The Scott Burnside Trade Deadline Wishlist
Scott Burnside of The Athletic: The list is entertaining here for trade deadline wishlist deals. It starts with a Taylor Hall reunion in Edmonton. The cost remains significant and lots of moving parts exist. Is Hall that near point-a-game playoff player or the winger that has 12 goals in his last 58 NHL games? That is the question Buffalo Sabres’ GM Kevyn Adams needs to answer as much as Ken Holland. The return now would be significantly lower than what New Jersey netted late in 2019.
Some other possible deals include Johnny Gaudreau to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Darcy Kuemper to the Colorado Avalanche. With the injuries in Arizona, do the Coyotes throw in the towel and trade to a rival or do they keep Kuemper in the hopes he comes back sooner? Arizona may have to sell anyway and Colorado has to decide if Philipp Grubauer is their guy.
After that, there is this one little nugget trade. What if Jonathan Quick got traded to the Carolina Hurricanes? Quick gets exposed in the expansion draft and will not cost much of anything for goaltending insurance given the Hurricanes’ goalie free-agent situation.
Pittsburgh Penguins Trade Pieces?
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey NOW: Establishing trade deadline pieces and prices can be challenging. Ron Hextall must assess this quickly along with Brian Burke. Trade chips feel limited for Pittsburgh currently.
Dangling an early 2022 draft pick whether it be a second or third-round pick is plausible. A third-rounder nets a bottom-six winger and/or depth. The first-round pick looks out of bounds.
Juuso Riikola could be dangled but how much has his development been damaged by lack of play and constant mistakes? Then, there is Jason Zucker. When does he get placed on the LTIR? If he is healthier than thought, does Ron Hextall consider flipping him for a pick and prospect?
Cody Ceci became so valuable to Pittsburgh that even with his desirable salary and possible movement, he is likely not to be moved. Remember, most any move for Pittsburgh has to involve dollars in for dollars out. That increases the challenge.