NHL Trade Rumors: Buzz from Around League as Deadline Approaches

March 2. 

The trade deadline looms over an NHL season that features a number of teams that could win the Stanley Cup with one hot stretch in the playoffs. After all, there are 11 squads with more than 75 points as the campaign heads to its stretch run, and any one of them has the talent to challenge for the Cup.

A well-timed trade could create some separation in the standings and secure critical home-ice advantage for the postseason. 

With that in mind, here is a look at some of the buzz circulating around the league.

Tyler Bozak

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The Fourth Period passed along an update on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Tyler Bozak:

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There appears to be a considerable amount of interest in Toronto Maple Leaf center Tyler Bozak, who is being dangled as the trade deadline quickly approaches.

Bozak, 28, has three years left on his contract beyond this season, with an annual salary cap hit of $4.2 million.

Several teams have reportedly expressed some level of interest in Bozak, including the Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers.

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It really should come as no surprise that there are a number of teams interested in Bozak as the deadline approaches. He is only 28 years old with a lengthy contract and would immediately bolster the offense of whichever team traded for his services.

He demonstrated just how dangerous he can be in Thursday’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers with a goal and an assist and now has 39 points on the season (17 goals and 22 assists). Between his speed, passing ability and scoring prowess, Bozak is a valuable prize for a number of playoff contenders and would likely net a favorable return for the rebuilding Maple Leafs. 

Toronto already traded forwards Daniel Winnik and Mike Santorelli and defenseman Cody Franson and is virtually eliminated from playoff contention. It may be time to see what it can get in return for Bozak.

Chicago Blackhawks

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Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com noted the Chicago Blackhawks will be busy before the deadline: “Although Vermette isn’t the only option for Chicago, one source told ESPN.com Thursday that the Blackhawks had already made lots of calls on several players in the wake of Kane’s injury, so they are being quite proactive on several fronts, not just Vermette.”

LeBrun called Antoine Vermette “the cream of the crop when it comes to rental forwards,” and it is really no surprise that Chicago would be interested in him. After all, the loss of Patrick Kane to injury was a devastating blow to the team’s championship hopes, but Vermette would be more than an effective Band-Aid, even if it was only temporary.

Joel Auerbach/Associated Press

Chicago could pursue some of those other options, but Vermette is a two-way specialist who could find the back of the net, set up his teammates and even get back and assist the defense out from his center position.

That would help if the Blackhawks find themselves in a number of close games without their leader, as coach Joel Quenneville expected in comments via Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune:

“You have the leading scorer in the game, a very valuable asset,” he said. “He makes a lot of things work for us. As a group, we have to make sure everybody plays the right way, plays tighter and has some responsibility to their games. We have to play tight and look to play low-scoring games.” 

Vermette may not be an MVP candidate like Kane, but he would help keep the Blackhawks in contention (alongside superstars Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews) until Kane ideally came back deep into the playoffs.

Detroit Red Wings

Ben Margot/Associated Press

LeBrun passed along an update on the Detroit Red Wings in a separate piece: “There’s no question the Wings are interested in Jeff Petry and Zbynek Michalek.”

LeBrun noted that the Red Wings would love to add a right-handed defenseman to the mix like Petry or Michalek, but he also made a point of saying that Detroit won’t mortgage the future by giving up a top youngster in a potential deal. After all, it is still reloading the roster even as it competes for a favorable seed in the playoffs, and giving up young assets would run counter to that strategy.

It’s not as if the Red Wings defense is a crippling weakness either. As of Thursday, the Red Wings were seventh in the league in goals allowed per game and ninth in penalty-kill percentage. Sure, adding more depth in the form of Petry and Michalek would help come playoff time, but this isn’t an area that will make or break the season. 

If the Red Wings can get a productive defender at the right price, they will pull the trigger. Otherwise, they will probably take their chances with the roster in place.

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