Countdown to TradeCentre: Kane complicating Oilers' deadline outlook

The NHL's March 7 Trade Deadline is just days away 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.

Oilers struggling for space?

TSN's Ryan Rishaug notes that the Edmonton Oilers are in a dollar in, dollar out situation ahead of the deadline unless Evander Kane's $5.125 million cap hit becomes free.

Kane remains on long-term injured reserve and has yet to play this season after undergoing two separate surgeries, but the team cannot use that cap space unless he's sure to remain out until the playoffs. Rishaug notes the Oilers situation will change if the team can find a deal to move Kane before the deadline. 

Kane's full no-move clause shifted to a 16-team no-trade list on March 1. The 33-year-old winger posted 24 goals and 44 points in 77 games last season, adding four goals and eight points in 20 playoff games during Edmonton's run to the Stanley Cup Final. Kane remains signed through next season. 

Rishaug believes the Oilers would like to target defensive depth, a forward who can compete for a top-six role and a depth centre who could help on the penalty kill before Friday's trade deadline. 

Will the Sabres sell big names?

The phone keeps ringing in Buffalo as teams seek some of the Sabres top players, but with Kevyn Adams looking for NHL-ready players back, it's no sure thing a blockbuster gets done, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports.

Dreger notes the Sabres have received "numerous offers, strong offers for futures" with several key players potentially in play, but the team isn't looking for draft picks or prospects.

Dylan Cozens, Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch have all been mentioned as players who could be on the move out of Buffalo, but the price tag remains high for any of the three.

Meanwhile, Sabres face an easier decision with their pending unrestricted free agents, at least most of them.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports the Sabres have held preliminary contract talks with Jordan Greenway, who is open to staying put. However, LeBrun adds there is solid interest in Greenway on the trade market and the Sarbes will have to balance that against keeping the 28-year-old forward.

Greenway has three goals and eight points in 24 games this season. He carries a cap hit of $3 million on his expiring deal. 

Panthers free to spend?

The Florida Panthers placed star winger Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve Sunday, potentially clearing $9.5 million in cap space, should he miss the remainder of the regular season. 

The Panthers already made a big splash over the weekend, but kept the door open for another move with the conditions of the deal.

Florida acquired defenceman Seth Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night in exchange for goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick. The selection will be in the 2026 draft, unless the Panthers deal that pick in which case it will slide to 2027. 

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston wrote Sunday that there is a distinct possibility that Tkachuk will be sidelined until at least the start of the playoffs, which could the Panthers free to spend his cap hit. 

UPDATE: Panthers GM Bill Zito announced Monday the "hope" is Tkachuk will be able to return in the postseason, implying he is done for the regular season. 

After dealing their backup netminder in Knight over the weekend, the Panthers dipped into that cap space Sunday, in recalling goaltender Chris Driedger from the AHL, leaving them with $8.7 million, according to PuckPedia. 

While cap space is not likely to be a problem for general manager Bill Zito, assets may be as he looks to load up. The Panthers are without a pick in the first three rounds of this year's draft and have only a second-rounder in the first three rounds in 2026, unless they elect to move their first-rounder to a team and kick their 2027 top pick to Chicago. 

Coming off winning the Stanley Cup last spring, the Panthers continue to fight for first place in the Atlantic this season, trailing the Toronto Maple Leafs by one point entering play Monday.

Wild done for the deadline? 

The Minnesota Wild jumped in on the trade action over the weekend, acquiring forward Gustav Nyquist from the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick. 

The Wild are dealing with several key injuries right now, but general manager Bill Guerin told The Athletic that no players are expected to stay sidelined until the playoffs.

Therefore, Guerin said any additional trade the team makes ahead of the deadline would have to "penny in and penny out," complicating any further deals. 

Nyquist has nine goals and 21 points in 57 games this season and carries a $3.18 million cap hit.

"Everything fit, the money fit, we wanted to get him earlier rather than risk it and not be able to get him," Guerin said Sunday of adding Nyquist.

The Wild sit third in the Central Division, just two points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche, who are in the top wild-card spot. The team is, though, safely ahead of the Vancouver Canucks, who are the top team outside the playoff picture with nine less points than Minnesota this season. 

Star forward Kirill Kaprizov currently leads the list of injured Wild players, which also includes captain Jonas Brodin and forward Joel Eriksson Ek, while centre Ryan Hartman continues to serve his suspension, which was reduced to eight games upon appeal. 

Kaprizov has been out since Jan. 26 because of a lower-body injury that required surgery. The team said at the time of the procedure he would be out a minimum of four weeks but Guerin said last month his recovery is taking longer than expected. Kaprizov had 23 goals and 52 points in 37 games this season before going down.

Eriksson Ek has been out since Feb. 22 with a lower-body injury and was originally given a week-to-week timeline. He has nine goals and 24 points in 42 games this year.
 

Insider Trading

With just days remaining before the trade deadline TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined James Duthie for a special edition of Insider Trading on Sunday night.

Dreger touched why a Brayden Schenn trade now looks less for the St. Louis Blues, the latest on whether Mikko Rantanen could be traded again before the deadline and addressed the continuing speculation that Sidney Crosby could be moved the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Watch the full breakdown below: