Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are 14 days remaining until the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET on March 8). Here's a look around the League at the latest deadline doings:
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes’ run of 11 straight losses (0-10-1) has pushed them into being sellers prior to the trade deadline, general manager Bill Armstrong told The Athletic on Friday. Arizona (23-29-4) was 23-19-3 and contending for a playoff spot before the slide but has fallen 12 points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card in the Western Conference.
That made the decision easy for Armstrong.
“Yeah, I’ve been open and transparent with our fan base and our players in the sense that they’ll dictate where we’re going, whether we’re buyers or sellers,” Armstrong said. “And at this point, we’re not rich as an organization to go down a road and not receive assets if we’re not going to get into the playoffs.”
Forward Jason Zucker, who signed a one-year contract with the Coyotes on July 1, and defenseman Mathew Dumba, who signed a one-year contract on Aug. 7, are eligible to become unrestricted free agents this offseason, and are the leading candidates to be traded for pieces of the future.
Zucker has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 46 games this season after the 32-year-old had 48 points (27 goals, 21 assists) in 78 games last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Dumba has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 52 games and the 29-year-old is third on the Coyotes in averaging 20:02 in ice time per game.
Minnesota Wild
Marc-Andre Fleury’s future with the Wild could be impacted by their games at the Edmonton Oilers on Friday and at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, but it will ultimately be the goalie’s decision whether he is traded before the deadline, general manager Bill Guerin said on KFAN on Minneapolis earlier this week.
“I think Marc has earned the right to call the shots here,” Guerin said. “It’s a complicated situation. But the best thing right now is to just play hockey and not complicate with ‘what-ifs.’ I don’t know what’s going to happen. … I’ll be talking to 'Flower' down the road. It won’t take long to figure it out.”
Minnesota (27-24-6), which defeated Edmonton 4-2, trails the St. Louis Blues by two points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Fleury has said he is focused on helping the Wild qualify for the playoffs, but if they fall back in the standings, Guerin will need to decide whether to sell before the deadline and potentially have that conversation with Fleury, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The 39-year-old is 11-10-3 with a 2.96 goals-against average, .897 save percentage and one shutout in 27 games (23 starts) this season, but has picked up his play recently, going 4-1-0 with a 2.23 GAA, .918 save percentage and one shutout in seven games (five starts) since Jan. 13. A three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Fleury could help a contender with his experience.
Edmonton might be looking for goalie help after allowing at least three goals in each of its past nine games (4-4-1) since its 16-game winning streak. The Oilers didn’t allow more than two goals in any of the last 14 games of their streak.
Pittsburgh Penguins
After general manager Kyle Dubas said Wednesday the Penguins have been trying to make a move since the break for the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend to spark their playoff chances, they made a depth trade Thursday, acquiring forward Emil Bemstrom from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Alexander Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Bemstrom had 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 32 games with Columbus and 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in eight games with Cleveland of the American Hockey League this season. The 24-year-old might have some untapped offensive potential, but adding him probably isn’t going to send a jolt through the Pittsburgh locker room.
With the Penguins tied for 24th in the NHL in scoring (2.91 goals per game), they’ve been trying to add to their scoring depth, also claiming Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Washington Capitals last Friday. But Dubas hasn’t found the bigger deal he’s been seeking, yet.
“To give that element of a shake-up, I’m not usually a huge proponent of it,” Dubas said in addressing Pittsburgh's approach to the trade deadline. “But I felt with where our group was, especially coming out of the break, not having a really strong surge out of it. That was one of the things we tried to do and continue to try to do. (But) the opportunities to do it haven’t been there.”
The Penguins also have to decide whether to trade forward Jake Guentzel, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Dubas said that will be determined by Pittsburgh's play leading up to the deadline and where it stands in the playoff race.
The Penguins (25-21-8) trail the Tampa Bay Lightning by seven points for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning were already shorthanded and looking for help on defense with Mikhail Sergachev sidelined with a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg. Then, Tampa Bay lost Hadyn Fleury to an unspecified injury in the first period of a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
Sergachev posted a video on Instagram earlier this week of him doing some early rehab work, but he still has a long road ahead. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that GM Julien BriseBois said Sergachev could return in the playoffs if the Lightning have a long run.
To get that far, Tampa Bay will probably have to add a defenseman to take some of the load off Victor Hedman, who played 29:56 against Washington.
Multiple reports, including from Kaplan, have linked the Lightning to Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season and would help as a rental or a player to be re-signed.
Tampa Bay might need to act quickly, depending on how long Fleury will be out. With the Detroit Red Wings rallying for a 2-1 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, the Lightning dropped one point behind the Red Wings into the second wild card in the East. They have a five-point lead on the Capitals (who have three games in hand), the New Jersey Devils (two) and New York Islanders (two).
