Last Friday’s game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals had the potential to shake up not only the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, but also the market as the NHL trade deadline approaches. .
Despite the Capitals’ 5-2 victory, they should be sellers after suffering a brutal loss two days later against the Arizona Coyotes. The Flyers could be active on the transaction market since they find themselves, against all expectations, in the playoff picture, with a little less than six weeks remaining in the regular calendar.
The recent weekend, however, clarified the picture a little, since many teams were in a gray zone until then. We should expect a fair amount of movement between now and the deadline which was set at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon, much more than last year, when several big names had changed addresses well before the deadline. in the NHL.
“Everyone is knocking on the door,” admitted Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong on Sunday. Big names were traded well before the deadline [l’an dernier], and everyone is trying to add pieces to their puzzle to give themselves a boost, and everyone is trying to get the most bang for their buck. »
Intriguing players are available at all positions for potential Stanley Cup contenders.
Do you need a wingman? What do you say about Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins? A number 1 goalkeeper? Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom is under contract until 2026. A versatile fourth-line center? Nick Dowd of the Capitals has a contract in his pocket for the next two springs. Defenders? The Flyers have three players who are without a contract for next year: Sean Walker, Nick Seeler and Marc Staal.
“We are listening to offers,” Flyers general manager Daniel Brière said Friday evening in Washington. There is a lot of discussion. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes. You saw the summer of the market. A lot of defensemen have already found buyers, so we’re getting a lot of offers for our guys. »
The Dallas Stars acquired one of the best defensemen available last week in Chris Tanev from the Flames, and they didn’t give up their first overall draft pick. Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin could also find himself on the starting blocks, as could Capitals veteran Joel Edmundson, in particular.
What could cause the first domino to topple? The Penguins lost to the Flames and Edmonton Oilers this weekend, which could encourage general manager Kyle Dubas to become a seller at the deadline. Dubas said recently that his team’s level of play would dictate its approach to the deadline.
The Capitals and Penguins rosters could be unrecognizable by the time the eternal rivals face each other Thursday in Pittsburgh.
“Our priority is the future of this team,” said Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan. All our decisions are made based on this. It’s no longer, “Hey, we need to get a rental player for the playoffs at all costs.” We are no longer in this dynamic. We will try to get promising young players, promising young players who can be competitive. »
While the Capitals and Penguins, as well as the St. Louis Blues to a certain extent, are among the former champion teams looking to revamp their rosters, the list of Stanley Cup contenders includes the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Reds Detroit Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Stars, Winnipeg Jets, Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.
These clubs are all expected to be buyers at the deadline, and they will covet rental players as well as others who are under contract beyond this campaign.
Among the teams to watch are the Capitals, who could trade Edmundson and Quebecer Anthony Mantha, the New Jersey Devils, who will have to make a decision about the future of Tyler Toffoli, the Anaheim Ducks, who could offer the services of Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano, as well as the San Jose Sharks, who are ready to part with several players during this miserable season.