On the Chicago Blackhawks …
Scott Powers of The Athletic: (mailbag) Think that GM Stan Bowman will eventually make a trade at some point to take advantage of the LTIR cap space (Marian Hossa). A top-nine center might be one area they might consider, with a top-four defenseman another option.
Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Connor Murphy and Gustav Forsling are the defenseman the Blackhawks are likely to keep going forward. Jan Rutta, Cody Franson, and Michal Kempny are pending free agents. They could look to re-sign Rutta to an extension.
On the Vegas Golden Knights …
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: The Vegas Golden Knights are among the top teams in the West with a 22-9-2 record. They have collected future draft picks, and UFAs that they had visions of trading for more draft picks and prospects. Could the Golden Knights be buyers at the trade deadline?
“Well, again, the trading deadline is a long way off,” McPhee responded cautiously. “We’ll see what the landscape looks like when we get there. It’s a little premature to answer that question now.”
On the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights and the Ottawa Senators …
Dan Rosen of NHL.com: (mailbag) The addition of Michael Leighton and Jamie Oleksiak earlier this week are not impactful moves, but give the Penguins some additional depth. The onus is GM Jim Rutherford to acquire some energy in an impactful trade.
If the Golden Knights continue their winning ways, they could look to improve their roster at the trade deadline for a playoff push/run. This may not be in their best long-term interest, but it would immediately help grow their fanbase.
would be shocked if Ottawa Senators traded defenseman Erik Karlsson. He’s not able to sign a contract extension until after July 1st, so there is a lot of time to figure things out.