Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reports that the Red Wings and the Kings are keeping an eye on the Leafs’ RD Cody Franson.
In addition to the Kings, sounds like the Red Wings are keeping a close eye on Maple Leafs D Cody Franson.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) January 30, 2015
With the Leafs sitting outside the playoff picture, it seems a certainty that he’s moved before the March 2nd trade deadline if the Leafs don’t get his signature on a contract extension.
According to Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun, forward David Legwand could be available at the trade deadline as a result of his lack of ice time, which includes being benched for two consecutive games.
Legwand, 34, joined Ottawa last summer on a two-year deal worth $6 million and scored seven goals and 19 points in 45 games this season.
Based on Legwand’s respectable numbers and that centers are in demand across the league, there’s a strong possibility another team could look at this situation and acquire the veteran for a playoff push.
The Arizona Coyotes are looking to made trades as the trade deadline approaches. Shane Doan‘s name is among the rumors and it seems likely that the aging veteran may be dealt to a team with a strong chance at winning the Stanley Cup.
Shane Doan on if he’s thought about asking out of ARZ so he gets one more shot at Cup; says that plan rarely works for players
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 29, 2015
When asked about a potential trade, Doan responded with a sense of indifference.
“Everyone talks about the way Ray Bourque did it … storybook ending, but there’s a lot of guys that it doesn’t work for. If you make that decision you have to understand the consequences that go along with it. This is my home,” he said.
Per Darren Dreger, the Penguins have traded Marcel Goc to the Blues for Maxim Lapierre.
Penguins trade Marcel Goc to St Louis for Max Lapierre.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) January 28, 2015
Both Goc and Lapierre are UFA eligible after this season.
The Penguins signed Goc, as well as fellow Germans Christian Ehrhoff and Thomas Greiss, this past summer after trading for him at last season’s trade deadline. Goc has 2 goals and 4 assists in 43 games this season.
The Winnipeg Jets entered the All-Star break with a 26-14-8 record, good enough to secure a playoff spot with 34 regular season games remaining.
Should the team choose to make a trade to bolster their depth before the deadline, a rental might be the best option according to the Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe.
Wiebe believes the Jets’ priority at the deadline is to improve their bottom-six forwards by possibly adding the likes of Matt Calvert, Mike Santorelli, Matt Hendricks, Daniel Winnik, and Torrey Mitchell.
According to Elliotte Friedman, Mike Richards has been placed on waivers by the Kings.
Hearing Mike Richards of LA is on waivers today. Wow.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 26, 2015
It’s unlikely that Richards will be claimed, as he has five more seasons after this one on his contract at a cap-hit of $5.75 million. Richards turns 30 in a couple of weeks.
Acquired from Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds on the same 2011 day that the Flyers sent Jeff Carter to Columbus, Richards has seen his point production steadily drop since the time of the trade.
The Mayor John Hoven reports that the Kings were working on multiple trade options for Richards over the weekend, but the final one fell through last night.
Rumors have been floating around the NHL that the Vancouver Canucks were interested in the Colorado Avalanche’s Ryan O’Reilly and that the team was willing to part ways with defenseman Alex Edler.
Team president Trevor Linden denied the rumors, clarifying that Edler will not be leaving the team anytime soon.
“Alex is a foundational player for us. He’s a 25-minute, all-situation defenceman that every team is looking for. We haven’t had any trade discussion involving Alex. He’s going to be a cornerstone for our organization moving forward. Alex is having a real good season. He’s a big, strong, physical guy who can match up against anybody’s top line. He’s good in his own end, he’s a good puck-mover, has a big shot. That’s the type of guy you look for. Having him bounce back has been critical to our success this year.”
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is reporting that the Dallas Stars could be interested in defensemen Dion Phaneuf, Cody Franson, Zbynek Michalek, and Marc Methot.
Heika also mentions veteran forwards Shawn Horcoff and Erik Cole could be on their way out if the team continues to fall out of the playoff picture.
The Stars have underachieved thus far, but remain a playoff bubble team and will most likely have difficult decisions to make nearing the trade deadline.