NHL Trade Buzz: Hurricanes GM looking to make moves before Deadline
Guenztel going on trip with Penguins; Fleury wins again for Wild
© Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images
Carolina Hurricanes
General manager Don Waddell said he would like to make some changes to Carolina’s roster prior to the NHL trade deadline.
Waddell was a guest on Sunday Brunch with Dave McCarthy and Mikey Bonora on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio.
“We are going to have four healthy goalies here in a week or so and some unrestricted defensemen that people talk about so we will keep busy on the phones and see if we can make our team better,” Waddell said.
Goalie Frederik Andersen has been on injured reserve with blood clotting issues since Nov. 2, but was cleared to begin on-ice workouts on Jan. 31.
Carolina also has goalies Antti Raanta, Spencer Martin and Pyotr Kochetkov on its roster.
“Without us having a farm team this year, we don’t have the depth you normally would have going into the playoffs so that’s one avenue we will look at,” Waddell said. “If we could ever add a guy in our top six, top nine, that would be something we would look to do, particularly if we ever found a right hand shot center, which there’s nobody out there. Any time you can add good players to your roster, you have to take a look at it.”
Forwards Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Martinook, Brendan Lemieux and Stefan Noesen are due to become unrestricted free agents on July 1, as are defensemen Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Tony DeAngelo and Jalen Chatfield.
Raanta and Martin are also due to become free agents on July 1.
“We are talking but I’m not pressured or optimistic that we need to get something done before the deadline,” Waddell said. “As long as you keep talking and try to find a fit, the goal is that we like our players and would like to bring them back but we also have this thing called the salary cap that we have to manage.”
The Hurricanes (34-18-5) entered Sunday eight points behind the first-place New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division.
Calgary Flames
Noah Hanifin’s value may have gone up Saturday. The defenseman had two goals and an assist in a 6-3 win at the Edmonton Oilers.
The 27-year-old is in the last of a six-year, $29.7-million contract ($4.95 million average annual value) signed with the Flames on Aug. 30, 2018 and can be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He has 33 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 58 games.
He has a modified clause in his contract and can submit an eight-team no trade list.
Calgary, which traded pending UFA forward Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 1, is on a three-game winning streak and has won seven of its past 10 games (7-3-0). The Flames (28-25-5) entered Sunday three points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jake Guentzel will accompany the Penguins on a four-game road trip starting Tuesday at the Vancouver Canucks according to coach Mike Sullivan.
“I’m reluctant to give you any timeframes for obvious reasons, but Jake will go on the trip with us,” Sullivan said Saturday. “He’s recovering. He didn’t skate today, we’ll continue to work with him and you guys (media) will know when he goes on the ice, and we’ll address that when he does.”
The Penguins forward is on long-term injury reserve and not eligible to be activated until March 10. He sustained an upper-body injury against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 14.
The 29-year-old is in the final year of a five-year, $30-million contract ($6 million average annual value) and has a modified no-movement clause where he can submit a 12-team no trade list. He has 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 50 games.
Pittsburgh (25-21-8) entered Sunday nine points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
GM Kyle Dubas said last week Guentzel’s future with Pittsburgh after the Deadline could be determined how the team plays before March 8.
Minnesota Wild
Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves for the Minnesota Wild in a 5-2 win at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
The 39-year-old is in the last of a two-year, $7-million contract ($3.5 million AVV) signed on July 2, 2022. He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He has a 12-10-3 record in 28 games with a 2.92 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
Minnesota (28-24-6) entered Sunday two points behind Nashville for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. GM Bill Guerin said last week that Fleury will have the final say on if he is traded.
“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.
