As the NHL Trade Deadline approaches, the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights are two teams in the Western Conference worth watching.
Both teams are dealing with injuries on their backend. Vegas has seen Shea Theodore suffer an injury playing for Team Canada at the Four Nations Face-off. He could be out the rest of the regular season. Theodore has yet to be placed on LTIR. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars have seen Tyler Seguin have hip surgery and was placed on LTIR. Not to mention, defenseman Miro Heiskanen has knee surgery and is month-to-month.
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Both teams will have space to operate. We know Kelly McCrimmon, the GM of the Golden Knights, does not like to have quiet deadlines. He already signed Brandon Saad. While his counterpart Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill traded for Cody Ceci and Mikael Granlund. Both got ahead of the game but both are looking to add at the deadline.
During his segment on TSN Radio in Montreal, Mikko Rantanen‘s name was mentioned as a possible landing spot for both the Stars and Golden Knights, with LTIR playing a factor for both teams. Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period sees as a possibility but also mentions other players linked to both teams.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Host: “Shea Theodore is going to be placed on LT IR, and at the NHL trade deadline, the Vegas Golden Knights are going to do it again.”
Pagnotta: “Well, look Vegas. Vegas is out there looking for a forward. Their blueline is stacked. They’re confident with Aidan Hill in the net. They brought in Brandon Saad for their bottom six on deck. They have a little bit of cap space to play with, not LTIR space, actual cap space. Look, if Rantanen is available, and his cap hit right now is what, it’s 4.625.”
Host: “Carolina Eats half.”
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Pagnotta: “If I mean, again, the acquisition costs will have to go up even that much more, because now you’re giving another contender whom you could possibly meet in the playoffs, either in the East or in a Cup Final matchup, if it goes out West, that cost will have to be built in.
But even at $4.46 (million) there are teams like the one team I look at with that respect more than Vegas is Dallas. Yeah, I’ve got a piece coming out probably in the next hour on the Stars. And there is news that word anyway, belief is Miro Heiskanen not (Mikko Rantanen as Pagnotta said) is done for the season. Not the full playoff run, but the regular season and that he may miss the balance of the first round, depending on how things go there.
If that’s the case, they’ve got four point something million in space right now. They could add him to LTIR because he’s not on it yet, and that’s 8.45 extra they can go. Dallas is going to be looking to swing hard over these next 11 days. If Rantanen is available, I would not be surprised if they pursue him.”
Host: “The numbers probably don’t make sense. But what about Seth Jones?”
Pagnotta: “With Dallas, you mean?”
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Host: “Well, you mentioned Heiskanen being hurt, and we’re talking about a right-shot defenseman. I’m just, yeah, I’m trying to piece things together here.”
Pagnotta: “Well, I mean, look, there’s been a tie there for some time. I kind of throw Colorado and Florida in that mix too as teams that, that I’ve heard have been kind of linked to Seth Jones, even with Chicago willing to retain some of his $9.25 million cap hit. It won’t be half, maybe a couple million off of it; that’s a tough deal to do in season, even though he’s got term. And this isn’t a rental situation, and I don’t think Dallas is exclusively looking at the rental market.
I think they would be open to guys with term like, like a Jones, like any Erik Karlsson. But those are a little more complicated to pull off because of the term tied to it not being a rental, so it’s possible. It’s just, it’s a lot more difficult and complicated to orchestrate that type of move in season
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Going back to Vegas, Brayden Schenn is a guy that certainly sounds like he’s somebody that they would like. Plays center, plays the wing, versatile. He’s got term. He’s a winner, and that kind of fits the mold of what they’ve got there in Vegas.
I mean, if Rantanen is available different story, different pursuit. But if he’s not, I think Brayden Schenn’s on their radar as well, and so is Brock Brock Nelson, going back to Dallas. I’m bouncing everywhere but Dallas and Brock Nelson; they’ve made it known that if Lou is willing to move, Brock Nelson should give Dallas a call. Jim Nill wants the guy.
These are two of the contending teams that could potentially add even more at the deadline.”
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