West Notes: Krug, Smith, Mitchell

Blues defenseman Torey Krug has already vetoed one trade this summer, a move that would have sent him to Philadelphia.  With a $6.5MM price tag for four more years, his contract won’t be an easy one to trade.  However, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic believes (subscription link) that there is a pathway to an in-season swap for the 32-year-old.  If Krug can get back to being a quality power play quarterback, that could bolster his market and the potential awkwardness of being with a team that clearly tried to trade him could create a potential opportunity for a move.  Krug had 19 points with the man advantage last season – more than half his point total – but when he was with Boston, he was closer to 30 power play points in his final seasons with the team.  Returning to that type of production would undoubtedly help Krug’s trade value.

More from the Western Conference:

• Sharks prospect Will Smith isn’t likely to play out his four years of college eligibility as the team will want the fourth-overall pick to turn pro by then. Speaking with Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino suggests that the decisions of fellow freshmen Ryan Leonard and Gabriel Perreault – both first-rounders as well – could ultimately influence Smith’s decision.  If those two decide to turn pro after the college season ends, Smith could follow suit.  But if they’re leaning toward staying, Smith could do the same since Boston College could still be a viable threat for an NCAA title with that core up front.
• After spending three seasons captaining Chicago’s AHL team in Rockford, veteran winger Garrett Mitchell announced his retirement on Twitter. The 31-year-old made a single NHL appearance back in 2017 but made nearly 600 appearances in the AHL including playoffs over parts of 13 seasons which qualified him for veteran status in that league; teams can only dress a handful of those players each game.  Mitchell was limited to just 24 games with the IceHogs last year where he had 46 penalty minutes.