On the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks …
- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Matheson thinks the Oilers will trade for a defenseman at the trade deadline or at the draft. They will probably have to offer up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or maybe offer up Jordan Eberle to the Ducks for Sami Vatanen.
- There are not a lot of pending UFA defenseman that the Oilers would be interested in. Alex Goligoski is not a ‘A-lister.’ Matheson wonders if they would be interested in Dustin Byfuglien if he becomes available.
- The Oilers will continually be linked Islanders Travis Hamonic due to his desire to play closer to his home in Manitoba.
- The Oilers first round pick will definitely be in play – as long as it’s not the first overall pick.
- Matheson thinks that pending RFA winger Johnny Gaudreau could ask for Vladimir Tarasenko money – eight years and $64 million. The Flames may be looking at $56 million.
- A lot of recent talk that the Predators inquired about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as they could use an offensive center. If Shea Weber was made available, would the Predators need a defenseman as well as Nugent-Hopkins? Darnell Nurse is not available, so Oscar Klefbom may be the most likely candidate.
- The Kings could use a third pairing defenseman to replace the injured Matt Greene.
- Matheson wonders about the Ducks trading for Eric Staal and then playing on wing with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.
On the Winnipeg Jets …
- Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press: Jets coach Paul Maurice has too much to worry about to be thinking ahead to the trade deadline.
“Not even a little bit,” said Maurice, after his team’s practice at the MTS Centre Monday, when asked if the deadline has crossed his mind. “I’ve never liked to see guys get traded. You’ve got to go with what you got and I’m not a big fan of moving guys out unless it clearly doesn’t fit. It’s my job to get more out of them.”
The Jets have been falling closer to sellers than being buyers.
- Paul Friesen: When Ondrej Pavelec is ready to return from injury, coach Paul Maurice said he’s philosophically opposed to carrying 3 goalies.