Oilers may not be big players in the rental market
NHL Watcher: Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet said that Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland has said that he’s not trading his first-round pick or their top prospects unless he’s sure they are Stanley Cup contenders. It doesn’t seem like they will be big players in the rental market unless they can find something for a mid to late-round pick.
A wait-and-see for Brassard and the deadline
Charlie O’Connor: Philadelphia Flyers forward Derick Brassard on the trade deadline: “Yeah, I think it’s in everyone’s mind. For me personally, I signed here because I believed the Flyers were a team that could contend for the Cup. I haven’t talked to Chuck or my agent about it yet, so we’ll see.”
Canadiens GM on the approaching trade deadline
Eric Engels of Sportsnet: From an interview with Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes. Hughes when asked it trade talk is picking up.
“I think it’s been pretty continuous, to be honest with you.”
Hughes when asked about defenseman Ben Chiarot and if teams are trying to put the squeeze on as the deadline approaches.
“I don’t think people are trying to squeeze us. Again, if I look back (at his own experience as an agent in free agency), there’s a lot of exploring that goes into this type of process. I’m guessing teams are trying to understand what the cost of Chiarot is versus another potential option and they’re going to make their decisions. Conversely, we would look and compare different options of what fits best for us.”
Hughes said that they aren’t looking to trade Artturi Lehkonen but teams will call.
“We’re not trying to trade him right now. I think I’ve said that about a number of players on our team. We’re not trying to trade them, but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t receive phone calls with regards to them. And if something happens…”
Hughes said they aren’t trying to trade Shea Weber, but teams have called.
When asked if they are more interested in getting some prospects instead of draft picks and why they could that be valuable, Hughes responded:
“Timing and information. If somebody’s two years older, two years post-draft, you have more information on that player. It’s easier to predict what you’ll get out of a 20-year-old than an 18-year-old, easier to predict an 18-year-old than a 16-year-old.”