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Evander Kane

Penguins Show Interest In Evander Kane

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With the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, many expect them to be active in the weeks to come.  On a radio appearance with Sportsnet 650 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests that the Pens have shown some interest in Sabres pending UFA winger Evander Kane and that he wouldn’t be surprised if they inquire about Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty as well.  He adds that on top of looking for help on the wing, they’re still trying to add depth down the middle as well despite picking up Riley Sheahan earlier in the year.

Kane has cooled down a little bit after a hot start to the season with just three goals over his last 18 games but he would still represent a significant boost to Pittsburgh’s top-six.  He carries a cap hit of $5.25MM this season.  As for Pacioretty, his struggles have been well-documented but many anticipate that a change of scenery and a top-flight center to play with could get back to 30-goal form.  With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin down the middle, Pittsburgh certainly would be able to give him that type of opportunity.

A challenge for Penguins GM Jim Rutherford here though will be working those types of moves on the salary cap.  Right now, they can add a player making just over $357K in a full-season salary per CapFriendly, which means they really have next-to-no wiggle room at all.  While Buffalo has indicated in the past they’d be willing to retain salary on Kane (they can hold back up to 50%), there’s no sign that Montreal would do on Pacioretty, who is signed for one more year after this one at a $4.5MM cap charge.  Pittsburgh may want to make a splash but unless they’re willing to send a big contract the other way, there may not be a fit for a deal just yet.

Who Is On Pace To Score 60 Points In 2017-18?

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In 2016-17, only 42 NHLers hit the 60-point benchmark for the season. It was the lowest total since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season (obviously), when only Martin St. Louis notched sixty, and down eleven from the 53 players who hit the mark two years earlier in 2014-15. However, with scoring up this season in the NHL, will the league increase it’s number of top scorers? Or will a greater depth and distribution of talent continue to limit players from reaching the high numbers of yesteryear?

As of now, with the 2017 segment of the season about to close, here are the players on pace for 60 points in 2017-18:

  1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 54 points in 37 games, Projection: 120 points
  2. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 48 points in 37 games, Projection: 107 points
  3. John Tavares, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
  4. Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
  5. Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
  6. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
  7. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 45 points in 38 games, Projection: 97 points
  8. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 43 points in 37 games, Projection: 95 points
  9. Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 44 points in 39 games, Projection: 93 points
  10. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – Currently: 41 points in 38 games, Projection: 89 points
  11. Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 41 points in 39 games, Projection: 86 points
  12. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Currently: 41 points in 40 games, Projection: 84 points
  13. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 40 points in 39 games, Projection: 84 points
  14. Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Currently: 39 points in 38 games, Projection: 84 points
  15. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Currently: 38 points in 37 games, Projection: 84 points
  16. Brock Boeser*, Vancouver Canucks – Currently: 38 points in 36 games, Projection: 84 points
  17. Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 41 points in 41 games, Projection: 82 points
  18. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Currently: 32 points in 29 games, Projection: 82 points
  19. Jon Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 34 points in 33 games, Projection: 81 points
  20. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – Currently: 39 points in 40 games, Projection: 80 points
  21. Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils – Currently: 36 points in 36 games, Projection: 80 points
  22. Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  23. Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  24. Mathew Barzal*, New York Islanders – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  25. Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
  26. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 35 games, Projection: 78 points
  27. Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 38 points in 41 games, Projection: 76 points
  28. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 35 points in 38 games, Projection: 75 points
  29. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  30. Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  31. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
  32. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
  33. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
  34. David Perron, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 30 games, Projection: 74 points
  35. Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 34 points in 38 games, Projection: 73 points
  36. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
  37. Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
  38. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 32 points in 34 games, Projection: 73 points
  39. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 29 games, Projection: 72 points
  40. Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
  41. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
  42. Vlad Namestnikov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 32 points in 37 games, Projection: 71 points
  43. Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild – Currently: 33 points in 39 games, Projection: 70 points
  44. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 18 points in 15 games, Projection: 70 points
  45. Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames – Currently: 32 points in 38 games, Projection: 69 points
  46. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings – Currently: 31 points in 37 games, Projection: 69 points
  47. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – Currently: 32 points in 39 games, Projection: 67 points
  48. William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 36 games, Projection: 66 points
  49. Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 28 points in 33 games, Projection: 66 points
  50. Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 29 points in 35 games, Projection: 66 points
  51. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  52. Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  53. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
  54. Clayton Keller*, Arizona Coyotes – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
  55. John Carlson, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
  56. Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 28 points in 36 games, Projection: 64 points
  57. Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 30 points in 39 games, Projection: 63 points
  58. P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  59. Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  60. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  61. Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  62. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
  63. James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 62 points
  64. Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 62 points
  65. Danton Heinen*, Boston Bruins – Currently: 26 points in 33 games, Projection: 62 points
  66. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  67. Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  68. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
  69. Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders – Currently: 28 points in 38 games, Projection: 61 points
  70. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Currently: 26 points in 35 games, Projection: 61 points
  71. Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild – 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
  72. Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
  73. Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 61 points
  74. Erik Haula, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 61 points
  75. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 37 games, Projection: 60 points
  76. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins- Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
  77. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points

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Atlantic Notes: Hoffman, Kane, Red Wings Rebuild

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While a lot of talk about the Ottawa Senators currently revolves around defenseman Erik Karlsson, who will become a free agent in 2019 and expects top dollar, the Hockey News’ Lyle Richardson writes that a deal isn’t likely to happen any time soon as general manager Pierre Dorion still has hope that he can eventually work out an extension when the two parties can begin negotiating next July.

However, Richardson instead suggests the team might focus on moving some other pieces this season, especially pointing a finger at center Mike Hoffman. The 28-year-old will have two years remaining at 5.19MM AAV after this season, which increases his value. While his numbers are a little down (he’s only scored once in his last nine games), Hoffman is still in line for a solid 20-goal season as he currently has nine goals and 13 assists in 30 games. On top of that, he has put up 20 goals in each of his last three seasons.

Besides that, players such as Cody Ceci and Jean-Gabriel Pageau are other trade options, according to Richardson, but considering they are 23 and 25, respectively, the team may want to keep their youth if the goal is to rebuild the team. Bobby Ryan, Dion Phaneuf and Derick Brassard are also trade possibilities, but even less likely as all three have modified no-trade clauses and because of their high salaries, are unlikely to be going anywhere.

  • In the same article, Richardson writes the Buffalo Sabres are not likely to trade forward Evander Kane before the upcoming holiday trade freeze (Dec. 19 to 26). It’s more likely the team will make a move after that as they are still trying to raise his pricetag. The 26-year-old looks to be having a career year as he already has 31 points this season in 33 contests, nearly a point a game, along with 14 goals. Richardson writes that several teams are likely to bid on Kane, including the San Jose Sharks, the St. Louis Blues, the Anaheim Ducks and the Calgary Flames, although few of them are good fits.
  • Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) compares the Toronto Maple Leafs roster and to the rebuilding plan of the Detroit Red Wings, pointing out where Detroit stands when it comes to building a franchise like the Maple Leafs. Custance writes that the obvious missing piece on the Red Wings is the lack of a superstar like Auston Matthews, but there some of the other pieces are present on the Red Wings roster. He compares Mitch Marner to that of Anthony Mantha, William Nylander to that of Dylan Larkin and Nazem Kadri to that of prospect Michael Rasussen and keeps going. Among many conclusions, Custance points out the lack of a superstar as well as the team’s need to grab a franchise-changing defenseman and goaltender, but feels Detroit might not be that far away if luck rolls their way.

St. Louis Blues Looking For Top-Six Forward

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In the most recent edition of Insider Trading on TSN, insider Bob McKenzie mentioned the St. Louis Blues as a team interested in the Buffalo Sabres Evander Kane. Pierre LeBrun picked up where his colleague left off, further stating that the Blues have a real interest in adding a top-six forward at some point, in order to round out their lineup. That interest was apparent even before they lost Jaden Schwartz long-term.

Evander KaneIf they are going after Kane, they’ll have to fight off several other teams—McKenzie mentions San Jose, Anaheim and Calgary in particular—and meet a steep (and rising) price from the Sabres. It’s been previously reported that the Sabres are after a package starting at the Andrew Ladd or Martin Hanzal level, but it could go even higher than that should several teams get involved in a bidding war.

St. Louis has been dealt some serious blows to their forward group this season even before Schwartz’ injury, losing Robby Fabbri and Zach Sanford long-term before the year even began. Another forward would lengthen out the lineup considerably, and improve an already impressive team. One of the interesting things about St. Louis is that they aren’t limited to just rental players as they have quite a bit of money coming off the books at the end of the year. While they’d surely like to keep Paul Stastny around, he may be able to find more money and longer term on the open market as one of the best centers available. Losing his $7.5MM cap hit clears quite a bit of room, leaving St. Louis with close to $20MM in cap space depending on where the ceiling eventually lands.

While they have some young players due for new contracts, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see them pursue a player that can help them now and in the future. If Ottawa does end up selling some of their assets, a player like Mike Hoffman may be an option for the Blues even with a hefty contract. They certainly will be a team to watch over the next few months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Evander Kane’s Trade Potential

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Though much of Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column surrounded the potential trade availability of Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson, he also mentioned the Calgary Flames pursuit of more “edge.” Friedman has mentioned this a few times over the last few weeks on Sportsnet, and one can see where he’d get it from. The Flames are presided over by Brian Burke, famous for his love of “truculence” and the like.

Evander KaneFriedman mentions that he could see the Flames joining “growing group eyeing Buffalo’s Evander Kane,” which leads to some interesting questions. How many teams are in that group, and just how valuable is Kane on the open market? Friedman reports that teams have been told the Sabres want a return like what Winnipeg received for Andrew Ladd and Arizona pulled in for Martin Hanzal, but if the group of bidders continues to grow how high can it really get?

Kane has points in his last four games and is already at 27 for the year, a 74-point pace that would destroy his previous career-high of 57. He also sits third in the entire league in shots on goal, behind only Alex Ovechkin and Vladimir Tarasenko. Ladd and Hanzal are both very good players, but neither were an in-their-prime offensive weapon like Kane will be this February, when he’ll still be just 26-years old.

That’s not to say he doesn’t come with flaws. The first thing any acquiring team must realize is that he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer, and at that young age of 26 could be committed to getting himself a huge payday. As one of the younger players to ever hit the market, Kane would have his choice of several destinations and a long-term, big money deal.

Minnesota and Chicago both knew they wouldn’t be re-signing their respective rentals, but still bit the bullet and send packages including first-round picks. That’s where a problem may arise for Calgary if they decide to join the bidding. The Flames already dealt away their top two picks in 2018 to acquire Travis Hamonic this summer. They also could lose various 2019 picks depending on some trade conditions, meaning they likely want to hang onto the first-rounder from that year.

That means Calgary would likely have to go a prospect or young player route, which is always a dangerous game when trading for a rental. The Flames do have some excellent defensive prospects like Juuso Valimaki and Adam Fox, but moving either would be a serious decision.

The proverbial ball is in Buffalo’s court over the next few months, as they continue to try and up the bidding on any player on their roster not named Jack Eichel in order to turn their franchise around. Kane is the key to all of that, and could end up fetching quite the return. What exactly that return is, will be up to which teams are willing to spend on the pending UFA.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sabres Notes: Asking Price For Kane, Listening To Offers On All But Eichel

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While many expect the Sabres to deal Evander Kane between now and the trade deadline, the asking price is believed to be higher than the top rental players from the previous deadlines.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has been told that Buffalo will be seeking a return higher than what Winnipeg received for Andrew Ladd in 2016 (Marko Dano, a first-round pick, and a conditional pick) and what the Coyotes got for Martin Hanzal and Ryan White (first, second, and fourth-round selections).

Kane’s production pace (12 goals and 12 assists through 27 games) vastly surpasses what Ladd and Hanzal did in the final year of their respective contracts so that level of an asking price will be justified.  However, with teams being less and less willing to trade top draft picks now, it will be interesting to see what type of market GM Jason Botterill has to work with when it comes to trying to move his top scorer.

Friedman adds that Buffalo is telling teams that they can ask about any player not named Jack Eichel.  He’s quick to note that this is not to be equated as the Sabres actively shopping everyone other than Eichel but they are prepared to listen to offers.  Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, as well as forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Sam Reinhart, would certainly generate a lot of interest and all three have at least four years of team control remaining so other teams should be more willing to part with key draft picks and youngsters than they might with a pending UFA like Kane.

With the Sabres sitting dead last in the NHL and a new coach and GM already in place from the summer, it appears that the next big change will have to be in terms of player personnel.  As a result, Buffalo is going to be a team to watch for in the weeks ahead.

Philadelphia Flyers Must Look To Future

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The Philadelphia Flyers dropped their 10th straight game today against the Boston Bruins and while that losing streak is hard to take, Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi writes that there are positives despite all the negatives the team has been enduring this year. The team is playing well at even strength, struggling mainly on special teams and the team should be getting defenseman Radko Gudas back from a 10-game suspension on Dec. 12, so there is hope for this season.

Regardless, the scribe writes fans may have to look towards the future rather then at this year’s production. While fans are angry about the offseason trade in which the Flyers traded away center Brayden Schenn, who is currently putting up good numbers in St. Louis with 10 goals and 20 assists, there are long-term assets to consider. The team took on Jori Lehtera’s contract in exchange, and the veteran is making that deal more challenging to analyze as he hasn’t scored a goal for Philadelphia this year. However, the team also got back two first round picks in that deal. The team drafted center Morgan Frost this past year, who is playing well in the OHL with 13 goals and 27 assists in 26 games. The team is also getting another first-rounder in the bountiful 2018 draft as well.

Carchidi writes the team should have ample cap room next year when the contracts of Valtteri Filppula ($5MM AAV) and Matt Read ($3.63 AAV) expire. If the team chooses to buyout the final year of Lehtera’s deal, the team should have ample space to sign a free agent this offseason when players such as John Tavares, Evander Kane and James van Riemsdyk are available.

However, the team also has quite a few prospects starting with 19-year-old goaltender Carter Hart, a 2016 second-round pick, who looks like the team’s goaltender of the future. After recovering from a bout of mononucleosis, he has put up huge numbers in the WHL, including a 1.58 GAA and a .953 save percentage in 13 games. He is expected to be Canada’s starting goaltender in the upcoming World Juniors and some believe he could be ready to be the Flyers starter in the 2019-20 season after a year in the AHL.

If you include that with the large amount of young players under the age of 25 on the Flyers current roster such as Sean Couturier, Nolan Patrick, Travis Konecny, Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Robert Hagg and a bunch of other youngsters who still must prove themselves, the core is already there. Along with the success of a lot of their young players in the minors, this team has a lot to look forward to in the future.

 

Snapshots: Paquette, Kane, Malkin

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette is having a hearing today with the Department of Player Safety regarding his hit from behind on Torey Krug last night. Paquette was assessed a two-minute boarding penalty on the play (along with a roughing minor for his scrap with Frank Vatrano a few seconds later) and could face additional discipline.

From the video, it looks like Paquette had ample time to avoid or minimize the contact after Krug turned his back to him instead of driving through his body and into the boards. Paquette has not been suspended previously by the DoPS, although he was the target of a hit that resulted in Zac Rinaldo being suspended for five games.

  • Evander Kane is the big trade target, but Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill hasn’t made up his mind on whether to move him or not. As Botterill told John Vogl of the Buffalo News, the Sabres are ecstatic with how Kane has played this season under new head coach Phil Housley, and could decide to keep him during his successful season. With the Sabres falling out of contention, the only real reasons to keep Kane around would be if you believe you can complete a dramatic comeback in the second half of the season, or have a shot at re-signing him before he bolts in free agency.
  • Evgeni Malkin is set to get back into the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup after taking a full-contact practice today with his teammates. Malkin hasn’t played since November 18th, but was off to quite the start to the season. With the Penguins still floundering in the middle of the Metropolitan Division, Malkin’s return will be a welcome sight. As Phil Kessel put it to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “whenever you can get one of the best players in the world back in your lineup, it adds to your team.” You’ve got that right, Phil.

Buffalo Willing To Retain Salary In Evander Kane Trade

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On the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, the panel—Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie—discuss several interesting rumors around the league including Evander Kane. LeBrun reports that the Buffalo Sabres have started telling teams that they would be willing to retain part of Kane’s $5.25MM cap hit in a potential trade, though the insider is quick to point out that any deal is still likely six or seven weeks away if it even happens at all.

Kane is a pending unrestricted free agent, and despite his strong play the Sabres find themselves near the bottom of the standings once again. While there has been rumblings that perhaps the team would consider a long-term extension, if the player isn’t willing to sign it before the trade deadline there probably has to be a trade of some sort. Kane does not have any trade protection on his current deal—which pays him $6MM this year in actual salary—and could be used as one of the very best chips at the deadline.

The 26-year old already has 12 goals and 23 points on the season, a 75-point pace that would easily eclipse his career high to this point. He’s found a nice chemistry with Jack Eichel, but may be more interested in what he can get on the open market as one of the very best free agents available next summer. If he does make it all the way there without incident, he would presumably—despite what Dreger has heard to this point—command a seven-year deal at an impressive salary. 30-goal players in the prime of their careers don’t hit the open market very often.

Islanders Notes: Tavares, Ekman-Larsson, Eberle

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Despite the success of the New York Islanders since head coach Doug Weight took over in the middle of the season last year, not to mention the team’s success lately as the team has found itself in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 14-7-2 record. However, don’t expect any hasty decisions by star forward John Tavares, according to Elliotte Friedman, via Sportsnet.

Tavares, who will be an unrestricted free agent next season, is having another big season for the Islanders, but due to questions regarding where the Islanders will play in the future as well as other issues as well, Tavares has chosen not to agree to an extension and prefers to wait before making any final decisions. It looks like this one may wait until the offseason as the Islanders are not expected to trade their star forward and are expected to gamble on being able to retain Tavares.

“Obviously, this is John Tavares’s decision, but I think the Islanders are very content to let this play out,” Elliotte Friedman said on Saturday’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada. “I don’t necessarily think the trade deadline is a deadline for the Islanders here. If they have to keep going past it, I think they’re perfectly prepared to do it.”

As the team is faring well and they have quite a few young and improving players such as Mathew Barzal and Joshua Ho-Sang, many feel the Islanders are going to instead make a concerted effort at a playoff run to show Tavares what potential the franchise has in order to convince him to re-sign.

  • The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the team does need to make a big trade to show Tavares they are all in. However, he points out that trading for Buffalo Sabres’ Evander Kane to be that great linemate Tavares has never had doesn’t make any sense. Tavares’ line along with Anders Lee and Josh Bailey are already one of the top lines in the league and even the Jordan Eberle, Barzal pairing is paying dividends as well. What the team needs, according to Brooks, is a top-flight defenseman such as Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He suggests the team put a package together of Ho-Sang or Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson, defenseman Ryan Pulock or Scott Mayfield and one of their 2018 first-round picks (they have two) to pick up the top-flight defenseman, who isn’t likely to re-sign with Arizona in two years.
  • Sportsnet’s Tim Panaccio writes that New York Islanders head coach Doug Weight feels that the trade to acquire Eberle has been a big success as the forward has really started to pick up his game recently. He has eight goals over the past 12 games and Weight noted that confidence was the key reason why he was struggling with the Edmonton Oilers. While the initial intention was to acquire Eberle to be a key linemate to Tavares, it didn’t take Weight long to see a better connection between Eberle and Barzal and to utilize them together on a solid second line. That has allowed the Islanders to become the third-best goal scoring team in the league, averaging 3.61 goals per game.

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