On the Washington Capitals …
Bob McKenzie: (defenseman Matt Niskanen was placed on the LTIR and the recalling of Madison Bowey) Will be interested to see if the Capitals look to make a trade for a defenseman. The Vegas Golden Knights have a surplus of them.
On the San Jose Sharks …
Paul Gackle of the San Jose Mercury News: If the San Jose Sharks are going to continue to be a top team in the Pacific for years to come, they’ll need to add another top-end talent to their core.
Adding a top player in free-agency doesn’t happen that often and blockbuster trades aren’t easy to do.
New York Islanders center John Tavares could become a free agent this offseason and could be available at the trade deadline in February. Could the Sharks be interested?
The Sharks will have about $17.5 million in cap space after Joe Thornton, Joel Ward and Jannik Hansen come off the books.
John Tavares numbers have dropped the past couple season. Will he be worth $10 million a season in the next three or four years?
Matt Duchene may be a better option for the Sharks, but a trade with the Avalanche seems unlikely since Avs GM Joe Sakic wants a top-four defenseman.
On the New York Islanders …
Larry Brooks of the NY Post: The Islanders will likely be still in the bidding process for the potential Belmont Park arena project when the February NHL trade deadline arrives.
The Islanders will have some tough decisions to make: to run the risk of potentially losing him for nothing to free agency or move him at the deadline for a bounty of assets.
Could the Islanders trade Tavares to a team that he’d willingly sign an extension with – may be the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens?