On the Los Angeles Kings …
Dennis Bernstein: “Whether Kings deal for Evander Kane or not, mere fact they would consider is seismic shift in how front office thinks with Rob Blake running show”
On the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights …
J.J. Regan of CSN Mid Atlantic: The Capitals priorities are to lock up their RFAs and then T.J. Oshie if there is cap room. UFA defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk isn’t a priority for them.
Regan lays out a scenario where Shattenkirk indirectly helps out the Capitals.
Shattenkirk wants to be a number one defenseman somewhere and sign a big deal. Vegas is a place where that can happen and they get first crack at him. He can speak with them and sign during the 72-hour window.
If he did end up signing with Vegas during this period, he would count as the player the Capitals would lose in the draft. This would mean they wouldn’t lose someone like goaltender Philipp Grubauer or a defenseman like Nate Schmidt.
From what Shattenkirk has already said, he may decide to wait until July 1st to see what other teams are interested and what they have to say.
On the Edmonton Oilers …
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal: Looking at trades before the expansion draft. The Oilers could used right handed defenseman. On TSN trade bait list are defensemen Sami Vatanen, Jonas Brodin, Matt Dumba and Travis Hamonic. Jordan Eberle is also listed high on the board.
If the Oilers were to trade Eberle in a deal for one of those defensemen (or any other defenseman before the expansion draft), the Oilers would then have to protect 8 skaters instead of the 7-3-1. Defenseman Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson, Andrej Sekera and the ‘new’ player they acquire would be protected. This would mean they could lose Zack Kassian instead of someone like Griffin Reinhart.
Moving Eberle for a defenseman would also create a hole in the right side for the Oilers.
It may be better to trade Eberle after the expansion draft. Though after the draft, some defensemen may no longer be on the trade market.