Sekeres and Price: Frank Seravalli on how things are slow on the trade front and with the Toronto Maple Leafs-William Nylander, and Vancouver Canucks-Elias Pettersson contract extensions.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Blake Price: “We’re getting that much closer. You have to think, you have to think somebody’s going to break the dam here in the new year and make a significant player move. But maybe it comes right down to it, I mean, we’ve talked about the parody this year Frank, it just might necessitate that determining, you know, buyers and sellers is going to take few more weeks?
Seravalli: “I really think that’s what’s holding it up. I think, you know, even just feeling around a team like the Calgary Flames, like they’ve been ready for a while now, since the (Nikita) Zadorov trade to move other pieces, and no one’s gotten serious yet.
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It’s kind of like how I view the Pettersen and Nylander negotiations. Like those two teams are chomping at the bit to get these deals done. But when you’re being slow-played by the other party, there’s really not much you can do. It’s a two party transaction.
And same thing with trades. Like you know, it’s great that Colorado can call the Flames and ask about (Elias) Lindholm and it’s great that, you know, the Leafs can call and ask about (Chris) Tanev. But until someone’s really presenting a serious and significant offer, you’re kind of stuck.
Price: “Is there a point where either the Leafs with Nylander or the Canucks with Pettersson risk hurt feelings in all this. That they haven’t backed up the Brinks truck, or does it not matter when the Brinks truck arrives as long as it arrives?
Seravalli: “I don’t, I don’t even know that Brinks trucks haven’t been ordered. Like, how, like that’s the thing is, like I’m not, I don’t, I’m not operating under any circumstance right now or, or knowledge that the Leafs and or Canucks have not acknowledged that they need to pay these players.
I think it’s been in Petterson’s case. A grapple a bit over term. In Nylander’s case, I you know, I think part of him wonders like is Toronto gonna be the place? Should I go elsewhere? What, what does that look like?
I don’t have any sense that that’s the case with Pettersen, but I also don’t think either guy is really in a rush to do anything. That’s just kind of focusing on putting up a monster season that’ll ultimately speak for itself.
Jeff Paterson: “To the players credit, both of those guys. I mean, clearly, this isn’t what I mean, maybe, I’m sure it’s in the back of their minds, but it’s not affecting their play. And in fact, the play is just driving the meter that much further, isn’t it?
Seravalli: “And that’s kind of what’s the most impressive part about it. You can see so many guys crumble under the weight of this all-important year, and those two guys have been lights out.”