Asking for a first-round pick for Scott Laughton is fair
Anthony Di Marco: The Philadelphia Flyers are looking to get a first-round pick if they are going to trade center Scott Laughton.
Two league executives think this is a fair ask after the market was set with the Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan trades.
Laughton has a year left on his contract and is not a rental.
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Expect the Colorado Avalanche to add a center
Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now: (mailbag) The Colorado Avalanche are looking win and no prospect should be untouchable. If there is someone who is close to an untouchable, it’s Calum Ritchie.
Expect the Avalanche to acquire another center by the deadline. Can’t see Ryan Johansen then fitting into a fourth-line center role and it’s going to be really hard to find someone wanting to take his $4 million contract. Johansen does have a bit of a history of performing well in the playoffs.
Could see the Avalanche moving Ben Meyers but he may not have a lot of value. He’s currently in the AHL and injured, but should be healthy before the deadline.
It wouldn’t be a surprise that defenseman Bowen Byram could be traded but it does seem like it would be more of an offseason move.
The New York Islanders looking for forwards with term
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: Get the sense that the New York Islanders could be looking for help at forward ahead of the trade deadline. Asked Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello if it made more sense for them to look for players with term as opposed to rental.
“Like everything else, you make every decision for today with tomorrow in mind. But where the priority comes at that given time? Depending on cost, depending on age, depending on so many variables. So it’s really tough to say it’s for this reason or that reason.
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“But you certainly do it because you want to give yourself a better opportunity, if the opportunity comes about. Remember, it still takes two teams.”