The trade deadline is mostly about rental players, but we do get the odd hockey deal.
As one NHL player agent opined to me Monday, he thinks this offseason will be much busier than what we get before Friday’s 3 p.m. Eastern deadline, especially with the salary cap finally going up for real this summer, creating more flexibility for teams. Draft week in Vegas could be fireworks in late June.
Having said that, we do have some intriguing non-rentals on the market this week. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll move, but their respective teams are listening.
Here’s what I’m hearing.
This feels like a situation where Blues general manager Doug Armstrong doesn’t need to move off a high price, and if no one offers one, he can decide whether he wants to revisit it this summer. But I don’t think Armstrong thinks he needs to reduce the price one bit this week for a very productive player who he’s just as happy to keep.
That said, the fishing line and hook are definitely in the water. Colleague Chris Johnston has reported the cost is at least what the Calgary Flames got in dealing Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks, which was a package of a first-round pick, two prospects and an NHL player.
Buchnevich is signed through next season at a $5.8 million average annual value. The Blues would probably need to retain, and I think they are willing to do so. I just don’t know why contending teams like the Edmonton Oilers or Vegas Golden Knights that are seeking a top-six forward will need to pay this kind of price when they can get rentals for less. The sense I have as of now is teams view the price as too rich.
New, for @TheAthletic: A look at the top-50 NHL trade targets as the final sprint towards Friday’s deadline arrives.
TSN colleague Darren Dreger reported Monday that action was picking up on the 25-year-old defenseman, who is signed through next season at a $4.6 million AAV.
The appeal for a playoff contender is getting two playoff runs out of him. Depending on the acquisition price, would those teams rather pay for two playoff runs with Chychrun or rent out pending unrestricted free agent Noah Hanifin from Calgary for one? Hanifin is obviously having a better season.
As of Monday, the Senators have not set a specific price point in conversations with teams. They are still in listening mode. This feels like a situation that hasn’t reached its next gear in talks, and having Hanifin out there probably doesn’t help. Ottawa can also afford to wait for the offseason.
Vatrano is signed through next season at a reasonable $3.65 million AAV. That’s very reasonable given his career offensive season, and it’s no guarantee the Ducks are fully committed to moving him. But given where the Ducks are roster-wise in their rebuild, they’re obviously listening and have been for a while.
A reunion with the New York Rangers, his previous NHL stop, makes the most sense to me. And I believe the Carolina Hurricanes are keeping tabs on the situation, too. Carolina prefers not to spend big on rentals, so Vatrano would fit its criteria, and the Hurricanes are looking for an upgrade up front.
The Devils remain interested, as of Monday, and the Flames remain noncommittal about moving their star goalie, who is signed through the 2025-26 season at a $6 million AAV. Because the Flames keep winning!
New Jersey is motivated to fix its goaltending once and for all, and as I reported last Friday, the Devils have told the Flames they’re ready to take on the contract without any salary retention. But Flames GM Craig Conroy worries about ripping the heart out of his dressing room if he moves his goalie.
Most likely this is an offseason decision, but because the Devils are eager now, don’t discount the possibility of a trade before Friday’s deadline. Markstrom has a full no-move clause, but it’s believed he would waive it for New Jersey.
It was interesting to read in colleague Fluto Shinzawa’s piece last week why the Bruins could be willing to move last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, which would gain them cap flexibility to address lineup needs up front and on the blue line. You certainly understand the logic behind it.
But the reality, too, is that in-season goalie trades are so rare and especially hard to pull off for proper value. Edmonton and Carolina are no longer looking for goalie help and overall the demand on the goalie market has shrunk.
Yes, the Devils desperately need a goalie, and as discussed above they’re focused on a different Swede as their top target. However, I was also told Monday that the Devils have looked at Ullmark as a possible option if they can’t swing a deal with Calgary. So stay tuned there. Perhaps Ullmark, who’s signed through next season at a $5 million AAV, ends up in New Jersey if Calgary won’t move Markstrom.
‘That’s a big list’: Cam Neely on trade needs and the challenges of acquiring them. https://t.co/6qsYlktO8f
It was status quo on the Allen trade front Monday, I was told, and given the shrinking demand on the goalie market, that’s not surprising. Habs GM Kent Hughes said on the Got Yer Back podcast a few weeks ago that he’s fine waiting until the summer to figure it out — that this trade deadline wasn’t a must as far as unclogging his three-goalie situation.
In fact, my understanding is that a few teams have indicated to the Canadiens that they’re more interested in talking trade on Allen after the season when he has one year left on his contract at a $3.85 million AAV. It doesn’t mean he won’t before Friday’s deadline, but the Canadiens are ready to hold him if need be.
Playing top-line minutes, albeit in San Jose, the 32-year-old has had a bounce-back season. He’s signed through next season at a $5 million AAV, which is too rich for most contenders but given how thin the center market is, he’s attracted some interest.
The Sharks have only one salary retention spot left because they’re already retaining money on Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, so it probably doesn’t make sense to tie up their last retention spot through next season, though a league source said Monday that San Jose was open to anything in trying to be creative in a Granlund trade. The Sharks could certainly take another contract back to facilitate a trade.
As of Monday, it felt like Granlund’s cap hit for next year was an issue for some teams looking at him. Let’s see if the Sharks can find a way around it. At a reduced cap hit, I think Granlund is an under-the-radar pickup.
(Top photo of Pavel Buchnevich and Elias Lindholm battling in front of Jacob Markstrom: Sergei Belski / USA Today)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
