In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we look at the potential destinations for Artemi Panarin and which teams are willing to do an extension. Next, we look at the Ottawa Senators and the return of Linus Ullmark after a month away from the crease. We finish with a trio of players who could be dealt by the Nashville Predators.
Panarin’s List of Potential Destinations
During Sportsnet’s Jan. 31 broadcast, a list of potential destinations for Panarin was revealed, and with information from Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, there is a lot to break down about where he could end up.
It has been reported many times that Panarin is not looking to waive his no-move clause without an extension, and he has been granted permission to speak with other teams.
For teams willing to work out an extension as a part of the trade, the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, and Carolina Hurricanes were listed.
The Capitals currently sit outside of a playoff spot, so an extension to ensure that a trade as big as this could be would be for more than a rental, and Friedman reported that some people believe the Capitals have been very aggressive about trying to acquire Panarin.
The Kings have been linked to a few big names this season, and have plenty of cap room moving forward. There are reportedly internal conversations happening with the Kings, and they are trying to figure out if bringing in Panarin would help the team go in the direction they think they should go.
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The Sharks make a ton of sense. He could join Macklin Celebrini on the top line and be one of the most entertaining duos in the league. There are some questions about how much either side wants that kind of deal to happen, but if they do, the Sharks would be looking for an extension to go with the deal.
The Panthers are in on everybody, so it is no shock to see them here. They have shown off some incredible salary gymnastics to get to the point they are at now, but somehow, they would be able to make room for him moving forward. The question about the Panthers would be if they have the assets to get a deal done.
Steve Yzerman doesn’t often do the whole “rental” thing. If the Red Wings are bringing in an impactful player, they are likely there to stay.
For teams that are not willing to give extensions, at least right away, they had the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, and, again, the Hurricanes. The Avalanche and Stars just can’t commit that kind of money without seeing what the fit is like. With Martin Necas’ deal kicking in next year and Cale Makar’s deal coming up, they have to be careful with their money. For the Stars, they just extended Mikko Rantanen, and still have to figure out Jason Robertson.
Pat Verbeek is playing things cautiously in Anaheim, with big deals on the horizon for Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, and a plethora of others, they can’t guarantee that money right now.
Finally, the Hurricanes are on both sides, as they often are. Whether it is the level of secrecy within the organization or something else, nobody ever has a firm grasp on what is going on with them, but they could certainly be in the race for Panarin.
It has been reported that an extension would be around the $50 million mark over four or five seasons.
Ullmark Shines in Return to Crease
After a personal leave of absence spanning over a month, Ullmark returned to the crease for the Senators, and, as said by captain Brady Tkachuk, “he was the MVP”.
Ullmark opened up about his leave of absence with TSN’s Claire Hanna, and after serving as the backup for two games, he has reached the point in his path back where he was ready to start.
Ullmark stated during that interview that the Canadian Tire Centre was becoming a place he feared, and after the Senators’ 4-1 win, the team and fans were giving him some very high praise.
He stated he had felt excitement and nervousness, but noted them both as good things. He received a standing ovation as he was introduced to start the game, again multiple times throughout the game, and at the end when he was named the first star of the game.
The Senators have been stabilizing a bit, and the return of Ullmark could be a huge stepping stone in their season.
3 Predators Who Could Be Dealt
On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Friedman noted that the Predators may look to move on from Michael Bunting, Michael McCarron, and Nick Perbix.
Bunting is in the final year of a three-year deal with a cap hit of $4.5 million, and while he hasn’t had any seasons as strong as he did with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he is still a quality middle-six winger who brings some grit and is on pace for a pretty productive season with 29 points in 53 games.
Friedman noted on the episode that the New York Islanders tried to acquire Bunting, but were unable to reach a deal
McCarron is a bottom-six player, but he brings some great qualities in that role. He has some good defensive play and will wear down the opposition, as evidenced by his 148 hits so far this season. He is good on the faceoff dot, too, running at over 53 percent this season.
Perbix had a promising start to his NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but with the Predators this season, he hasn’t played as well. His defensive game hasn’t been as strong; he is on track to have a career low in hits and a career-high in giveaways. There is still a lot of promise, but his value may not be high right now.
For the right price, these players could certainly be on the move before the March 6 trade deadline.
