Scott Billeck of The Winnipeg Sun speculated today about what the Winnipeg Jets might do with their available extra roster spot. The Jets currently sit third in the Central Division with a 30-12-5 record and could be looking to make a big swing at the upcoming NHL trade deadline.
The Jets will need a roster spot to activate center Mark Scheifele off the injured reserve but have some other roster moves they could make including waiving Dominic Toninato or Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and sending them down to the Manitoba Moose. Billick wonders if the Jets might opt to do that and call up Ville Heinola so the team can have eight available NHL defensemen.
He also wondered if the Jets might offer up Heinola in a trade if they are looking to make a bigger move at this year’s trade deadline.
In other Central Division notes:
- Elliotte Friedman mentioned on his 32 Thoughts podcast that St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has made several players available on the NHL trade market but hasn’t been able to generate much in the way of interest. There is one player that Friedman believes that the Blues could trade easily and that is forward Pavel Buchnevich. Friedman adds that moving the 28-year-old would be a pretty easy trade to make which indicates to Friedman that the Blues likely aren’t interested in moving on from him. Buchnevich is having a terrific year in St. Louis with 17 goals and 22 assists in 46 games while averaging almost 20 minutes a night in ice time.
- Elliotte Friedman indicated on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Chicago Blackhawks had kicked the tires on Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko. A potential trade makes sense from both sides given that the Blackhawks are in desperate need of scoring and the Canucks need to move out some salary. Kuzmenko would be a bounce-back candidate for the Blackhawks if they were able to facilitate a move as he had 74 points in 81 games last season but has struggled this year with just eight goals and 13 assists in 43 games. Kuzmenko has a year left on his contract after this season at $5.5MM meaning that the Blackhawks would be acquiring a player they could move at next year’s deadline as a rental if he isn’t a fit with their core.
I’m sure every team in the league would kick the tires on Parayko.
I’m sure he’s loathe to offer Parayko or Buch. Anyone want Krug?
No wants Krug . Great choice save few million signing him instead signing Pietrangelo.
Blues are sellers? Or are they trying to rid themselves trash?
As Kraken fan, I would like a fellow WC contender to sell. Get what you can, Doug! Everything must go!!
If they can get a 7th for scandella or vrana with 50 percent retention for the rest of the season they should. I don’t see anybody taking Krug unless there’s retention and a big prospect thrown in.
Kuzmenko to the Hawks for a 3rd (basically a high 2nd) seems fair. Helps both sides
Not without Vancouver kicking in money. Hawks aren’t going to EAT money and a draft pick. That isn’t happening. And there’s zero guarantee anybody wants Kuzmenko at this years deadline or next years either. Especially at that price. Let Vancouver keep him.
I would trade him for a conditional pick in heartbeat. They need better players and they need guys who can help them reach the cap floor next year as well. Kuzmenko is only signed for one more year and helps them achieve this as well as either being a piece to retain going forward or to move if they wanna get more picks and he plays well. If he plays horrible then they can let him walk.
I would look to make it a 2025 conditional pick. That way you they can build in protection for taking on the salary and/or if he walks. The idea of adding a 70 point scorer with Bedard is very tempting.
He does have a L-NTC so the Hawks could very well be on his 12 team list which makes it a moot arguement.
The Hawks should be looking at young guys who are maybe blocked in other organizations, Not guys who are making 6 million a year already. Nazar and if you believe what Slaggert says will both be here at the end of the college season. Hall, Foligno, Dickinson, Anathesiou, and Donato are all signed for next year and they Average 4 million bucks. Add Mrazek and Seth Jones and Murphy and they’re most of the way to the floor already with those 8 guys alone. All these dumb comments about the Hawks struggling to reach the floor are amusing at best. They should have a better goal scoring team next year depending on how many other guys sign their entry level deals. The improvement will come by guys getting a little older and stronger one would hope. They don’t need any more draft picks and they really don’t need to take on any more bad contracts just to get some picks they’ll never be able to use at all. After all there is a limit on how many contracts you can actually have.