Dylan Cozens And The High School Dance
Matt Larkin of The Daily Faceoff: The NHL Trade Deadline is about seven weeks away and it feels like everyone is dancing to add a center and some scoring. Sure, defensemen are in need and wingers too. However, centers seem to be the main play and goaltenders are simply forgotten.
The fact that Dylan Cozens rumors seem to persist indicates that something is at least being considered. Right now, Kevyn Adams seems keen on not trading Cozens. However, if he should, there are a handful of sports where a move might make some sense.
Some of those teams include Calgary, Chicago, Detroit, and Vancouver. Philadelphia and Nashville would be interesting for completely different reasons.
NHL Rumors: Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks
Calgary makes a lot of sense but are they really a playoff team? Chicago would allow Cozens to play with Connor Bedard. Detroit just does not have the cap space unless more pieces are involved. Again, the high school dance begins.
Potential Unsung Trade Heroes Of The Trade Deadline?
Anthony Trudeau of The Daily Faceoff: Again, this is all speculation. However, there are a few players like Brian Dumoulin and Ryan Donato. This is their time. Brandon Tanev, Scott Laughton, and even David Savard come to mind. These are the types of additions that win Stanley Cups.
Savard, for example, won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2021. His ability to block shots and take up space is world-class in the playoffs. Montreal has made moves to make a Savard trade easier to stomach. Scott Laughton is another player that teams will make higher-than-normal offers. He is on pace for 43 points and plays well above his size and stature.
The unsung players are always out there.
Trade Deadline Strategies
Marco D’Amico of RG.com: The trade deadline gets a twist this year with the 4 Nations event. That breaks the NHL season up a bit and gives some players about two weeks off. However, it gives NHL General Managers time to think. Now, this could be a good or bad thing.
Anyway, with about 8-10 buyers on the market, the sellers are less clear. With the international break about three weeks out, do not expect the picture to clear up that much.
Something to be considered is the break making some teams that might be buyers into sellers. Teams like Detroit and Ottawa may be on the market for players because of the extra time. Urgency exists a little more than previous years. Think back to the Olympic years.
Could there be a sense of Deja Vu?
NHL Rumors: John Klingberg and the 4 Nations
With all the parity, do teams more established in the playoff pecking order just wait things out? That may be true. However, some bubble teams may not.
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