NHL Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Hurricanes, Jesse Puljujarvi, Tyler Toffoli

NHL teams have plenty of time before the 2019-20 trade deadline hits on Feb. 24, and Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli could find himself on the block before then.

The Carolina Hurricanes have not been linked to Toffoli, but there are reports that the Canes are in the trade market for forward help. It's the Dec. 1 signing deadline for restricted free agents that is more pressing for Jesse Puljujarvi, whose NHL rights are owned by the Edmonton Oilers while he plays overseas amid discord with the team.

Below is a closer look at rumors attached to each of those developing situations.

Tyler Toffoli

Toffoli was a healthy scratch on Oct. 30 for the struggling Los Angeles Kings, and the 27-year-old forward might be a trade chip prior to the league's trade deadline, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic:

"The question is where exactly does he fit into the Kings' plans? Toffoli is a pending UFA July 1. Everyone knows the Kings are in full rebuild mode. They will be getting younger over the next few years, making room for their promising prospects to make the jump. So some veterans on the Kings will be dealt over the next year or two to make way for those kids.

"Toffoli is 27, not 30-something. But my sense of the situation right now is that the Kings are more likely to pass on trying to re-sign him and will look to trade him before the Feb. 24 deadline."

First-year head coach Todd McLellan addressed the decision to scratch Toffoli, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times: 

"Tyler was a really good player for a good period this season, then things kind of fell off for him. He's got so much to give this team and to give himself, that maybe an opportunity to get a little angry—whether he's angry at the coach or whoever—and then come and give us what he has, that's what we're looking for."

Toffoli rebounded by notching two assists in the Kings' two games since then. Both assists, along with four shots on goal, came in a 4-3 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. On Nov. 4, the Kings' 2010 second-round pick addressed the increasing trade speculation surrounding him.

"I mean, it's just the way it is," Toffoli told Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "It comes with not playing well and not winning games, so whatever happens, happens."

Toffoli is in the final year of his three-year, $13.8 million contract. The Kings owe him a $4.8 million base salary, carrying a $4.6 million cap hit. His contract situation could work against his trade value. So could his slow start to 2019-20 and his down 2018-19 campaign, during which he posted 13 goals and 21 assists across 82 games.

That said, there are plenty of teams across the league that could benefit from a historically productive young forward with championship experience.

Jesse Puljujarvi Gaining Trade Traction

The Edmonton Oilers long ago fell out of favor with Puljujarvi when the 21-year-old winger didn't sign the qualifying offer the team extended him in June. Instead, Puljujarvi has been playing for Karpat in his native Finland's Liiga. 

Through 18 games, Puljujarvi has scored 11 goals and tallied nine assists for Karpat, per the league's official website

Puljujarvi's form for Karpat has piqued trade interest for him back in the NHL, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston on Hockey Night in Canada:

"Right now, [Oilers general manager] Ken Holland has a lot of different options. He's talked extensively with teams going back to this summer, I believe the New York Rangers are a team that continues to show persistent interest in Jesse Puljujarvi.

"Ken Holland is headed over to watch him play in an international tournament in the coming days. I don't believe the Oilers have reached an internal decision on what they're going to do here—if it's a trade right away, if they hold onto his rights beyond the Dec. 1 headline … or if they try and keep him."

Dec. 1 is the deadline for restricted free agents to sign in order to maintain eligibility for the remainder of the season.

The Oilers drafted Puljujarvi fourth overall in the 2016 NHL draft. Since then, he has scored 17 goals and assisted 20 goals across 139 games. Most recently, he had a down 2018-19 campaign with just four goals and five assists after notching a career-high 12 goals and eight assists in 2017-18. 

In June, TSN's Darren Dreger reported that Puljujarvi had requested a trade from the Oilers. His agent, Markus Lehto, confirmed as much:

Johnston cited the Rangers as suitors, but LeBrun reported for TSN in mid-October that the Carolina Hurricanes "have kicked tires on [Puljujarvi] to see what the price would be and whether he'd be a good fit."

Ultimately, though, Edmonton still dictates Puljujarvi's future. At 10-5-2 atop the Western Conference's Pacific Division, the Oilers have shown in the early parts of this season that they don't necessarily need Puljujarvi to succeed. It makes little sense, then, to keep a player who wants out.

Hurricanes Open to Using Defensive Surplus to Add Forward

Carolina reportedly wants to add help at forward regardless of Puljujarvi's availability.

LeBrun disclosed on TSN earlier recently that the Hurricanes are exploring the possibility to parlay their blue-line surplus into a forward depth:

"They keep growing on trees, those defensemen in Carolina. They have a surplus right now, and they don't want to lose one on waivers to cut down to the proper number on defense. They're trying to acquire a top-nine forward at some point, and they're willing to move one of either two defensemen: Haydn Fleury or Trevor van Riemsdyk. They're both restricted free agents on July 1. For the right price, I think that Carolina would listen and move one of them."

Van Riemsdyk suffered a shoulder injury during the Hurricanes' Stanley Cup playoff run last season that required surgery, and he didn't make his 2019-20 regular-season debut until Oct. 18. The 28-year-old has played just seven games. He has no goals and two assists.

Carolina owes Van Riemsdyk $2.5 million in base salary, which holds a $2.3 million cap hit, in 2019-20 before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

Fleury, meanwhile, has appeared in 11 games in which he has scored once and assisted twice. The 23-year-old is cheaper than Van Riemsdyk with an $850,000 base salary this season before hitting restricted free agency in 2020-21. It's also worth noting he was a heathy scratch for four straight games recently.

The Hurricanes will get back injured center Erik Haula (lower body) and wing Jordan Martinook (core muscle). Haula is day-to-day, while Martinook has been placed on injured reserve. Haula leads the team with eight goals and has already proved to be solid offseason trade acquisition for Carolina up front.

But with solid defensive starters in Jaccob Slavin and Dougie Hamilton, plus extensive depth at the position, Van Riemsdyk and Fleury could be disposed of in order to bolster another skill group.