While the Detroit Red Wings have yet to determine whether they will be a seller at the deadline or if they will stand pat, the team is certain to be fielding calls from interested teams on veteran forward Thomas Vanek. The 33-year-old winger represents the perfect rental asset; he’s in the final year of his contract at an affordable $2.6MM and has a track record of solid offensive production. According to Bill Whitehead of Mostly Panthers Hockey, Florida is one of the clubs who should be on the phone with Red Wings GM Ken Holland to inquire on the 12-year veteran.
Vanek is in the midst of a strong rebound campaign with 12 goals and 32 points in 40 contests this season. A year ago, the Austrian winger registered 41 points in 74 games with Minnesota and was bought out of the final year of his $6MM-a-year contract by the Wild. Whitehead argues the Panthers should have made a move this past summer to add an inexpensive, third-line wing with Vanek being one of the players he would have considered for the role. Now with Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov healthy, the time is now for Florida to get ahead of the potential competition to add Vanek to the lineup.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs rebuild has advanced a little more quickly than originally anticipated, buoyed in large part by outstanding production from a group of rookies including last June’s top overall draft choice Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, among others. However, as Rob Longley of the National Post writes, defensive lapses continue to haunt the Maple Leafs. Toronto blew a two-goal lead last night against the Islanders, dropping a decision in OT, and had a three-goal advantage wiped away in Boston over the weekend. Overall the team has allowed 22 total goals in their last four games and could perhaps use a veteran boost on the blue line and/or a checking forward to add a defensive conscience to a talented young forward group. The Maple Leafs likely won’t want to part with much in the way of prospects or draft picks unless they can acquire a young defenseman under team control. However, they could peruse the rental market in search of a quick fix for their defensive woes.
- The firing of Claude Julien is the day’s top story and while the move is being met with sharp criticism directed at Bruins managment, the coach should have no trouble landing on his feet, writes Kevin Allen of USA Today. Allen likens Julien’s position to that of Lindy Ruff and Barry Trotz after they were jettisoned by Buffalo and Nashville, respectively, after leading those programs for many years. Ruff ended up with Dallas, winning a Central Division title last season while Trotz is now the bench boss of the Washington Capitals, one of the league’s best teams the last couple of seasons. In the scribe’s opinion, Julien immediately jumps to the front of the line of unemployed head coaches and may well have his choice of coaching jobs.