The NHL trade market is already starting to tilt toward desperation, and three teams keep showing up in the conversation for very different reasons.
In Edmonton, Erik Johnson floated a bold idea on Saturday Headlines: the Oilers should go after Jordan Binnington from St. Louis, or Juuse Saros from Nashville if that doesn’t work out.
The reaction was quick and blunt. Fans pushed back on the Binnington idea because his numbers have been rough - a 4.27 goals-against average and an .851 save percentage in five games - and he has already lost the starting job to Joel Hofer.
Saros, meanwhile, comes with a full no-move clause and a $7.74 million contract, which makes that path even tougher.
The pushback also came with a simple counterpoint: Edmonton’s goaltending hasn’t been the problem. Devon Levi came back and helped the Oilers to a calm 4-2 win over Vancouver, Tristan Jarry has been better than he was last year, and Frederik Andersen is still working his way back. With that in mind, there’s no obvious reason for the Oilers to rush into a major move, even if Johnson was strong on the panel otherwise.
Tampa Bay is dealing with a very different kind of noise. Andrei Vasilevskiy said he’s paying close attention to the Nikita Kucherov situation and was surprised to hear about the communication breakdown, though he also said he doesn’t know all the details and hopes the two sides sort it out. But when it comes to his own future, Vasilevskiy made the message clear: he wants to stay in Tampa, and retiring there would be his second biggest accomplishment after the Stanley Cup.
He also joked that he doesn’t know if he’s worth $25 million, which suggests his next contract won’t reach that level. Vasilevskiy has one more season left on his deal after this one, and he could become the biggest goalie on the market by far.
That would invite plenty of interest, but he said it means a lot to spend an entire career with one organization. The article notes the Lightning have not exactly handled this kind of thing smoothly before, pointing to how they disrespected Steven Stamkos and now Kucherov.
They still have time to get it right.
Chicago, though, looks like the team in the most immediate scramble. Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blackhawks have suddenly become active, with the club offering the Florida and Edmonton first- and second-round picks in negotiations. Jordan Greenway and Teuvo Teravainen are also “out there,” and teams have asked about Chicago’s prospects and players who can play center.
The urgency makes sense after a 9-2 loss to Carolina dropped the Blackhawks to 4-13-1. They are 1-8-1 in their last 10, and the goals-against gap sits at 76-39 in year four of the Connor Bedard era. After that loss, the team held a players-only meeting, and Wyatt Kaiser said the room was getting the frustration out and trying to figure out how to get better.
The thinking now appears to be that Chicago wants to act early, buying before the season gets so far off track that selling becomes unavoidable. There’s still time, but the message is clear: the Blackhawks feel the pressure, and they’re looking for a move now.
In Other News...
Devin Cooley Is Giving Flames Fans A New Subplot To Watch
Devin Cooley has found himself with an unexpected little spotlight beyond the Flames crease, and its creating a fresh subplot for Calgary fans to follow. After his motivational comments about the unique pressures goalies face started making the rounds, the Calgary netminder saw the reaction extend well past his own locker room, with Pittsburgh rookie Sergei Murashov publicly thanking him for the perspective.
Cooley said he appreciated the shoutout and noted that the response has not stopped there, with other goalies also reaching out since the remarks went viral. He has backed up the attention with solid play this season, and now there is at least a chance the story gets another chapter if he and Murashov cross paths when the Flames and Penguins meet again. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Suddenly Have A Blue Line Decision They Can't Rush
Kevin Bahls injury has left the Flames staring at a blue-line problem they did not want to be dealing with this early, and it is one that cant be solved by simply forcing a move. The loss of a defenseman for the season after Achilles surgery changes the conversation in a hurry, especially for a Calgary team that still has to think carefully about how it wants to build out its back end rather than just react to the first available option.
Craig Conroy now has to weigh whether the answer comes from a young defenseman already in the system or from a short-term addition that actually fits the timeline. The temptation to patch the hole is obvious, but the Flames do not sound inclined to make a trade just for the sake of filling space, which leaves the next step on defense very much unresolved as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Blue Line Loss Leaves Craig Conroy Facing A Tough Choice
Kevin Bahls absence has left the Flames with a hole on the blue line that is hard to ignore, and it has put Craig Conroy in a spot every general manager knows well: address the need now, or trust the group already in the room. Bahl had become a meaningful part of Calgarys defensive mix, so losing him for the rest of the season changes the shape of the back end and forces the club to weigh its options with a little more urgency than it would have liked.
What makes this decision tricky is the kind of move Calgary is likely to consider. The market does not always hand out clean fixes, and the Flames have to think about more than just plugging a gap for a few weeks. A young defender or a shorter-term addition could make more sense than a pure rental, but whichever direction Conroy chooses, the loss of Bahl has turned a manageable situation into one that now demands a careful answer. [Read more 🡒]