- Andy Strickland of True Hockey: Last spring Kings goalie, Jonathan Bernier, asked to be traded. GM Dean Lombardi talked to a couple teams, but didn’t get a deal he liked. That, along with Jonathan Quick’s back injury, the trade went on the back burner. Sources say a Bernier trade likely won’t happen until after Roberto Luongo is traded. Rumors are the Kings could be looking for a top four defenseman. Bernier is really the only major asset the Kings are willing to move. The Maple Leafs could be one option for Bernier, and there is one specific player on the Leafs roster that Lombardi has indicated privately that he likes. He isn’t saying but it’s not looking like the Leafs are willing to move him at the moment. The Lightning, Blue Jackets and Devils have looked at Bernier at some point. Bernier will be a RFA at the end of this year.
- Bruce Garrioch via twitter: The Senators will have trade options, but will take a week or so for things to shake out.
- Matthew Sekeres via twitter: Canucks GM Mike Gillis said he thinks that Shane Doan said no to the Canucks in the summer as Doan believed that the Coyotes would be staying in Phoenix. Doan could be traded if the Coyotes aren’t in the hunt at the NHL trade deadline. Maybe the Canucks will take another look at him.
- Howard Berger of BergerBytes: Berger wonders if the Maple Leafs could trade for Ryan Getzlaf if he becomes available. A Western Conference executive,
“He could be available. But, there will be a fair amount of interest in him and he won’t come cheap.”
The Leafs have been looking for No. 1 center since Mats Sundin left in 2007-08. Without having a No. 1 center, it would appear reasonable for GM David Nonis to consider trading Phil Kessel before the trade deadline. If the Maple Leafs were able to get someone like Getzlaf, keeping Kessel would make sense. Ducks GM Bob Murray has said that he wants to re-sign Getzlaf and Corey Perry, but that will be difficult.
“I don’t believe Anaheim will keep both players,” said my source. “I think Bob Murray may be looking for a different mix up front. But, it depends how this season goes. If the Ducks have a great year, all of that could change.”
If the Leafs were looking to trading for him, they would want to have assurance that he’d be interested in a long-term commitment. If the Ducks say that Getzlaf won’t re-sign with them, 3 options for Getzlaf are 1) agree to sign with team that trades for him, 2) become a free agent in July and c) target the Kings in the offseason so he can remain in California (he’s built a home and his family is settled in Anaheim). Nazem Kadri would be starting point in a deal, possibly with Nikolai Kulemin and a 2nd or 3rd round pick. The Leafs won’t trade their 2013 1st round pick or Morgan Rielly.