The holiday shopping season is in full swing… maybe not yet in the NHL, where wish lists are growing and real deals have yet to materialize.
With such little division between bidders and sellers, a jumbled middle that permeates much of the league, and injuries disrupting plans, it's hard to know which teams are in a position to buy and which will start selling.
Stars and Islanders among teams to watch with major injuries
The Florida Panthers have been an obvious target for trade talk after being decimated early on by injuries to big stars, but they are far from alone when it comes to questions about how health concerns could spark a big shift in the trade market.
Dallas Stars joining this conversation after injuring my anterior cruciate ligament on Tuesday. Tyler Seguin. It is clear that he will miss some time, but it remains to be seen whether his recovery will extend beyond the regular season. This has a big impact not only on the obvious loss of his talent with the Stars, but also on how much LTIR cap relief Dallas might see. If he is indeed out until the end of the 2025-26 season, that would be the end of the regular season. And In the playoffs, he could be placed on LTIR at the end of the season, giving the Stars a sudden influx of cap flexibility (Seguin's full cap hit is $9.85 million). However, if there is any chance that he could return at any time, the cap exemption will be less than half of this amount.
While the Islanders aren't the obvious contender at this point in the season, they are in a similar position with Kyle Palmieri, who suffered a torn ACL last weekend and was placed on injured reserve with a recovery time of six to eight months. With so many teams in disarray in the middle of the table, it will be interesting to see how they do with the cap space they have.
Adam FoxInjury forces Rangers to seek help
While New York Rangers don't face the same long-term questions when it comes to guard Adam Fox, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, his absence does put New York in a difficult position. Sportsnet's Elliott Friedman thinks they need a little help, especially when it comes to trying to fill the void left on the power play.
“I do think they're looking for somebody, and one of the names I heard was Erik Gustafsson, and that would make some sense,” Friedman said in Friday's issue of the magazine. 32 thoughts: podcast. There's some familiarity there. Gustafsson, who currently plays for the Detroit Red Wings' AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, played for the Rangers during the 2023-24 season and recorded 25 assists for the club.
“I don't think anything was done there, but I know they're looking around to see if they can find anyone while Fox is away,” Friedman said.
Flyers try to calm the chatter around Tippett
There were conversations about the status Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett and whether it will be available through exchange. As Friedman explained on Friday's podcast, perhaps too much chatter.
“I think the Flyers are trying to do everything they can to quiet the noise around him,” Friedman said. “I think it bothered him a little bit. I think he definitely heard it. I think the Flyers are trying to say, 'Look, it's not our fault.'
Friedman said he believed the Vancouver Canucks were among the teams asking questions, but said, “I don't think that's going to happen.”
Friedman said, “I think the Flyers are trying to quiet the noise simply because it's not theirs. Sometimes names come up because teams are looking for new players, but that's not the case with Tippett. We'll see where it goes.”
Are the Sabers shopping for Luukkonen?
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on the goalie market given how many teams currently have questions at the position due to health and performance. This could do Buffalo Sabers interesting team to watch when it comes to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
David Pagnotta from Fourth period believes that “there is a desire to seriously consider the possibility of moving it.” Whether this marks a season-long trade or something that heats up closer to the draft in June is unclear.
Luukkonen is 4-3-1 this season with a 2.51 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. The 26-year-old's contract is an interesting one: his $4.75 million cap hit and three more years of team control after this season will attract a lot of clubs, and the fact that he has an amended no-trade clause that goes into effect July 1 also sets a time frame for any potential trades.
