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Joe Sakic

Snapshots: Duchene, Fleury, Philadelphia, Wisniewski

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After Matt Duchene set the hockey hot-stove on fire this morning when he reportedly told media he was open to the idea of a trade, Darren Dreger confirmed as much on TSN’s Insider Trading. Dreger reports that though Duchene is open to a deal, he hasn’t formally asked for one and GM Joe Sakic may wait until the summer to move the talented forward. Though he would likely command a hefty sum right now, the team might be able to pry an even greater package away in the summer when teams have a little more cap flexibility.

While it’s not guaranteed that this season will be Duchene’s last in Colorado, it is certainly seeming more likely. The former third-overall pick has had an up-and-down career in the NHL but certainly has the offensive talent to be a contributor for any team.

  • In the same TSN segment, Bob McKenzie spoke about the growing frustration for Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh. The former first-overall pick hasn’t played in the last seven games for the Penguins and is starting to be considered the back up. With a no-movement clause in his contract, Fleury currently has control of his future. If he doesn’t waive it, the Penguins would be forced to protect him instead of Matt Murray in the expansion draft. If Murray was available, Las Vegas would surely select him (unless a deal was made behind the scenes) making Fleury the starter again. But since the team clearly doesn’t want him as the full-time starter any more, perhaps he’ll agree to a trade in-season or before the draft to move somewhere else around the league.
  • McKenzie also reported on the Philadelphia goaltender situation, which is currently unresolved long-term. While the team has Anthony Stolarz looking closer and closer to providing NHL netminding, they have had talks about extending one of Steve Mason or Michal Neuvirth at some point before the expansion draft. The team is likely to wait until they have to though, with neither netminder really showing they deserve a long-term deal. If the Penguins weren’t bitter rivals of the Flyers, one might suggest that the two could be trading partners for the frustrated Fleury. The summer looks like it will have a handful of starting goaltender candidates available however, with Ben Bishop leading the way as an unrestricted free agent. If Philadelphia wants to move on from the Mason-Neuvirth combo, they could wait to see what is available after the season.
  • Dreger added in a separate tweet that James Wisniewski has signed a 25-game tryout with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. “The Wiz” was playing in the KHL after not being able to secure and NHL deal this summer. The former Blackhaws, Ducks, Canadiens, Islanders, Blue Jackets and Hurricanes defenseman was once a premiere right-handed puck mover in the NHL but injuries have limited his thirties to less than a full season of games. Chicago is the AHL squad of the St. Louis Blues, who may lose a right-handed defensemen in the next month in Kevin Shattenkirk. While Wisniewski is by no means a replacement for Shattenkirk, he does add some depth on the right side should he be able to find even a sliver of his former NHL talent.

Snapshots: Avalanche, Ottawa Prospects, Rubtsov, Laine

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With the likes of Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene making it into the rumor mill recently, GM Joe Sakic commented to Terry Frei of the Denver Post on what he’s looking to accomplish when it comes to any possible transactions:

“The only thing I’m going to do is what helps this franchise down the line. We’re not going to be looking to doing anything for just this year. When we talk trades with different teams, I’m looking at the future. That’s where we have to go. We have to get younger. We have some good young guys that hopefully can make the next step in the next year or two and that’s the direction we’re doing. We’re trying to build this up.”

With the idea of getting younger in mind, Sakic went on to note that forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and 2016 first round pick Tyson Jost are all but untouchable in any deal.

As for Landeskog, Adrian Dater of Bleacher Report reports (Twitter link) that the Kings have strong interest in the Colorado captain.  Earlier this week, he linked the Bruins as another team that wants to bring him in.  While Boston has the cap space to do such a deal, the Kings do not and are currently in LTIR with Jonathan Quick on the shelf.  Landeskog has a cap hit that’s slightly over $5.5MM which could potentially be a complicating factor for the Kings to get a deal done.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • After a strong showing at the World Juniors where he was named the MVP, TSN’s Darren Dreger told WGR 550 in Buffalo that defenseman Thomas Chabot is now an untouchable player for the Senators. He suggested that Tampa Bay had inquired about his availability last season but that Sens were hesitant to move him then.  Dreger also noted that Ottawa had tried to convince their other first round pick from the 2015 draft, Colin White, to turn pro this season but he wanted to stay in college for at least one more year.  With that in mind, it’s likely that they will try to sway him to forego the rest of his eligibility once his college season comes to an end in the coming months.
  • While there have been rumblings that Flyers 2016 first round pick German Rubtsov has left the KHL to join Chicoutimi of the QMJHL, GM Ron Hextall said that they have not heard conclusively whether he is leaving or not, notes Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly. He adds that Rubtsov, who had two more years left on his deal in Russia when he was drafted, had his agent, Mark Gandler, request that his KHL contract be terminated.  Rubtsov is in Philly to have team doctors evaluate a nose injury sustained at the World Juniors; Hextall told reporters that a decision on whether or not it will require surgery will be determined in the next few days.
  • Jets star rookie Patrik Laine was injured in the third period this afternoon on a collision with Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe. He was motionless on the ice for a couple of minutes and needed assistance to get off the ice.  No further information is available at this time regarding his status – head coach Paul Maurice had no update after the game (via Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun).

Latest Colorado Trade Talk

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The Colorado Avalanche have been in discussions with the Boston Bruins regarding left winger and captain Gabriel Landeskog, reports longtime Colorado writer Adrian Dater, currently with Bleacher Report (all links to Twitter).

The Avs are in need of quality young defensemen and asked for rookie Brandon Carlo but the Bruins aren’t willing to move him at this time.  Dater suggests that young blueliners Jakub Zboril and Joe Morrow, as well as left wing prospect Jake DeBrusk could be part of a potential package for Landeskog along with their first round pick.  Making a trade like that, one where a top forward is going for predominantly a collection of futures, could constitute the beginning of a larger-scale rebuild and there’s no evidence to suggest that GM Joe Sakic is willing to consider that route at this time.

Earlier this week, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported the Avs had trade discussions regarding Landeskog around the Draft Lottery in April that would have seen them land an established defenseman in return.  The belief was that the blueliner in question was Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba but talks regarding him never rematerialized.  Dreger also noted that Sakic is more inclined to move center Matt Duchene and that his preference is to keep Landeskog.

The 24 year old winger is in his sixth NHL season, all with Colorado and has struggled this season, collecting just 12 points (6-6-12) in 28 games.  He also carries a cap hit of just over $5.57MM, which most teams wouldn’t be able to absorb without sending some money back.  It’s worth noting that Boston is one of the few teams who could as they sit comfortably under the salary cap.

In a reader mailbag, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post suggests that Duchene is likely to fetch the biggest return but isn’t sure Sakic will move one of his top forwards now.  He wonders if the GM may wait until the offseason before deciding whether or not to change the core or to try and build around it.

The team does have several pending unrestricted free agents that could move as rental players.  Those are forwards Jarome Iginla, John Mitchell, Rene Bourque, and Andreas Martinsen plus defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Cody Goloubef although the Avalanche shouldn’t expect significant returns on any of those players.

With Colorado sitting at the bottom of the league standings with a 12-25-1 record and being 17 points out of a playoff spot, they’re a clear seller come trade deadline time.  There’s sure to be plenty of discussion regarding the likes of Landeskog and Duchene between now and then.   With so few guaranteed sellers, they’re certainly a team to watch in the weeks ahead.

Avalanche Prefer To Trade Duchene Over Landeskog

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It’s often said that NHL GMs are liable to throw an anvil to a struggling NHL team instead of a life preserver.

Joe Sakic probably knows that better than anyone. The Colorado Avalanche GM is taking calls on several key players on his team, including Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Tyson Barrie, and Jarome Iginla.

TSN Insider Darren Dreger appeared on Montreal radio on Tuesday morning, and offered some insight on what he believes Sakic is thinking. Many insiders have suggested that Sakic will only make a trade if it’s clear why.

Dreger wondered if “they’re better off to just hold tight and see where they’re at on March 1 or around March 1. If they’re still a 30th-place team at that point, then I think it becomes abundantly obvious… that they’re playing for the draft.”

However, Dreger suggests that if a team offers “what [the Avalanche] might need in a collection of draft picks or young prospects, why wouldn’t you consider trading Duchene?”

The two players who have keyed in the most trade discussions are Duchene and Landeskog. Dreger mentioned that there was a potential deal involving Landeskog for a defenseman around the draft lottery in April, but that talk died down. It was widely believed that said defenseman was Jacob Trouba. Now, Dreger believes that Sakic is “more inclined” to trade Duchene instead of Landeskog, saying he doesn’t “believe that Sakic really wants to move him.”

Duchene will likely have more value than Landeskog, as a speedy first-line center who is a proven point-producer. He’s also appeared on Team Canada at the last two best-on-best tournaments. In addition, the Avalanche have 2013 first-overall-pick Nathan MacKinnon as a built-in replacement for Duchene. That’s not to say Landeskog doesn’t have characteristics (big, tough, point-producing winger) that would be popular among NHL GMs, but Duchene would definitely fetch a pretty price for the Avalanche, who clearly need to make some serious changes.

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