Trade value for Sabres defensemen pushed down
John Vogl: With Minnesota Wild right-handed defenseman Matt Dumba on the trade market. it pushes down the trade value for Buffalo Sabres right-handed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour and Colin Miller. Don’t think the Sabres will be trading Ristolainen anyways.
Oilers may be not willing to pay the price
David Staples: Can’t see the Edmonton Oilers be willing to pay the price for Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper or defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Could see the Oilers moving Andreas Athanasiou but they may not get much for him as just moving his rights. He’s an RFA. Maybe they could get a 4th or 5th round pick.
Quick hits on the Kraken, Golden Knights, Islanders, Rangers and Krug
Dan Rosen of NHL.com: (mailbag) Think that Mike Babcock could be an ideal first head coach for the Seattle Kraken.
If the Vegas Golden Knights re-sign Robin Lehner, Marc-Andre Fleury will likely be moved out. The goalie market is going to be crowded this offseason. Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said this week that sorting their goalie situation out is the “first order of business.”
The New York Islanders have pending restricted free agents in Mathew Barzal, Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews. They might need to move some salary out. If the Islanders check out the free agent market for some scoring help, forward Mike Hoffman could be what they are looking for. They would need to move out salary to bring Hoffman in.
If the New York Rangers aren’t able to find an upgrade at second-line center, re-signing Ryan Strome would make sense – even if on a one-year deal. Strome is eligible to become a UFA after next season. Not sure if the Rangers are interested in signing him to a long-term deal. Using defenseman Anthony DeAngelo as a trade chip for a No. 2 center could be an option.
Think the Boston Bruins pending UFA defenseman Torey Krug is going to hit the open market. The Bruins could look to trade his rights for a draft pick before free agency opens.