Buying or Selling the Latest NHL Trade Rumors
Moving into late July, the NHL offseason is in its dog days.
All the top unrestricted free agents have been signed. Meanwhile, the most notable trade activity since July 5 involved the movement of prospects like Matthew Savoie and Xavier Bourgault and minor leaguers such as Kevin Mandolese and Dylan Coghlan.
The trade market may have slowed but the rumor mill keeps buzzing. NHL veterans Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Nečas and New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba remain subjects for media chatter.
Follow along as we go through the most noteworthy trade rumors of the past week to determine which are worth buying or selling. Feel free to express your opinion on this topic in our app comments below.
Nashville Predators Could Peddle Yaroslav Askarov
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Chosen 11th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL draft, Yaroslav Askarov was projected to become a future starting goaltender. Now 22, the young netminder has shown considerable potential in his two seasons with the Predators' AHL affiliate in Milwaukee, ranking second on The Athletic's list of the top 20 drafted NHL goalie prospects.
Askarov was seen as a potential successor to Predators starter Juuse Saros. However, some observers consider him a trade candidate after the club signed Saros to a seven-year contract extension and brought in veteran backup Scott Wedgewood on a two-year contract.
On July 12, Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon wondered if the Predators might move Askarov this summer. He noted that the youngster had been dangled in the trade market before, speculating he could be used as a trade chip to address another roster need.
Four days later, Dixon looked at some possible destinations for Askarov. He listed the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks, pointing out those teams could use a promising young netminder with starter potential.
Buy or Sell: Buy
The investment in Saros and Wedgewood suggests Askarov doesn't fit into the Predators' plans. He could be peddled at some point between now and the March trade deadline should the need arise to address a roster deficiency.
St. Louis Blues Could Trade a Defenseman
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Some pundits expected the St. Louis Blues to shake up their blue-line corps by trading one of their expensive defensemen in a cost-cutting move. On June 26, The Athletic's Chris Johnston had Blues rearguard Torey Krug at No. 17 on his summer trade board, noting they unsuccessfully attempted to ship him to the Philadelphia Flyers last summer.
That anticipation grew when the Blues signed veteran rearguard Ryan Suter to a one-year contract on July 10. That gave them a logjam of nine defensemen on one-way contracts.
On July 11, The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford pondered the possibility of the Blues shipping out one of those defensemen. He noted that Krug used his no-trade clause last summer to block that deal to the Flyers, indicating a source close to the blueliner said he isn't willing to waive it this summer.
Talk of trading Krug ended on July 16 when the Blues announced he was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle, facing the possibility of season-ending surgery. Rutherford noted there wouldn't be a market for Krug now even if he were to agree to waive his no-trade clause.
Buy or Sell: Sell
The Blues could still attempt to trade one of their defensemen. However, they have Suter, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and Tyler Tucker under one-year contracts, each worth less than $1 million. They can bury one or two of those in the minors if necessary.
Columbus Blue Jackets Still Trying to Trade Patrik Laine
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Sitting at No. 6 on our July Trade Block Rankings, Patrik Laine has been a fixture in the rumor mill since requesting a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets in early June. So far, the 26-year-old winger remains with the Jackets.
After a promising start as a scoring winger with the Winnipeg Jets earlier in his career, Laine struggled with injuries and inconsistent play that hampered his offensive efforts since joining the Blue Jackets in January 2021. He's signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $8.7 million and a 10-team no-trade list.
Laine's ongoing presence in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program complicates the Blue Jackets' efforts to move him. On July 14, The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported the Jackets can still trade the winger but neither they nor another club can speak directly to him while he remains in the program.
Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell told Portzline that clubs remain interested in Laine and would like to speak with him once he's released from the assistance program. Waddell remains optimistic that a deal can be found.
Buy or Sell: Buy
The priority remains for Laine to receive the proper treatment he requires regardless of how long it takes. Nevertheless, the lack of quality talent in the UFA market could make him the focus of interest from teams with cap space seeking scoring punch once he becomes available.
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New York Rangers Aren't Moving Jacob Trouba
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Jacob Trouba was the topic of intense trade speculation in the leadup to the 2024 NHL draft (June 28-29) in Las Vegas. Reports indicated the New York Rangers attempted to trade the 30-year-old defenseman to the Detroit Red Wings to free up $8 million in cap space to use in the free-agent market on July 1.
Trouba used his no-movement clause to block that trade. Nevertheless, the Rangers captain ranked No. 3 on our July Trade Block Rankings.
Speculation persisted through early July suggesting the Rangers could still try to trade him. However, the purpose for doing so was no longer worthwhile with all the top UFA talent signed by other clubs.
On July 16, The Athletic's Arthur Staple reported the Rangers had no plans to move Trouba this summer. If they did so, it would leave them trying to find a suitable replacement on their blue line. Finding a team to take on his cap hit now would be difficult since most teams have already spent most of their cap space.
Buy or Sell: Buy
The time to trade Trouba this summer has long passed. However, don't be surprised if the Blueshirts try to move him again next summer. He'll have a year left on his contract by then and a 15-team no-trade list giving the Rangers more leeway to find suitable trade partners.
Carolina Hurricanes Could Retain Martin Nečas
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Martin Nečas sat atop our June NHL Trade Block Big Board and July Trade Block Rankings. The 25-year-old forward was a frequent topic of media speculation after reports emerged of his unhappiness with his role as a third-line winger with the Carolina Hurricanes.
It was anticipated that the Hurricanes would attempt to move Nečas during the 2024 NHL draft on June 28-29. When a deal failed to materialize, it was expected the winger would be shopped during the opening days of free agency when teams that lost out on the top UFA forwards would turn to him as an alternative.
On July 11, Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon speculated the Hurricanes could reconsider moving Necas following winger Jake Guentzel's departure. Three days later, The Athletic's Cory Lavalette suggested the opportunity to move Nečas had passed because most teams had used up their cap space by adding other players to their rosters.
TSN reported on July 19 that Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky intends to keep talking to teams about Nečas. However, he indicated teams now had less salary-cap flexibility to make deals compared to late June and early July.
Buy or Sell: Buy
The Hurricanes could still find a suitable trade partner before the start of the season. However, Tulsky's comments suggest Nečas could still be with the Hurricanes for 2024-25. The winger filed for salary arbitration on July 5 and could end up with at least a one-year deal with the Hurricanes.
Salary info via PuckPedia.
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