With the NHL roster freeze less than 24 hours away, there’s a lot floating around the rumour mill right now. It feels like we could be headed toward a mini trade deadline day on Tuesday. Teams are trying to get business done before the 3:00 p.m. EST freeze comes into effect. That’s made today a pretty interesting one. As a result, a lot of people around the league are waiting to see when the first shoe drops.
In today’s edition of NHL Trade Watch, we dive into the latest rumblings surrounding Artemi Panarin. We also look at the Montreal Canadiens shopping Patrik Laine. Finally, we conclude by noting that the Toronto Maple Leafs may be open to trading one of their three goalies.
Canadiens Shopping Laine
It’s been reported recently that the Canadiens could be interested in moving Laine. Earlier in the season, that idea cooled off, especially with him dealing with injuries. However, it has resurfaced. The latest to bring it up was Nick Kypreos, who floated the idea that Montreal could look to move Laine’s money off the books. This could help them address other needs.
One of the teams linked is the Edmonton Oilers. Kypreos wrote:
“Montreal is looking to move out his money and might be willing to spend an asset to do that. The Canadiens are prepared to retain a good chunk (even up to 50 per cent) of his deal, considering they haven’t used any retention slots and because Laine’s contract expires at the end of the season anyway. I wonder if this kind of move could help Montreal open space to do something bigger, and there is interest in Laine because he’ll be coming on an expiring contract. He would be a freebie with upside, whether for a playoff team hoping to find a cheap-to-acquire scorer, or for a non-playoff team like Calgary to get a free look at him before considering him long-term.”
He later added that Andrew Mangiapane could be a name going back the other way in a hockey trade. If that were to happen, Montreal would likely look to flip Mangiapane in a separate deal. This would help to clear his cap hit and roster spot. At this point, Laine still hasn’t joined the Canadiens despite practicing, which could be telling. If Edmonton ends up as the landing spot, it could be an opportunity for him to reset his career in a much different environment.
Oilers Linked to Panarin
As mentioned above, there’s been a new development in the Panarin sweepstakes. Late yesterday, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that Panarin could be open to joining a team as a rental if no one is willing to offer an extension. One of the teams mentioned was the Oilers, who are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. They would give him a real shot at winning.