Countdown to TradeCentre: Could Henrique be a fit in Edmonton?
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The NHL's March 8 Trade Deadline is approaching, and teams are making decisions on whether to buy or sell, and on which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.
Oil Watch
The Edmonton Oilers appear to be looking to boost their forward group ahead of March 8, but where that upgrade comes remains to be determined.
"In a perfect scenario, we know the Oilers would like to add a forward to help Leon Draisaitl in the top six," TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said on Insider Trading. "But, they're also looking at what Adam Henrique might bring from the Anaheim Ducks as a third-line centre. So there are several options that the veteran general manager Ken Holland is looking at in Edmonton as well."
Henrique is currently listed at No. 6 on the TSN Trade Bait board as he carries a cap hit of $5.825 million ahead of unrestricted free agency this summer.
The 34-year-old has 16 goals and 36 points in 54 games this season as he pursues the seventh 20-goal season of his 13-year career. He snapped a seven-game goal drought in Monday's 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Sitting third last in the Western Conference with a 20-33-2 record, the Ducks are on track to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season.
Edmonton has surged since their dismal start to sit third in the Pacific Division and are three points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for second with four games in hand.
Ready to strike?
The Tampa Bay Lightning have spent most of the season holding a wild-card spot, but it appears they could be looking to make a big splash as they pursue a third Stanley Cup in five years.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston pointed to the Lightning on Tuesday as a team watch in the Noah Hanifin sweepstakes with the Calgary Flames defenceman likely on the move.
Draft capital could be an issue for the Lightning, who only have a third-round pick in the first four rounds of this year's draft and are also without their first-rounder next year, but the team does have $7.55 million in cap space at their disposal.
"They're always the stealth operators at the deadline," Johnston said on the Lightning on Insider Trading. "And they're believed to be looking at him with Mikhail Sergachev out injured."
Sergachev has been ruled out indefinitely after suffering a fractured tibia and fibula on Feb. 7. The 25-year-old posted two goals and 19 points in 34 games this season prior to the injury, while averaging 22:33 of ice time - the second-highest mark on the team behind only Victor Hedman. Currently on long-term injured reserve, Sergachev signed through the 2030-31 season at a cap hit of $8.5 million.
Hanifin has nine goals and 30 points in 56 games this season, while sitting second on the team in average ice time at 23:42, just behind fellow blueliner Rasmus Andersson.
The 27-year-old carries a $4.95 million cap hit on his expiring deal.
CapFriendly projects the Lightning to have $11.5 million in cap space this summer with 16 players currently under contract. Captain Steven Stamkos headlines Tampa's list of pending unrestricted free agents.
Entering play Wednesday, the Lightning sit in the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, three points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for third in the Atlantic Division with three more games played, and five points ahead of the New Jersey Devils, who are currently out of the playoff picture, with two more games played.
Coyotes and Cats
The Arizona Coyotes and Florida Panthers are complete opposites of each other as the deadline nears.
The Coyotes have a stockpile of draft picks they're looking to add to over the next two weeks, while the Panthers' cupboards are near bare as the team looks to add before the deadline.
In Arizona, Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker appear set to move up the TSN Trade Bait board as the team labours through a 10-game winless skid.
"As the 'for sale' sign goes up in Arizona, and they're looking at moving pending UFAs like Matt Dumba (and) Jason Zucker, absolutely the Coyotes would take more draft picks," TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston said on Insider Trading. "They've got 20 in total in the first few rounds of the next three drafts, but they would happily add more because they believe that that can give them flexibility down the line when they're trading picks out for players."
The Panthers, meanwhile, continue to pick up steam and moved atop the Atlantic Division standings with Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators. Adding to their already potent lineup, however, may prove difficult.
"It's not that they don't want to add. They do," TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun explained on Insider Trading. "In fact, the Panthers, who will have about $5 million in cap space closer to the trade deadline, would like to add a top-nine forward. But, they don't have the kind of assets sometimes that you really need at this time of year. For example, they don't have a first-round pick until 2026.
"They dealt their '25 pick for Matthew Tkachuk, and their '24 pick for Claude Giroux. (There's) no regrets there, but it just means that they're going to have to be a little more creative to go add and that's what they plan on trying to do."