On TSN’s “Players of Interest” …
- TSNs Insider Trading: Leading up to the trade deadline, TSN created a list of ‘players of interest’ on the trade front: Loui Eriksson (BOS), Kevin Shattenkirk (STL), Radim Vrbata (VAN), Tyler Ennis (BUF), Roman Polak (TOR), Jonathan Drouin (TB) and Justin Schultz (EDM).Bob McKenzie: On Jonathan Drouin … Not a strong sense that anything is imminent. GM Steve Yzerman may be slow playing the market to get the offer he wants, or he has a team that he’s settled on.Pierre LeBrun: Teams that are interested in Drouin include: St. Louis, Anaheim, Montreal, Minnesota and Ottawa. The Senators may not be a front-runner, but there have been talks, and the Lightning may like Cody Ceci. Don’t think the Senators would move Ceci.
Pierre LeBrun: At this time, the Vancouver Canucks haven’t decided what to do with pending UFA Radim Vrbata. They’ll decide to do over the next month. He’ll get interest on the trade market as he’s a scoring winger. The Canucks are trying to rebuild on the fly though and don’t want to bottom out.
Darren Dreger: The Oilers are not shopping Justin Schultz, and don’t necessarily want to push him out, but they’d consider moving him if the right fit is there.
Darren Dreger: A lot of teams are paying attention to Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak.
Bob McKenzie: Jared Cowen could be on the list. Cowen hasn’t asked for a trade, but he might welcome a change of scenery. The Senators could be open to it, but they also think he could be a value to them.
On the Columbus Blue Jackets …
- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets had been carrying nine defenseman. (Kevin Connauton was put on waivers yesterday and claimed by the Coyotes today). Cody Goloubef and Dalton Prout have been extras.The Blue Jackets will be looking to shed some salary between now and the trade deadline. Fedor Tyutin is a prime candidate they’d may like to move. He makes $5 million this year, $4.75 million next year, and $4 million in 2017-18 – a $4.5 million cap hit. Tyutin has a modified no-trade clause. He provided the Blue Jackets a list of teams he’d accept a trade to this past offseason. When asked if he expects to be moved or if he’d welcome a trade, Tyutin said:
“I’m part of this team. I’m going to worry about the game (tonight), not about being traded. I don’t want to think about that.”
Prout and Connauton are pending RFAs and Falk is a pending UFA.