The post NHL Trade Watch: Stamkos Plans, Kings Eye Thomas & Stanley Sweepstakes appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
The NHL roster freeze officially lifted at midnight on Feb. 22. With only 12 days left until the March 6 trade deadline, the rumor mill is in overdrive. Between stars controlling their own destiny and depth pieces suddenly becoming hot commodities, the next two weeks are going to be chaotic.
In this edition of NHL Trade Watch, we look at Steven Stamkos‘ future. We also discuss the Los Angeles Kings eyeing Robert Thomas. Finally, we look at the Logan Stanley and Rasmus Ristolainen sweepstakes.
Despite the Nashville Predators sitting four points out of a wild-card spot, Stamkos does not seem to be worried about the March 6 deadline. After a difficult start to the season, Stamkos has been on a tear with 39 points in his last 24 games.
The veteran has been vocal that he is not worried about the noise because he holds a full no-move clause. At this time, there is no real news about any conversations he has had with management about waiving. Therefore, as far as he is concerned, he signed in Nashville with the expectation of winning. So, unless their front office specifically asks him to move to a contender like the Tampa Bay Lightning, expect Stamkos to stay put.
The Kings appear to be swinging for the fences. After Kevin Fiala went down with a season-ending injury at the Olympics, the Kings have cap space to work with and a glaring hole in their top six. The name at the top of the list is Blue forward Thomas.
Robert Thomas trade Blues
The St. Louis Blues are languishing near the bottom of the standings. While Thomas has a no-trade clause and a massive contract, he has acknowledged that the rumors are just part of the business when a team is struggling. The Blues are reportedly asking for a massive haul that starts with at least one first-round pick and a top-tier prospect. If the Kings want a true successor to Anze Kopitar, this is the move to watch.
In Winnipeg, the trade market for Stanley is heating up. The 6-foot-7 defenseman is a pending UFA. He is coming off a breakout stretch where he has played more minutes and found a scoring touch that was previously missing from his game.
While Stanley has said he wants to stay with the Jets, the reality is that Winnipeg has struggled and needs to recoup assets. Contending teams are always looking for size and depth for a playoff run. Stanley is the exact type of affordable rental that could create a bidding war in the final hours before the deadline.
No one helped their trade value more in Milan than Ristolainen. He was a force for Team Finland, finishing with a plus-9 rating. This proves he can handle top-four minutes against elite competition.
Rasmus Ristolainen Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly hearing from several teams, with the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers being mentioned as aggressive suitors. Ristolainen has one year left on his deal at $5.1 million, which makes him more than just a short-term rental. The Flyers are likely holding out for a significant return which could mean they’d be willing to retain a portion of his Salary. And, with the way he played at the Olympics, they might just get it.
Next: Analyst with Hot Take on Auston Matthews as Standalone Star
The post NHL Trade Watch: Stamkos Plans, Kings Eye Thomas & Stanley Sweepstakes appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
Continue reading...
The NHL roster freeze officially lifted at midnight on Feb. 22. With only 12 days left until the March 6 trade deadline, the rumor mill is in overdrive. Between stars controlling their own destiny and depth pieces suddenly becoming hot commodities, the next two weeks are going to be chaotic.
In this edition of NHL Trade Watch, we look at Steven Stamkos‘ future. We also discuss the Los Angeles Kings eyeing Robert Thomas. Finally, we look at the Logan Stanley and Rasmus Ristolainen sweepstakes.
Stamkos Not Worried About Deadline
Despite the Nashville Predators sitting four points out of a wild-card spot, Stamkos does not seem to be worried about the March 6 deadline. After a difficult start to the season, Stamkos has been on a tear with 39 points in his last 24 games.
The veteran has been vocal that he is not worried about the noise because he holds a full no-move clause. At this time, there is no real news about any conversations he has had with management about waiving. Therefore, as far as he is concerned, he signed in Nashville with the expectation of winning. So, unless their front office specifically asks him to move to a contender like the Tampa Bay Lightning, expect Stamkos to stay put.
Kings Eyeing Robert Thomas
The Kings appear to be swinging for the fences. After Kevin Fiala went down with a season-ending injury at the Olympics, the Kings have cap space to work with and a glaring hole in their top six. The name at the top of the list is Blue forward Thomas.
Robert Thomas trade Blues
The St. Louis Blues are languishing near the bottom of the standings. While Thomas has a no-trade clause and a massive contract, he has acknowledged that the rumors are just part of the business when a team is struggling. The Blues are reportedly asking for a massive haul that starts with at least one first-round pick and a top-tier prospect. If the Kings want a true successor to Anze Kopitar, this is the move to watch.
The Logan Stanley Sweepstakes
In Winnipeg, the trade market for Stanley is heating up. The 6-foot-7 defenseman is a pending UFA. He is coming off a breakout stretch where he has played more minutes and found a scoring touch that was previously missing from his game.
While Stanley has said he wants to stay with the Jets, the reality is that Winnipeg has struggled and needs to recoup assets. Contending teams are always looking for size and depth for a playoff run. Stanley is the exact type of affordable rental that could create a bidding war in the final hours before the deadline.
Ristolainen’s Market Heating Up
No one helped their trade value more in Milan than Ristolainen. He was a force for Team Finland, finishing with a plus-9 rating. This proves he can handle top-four minutes against elite competition.
Rasmus Ristolainen Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly hearing from several teams, with the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers being mentioned as aggressive suitors. Ristolainen has one year left on his deal at $5.1 million, which makes him more than just a short-term rental. The Flyers are likely holding out for a significant return which could mean they’d be willing to retain a portion of his Salary. And, with the way he played at the Olympics, they might just get it.
Next: Analyst with Hot Take on Auston Matthews as Standalone Star
The post NHL Trade Watch: Stamkos Plans, Kings Eye Thomas & Stanley Sweepstakes appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
Continue reading...