Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! Teams are always looking to improve, and the excitement of another NHL season is upon us. With the March 8th trade deadline approaching, the rumors are hot and heavy!
In this Sunday edition of NHL Rumors, we’ll examine the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, and the Arizona Coyotes.
NHL rumors in this edition include:
Will the Bruins be willing to give up Linus Ullmark in order to trade for Noah Hanifin? Will Pavel Buchnevich be traded? Are the Colorado Avalanche eyeing three centers on the Arizona Coyotes?
Boston Bruins – Linus Ullmark
Rumor: Per – Jimmy Murphy – bostonhockeynow.com. With the swirling NHL rumors on Noah Hanifin, is Linus Ullmark being considered as a trade candidate to make it happen?
Murphy mentioned that hockey insider Elliotte Friedman stated in his latest podcast (at the 17:34 mark) that the Bruins might consider this option. The Bruins don’t have the draft capital or want to give up prospects to entice the Flames into trading Hanifin. They don’t have the cap space either, with only $57,500 available. If the Flames traded Hanifin for Ullmark, the salaries are almost matched up, with Hanifin earning $4.95 million through this season and Ullmark’s paycheck coming in at $5 million through next season.
With the Flames trade rumors, including their starting goalie Jacob Markstrom, Ullmark could slide right into that role. Add in the fact that Ullmark is four years younger than Markstrom, and the logic starts to kick in.
The attraction for Hanifin is to play in his hometown of Boston. Both players possess modified no-trade clauses, so that limitation must be recognized. While the Bruins may be hesitant to break up the seemingly perfect goalie tandem of Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, they may need to consider it if they intend to avoid another embarrassing exit from the playoffs. The Bruins also have a good goalie prospect in Brandon Bussi, who has been playing well in the AHL—lots to consider here.
St. Louis Blues – Pavel Buchnevich
Rumor: Per – Jeremy Rutherford – theathletic.com. Why, in the weeks leading up to the NHL trade deadline on March 8, are we hearing Buchnevich’s name in trade speculation?
A few days after the Blues got Buchnevich in July 2021, they signed him to a four-year, $23.2 million contract ($5.8 million average annual value). He has the rest of this season and 2024-25 remaining on that deal. Per the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the club and Buchnevich can’t discuss an extension until July 1. So even if general manager Doug Armstrong wanted to re-sign him today, he couldn’t.
And then, the 28-year-old native of Cherepovets, Russia, has been producing at a very outstanding rate. He has collected 22 goals and 24 assists in 54 games this season. Overall, while on the Blues’ squad, he has an impressive 189 points in 190 games. Moving him while the Blues are still in the playoff hunt just doesn’t make much sense.
Per Rutherford, “Moving Buchnevich before this year’s deadline would be a clear sign that the playoffs are not as much of a priority for the Blues as building for the future. And unless he’s unwilling to re-sign, even trading him next season would signal that the team’s blueprint has changed. If you’re not keeping Buchnevich, who would be both difficult and expensive to replace, how do you stay relevant?”
As with many NHL rumors, teams may not be shopping a particular player, but every general manager must at least listen to any offers. It’s their job.
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Arizona Coyotes – Time to Sell
Rumor: Per – Rob Couch – nhltraderumors.me. The Coyotes have dropped 11 straight, and it’s time to sell.
One team that may be interested in the three centers the Yotes have is the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs could use some secondary scoring behind superstar Nathan MacKinnon. His 93 points are great, but they fall off fast after him. Ross Colton has only 30 points, and Ryan Johansen has just 22 points. The Coyotes are definitely in “sell” mode as they have gone into a lengthy losing streak after contending for a wild-card spot up until the All-Star break.
These three Coyotes players could help out the Av’s search for help at center ice.
- Alexander Kerfoot – It would be a reunion for Kerfoot, who collected 85 points in 157 games while in Colorado. He has matched the 36-point total he had with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season in only 56 games in Arizona. He could perform as a middle-six forward with the Avs, but will Arizona want to move him?
- Nick Bjugstad – He has a $2.1 million cap hit through next season. The huge center at 6-foot-6, 209 pounds could also fill in nicely with the Colorado club as a third-line center. His 12 goals, and 30 points this season would be a welcome addition.
- Michael Carcone – He would be a more reasonable option with his cap hit set at just $775,000 through next season. While he showed excellent scoring potential early in the season, his production has tapered off lately. Still, he has 15 goals and five assists in 49 games. He is a streaky scorer but could excel on a better team in Colorado.
That concluded this edition of NHL rumors. Be sure to stay right here to learn the latest NHL rumors as the trade deadline approaches. Thanks for reading!