The Buffalo Sabres clean up begins…
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period: The Buffalo Sabres traded Eric Staal last week to Montreal and that is just the beginning. That exodus from Buffalo will occur for several players between now and the April 12th trade deadline. The big piece is Taylor Hall and Buffalo will have to likely retain half of his salary ($8 million AAV). That will open up interest for several contenders. Ultimately, Hall will have to waive his no-movement clause.
Other players that could move include Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, and even Linus Ullmark has been mentioned. The reality is Kevyn Adams should almost listen to offers for everyone he can.
Should I stay or should I go?
Scott Burnside of The Athletic: Let’s see who could go or not.
Taylor Hall — Hall will be traded as Toronto and the New York Islanders are good fits. Kevyn Adams has to trade the Buffalo Sabres forward and get something for him.
Bobby Ryan — Ryan is gone from Detroit. A good fit will be the Pittsburgh Penguins as Steve Yzerman sells at another NHL Trade Deadline. Luke Glendening fits in the same category.
Kyle Palmieri — Palmieri looks to be leaving New Jersey. Good fits include the Islanders, Toronto, and Boston. Tom Fitzgerald should be able to secure a good package for “that guy”.
Mattias Ekholm — Boston would be a nice fit for Ekholm along with Toronto but Nashville is contending for a bubble spot so David Poile may hold off here. That means Mikael Granlund may stay also.
Jake DeBrusk — DeBrusk could be traded for Rickard Rakell as the Ducks and Kings make the most sense. Would Boston sell low on the forward?
Speaking of the Nashville Predators…
Adam Vingan of The Athletic (mailbag): Players like Philip Tomasino and David Farrance will not be rushed. However, Farrance may see a bit of a cameo this season. After that, Mattias Ekholm may stay because David Poile has another year which to trade the defenseman. Plus, the return now may not be as good as the return later.
As for expansion deals, that would involve too many sweeteners for Nashville’s taste. The Seattle Kraken will not take on expensive players like Ryan Johansen or Matt Duchene.