- Adrian Dater of the Denver Post: Some potential trade scenarios involving the Avalanche’s 1st overall pick.1. Trade the 1st pick to the Panthers (No. 2) or Lightning (No. 3) for an establish player or two and their own 1st round pick. Avs take whatever player is left.
Let’s make an offer here to the Lightning: “We’ll trade you the No. 1 pick for the No. 3 pick and Victor Hedman. What do you say, Steve Yzerman? If you want Nathan MacKinnon really bad, this is the price to have him. Maybe we’ll throw in David Jones too.”
2. Offer the Panthers Paul Stastny and Erik Johnson for the 2nd overall pick. Panthers may counter with Matt Duchene instead of Stastny. Would that Avs part with Duchene and Johnson?
3. Avs first and Stastny for Panthers first and Jonathan Huberdeau?
Dater admits that the trade scenarios likely wouldn’t work.
- David Staples of the Edmonton Journal: Former Oilers assistant coach, Craig Simpson, thinks that it is time for the Oilers to part ways with Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky.
“I think the Oilers have always been the opposite where you’ll get three back that are questions or rookies or draft picks and you don’t necessarily get the best player. I think at some point there has to be a deal or two from Craig where you’re giving up more of the volume and the potential, but you’ve got the best player in the deal. That hasn’t happened a whole lot.”
Simpson thought the Oilers should have traded Hemsky at the trade deadline last year.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News: The Sharks made some move during the season, and there may not be a need or efficient way to blow it up. The roster is well structured with Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Antti Niemi and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Joe Thornton had an good playoff run, and they have veterans like Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle. Kawakami thinks the Sharks will likely try to trade Martin Havlat and his $10 million over two years. They could amnesty him for $6.67 million if they can’t find any takers.