Buy or Sell the Latest 2024 NHL Offseason Free Agency and Trade Rumors
With the 2024 NHL trade deadline history, the trade market for roster players is closed for the remainder of the regular season. Trades between non-playoffs clubs can resume after that, but most will wait until the postseason ends in June.
Meanwhile, speculation will begin regarding players due to become unrestricted free agents on July 1 or those eligible on that date to sign contract extensions.
Despite the lack of player movement, the rumor mill continues to churn about potential offseason trades.
Some observers are focused on whether Sidney Crosby will sign an extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Meanwhile, others wonder what the New Jersey Devils will do to improve their goaltending for next season.
Are these rumors worth buying or selling? Follow along as we break them down to determine their worth.
Feel free to express your views on this topic in the app comments below.
Ottawa Senators Could Shake Up Their Roster This Summer
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The Ottawa Senators began this season full of hope. With new ownership and a roster filled with young stars such as Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson, they seemed poised to become a playoff contender for the first time since 2016-17.
With a month remaining in the schedule, the Senators are again near the bottom of the standings. In November, Steve Staios replaced Pierre Dorion as general manager. The following month, Staios fired D.J. Smith as head coach and brought in Jacques Martin as interim bench boss for the rest of the season.
Those moves failed to move the needle for the Senators. The next logical step involves some roster changes. Staios traded winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers two days before the March 8 trade deadline. Following the deadline, he indicated he attempted to make other deals but could not find anything suitable.
Staios expressed confidence that those discussions with other clubs laid the groundwork for potential offseason trades. The Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch believes their only untouchables are Tkachuk, Stützle and Sanderson.
Verdict: Buy
The Senators must shake things up to finally become a playoff contender. Garrioch felt other core players like Thomas Chabot, Drake Batherson, Jakob Chychrun and Claude Giroux wouldn't be moved anytime soon. Still, he believes Staios should listen to offers from rival general managers. One of them could be on the move this summer.
Will the Anaheim Ducks Trade Trevor Zegras?
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On Jan. 8, the Anaheim Ducks traded defenseman Jamie Drysdale to the Philadelphia Flyers for prospect winger Cutter Gauthier. That move sparked speculation over Trevor Zegras' future in Anaheim.
Drysdale was considered a key piece in the Ducks' rebuilding plan. Pundits suggested if he could be moved, perhaps Zegras could as well. The 22-year-old forward struggled through an injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign following two promising 60-plus point seasons.
Following the trade deadline, Sportsnet's Jeff Marek suggested that moving Zegras was too difficult to do by the deadline. However, he wondered if the possibility for a deal might happen when the trade market opens up during the 2024 NHL draft and into the summer.
On March 11, The Athletic's Eric Stephens reported Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek dismissed the trade speculation. He claimed he wasn't shopping Zegras nor did he receive any calls about him leading up to the trade deadline.
Verdict: Sell
Verbeek told Stephens he's hopeful Zegras will soon recover from his broken ankle in time to finish this season. He still sees the young forward as part of his roster core for the foreseeable future. A rival GM could call Verbeek this summer to look into Zegras' availability, but the possibility he'll be moved this summer appears low.
New Jersey Devils to Go Goalie-Hunting
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Goaltending was a concern for the New Jersey Devils throughout this season. General manager Tom Fitzgerald made a couple of moves at the trade deadline to shake things up, shipping former starting goalie Vitek Vaněček to the San Jose Sharks for netminder Kaapo Kähkönen and sending a draft pick to the Montreal Canadiens for goaltender Jake Allen.
Despite those moves, Fitzgerald told The Athletic's Peter Baugh that he intends to go "big-game hunting" in net during the offseason. Kähkönen is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Allen, meanwhile, has a year remaining on his contract, with the Canadiens' retaining 50 percent of his $3.9 million cap hit.
Baugh indicated that Kähkönen was added to get the final year of Vanecek's contract off the Devils' books. Fitzgerald said he has the cap flexibility for next season to bring in a bigger name to share the goalie duties with Allen.
Fitzgerald didn't say which goaltenders he'd pursue, but Baugh noted the Devils had been linked to the Calgary Flames' Jacob Markström. On March 12, Baugh's colleague Pierre LeBrun reported the Devils GM could revisit his interest in Markström and look into the availability of Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros.
Verdict: Buy
Porous goaltending played a role in derailing the Devils' playoff hopes for this season. This issue must be addressed if they're to bounce back into postseason contention in 2024-25. Fitzgerald could end up paying a significant price for a starter like Markstrom or Saros, but it'll be worthwhile if it brings stability between the pipes.
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Boston Bruins Could Trade Linus Ullmark
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For the past two seasons, the Boston Bruins have had one of the league's best goaltending tandems in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. They backstopped the Bruins to league records in wins (65) and points (135) last season with Ullmark winning the Vezina Trophy. The duo is also a big reason the club is jockeying for first place in the overall standings.
Ullmark, however, surfaced in the rumor mill leading up to the March 8 trade deadline. On March 9, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Bruins had a deal in place that would've sent the 30-year-old goaltender to one of the teams on his 16-team no-trade list. He refused to waive that clause (as is his right) and remained in Boston.
Friedman indicated the Bruins also had discussions with some clubs that weren't on his no-trade list. He believes those talks might continue during the offseason.
Ullmark has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $5 million. His 16-team no-trade list becomes a 15-team list on July 1.
Verdict: Buy
The Bruins have a projected cap space of $21.5 million for 2024-25 with 16 roster players under contract. Moving out Ullmark frees up additional room to re-sign Swayman and perhaps make one or two significant additions to their roster via trade or free agency.
Will Sidney Crosby Sign a Contract Extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins?
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The thought of Sidney Crosby suiting up for an NHL team besides the Pittsburgh Penguins seems absurd. He's spent his 19 NHL seasons in Pittsburgh and ranks with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr among the Penguins' greatest players.
However, the Penguins' struggles this season and the recent trade of his long-time linemate Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes left Crosby frustrated following the trade deadline. Asked what message he thought management was trying to send by trading Guentzel, his terse response was that it was a better question for them to answer.
Crosby has a year left on his contract and can sign an extension on July 1. On Feb. 19, Crosby told The Athletic's Rob Rossi that trading Guentzel wouldn't affect his decision to remain with the Penguins. Following the March 8 trade deadline, TSN's Martin Biron said that he felt that might not be a certainty, suggesting the odds may have dropped to 50-50.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman doesn't see him walking away, especially with long-time teammates Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang signed beyond next season. Believing the Penguins captain will give management time to turn things around, Friedman speculates they'll offer Crosby a two- or three-year deal worth around $10.5 million annually.
Verdict: Buy
Crosby's been loyal to the Penguins throughout his NHL career. He won't bail on them because management is on a path to retooling the roster with younger talent. How long he'll stay and for how much per season remains to be seen, but it won't be surprising if he signs an extension on July 1.
Salary info via CapFriendly.
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