2021 Top 10: #6 — SERAVALLI: Rangers the team to watch as trade freeze lifts
If there’s one thing Daily Faceoff readers loved in 2021, it’s trade talks.
We’ve already seen a few trade target articles make the top 10, and today coming in at the number six slot, Frank Seravalli dropped some spicy inside information.
Here’s some of what he wrote:
> Unlike the Vegas Golden Knights, the Seattle Kraken did not make any side Expansion Draft ‘consideration’ trades to lay off drafting a particular player from teams. As GM Ron Francis told reporters after the picturesque Draft: “Last time, general managers were more willing to overpay to protect certain assets.”
> However, the Kraken are believed to have at least one trade in the hopper for when the NHL’s league-wide trade freeze and signing moratorium opens on Thursday afternoon at 1 o’clock p.m. ET. Forward Tyler Pitlick is expected to be flipped to the Calgary Flames. The return is unconfirmed but Seattle could receive a mid-round pick in exchange. Does the extra third-round pick the Flames acquired from Edmonton in the Milan Lucic trade for James Neal make sense?
> Just a hunch, but is Vince Dunn another candidate to flip? He is a pending RFA with arbitration rights. Teams were interested in him in St. Louis but felt the ask from the Blues was too high. Plus, if Mark Giordano, Jamie Oleksiak, Adam Larsson and Carson Soucy are all staying, there doesn’t appear to be much room in the Kraken top four.
> One team to watch is the New York Rangers. GM Chris Drury has multiple irons in the fire – well aside from the new deal for two-time Stanley Cup champion Barclay Goodrow we reported on Monday. Here are some of the things we’re hearing connected to the Broadway Blueshirts:
Sources said the Kraken were underwhelmed with the options at center presented in the Expansion Draft, so they may pursue bulking up at the position via the trade market. Ryan Strome has been linked to the Kraken. Would Strome make any sense in Vegas, who is also looking for centers?
The Rangers have attempted to move arbitration-eligible RFA Pavel Buchnevich for weeks now.
New York has been seeking a suitor for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. The ask is believed to be a first-round pick. It’s unlikely Georgiev, who is also seeking a fresh start, will fetch that price.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.