Predators’ Mattias Ekholm talks trade, Leafs’ options are strong – The Athletic

Mattias Ekholm is not oblivious. He knows his name is out there in trade rumors, and not just out there, but prominently featured. The Athletic ranked him No. 1 on its NHL Trade Deadline Big Board, and the Predators will have no shortage of suitors for the big, multitalented defenseman.

The trade deadline for the 2020-21 NHL season is scheduled for April 12, but moves and talks are already happening.

Keep track of all the trades, rumors and signings during the busiest time in the NHL calendar. This page will update throughout the offseason, so check back frequently.

More: Trade Bait Board | Trade Grades | What to expect from all 31 teams

Can the Leafs benefit from the buyers’ market?

The Leafs are in a great position here. In talking to other teams around the league, it’s clear that the trade market is extremely slow right now. With so many teams capped out, and so many teams struggling with pandemic-related financial issues, there simply is not going to be a high demand for rental players.

There are definitely a lot of intriguing names potentially available. Eric Staal, who is eager to join a contender and get out of Buffalo, would be marvelous as an all-around third-line center. Or what about, thinking even more ambitiously, trying to find a way to shoehorn in Taylor Hall to give the Leafs more firepower up front? Other compelling options to round out Toronto’s forwards could include Kyle Palmieri, Filip Forsberg, Nick Foligno, Tanner Pearson or even Bobby Ryan.

The Leafs’ biggest desire is clear, though: Another strong two-way forward in the top nine — and ideally in the top six. Few rental players who are likely to be available fit what Toronto is after better than Nashville’s Mikael Granlund. -James Mirtle (March 9)

Predators’ Mattias Ekholm says trade ‘not the ideal situation’

The perceptive Mattias Ekholm, 30, realizes what could be in store for him but told The Athletic, “I don’t try to focus in on it too much.”

Ekholm continued: “But now, when I guess our team is doing bad, we understand nobody’s happy, and neither am I with the way we have played so far. So with that comes decisions for management, and that’s just a part of it. There’s not much I can worry about (when it comes to) that.”

Ekholm made sure to note that he has not asked to be traded, though that was never thought to be the case.

A major part of Ekholm’s appeal is the affordability of his contract, which carries a $3.75 million cap hit through next season. At a bare minimum, the Predators should be asking for a first-round pick and a quality prospect in a potential Ekholm trade, which is similar to the package the Los Angeles Kings received for veteran defenseman Jake Muzzin two years ago. -Adam Vingan (March 9)

The Boston Bruins are not likely to be one of the teams bidding for Ekholm, as GM Don Sweeney does not try to shop for the most sought-after players on the market. “You’d have to give up a lot of assets to get him,” said an NHL source familiar with Sweeney. “You’d get in a bidding war. I feel like Donny’s never been that guy. He’s more of a middle-of-the-road, conservative approach, not the swing-for-the-fences approach.” -Fluto Shinzawa (March 8) 

Around the NHL

• Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney made it clear he is ready to make a move if it makes sense. “If we have to shake things up, I think we will do that. Understand the expectations haven’t changed. Our group has played well, but not quite good enough. Scoring has been the Achilles heel up until this point. Hopefully we can find it from within. Or I’m going to have to make a move to bring in support.” To the latter point, up-front scoring help may have superseded blue-line reinforcement. The Bruins have cap space to add. -Fluto Shinzawa (March 10)

• There’s a real question about whether the New York Islanders can afford Casey Cizikas this summer, when he can become an unrestricted free agent. For now, though, he’s as important to what the Islanders do as anyone outside of Mathew Barzal and would be difficult to replace no matter who’s coming in. He’s also not really a match for a seller given the pending UFA status. -Arthur Staple (March 9)

• The New Jersey Devils have had a lot of pending UFAs over the past five seasons, and nearly all of them were traded away before the deadline in years when the club was out of playoff contention. Kyle Palmieri might want to bet on a strong postseason elsewhere to help boost his stock this summer as he seeks his next contract. It could be tough for him to get as much as he might have expected a year ago, given the economic situation around the league and his slow start to this season. Also, It doesn’t feel like Nikita Gusev is a great fit in Lindy Ruff’s system. -Corey Masisak (March 9)

• The Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic trade left the Winnipeg Jets without much in the way of NHL players who could garner a top-four defenseman in return. Jansen Harkins isn’t going to get it done. Mason Appleton has only just cemented himself into his job. I’ve talked about Mathieu Perreault as a salary-cap safety valve in the past, but he won’t return a prized asset. And the Jets aren’t going to trade a star player like Kyle Connor or Nik Ehlers. So what can Winnipeg realistically do? It can put draft picks and prospects on the table. -Murat Ates (March 9)

Could the Penguins trade Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang?

Kris Letang hasn’t been good this season, though he’s found himself in the past two weeks. So, what to do with him? My guess is that the Penguins will keep him this season. Oh, I bet they’re tempted to move him. He’s been really bad for his standards, which are extremely high. But how much would the Penguins reasonably get in a trade for him? Other teams are watching how he’s playing, too. He’s going to be 34 in April. He’s had many health issues. And he’s a free agent in 18 months anyway. Come this summer, things get really interesting when the Penguins can give him a new deal, trade him or do nothing.

Evgeni Malkin has more trade value than Letang does simply because, as poorly as he’s played this season, he’s Evgeni Malkin. It takes only one overzealous general manager to make the Penguins an offer they can’t refuse. He has a full no-trade clause in his deal. I imagine there are a few teams he’d play for, with Florida being the obvious destination because he lives near Miami for a good chunk of the year. If Florida wants to trade Aleksander Barkov for him, hey, I’m sure the Penguins would be all ears. But I don’t see Florida trading for a player nine years older than Barkov. It seems totally unlikely to me, especially with how well the Panthers are playing this season. So the guess is that Malkin stays put for now. But he’s not untouchable, not if he’s going to play like this. -Josh Yohe (March 4)

NHL prospects who could be trade chips

I don’t think Florida wants to trade Spencer Knight, but it is a topic being discussed around the league in light of the fact that Sergei Bobrovsky has a cap hit of $10 million through the 2026 season. I think Florida and Knight can make it work, but some in the NHL are doubters that will happen.

If the Blues want to buy, Klim Kostin is the guy teams point to as the obvious candidate. Timothy Liljegren has an NHL future, and it could be with Toronto, but as a featured piece for a trade deadline push, he would be the likely candidate in their prospect pool per discussions with teams around the league. Given Victor Mete’s lack of playing time and whether his trade request was real or not, this is one sources around the league are monitoring and think could be moved at the deadline. -Corey Pronman (March 4)

Canucks selling in a difficult season

At this juncture, the secret is out around the league and Jake Virtanen’s lack of production hasn’t helped him maintain the trade value he commanded as recently as the offseason. The Canucks still believe they can move Virtanen for positive value rather than just taking back an expiring deal to duck Virtanen’s $2.55 million cap hit for the 2021-22 league year — and perhaps more importantly, his $3.7 million backloaded salary.

Micheal Ferland’s deal is reportedly uninsured, which is inconvenient, but the contract also carries sneaky value in trade talks since it’s likely to remain on long-term injured reserve for the term that remains on the deal. So bookmark Ferland as a possible offseason trade chip, but know that there’s next to no chance of him moving in-season.

Tanner Pearson is on an expiring deal with no trade protection and should command a decent return — perhaps even a second-round pick — particularly if the Canucks were willing to retain salary or take back some cash in the swap. Perhaps the bigger question is whether or not the club might explore a possible extension with Pearson and it’s believed the Canucks have some desire to have those talks. -Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal (March 4)

Red Wings not likely to sell low

On The Athletic’s Big Board earlier this week, it was reported there was “a belief that Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman would consider trading one of his younger forwards like Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha in the right deal.” It’s an eye-catching sentiment, but I get the sense such a deal is unlikely. In addition to the obvious that these are two of Detroit’s top players, Mantha has started slow this season and Bertuzzi has missed more than a month with an undisclosed injury. Also, it’s unclear how robust the pool of buyers will even be in the next few weeks. The trade deadline already narrows the list of potential trade partners, and that’s in a normal year. Is that really the market on which Detroit would want to make a move of this magnitude? My sense is to not hold your breath for anything here, especially during the season. -Max Bultman (March 4)

How will the Dougie Hamilton situation play out?

Dougie Hamilton will be the No. 1 blueliner on this year’s unrestricted free agent list come July 28 if for whatever reason he can’t come to an agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes before that time. There have been contract talks between the Hurricanes and Hamilton’s camp led by veteran agent J.P. Barry of CAA Sports. But after each side shared its position last month, sources said negotiations have gone quiet. There’s a tangible gap in each position. This might have to wait until after the season unless one side presses the issue.

I suspect Hamilton’s camp would have wanted to start their position closer to Alex Pietrangelo’s deal with Vegas ($8.8 million AAV) and work from that area ($8 million-plus). I suspect the Hurricanes look at Torey Krug’s contract in St. Louis and want to work from there ($6.5 million salary ballpark). Can both sides find the middle ground? I’m betting on yes, but there’s no guarantee of that. -Pierre LeBrun (March 3)

Will the Blackhawks be buyers at the trade deadline?

The Blackhawks have money available because Jonathan Toews is on long-term injured reserve and are surprise playoff contenders this season, so would Stan Bowman really try to be a buyer and sacrifice a pick or a prospect to earn a first-round date with the Tampa Bay Lightning? Well, the team also has to consider its pending free agents this offseason and next, plus who it will lose in the Seattle expansion draft. Dominik Kubalik, Nikita Zadorov and Calvin de Haan are longshots to be dealt, but it isn’t out of the question.

One league source recently said the Blackhawks should strongly consider trading Kubalik now. “He’d get them back a first-rounder now,” the source said. “He’s going to be too expensive for them in his next contract. You have to pay (Kirby) Dach and others. Plus, Kubalik’s not a great fit for this current team.”

As recently as last month, Bowman made it clear he still sees Zadorov as part of the Blackhawks’ future, even referring to the big bruiser as Blackhawks “property” due to his restricted-free-agent status. But Zadorov’s next contract has to be a slight concern for the Blackhawks.

Also a source believed the Blackhawks would try to trade de Haan before the deadline because they could lose him in the expansion draft. –Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus (March 3)

Los Angeles Kings’ trade options

If you were to project the Kings as active participants or mostly interested bystanders at the trade deadline, it’s likely they’ll skew more to the latter. That doesn’t mean general manager Rob Blake isn’t fielding calls or that the Kings are unwilling to listen to overtures that make them better.

Dustin Brown is 36, is signed through 2021-22 on a contract worth $5.875 million. A year ago, Brown wouldn’t have been in the conversation here, but NHL teams have noticed a resurgence in his play, based on him playing fewer minutes as a penalty killer and dropping some weight, which has made him quicker off the mark. Would the Kings trade a franchise cornerstone? It probably would depend upon the return. Brown does have some control here – he has a modified no-trade clause in his contract.

Alex Iafallo’s status will depend largely on whether the Kings think he will sign an extension with them or test the free agency waters in the summer. A guess? The two sides will make a deal, if only because Iafallo surely must understand the grass is almost certainly not going to be greener elsewhere. But he’ll have value, and teams will inquire. Andreas Athanasiou‘s stock around the league has dropped, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t some value. The Kings’ investment in Athanasiou was modest, and so any return they might get in a deal likely would be modest as well. But he’s a chip that’s very much in play. -Lisa Dillman (March 3)

Mattias Ekholm, Jack Eichel and 26 others who could be dealt

Nashville’s Mattias Ekholm might be the most attractive all-around player available right now. He is a 30-year-old, top-four defenseman who is signed for both this year and next at an attractive salary-cap number. But any team acquiring Ekholm would almost certainly have to find a fit for him on their expansion-draft protected list, and that’s a complication for NHL teams with reasonable blue line depth.

Jack Eichel’s no-trade doesn’t kick in until after the 2021-22 season so there’s no immediate rush here, only a window of time in which the Sabres retain leverage. The Sabres are struggling again and the questions about Eichel’s future have resurfaced and there is some compelling logic to seeing him end up with the Rangers, a team that has attractive young assets that could be packaged in return. An NHL source with ties to Eichel mentioned that the Bruins should be a consideration: “I just don’t see any way they can’t be all over him.”

The Panthers have zero intention of moving high-end goalie prospect Spencer Knight. They still believe he’s a franchise goalie and they’d like it to be their franchise. If a goalie is leaving South Florida before the trade deadline, the smart bet is on Chris Driedger.

The Blackhawks aren’t actively shopping Dylan Strome, but teams believe he’s an option for those who are looking for a boost down the middle. “They’ll listen on him,” said an Eastern Conference executive. (March 1)

Check out the full Trade Deadline Big Board here.

Top free agents from college hockey and Europe

Damir Zhafyarov, Matt Kiersted and Strauss Mann are three big names to watch as NHL teams look for talent outside of the NHL. Corey Pronman ranked the top 27 college and European players who will be free agents, detailing what to expect of each. Plus he ranks the collegiate players who could become free agents this summer, with Boston University’s David Farrance topping the list. (March 2)

Around the NHL

The Minnesota Wild placed Alex Stalock on waivers with the hope of sneaking him through to Iowa, but the Edmonton Oilers decided otherwise and plucked the talkative, athletic, solid puckhandling and, frankly, playmaking goalie right out from under them. As shocked and disappointed as he was by the end of his time in Minnesota, Stalock said Monday during an exclusive interview with The Athletic that he can’t wait to fly to Edmonton on Tuesday. “I want to get up there as soon as I can so I can get going,” Stalock, 33, said. -Michael Russo (March 1)

• I believe the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to try to bolster their depth on the blue line. They never replaced the two veteran right-shot defensemen they lost in the offseason (Zach Bogosian and Kevin Shattenkirk), both of whom played significant minutes during their playoff run. -Joe Smith (March 2)

• There are two factors that will make this deadline even more challenging for the St. Louis Blues: They will have a difficult time evaluating a roster that saw seven players leave the lineup in the past six games, and with the uncertainly of when the regulars will return, the team won’t know until the final days leading up to the deadline how much cap space it has to spend. -Jeremy Rutherford (March 2)

• Oliver Wahlstrom’s emergence as a capable third-line wing and very good power-play threat has most likely alleviated the New York Islanders’ need/desire for a scoring winger upgrade, if that were even a possibility with the Isles’ cap situation this season and next. There are going to be some options available, likely starting with Taylor Hall, but for almost any addition, even a rental, the Islanders would have to move a contract out. -Arthur Staple (March 1)

The cost to trade the Ducks’ veterans and the pursuit of Jake Virtanen

A high-ranking NHL executive told The Athletic that there would be interest in players like Adam Henrique and others — think Jakob Silfverberg, Cam Fowler or even Ryan Getzlaf — but that the Ducks may face problems moving them unless they retain some salary. For a player likeHenrique with three years left on his contract at over $5.8 million in each, it might mean retaining the maximum 50 percent. Silfverberg and Fowler are signed for as long or more. Even though Getzlaf is in the final year of his deal, he has a full no-movement clause and there are few contending clubs that can fit in his $8.25 million cap figure without moving salary to create room.

Ducks general Bob Murray is open to making a move. There have been trade conversations involving current NHL roster players in the past and present. None of them have signaled a fire sale. It included the latest discussions to bring in Vancouver right winger Jake Virtanen, a big and speedy forward with some offensive ability who hasn’t lived up to expectations. Danton Heinen, who has been out of the lineup with the call-up of Zegras, was a piece being dangled as part of a return.

The glitch in the proposed deal has been Virtanen’s salary, which jumps from $1.7 million this year to $3.4 million next and the Canucks’ reluctance to eat a portion of that. It is believed that more pieces — another player or a draft pick — have been discussed. As of Saturday night, the talks appeared dead or at least went dormant. The Ducks are also at the 50-player contract limit. -Eric Stephens (Feb. 28)

LeBrun: Why the NHL trade deadline may be quieter than usual

You can never fully predict these things. Sometimes one move by a contender forces a domino effect from rivals and suddenly you’ve got some action that wasn’t foreseen. But there are some ominous signs that point to a quiet deadline.

For starters, we’ve had as many as 18 clubs in LTIR this season and currently, according to CapFriendly, 15 clubs with a projected cap hit that exceeds the upper limit of $81.5 million using LTIR. The end result with the flat cap is that this is the tightest the league overall has been to the cap probably since its infancy. One GM told me Monday it’s not even close, for sure it’s the tightest it’s ever been. I’ve had several team executives point to that in conversations over the past week. We’ve never had a landscape this crazy as far as teams with so little wiggle room. This means trades with those teams have to be cap space in, cap space out — you can’t just take on money in one direction. Which obviously makes it more difficult to make a trade. (March 1)

What will happen to David Krejci next season?

David Krejci can still play, however, he is in the last season of his six-year, $43.5 million contract. He turns 35 on April 28. The Bruins have Jack Studnicka, 22, and Trent Frederic, 23, eager to play center full-time. Krejci is not interested in retiring. So even though a continuation of their partnership could serve Krejci and his employer well, recent history indicates a parting is more likely.

General manager Don Sweeney is likely to take his time, perhaps the entire season and beyond, to make his decision. But extending unrestricted free agents is not Sweeney’s preference. Since 2018, UFAs-to-be who have walked include Chara, Torey Krug, Joakim Nordstrom, Noel Acciari, Marcus Johansson, Riley Nash, Tim Schaller and Anton Khudobin. In this stretch, Chara (2018 and 2019) and Jaroslav Halak (2020) are the only 35-or-older players who signed extensions. -Fluto Shinzawa (Feb. 23)

What is Adam Pelech worth to the Islanders?

And at the end of this season, the Isles’ shutdown guy will be a restricted free agent, coming off a four-year deal that looked like a bit of a head-scratcher when Garth Snow signed Adam Pelech to it in July 2017 and Pelech had just 53 NHL games under his belt. But the term and the cost, $1.6 million per year, look like genius for the Islanders now, given the load Pelech carries.

He’s still an RFA after the season, this time with arbitration rights and one year away from unrestricted free agency. Given how tight the Islanders will be to the 2021-22 cap, which will stay at $81.5 million, as well as the need for new deals for fellow RFAs Anthony Beauvillier and Ilya Sorokin, Pelech’s resolution may not come until late in the offseason or in arbitration, where it’d be a one-year deal and the sides would have to do it all over again in the summer of 2022. Sources around the league suggested “something along the lines of 4×4, maybe a bit more if he stays healthy all year,” was a reasonable estimate. -Arthur Staple (Feb. 23)

Trade destinations for Predators’ Mattias Ekholm

At a $3.75 million cap hit this year and next, Mattias Ekholm, 30, is probably the most desirable asset in Nashville. Plus, there’s the Seattle expansion draft factor hanging over the team. If the Preds decide to go the 7-3-1 protection route, one assumes the three protected blueliners would be Roman Josi , Ryan Ellis and youngster Dante Fabbro.

Potential fits for Ekholm include the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers. -Pierre LeBrun (Feb. 20)

Ducks’ Adam Henrique clears waivers

On Sunday, Adam Henrique cleared waivers and was still skating with the big club; the Ducks not choosing to bury him in the minors.

Henrique still has three years left on a contract that pays him $5.825 million per season. The Ducks are not surprised that another team wasn’t willing to take on the full freight of the contract. What it does is open the door toward a potential separation by another means. GM Bob Murray has made Henrique available for trade in the hopes a team might still think he has the ability to produce in the right situation and boost their forward lineup. The Ducks could take back a bad contract with less term on it. They could also facilitate a deal by retaining salary, whether it be 25 percent or the maximum 50 percent. But the real impediment toward a trade could be those three years left. -Eric Stephens (Feb. 21)

Jack Eichel trade talk, real or perceived, will only grow

Let’s add it all up: A guy that hates losing, a losing team that seems to be at a loss, interested suitors with money and talent to spare, a hockey city longing for change and a rumor world ready to pounce. There’s plenty of wood to throw on the fire.

Jack Eichel is in the third season of an eight-year, $80 million deal. The final four seasons feature a no-movement clause. If it got to that point, the Sabres would be dealing from a position of weakness, as they could deal only with teams that got a green light from Eichel.

Just like in the fall, the Rangers have become the hot topic. New York’s reported inquiries ignited the first firestorm. The Big Apple loves its Broadway stars, and Eichel would fit the bill. Not only that, the Rangers have the cap space and assets to create a blockbuster with a strong prospect pool. The Kings similarly have young assets, cap space and a need for a new face to stay relevant in a city full of stars. -John Vogl (Feb. 18)

What will Jordan Binnington’s next contract cost the Blues?

Jordan Binnington‘s two-year deal is set to expire after this season and the Blues goalie might be playing better than when he led the charge to the Stanley Cup.

Industry sources say the AAV on Binnington’s next contract could be between $5.5 and $6.5 million and the term could be between five and seven years. Among goalies who signed last season, the top comparables are Markstrom, 31, who agreed to a six-year, $36 million deal ($6 million AAV) and Vegas’ Robin Lehner, 29, who agreed to a five-year, $25 million deal ($5 million AAV). Binnington will likely want more than Markstrom and Lehner got — and even than Matt Murray got from Ottawa. Younger even than Binnington (26) and with a history of postseason success, Murray got a four-year, $25 million deal ($6.25 million AAV) from Ottawa in the offseason.

“(Binnington) bet on himself, and he’s going to get paid like those guys expect to be paid and will get paid like the guys that have had success,” St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong said. “I think around the league, he’s looked at as a good No. 1, and that’s the way we’ll look at him as.” -Jeremy Rutherford (Feb. 18) 

Why a Jake Virtanen buyout could make sense for the Canucks

The Canucks are stuck between a rock and a hard place with Jake Virtanen and the rumor mill has started to speculate that he is on the trade market. His value is much lower than it would have been last season, so making a deal isn’t simple. Trading him for a draft pick (which you can either keep or flip in the offseason as a trade chip) would obviously be a much better outcome than a buyout, but if that’s not possible, the Canucks shouldn’t feel forced to accept the first deal that comes across the table. In this scenario, no deal is better than a bad deal where you simply swap problems because having the buyout card in the back pocket means the Canucks already have an avenue to clear his cap hit for a minimal cost. -Harman Dayal (Feb. 18)

Latest from Pierre LeBrun

• Canucks star Elias Pettersson has officially made CAA Hockey his representatives, the agency announced on Feb. 17.

• The fact Alex Galchenyuk stayed back in Ottawa after the Sens-Hurricanes deal Saturday means he can join the Leafs without the 14-day quarantine because he never crossed the border. Any player crossing the border from the U.S. to Canada must quarantine for 14 days.

• It is still not clear when exactly the next NHL Draft will be held, but it sounds like whenever that is a tweaked draft lottery format could be in place. During an October GMs virtual meeting, the NHL, in response to a bit of grumbling about the existing draft lottery format, decided to do some informal polling of team executives to gauge ideas on how to tweak it. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed Thursday that the draft lottery format is being worked on and will be discussed with the Board of Governors when the time is right. Beyond that, Daly didn’t want to hint at any other details, mostly because it’s still in the works. But I think it’s safe to say there are probably going to be changes to the lottery format for the second time in seven years.

Leafs could be interested in Predators’ Mikael Granlund

It’ll be interesting to see how aggressive Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is in the next month, with the trade deadline now just under eight weeks away. Already there have been rumors about trades the Leafs might make, with Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman getting a lot of attention last week for his comment that there was one particular forward Dubas and company are interested in. The consensus among sources around the league seems to be that one player who the Leafs like is winger Mikael Granlund, who will become available if the 6-9-0 Predators continue to drop games.

Granlund was one of the NHL’s unrestricted free agents impacted by the flat cap, as he hung around unsigned well past the October opening of free agency. He ultimately didn’t get a contract until late December when he inked a one-year deal for $3.75 million to go back to a team where he had struggled mightily to produce. One of the teams that showed plenty of interest along the way was the Leafs, but Dubas simply didn’t have enough cap space to make it happen. -James Mirtle (Feb. 16)

Blue Jackets dealing 7th-round pick to Canes could be a big win

Gregory Hofmann, 28, is a skilled forward with great offensive instincts. He makes a lot of plays and does so with pace. He’s not undersized and he’s a very good skater, above-average for the NHL, which is why I think his game will translate to the NHL. He’s not great off the puck and won’t be a penalty killer in the NHL, but I think the skating and skill combination is good enough to take a regular shift at even strength and be a useful contributor in the bottom six.

Hofmann has never played at a club level higher than the Swiss league. He’s not so talented that he’s a sure thing, and Columbus has to get him to sign on the dotted line, but for a seventh-round pick, this is a nice gamble. Carolina recoups a later pick in the 2022 draft for a player. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline said Hofmann could join Columbus in the near future. -Corey Pronman (Feb. 14)

Jets and Blue Jackets swap stars Patrik Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois

Jarmo Kekalainen spoke to two-thirds of the league about young center Pierre-Luc Dubois but in the end, the Blue Jackets GM made the deal so many people thought was destined to happen in acquiring Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. Columbus also sent a 2022 third-round pick to Winnipeg. The Jets will retain 26 percent of Laine’s salary. Several front-office executives from around the NHL weighed in on the blockbuster trade. -Pierre LeBrun (Jan. 24)

Blue Jackets players weren’t going to lambaste Pierre-Luc Dubois on his way out of town, but you can safely bet a few of his former teammates would have helped him pack for Winnipeg. Asking for a trade is one thing. A trade request, like a contract impasse, will rarely draw the ire of a fellow NHL player because the business side of the sport is something each player figures he’ll confront at some point in his career. But when Dubois’ frustration spilled into his on-ice performance — you couldn’t watch him play without wondering if he was trying to force a trade — that’s when the situation for all parties became untenable. -Aaron Portzline (Jan. 23)

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NHL Trades in 2021

Maple Leafs get: F Alex Galchenyuk
Hurricanes get: F Egor Korshkov and D David Warsofsky

Blue Jackets get: F Gregory Hofmann
Hurricanes get: 2022 seventh-round pick

Senators get: F Ryan Dzingel
Hurricanes get: F Cedric Paquette and F Alex Galchenyuk

Senators get: F Jack Kopacka and 2022 seventh-round pick
Sharks get: D Christian Jaros

Sharks get: F Jack Kopacka
Ducks get: D Trevor Carrick

Jets get: F Pierre-Luc Dubois and 2022 third-round pick
Blue Jackets get: F Patrick Laine and F Jack Roslovic

Wild get: D Ian Cole
Avalanche get: D Greg Pateryn

Senators get: F Clark Bishop
Hurricanes get: D Max Lajoie

(Top photo: Dave Sandford / NHLI via Getty Images)