Where Mark Stone, Artemi Panarin, etc. may go…
Frank Seravalli of Bardown.com: Destinations expects for some of the top trade deadline targets can be arbitrary but plausible.
The hold up in most deals lies in the fact that Mark Stone and Artemi Panarin are tied together. Unfortunately, with days until the trade deadline, that fact remains. Expect posturing to continue into the weekend possibly. Boston, Nashville, Tampa Bay, and Winnipeg linked to the two players is not surprising.
Meanwhile, Wayne Simmonds draws interest from Boston, Nashville, and Tampa Bay.
Furthermore, the same teams are in on the same players. Therefore, if the prices change, another team could jump in. That depends on Mark Stone staying in Ottawa, which looks less and less likely.
Patrick Eaves and Anaheim now…
Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register: Patrick Eaves and the Anaheim Ducks parted ways and sadly it was for the best. Considering the injury and illness history of Eaves and this decision becomes no surprise. He played just a handful of games over the last two seasons for the Anaheim Ducks.
Also, this allows Anaheim to send top prospects to the big club. Roster flexibility helps Anaheim see the likes of Troy Terry, Max Jones, etc.
Finally, Ryan Miller still may be dealt but as of now, nothing is imminent.
The Vancouver Canucks way…
Ben Kuzma of The Province: Building a better back end is the priority for Jim Benning and the Vancouver Canucks. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Bo Horvat score at an above-average NHL level.
However, the defense still lacks something. Fortunately, hope lies in prospects such as Quinn Hughes. Hughes expects to join the team in the near future. Olli Juolevi needs to make an immediate impact as well.
This is why. Incredibly, Ben Hutton and Troy Stecher have not broken down yet despite playing huge minutes. Their third pairing is chaotic.
Also, the trade deadline provides little help. Therefore, the development of Hughes and Juolevi are paramount to Vancouver’s blueline future.