NHL Trade Buzz: Brassard says Senators should buy before Deadline
Devils planning next move after acquiring Meier; Barbashev deal may not be all for Golden Knights
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NHL.com @NHLdotcom
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Ottawa Senators
Derick Brassard said he feels the Senators have played well enough to be buyers before the deadline even though they're seven points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
The Senators forward offered his opinion after Ottawa's morning skate prior to a 6-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday.
The Red Wings are two points ahead of the Senators, each with 59 games played. They also play each other in Ottawa on Tuesday, a rare back-to-back set between the same two teams in the same building.
"I honestly think that we've earned the right to … maybe for [general manager] Pierre [Dorion] to add a player at the deadline," Brassard said. "I think, this group, we're trying to get to the next step and we've progressed all year long. We had some tough moments, but the last two months I think our play, it's well deserved for [an addition]. We'll see what Pierre's going to do. I'm sure he's going to try and help us. But I feel like, this group, we're going to go all the way to the end and we're right there. It's only [seven] points. I know there's a lot of teams battling for two spots, but I think we believe in our chances and we believe in the last 24 games that we have."
The Senators (29-26-4) are 9-3-1 since Jan. 25. They have five games remaining against the other six teams they are competing against in the race for the two wild card spots in the East.
The New York Islanders (69 points), Penguins (67), Buffalo Sabres (66), Red Wings (64), Florida Panthers (64), Washington Capitals (64) and Senators (62) are separated by seven points.
The Senators have four games in hand on the Islanders, two on the Panthers and three on the Capitals.
"Ultimately, my job is to coach these guys, and Pierre will do his job," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "So, we're going to do everything we can to win the games. And then management will make the decisions as to what they have to do." -- Callum Fraser
New Jersey Devils
The Devils might be in the market to make more additions before the deadline even after bringing Meier and defenseman Scott Harrington into the fold Sunday.
"Ironically, my staff is coming in [Monday], my pro guys are coming in, my personnel guys are coming in, and we're going to really start looking at our roster and where can we add some depth," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said Sunday. "Where are areas we believe we need to add depth?"
Fitzgerald said that Harrington will add depth to the back end because he's an experienced defenseman who has played 238 regular-season games, including 28 with the Sharks this season, and 14 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2017-20.
But perhaps another depth forward could be coming the Devils' way in the coming days if they find a deal they like.
"We're going to go through that starting [Monday] with my staff and our coaching staff," Fitzgerald said. "Obviously, get their input on what is needed.
"Prep for what's next for the New Jersey Devils and how we can continue to improve."
New York Rangers
The Rangers assigned defenseman
Braden Schneider
to Hartford of the American Hockey League after a 5-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, another move that helps them create the salary cap space they need to ultimately acquire forward Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Rangers are reportedly linked to Kane, but to make it happen they need to have the cap space available before the deadline. Schneider going down to Hartford, even for only a few days, opens the cap space for New York to acquire Kane potentially as early as Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.
Schneider is in his second season and still on an NHL entry-level contract, so he does not have to clear waivers to be sent to Hartford. He is not expected to play for the Wolf Pack and could be recalled by the Rangers before they play at the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
Forward Ryan Carpenter is expected to be returned to Hartford when the Rangers recall Schneider.
The Rangers are a cap compliant team, so they have to keep 20 players on the roster, per the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement. That is why Carpenter did not get sent down with Schneider after the game Sunday.
Each dressed for the game against the Kings but Schneider did not play and Carpenter was limited to 13 seconds of ice time, his lone shift occurring because he had to come out of the penalty box in the second period. He was serving the five-minute major associated with the match penalty that was assessed to defenseman K'Andre Miller at 16:37 of the first period.
The Rangers had to have 20 players dressed for the game because of the cap compliancy rules in the CBA, but they appeared to elect not to utilize Schneider and Carpenter out of precaution, ensuring both would remain healthy and therefore eligible to be assigned to Hartford.
The Rangers also cleared space by trading forward Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
As for the Blackhawks, on Monday general manager Kyle Davidson described them as being in a "holding pattern for now until things hopefully get to a conclusion."
Davidson said he'd prefer not to comment when asked if Kane has waived his no-move clause, which he is expected to do to facilitate the trade to New York.
"We'll wait until there's something more formal to announce, if we get there," Davidson said.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights have the salary cap space to continue to add before the deadline after acquiring forward Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, general manager Kelly McCrimmon said.
"We have the cap space to add if the right deal presents itself," McCrimmon said. "It's not saying something will happen, but we'll continue to explore options."
Some of that cap space has been created by the injury to forward Mark Stone, who had back surgery Jan. 31 and is out indefinitely. Sportsnet reported Feb. 21 that Vegas' captain is on long-term injured reserve.
If Stone is unable to return in the regular season, the Golden Knights can use his $9.5 million salary cap charge to acquire other players. But they have to have the salary cap space available to activate Stone if he's going to be able to return during the regular season.
"It's still too early to predict with any certainty what a timeline would look like," McCrimmon said.
The Golden Knights are 6-1-2 since the All-Star break, which has pushed them back into first place in the Pacific Division and convinced their management to make moves to improve the roster before the deadline.
Vegas was 1-5-2 in its eight games leading into the break.
"The team is playing well," McCrimmon said. "Coming out of the All-Star break, there was pressure and hope that we would find our footing again. The players generally dictate what you should be doing."
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning may not be done dealing even after acquiring forward Tanner Jeannot from the Nashville Predators on Sunday.
"Never say never," general manager Julien BriseBois said Monday. "The focus has been on this trade the last little while. Now that we're able to bring that to the final line, we're going to reconvene today and look at whether there are other opportunities out there worth exploring."
To acquire Jeannot, the Lightning sent five draft picks -- a third, fourth and fifth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, their second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and their first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft (top 10 protected) -- plus defenseman Cal Foote to Nashville. The trade leaves them with zero picks in the first five rounds of the 2023 draft and none in the first two rounds next year. They don't have a first-round pick until 2026.
The Lightning have a history of making multiple trades before the deadline. They did it in 2020, when they acquired forwards Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman in separate transactions, and again last year, getting forwards Nicholas Paul and Brandon Hagel in two different moves.
Their lone big move before the 2021 deadline was to acquire defenseman David Savard.
All of them worked, of course. The Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and in 2021, and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2022 before losing to the Colorado Avalanche.
Tampa Bay (37-18-4) enters Monday four points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division.
