trade capital this offseason to finally address their goalie situation.
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Golden Knights Going for Top Winger
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It would not be trade deadline season (or an offseason) without the Vegas Golden Knights chasing down a home run acquisition. According to Elliotte Friedman's recent podcast, the defending Stanley Cup champions are reportedly looking to acquire the best winger available, if not multiple wingers.
Vegas has had a glaring need for help on the wings all season, especially so now that Mark Stone is sidelined. That injury to Stone has also helped give them the salary-cap flexibility to potentially pursue one of those top wingers.
That could be Jake Guentzel. It could be Tyler Toffoli (if he is really available). It could be Pavel Buchnevich. It could be Frank Vatrano. It could be some combination of them.
Buy or sell: Buy.
This is what the Golden Knights do. From the moment they entered the NHL, they have been all about splash moves and doing everything in their power to contend. The chance to win back-to-back Stanley Cups will be hard to turn down.
They have enough salary-cap flexibility and nearly all of their future draft picks, and there are big-time players available.
It's a good bet that one of them will end up in Vegas by Saturday. It's simply a matter of figuring out which one it is.
Bruins Listening on Linus Ullmark
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A handful of contenders around the NHL need of a goaltending upgrade, and the most common names thrown around have been Calgary's Jacob Markstrom, Nashville's Juuse Saros, Montreal's Jake Allen and San Jose's Kaapo Kahkonen.
But what about Boston's Linus Ullmark?
The Bruins are at least considering the idea of listening on Ullmark, according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic. There are a few reasons why it could make sense.
As the reigning Vezina Trophy winner and top-tier starter, he would bring back a potentially significant return and allow the Bruins to address some other areas on their roster, including their need for more help on defense. It would also clear salary-cap space both this season and next season (Ullmark counts $5 million against the salary cap) and allow Jeremy Swayman to take over as the team's unquestioned starting goalie.
That all sounds good in theory. But would it actually work?
Buy or sell: Sell...for now.
If the Bruins wanted to consider an Ullmark trade, the offseason might be the time to do it.
Any team trading for Ullmark now is going to be a contender, and they might not be inclined to give the Bruins the type of immediate help they would want or need. They could always take futures and then use those futures to trade for the immediate help they need, but that is adding in a lot of extra steps with limited time before the trade deadline.
Goaltending is the Bruins' biggest strength and the main reason why they are where they are in the standings. It continues to be a team effort between the Ullmark-Swayman duo.
Even though only one of them can play at a time, there is something to be said for having two potential No. 1 options going into the playoffs. You can keep them both fresh. You have a safety net in case one struggles or goes into a slump or gets injured. You have options. The Bruins might not want to give up that luxury.
Buy the idea of trading Ullmark in the summer. Sell it before Friday.
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