- Brett Cyrgalis of the NY Post: GM Garth Snow has said he’s just not going to give Travis Hamonic away for draft picks and prospects. Hamonic has four years left with a $3.857 million cap hit. Now that his trade request has gone public, it won’t be easy for Snow to move him for a similar player.
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: The Islanders want a top four defenseman in any deal. The Oilers are not going to give up Oscar Klefbom. Darnell Nurse is not on the table. They just signed Andrej Sekera to a six-year deal this past offseason. That only leaves Justin Schultz and his bulging disc.
GM Peter Chiarelli does have some history in making trades with GM Garth Snow.The Oilers may prefer to trade a forward for a defenseman. The Islanders would need a defenseman back.
Hamonic lives in Winnipeg in the offseason.
Matheson brings up Tyler Myers for Hamonic, Dougie Hamilton for Hamonic, and Chris Tanev for Hamonic.
Matheson wonders if the Islanders would do Jordan Eberle for Hamonic. The Oilers would likely be bringing up Nail Yakupov before Eberle.
- Damien Cox: Don’t think the Islanders would see Hamonic and Schultz as equals.
- Mark Spector: Agrees with Cox, noting that Schultz would have to be the lesser part of the package.
- Eric Francis of the Calgary Herald: The Flames aren’t really looking for a defenseman, but it could be interesting for the Flames.
Francis thinks the Islanders might be happy with a Hamonic and a bad contract for Dennis Wideman.Kris Russell will be shopped around as he’s likely priced himself out of Calgary. The Flames may need to include something else in a Hamonic deal as Russell could be gone after the season.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun: The Jets would be a natural landing spot for Hamonic. It would be hard to imagine that the Jets wouldn’t be interested.
The Jets are thought to be looking to add a forward, but the Hamonic news should get the interest of GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.The Jets do have some depth on the blueline, which is in part of the Islanders would want in return.
- Ed Tait: One blog suggesting Bryan Little, Connor Hellebuyck and 2nd round pick for Hamonic …. no way that happens.
- Adrian Dater: The Avs would love to get Hamonic, but the asking price of an equivalent top four defenseman is not an area the Avs have a surplus in.