Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman would like to give his club a boost heading into the postseason via a move at the trade deadline, but he's not willing to give up young roster players such as Brayden Point and Mikhail Sergachev to do so.
"At the trade deadline, when you're trying to acquire players, usually teams that are selling are looking for younger players, draft picks, and prospects," Yzerman said, according to Joe Smith of Tampa Bay Times. "At this stage, the young players on our team, we want to keep on our team and we want to add to that.
"We're trying to keep this team together with the hope of improving it."
Further to that, Yzerman admits he'll only consider a move that makes sense for the club ahead of the deadline.
"I really don't want to just get a player or something at all costs," Yzerman said. "I don't believe in that. Obviously if we feel we can improve our team and it gives us a better chance to be more successful in the playoffs, that would be our goal."
Of course, being just one point back in the Presidents' Trophy race means the Lightning would also be content with doing nothing at the deadline.
"If I can't improve the team, we'll go with the team we have," Yzerman said. "I'm good with that."
It's likely to be a five- or six-year deal with an average annual value around $5 million, according to McKenzie.
Bailey is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final year of a five-year, $16.5-million pact he inked in the summer of 2013.
He has already established career highs this season playing on John Tavares' wing, with 47 assists and 62 points in 57 games.
Bailey was named an All-Star last month for the first time in his 10-year career, the entirety of which he's spent with the Islanders, who drafted him ninth overall in 2008.
The Jack Johnson saga took another interesting turn Thursday, as it was reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets have reached out to the lumbering rearguard's camp in hopes of rekindling contract-extension discussions, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.
A franchise reaching out to a longstanding player in order to engage in contract talks is nothing out of the ordinary. But in Johnson's case, it's a bit peculiar given the reports surrounding his apparent trade demands from only one month ago.
Since then, Johnson's name has been mentioned often in potential deals out of of Columbus, prompting head coach John Tortorella to insist that the defenseman wants to remain a Blue Jacket.
The back and forth has now taken another turn, as Portzline reported that a dwindling trade market for Johnson has led to renewed interest in a contract extension from Columbus' side.
Despite an up-and-down campaign in which Johnson has played a career-low 19:37 per game, the 31-year-old could potentially provide a playoff team with defensive stability for the stretch run.
Vatrano is interesting add for the Panthers, as the winger is currently on injured reserve with a lower-body issue and hasn't suited up for any game action since Feb. 6.
Prior to getting hurt, the 23-year-old East Longmeadow, Mass., native had registered two goals in 25 games this season.
As for the Bruins, the deal restocks their draft board for this summer, replacing the third-round pick they sent to the New York Rangers on Tuesday in the Nick Holden deal.
Jarome Iginla is hoping for another kick at the can.
Skating with the AHL's Providence Bruins for the second time this week, the 40-year-old said he's hopeful he can land another chance to compete for the Stanley Cup.
Jarome Iginla after today's second & likely last skate with P-Bruins: 'I’d like to be a part of the playoffs ... with a team that you can contribute to any way you can, but also that you feel can win ... One more chance to win, I’d be thrilled'
Iginla was available to sign a contract throughout the summer, and will need to land a deal before Monday's 3 p.m. ET trade in order to be eligible for the playoffs. He recently underwent a minor hip procedure, and said he doesn't have any potential deals in place.
Last season, Iginla was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings from the Colorado Avalanche in hopes of competing for a Stanley Cup, but the Kings missed out on a playoff berth.
A championship ring is the one omission from Iginla's surefire Hall of Fame resume. In 20 NHL seasons, he recorded 625 goals and 675 assists, while earning four All-Star nods, two Rocket Richards, and the Lester. B Pearson Award in 2001-02.
Jarome Iginla is hoping for another kick at the can.
Skating with the AHL's Providence Bruins for the second time this week, the 40-year-old said he's hopeful he can land another chance to compete for the Stanley Cup.
Jarome Iginla after today's second & likely last skate with P-Bruins: 'I’d like to be a part of the playoffs ... with a team that you can contribute to any way you can, but also that you feel can win ... One more chance to win, I’d be thrilled'
Iginla was available to sign a contract throughout the summer, and will need to land a deal before Monday's 3 p.m. ET trade in order to be eligible for the playoffs. He recently underwent a minor hip procedure, and said he doesn't have any potential deals in place.
Last season, Iginla was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings from the Colorado Avalanche in hopes of competing for a Stanley Cup, but the Kings missed out on a playoff berth.
A championship ring is the one omission from Iginla's surefire Hall of Fame resume. In 20 NHL seasons, he recorded 625 goals and 675 assists, while earning four All-Star nods, two Rocket Richards, and the Lester. B Pearson Award in 2001-02.
McDonagh is one of several Rangers rumored to be available as the club embarks on its path to a rebuild, and the Maple Leafs have a clear need to improve their blue line, before Monday's trade deadline.
There's no word on New York's asking price, but a player of McDonagh's caliber would likely require numerous high-end assets. The 28-year-old has dealt with injuries this season, but has still managed 26 points in 49 games while averaging just under 24 minutes per night.
The 2017-18 NHL season has been an absolute train wreck for the Edmonton Oilers. While there are many reasons as to why the Oilers have regressed so dramatically, the root of their struggles boils down to the team's inability to draft well.
Yes, management has made some questionable free-agent signings and some god-awful trades, but poor drafting is at the core of all their problems. And unless the Oilers' brass improves in this area, it could very well waste away some of Connor McDavid's best years.
For a team such as the Oilers, who, starting next season, will have two players (McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) with a combined cap hit of $21 million, having affordable, homegrown players constantly coming through the system is crucial for sustained success. Unfortunately for the Oilers, that hasn't been the case.
Half of Edmonton's 10 homegrown players were drafted in the top 10, where the player taken is a near-lock to become an NHLer. However, the team's draft record outside of the top 10 - when it's no longer a given - is quite pitiful.
Below is a list of the amount of homegrown players drafted outside the top 10 (undrafted free agents originally signed by team included) on each NHL roster, excluding the Vegas Golden Knights for obvious reasons (rosters as of Feb. 17):
Team
Homegrown players outside top 10
Red Wings
18
Kings
16
Bruins
15
Lightning
14
Predators
13
Capitals
13
Islanders
13
Senators
13
Jets
12
Ducks
12
Blackhawks
12
Blue Jackets
12
Penguins
11
Sharks
11
Panthers
10
Flames
10
Devils
10
Canadiens
10
Stars
10
Flyers
9
Hurricanes
9
Rangers
9
Blues
9
Canucks
7
Sabres
7
Maple Leafs
6
Oilers
5
Wild
5
Avalanche
4
Coyotes
4
The difference between a team like the Oilers and Maple Leafs, for example, is that Toronto has an abundance of prospects coming through the system. Their first-place AHL team is filled with homegrown talent in their early-20s ready for a chance in the NHL once a spot opens up. Meanwhile, the Oilers' AHL team is in 24th place, and led by mid-20s journeymen who, for the most part, don't have much of an NHL future.
Here's a look at the five non-top 10 homegrown players on the Oilers' roster.
Player
Draft
Drake Caggiula
'16 undrafted FA
Anton Slepyshev
'13 3rd rd (88)
Jujhar Khaira
'12 3rd rd (63)
Oscar Klefbom
'11 1st rd (19)
Brandon Davidson
'10 6th rd (162)
Even in a down season, Klefbom has still proven he's capable of being a top-four defenseman. Outside of him, this list is sad. Caggiula, Slepyshev, and Khaira are all early in their careers, but so far, they've left a lot to be desired. Davidson, meanwhile, is a seventh defenseman at best.
The Oilers don't need to find future stars in the later rounds of the draft, they just need to find legitimate NHL players who can fill out their lineup. The Penguins and Blackhawks are prime examples of teams in the salary-cap era that have consistently been able to surround high-paid players with quality, homegrown talent on entry-level contracts.
Why is this an issue for Edmonton? Well, instead of having a player groomed from within their own system and playing second-pairing minutes, the Oilers have had to go out and pay someone like Kris Russell $4 million per year. Even to a lesser extent, Edmonton's had to pay Mark Letestu $1.8 million per season to be a fourth-line center, instead of having its own prospect do it for the league minimum. It adds up, and every dollar counts.
How the Oilers can fix this remains to be seen. An overhaul of the scouting staff? A new approach to drafting? Regardless, with few prospects coming through the pipeline, the Oilers will be hard-pressed to produce a consistent winner unless they fix this issue - no matter how great McDavid and Draisaitl become.
Despite announcing they were open for business almost two weeks ago, the New York Rangers haven't really made much noise on the trade market. But, that might soon change, as more and more teams are taking a long, hard look at adding speedy forward Michael Grabner.
Due to his cheap cap hit and seemingly low asking price, action has begun to pick up surrounding Grabner and a move out of the Big Apple, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Grabner would make a solid offensive-type add to any club looking to get deeper up front, as the veteran winger has put up back-to-back 25-plus goal seasons.
He will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will undergo surgery to repair a tendon in his left foot and has been consequently ruled out for the remainder of the 2017-18 season, the team announced Thursday.
Weber hasn't played since Dec. 16.
"Following the diagnosis of Shea Weber's injury, it was our belief that after a comprehensive rehabilitation protocol under the guidance of our medical team, Shea would be able to return to play this season. Unfortunately, after extensive efforts to heal Shea's injury, progress has not been made as expected," said Canadiens orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Paul Martineau.
Weber, 32, is in his second season with the Canadiens and is under contract until 2025-26 with an annual cap hit of $7.857 million. Before he was injured, he had recorded 16 points in 26 games on Montreal's top defensive pairing.
