NHL Rumors: Penguins and Senators, Flames and Canadiens

Could the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators become trade partners?

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins have seven defensemen on their roster, but nine NHL defensemen in their organization – Ty Smith and Mark Friedman are in the AHL. Pierre-Olivier Joseph was in the rumor mill this offseason, but things have quieted down. The Penguins rejected one Joseph trade offer.

A Jason Zucker trade was rejected as well as a team from the Metro Division wanted the Penguins to include a first-round pick

Forward Teddy Blueger is close to coming off the LTIR.

The Ottawa Senators are looking for a defenseman and are one of the teams that have looked at Arizona Coyotes Jakob Chychrun. The Senators have four, 25 or younger defensemen on their roster and Thomas Chabot is out for at least a week.

The Senators are still without unsigned RFA forward Alex Formenton. Between $1.5 and $2 million is where he projects but he’s looking for more money and more term.

The Sens have around $4 million in cap space. Would defenseman Brian Dumoulin ($4.1 million, UFA) and forward Jeff Carter ($3.125 million, one more year) interest the Senators if they are looking for some experience? Sens center Josh Norris is out long-term and Carter could help fill the hole.

The Penguins could look to use Blueger as a trade piece.

Could the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens become trade partners

Marco D’Amico of Montreal Hockey Now: Elliotte Friedman reported on the weekend that the Calgary Flames could be looking for some scoring help. (D’Amico) thinks the Montreal Canadiens could be a logical trade partner.

A source confirms that the Canadiens were one of the teams that have spoken with the Flames.

TSN Salim Valji confirms that the Flames have had an interest in Josh Anderson in the past they couldn’t work out a deal. Flames trading for Anderson hits a lot of boxes, but he has a $5.5 million salary cap hit and do the Canadiens even want to trade him? The Canadiens may have to back a contract like Milan Lucic‘s $5.25 million (UFA at season’s end).

It would take a big trade offer for the Canadiens to move Anderson. In the past, GM Kent Hughes wouldn’t trade him for packages that included a first-round pick.

Hughes may ask the Flames for a first-round pick and either Jakob Pelletier or Matthew Coronato.

Would Mike Hoffman interest in the Flames? He carries a $4.5 million cap hit through next season.

The Flames only have about $50,000 in cap space.