NHL Rumors: Who Could Be the Busiest Teams at the Deadline?

Expect Calgary, Anaheim, and San Jose to be the Busiest Teams at the Upcoming NHL Trade Deadline

Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period joined TSN Radio in Montreal and was asked about who some of the busiest teams will be at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline.

** NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

NHL Rumors: The Calgary Flames, and the New Jersey Devils

Host: “Yeah, and I’ve always thought, and we’ve had this conversation almost on a weekly basis, the Penguins might be one of those busier teams because of the older players, but what do they have to deal and trade?

So we’re just over a month away from the trade deadline. Most teams this week and next week will be getting a bit of a break and resetting, having meetings with their scouts and trying to make their plans. If you were to give me a list of two to three teams you think will be the busiest at the trade deadline. Who are you looking at?”

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Dave Pagnotta: “Calgary, certainly. Anaheim being another, and then is probably San Jose. All from a seller’s perspective certainly, but those are the because each of those teams have got multiple pieces that they’re looking to move, willing to move, and teams want.

So I certainly think that those are going to be the busier of the clubs. If you look at Calgary, I just mentioned Pittsburgh being six points back in the East. The Flames are just five points back in the West, but they don’t have games in hand. The teams ahead of them, have games in hand, it’s a trickier situation for them to be in.

The Flames want to retool on the fly, so to speak. And they’ve got multiple assets that they can move, not just guys on expiring contracts, with the conversation surrounding Jacob Markstrom is likely to continue. There are teams that have asked about guys like Mackenzie Weegar, who’s in year one of of eight on his deal. They have an opportunity to be creative here. And it certainly starts with guys like Lindholm, Hanifin, and Tanev.

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And then the other two California teams that are going to be that are sellers right now, the Sharks and and the Ducks. Again, another team with multiple pieces that are looking to move. You’ve got Duclair and Hoffman and Barabanov in San Jose, among others, and Lebanc as well.

And you have, you know, Silfverberg and Henrique and Lyubushkin teams are asking about Vatrano, I mean mentioned Markstrom, Gibson’s name will certainly come up again over these next five weeks.

So those are the three teams that I anticipate being busiest from a seller’s perspective and just busy overall because I think Calgary, the narrative there is though they’ll sell, but they’re also fishing for assets to buy that have term on their deal.

So those are going to be the three of the busier teams certainly over this next stretch.”