Patrik Laine is skating every day, feeling good and ready to step in right away, according to his agent, Andy Scott.
That hasn’t turned him into an easy fit just yet. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that the Calgary Flames have discussed Laine internally, but they want to see how their younger players perform to open the season.
The Detroit Red Wings have also spoken with Scott, though LeBrun noted they’ve got bigger things going on. As for the Seattle Kraken, they considered Laine earlier in the offseason before re-signing Bobby McMann and trading for Mackie Samoskevich.
David Perron remains in a holding pattern of his own. The 38-year-old unrestricted free agent is still searching for the right situation for him and his family, and agent Allan Walsh said Perron still wants to play. Walsh also didn’t rule out a return to the Red Wings once things settle down there.
On the blue-line trade market, the Philadelphia Flyers are one team to watch. Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff wrote that the Flyers could be looking for defensive depth, and that was before Rasmus Ristolainen missed Monday’s game. Di Marco laid out three possible targets.
Luke Schenn of the Vancouver Canucks checks a lot of boxes as a veteran third-pair option. The former Flyer signed a one-year, $2.25 million deal with Vancouver, and his size could help stabilize the back end. Di Marco said he could become an option if David Jiricek and/or Simon Benoit don’t work out.
Justin Faulk is another name in the mix, though the fit comes with more layers. The Detroit Red Wings acquired him at the deadline last year, paying a first-round pick to do it, and he’s now a pending unrestricted free agent. He brings offense more than bulk, carries a $6.5 million cap hit, and has a 15-team no-trade list.
At the top of Di Marco’s list is Zach Whitecloud of the Calgary Flames. He fits the kind of defenseman Calgary would want to add, and he has a Cup ring from his time with Vegas.
Sources told Di Marco the Flames are not in a rush to move him, and his trade value is high. Whitecloud has two years left on a $2.75 million cap hit.
Di Marco also noted that Elliotte Friedman had mentioned Simon Edvinsson as a possible Flyers target. Philadelphia likes him, but there are two big questions: whether the Red Wings really want to move him, and whether a deal would require a true hockey trade. Di Marco said that would likely mean the Flyers would have to include Tyson Foerster, and he added that he would make that move if it meant getting Edvinsson.
In Other News...
Red Wings Standings Chase Just Got Tougher In The Atlantic
The Atlantic race is getting a little tighter for Detroit to navigate, with Ottawa set to add some important bodies back into its lineup after a stretch of injury absences. Defensemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub are expected back within the next few days, and forward Andr Burakovsky is also nearing a return from an upper-body injury, giving the Senators a chance to steady themselves at a time when every point matters in the division.
Detroit, meanwhile, made a pair of its own roster moves by activating forwards Chase Stillman and Carter Bear from the injured list and sending both to Grand Rapids. For the Red Wings, those transactions are more about keeping the pipeline moving than altering the NHL picture right away, but they underscore how quickly the standings chase can shift when rivals start getting healthier and depth pieces are being sorted out on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings May Already Have Another Goalie Worth Watching
Michal Postava is off to a strong start in Grand Rapids, and the early returns have already given the Red Wings organization something else to monitor in net. He stopped 36 shots in a 2-1 win over the Manitoba Moose, helping the Griffins keep rolling at home and improve to 2-0-1-0 on the season.
For a team always watching its goaltending pipeline, Postavas first two games have stood out even more because of how calm he has looked. The Griffins have won their last four home openers, and with Postava posting a 1.50 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage so far, there is at least a little more reason to pay attention every time he gets the crease. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Get A Tougher Canadiens Matchup Tonight
The Canadiens are getting a significant boost on the blue line tonight, and it comes at a time when theyve already been trying to sharpen the edges of their roster. Kaiden Guhle is set to make his season debut after missing the first four games following offseason surgery on his adductor muscle, and Montreal plans to slot him next to Mike Matheson against the Red Wings.
To make room for Guhles return, Montreal recently moved Jayden Struble out of the picture in a trade with Nashville for a 2027 second-round pick. For Detroit, it means the matchup suddenly looks a little stiffer on a night when the Canadiens can roll out a more complete defense and lean on a player theyve been waiting to get back. [Read more 🡒]