With the Olympic roster freeze ongoing, GMs around the league continue to have constant dialogue, as they work on the parameters of deals, and search the market for the most appealing package. Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky is notoriously aggressive on the trade market, and this season's going to be no different, so there's a very good chance the 'Canes and Leafs could be doing business together ahead of the Mar. 6 deadline.
Last week we discussed potentially trading Alexis Lafreniere and Braden Schneider as part of the Rangers' ongoing retool. Much of the recent media focus has centered on who might be leaving New York, but far less attention has been paid to what could come back in return. Today begins a look at potential trade partners, starting with scouting the Detroit Red Wings. The fit in Detroit for Braden Schneider, Vincent Trocheck, and/or Alexis Lafreniere is an interesting one.
Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced on Tuesday that goaltender Thatcher Demko will undergo hip surgery and be out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Demko last played on January 10 and is expected to be ready for training camp. Demko is done for the season Demko's last action was in a 5-0 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 10, allowing three goals on six shots.
Post trade, we had a quick conversation. But we were just more focused on how excited we were to add Kiefer to the group, and I think he's going to love it here. He's excited. We're excited to have him, and we think it's a great fit. So hopefully down the road at some point, we'll be able to work something out.
Trocheck's game has not deteriorated, though he did have somewhat of a down season following the 2024 postseason run. Trocheck's locker room presence also did not prove to help, as the team struggled to get on the same page, and Trocheck's nightly "we're doing all the right things" quotes enraged fans rather than comforting them. With a slightly improved team this season, Drury may want to hold onto his prized center.
It's unfortunate Scott Laughton has been somewhat ineffective since he joined the Leafs. Brandon Carlo underwent foot surgery on December 3. When he was available, he looked a step slower and less physical than he was playing as a member of the Boston Bruins. In both cases salary retention were involved in the trade. If you're going to overpay for two players, you shouldn't be overpaying for a fourth-line center and bottom-pair defenceman.
Toronto has struggled out of the gate in a big way. From sloppy defensive coverage, to underachieving superstars, to injury woes, it has not been pretty through the first month of the 2025-26 season. Treliving has been rumoured to be searching for a top-six forward on the trade market, and also a right-handed top-four defenceman, but there's one serious problem. The Maple Leafs' GM has nothing to work with in negotiations.
The Blues seem to look towards Kyrou as a scapegoat at times, and when things aren't going the way they need them to, Kyrou sits. It is common for teams to sit a top player to send a message, especially when the team is second-last in the NHL with a 5-8-2 record. Kyrou hasn't been playing too poorly this season, scoring eight points in 14 games, though the Blues would like to see a bit more.
When the New York Rangers traded Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche at last year's trade deadline, most analytically-minded fans like myself felt more relief than anything else. The Rangers organization is best known for handing long-term contracts to aging, declining defensemen. Think back to the contracts of Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, two players who went from beloved Rangers to despised for their on-ice play by Rangers fans.
Less than a month away from his 24th birthday, the Swede had been resigned to the Montreal Canadiens' fourth line for the majority of his first full campaign in the NHL last season, in which he scored 10 goals in 62 games. His production ground to a halt in the second half of the season after he was hit by a car in Utah.
Many Rangers fans felt at the time of the Mika Zibanejad trade that the Rangers made a mistake. Brassard had been crushing it for the Blueshirts and Zibanejad had a couple of good seasons but hadn't truly broken out yet. Fast forward to today, and Zibanejad has been one of the most valuable Rangers ever. How do we come to terms with Mika Zibanejad's career, though? This is a player who never truly competed for any major award, never made it to the Stanley Cup Final, and at this point in his career is someone fans look at as a potential negative if his decline is real.
