The Wild could use some scoring help but will wait for now
Sarah McLellan of the Star Tribune: Minnesota Wild GM Paul Fenton on the trade deadline.
“I’m just going to watch here the next couple weeks,” Fenton said, “and then make a decision as to which direction we’re going.”
The Wild’s offense has been consistent all year.
The Blackhawks do need an overhaul
Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times: While it’s been speculated for a while now that the Chicago Blackhawks would be sellers come the deadline, they aren’t that far out of the wildcard.
The Blackhawks do “need a significant overhaul” which will likely shape their deadline plans.
Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith don’t seem inclined to waive their no-movement clauses.
Panarin may not know what teams he’s interested in yet
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 1290 and was talking the Florida Panthers clearing cap room to possibly go after Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, and what those players may be thinking.
McKenzie doesn’t think Panarin is 100 percent sure where he wants to go. Once his season is over, he’ll likely go through the ‘exhaustive process’ before he’s able to talk to teams.
“My understanding is that any of the Florida teams, he’s interested in. Any of the big teams on the Eastern seaboard – the New York Rangers, like that. The Chicago Blackhawks, there’s been indications that he would go back and try to find a way to work him back into the fold. I don’t think smaller market Canadian teams would be in his wheelhouse at all. Toronto is not going to be positioned to do anything. But I think he liked the idea of Original Six a little bit. I wouldn’t rule Detroit out of the equation, especially with the history Detroit has had with Russian players in the past.”
Panarin will be looking for a team that has some good young players and a chance to contend. 10-12 may already be out of the running and maybe half the league before any talks can happen.