Is there a stunning blockbuster trade in the works for this week?
We all know which names to keep an eye on ahead of March 6th’s NHL trade deadline. Players on non-contending teams with expiring contracts are always the likeliest to get dealt, and even players with some term left on their deals can be moved by teams looking to transition into a rebuild.
Every so often, though, the NHL throws us a curveball. Blockbuster trades involving multiple big names typically get done in the offseason, but they can happen at the deadline, too. When they do, they send shockwaves through the NHL’s landscape. Could a seismic deal occur over the next few days? None are anticipated, but then again, they never are.
On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, hosts Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton were joined by The Sheet‘s Jeff Marek to discuss which deals that would stun the hockey world could happen before the deadline.
Tyler Yaremchuk: I was chatting with Brent Wallace earlier this morning on another one of our shows here in Edmonton, and he said “This Brady Tkachuk thing isn’t a nothing burger story here in Ottawa.” Is it Tkachuk that could be the stunner? Is there another situation that you’re looking at somewhere where you’re like “Maybe there’s only a 25% chance, but I’m watching it.”
Jeff Marek: I’m always curious about Jim Nill at this time of year. One, because he’s not shy about the blockbuster, as we saw with Mikko Rantanen, and nobody loves them a depth defenseman more than Jim Nill, so I think it could be a combination of both. The expectation from ownership is to get to the Stanley Cup. That’s their mandate and they have the Tyler Seguin money to play with now, if we’re looking for a team to make the massive splash here. Could you see Jim Nill do all of his shopping in Calgary? You get your basket and you go to one grocery store. Jim Nill could get what he wants from one team. Does he do it or does it get spread out?
And, man, the Robertson question. I got a lot of heat last summer when I put it out there that, don’t be surprised if they can’t come to an agreement with Jason Robertson. He might hit the market. Here we are, we’ve gone through the whole season worth of negotiations between Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars and still there’s no deal. I don’t think that he gets moved at the trade deadline, but who knows? It sounds like he wants something closer to Rantanen money, and I think that the Dallas Stars are closer to the $10 million number, but if the Dallas Stars win the Stanley Cup and he’s the Conn Smyth Trophy winner, which he could be, he probably gets that contract. I still do think that they keep him. After that, though, if they don’t win the Stanley Cup, I think all bets are off.
You can catch the full discussion and the rest of Tuesday’s episode here…