NHL Rumors: Rental Prices, Trade Bait and Waivers

Price of Rentals …

• Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: The days of getting a first round draft pick for rentals may be over.
  

  “There’s no chance you’re seeing first-round picks go out for rental players this year,” one Western Conference hockey executive said Tuesday. “Those days are over.”

  Teams will be protecting their high draft picks and top prospects more.

  “The market correction started last summer in free agency with a lot of players getting squeezed by the flat cap and now you’re going to see teams protect their high picks and top prospects more than ever because that’s gold now, that’s the most important currency there is because of the new economic realities,” the same hockey executive said.”

Trade Targets …

• TSN’s Trade Bait List:
  1. Jonathan Drouin
  2. Loui Eriksson
  3. Andrew Ladd
  4. Dan Hamhuis
  5. Eric Staal
  6. Kris Russell
  7. Justin Schultz
  8. Travis Hamonic
  9. Roman Polak
  10. Jiri Hudler

Available Defensemen …

• Frank Seravalli of TSN: With the Islanders likely to hold onto Travis Hamonic until the offseason, that leaves Dan Hamhuis, Kris Russell and Justin Schultz as the top defenseman that could be moved by the deadline.

• The Flames could move Dennis Wideman and his $5.25 million cap hit for one more year, but his suspension could keep teams away.

• Nikita Nikitin is another Oilers defenseman that could be moved.

• Maple Leafs Roman Polak is getting interest.

On Dan Hamhuis …

• TSN Radio Vancouver: Darren Dreger on the Dan Hamhuis trade situation: “There are teams and people out there trying to conjure up scenarios where he’s a good fit here or there. I don’t think there’s a greal deal of activity – not to say there isn’t interest, there might be – but because he controls the process, Jim Benning will have to be patient.”

Waiver claim for Ehrhoff?

• Luke Fox of Sportsnet: The LA Kings put defenseman Christian Ehrhoff on waivers yesterday. He carries a $1.5 million cap hit, which would translate to $475,806 for the rest of the season if a team picked him up.

• Fox wonders if Ehrhoff would interest the Rangers as a short-term fill in for injured Ryan McDonagh. Ehrhoff played under Alain Vigneault in Vancouver.

• Would the Canucks be interested as a fill in for injured Alex Edler.

• The Oilers, Blue Jackets, Bruins and Coyotes might be interested in putting a waiver claim on Ehrhoff.