Countdown to TradeCentre: Could the Habs package Evans and Armia?
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The NHL's March 7 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.
A Canadiens connection on the move?
Arpon Basu of The Athletic reports the Montreal Canadiens are exploring the possibility of moving forwards Jake Evans and Joel Armia as a package to maximize their combined return ahead of the deadline.
Basu believes that it seems apparent at this point that Evans will be moved and, while Armia has expressed interest in staying, his price may be too high for the Canadiens to consider an extension. He believes the goal for the Canadiens at the deadline should be to land a third first-round pick in June's draft and trading the two together could bring that back.
Other sellers have already used a similar strategy to maximize their returns this season, with the Pittsburgh Penguins trading Drew O'Connor and Marcus Pettersson to the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks sending Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Dallas Stars. In both cases, a first-round pick headed back the other way. Montreal currently owns the Calgary Flames' first-round pick this year in addition to their own selection and has five picks over the next two rounds.
Evans, 28, has 11 goals and 27 points this 57 games this season while carrying an affordable $1.7 million cap hit on his expiring deal.
Armia, 31, has 10 goals and 24 points in 57 games while carrying a $3.4 million cap hit in the last of a four-year deal signed with the Canadiens in 2021.
Potentially complicating matters ahead of the trade deadline, the Canadiens have just one salary retention spot remaining for this season. The team is currently retaining $2.34 million on Jeff Petry and $1.925 million on Jake Allen, with both deals expiring this year.
Among the team's other pending unrestricted free agents, Basu reports the market appears soft for both centre Christian Dvorak and defenceman David Savard, noting that both could wind up remaining in Montreal through the deadline.
Sens keeping tabs on forward market?
Citing league sources, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the Ottawa Senators have continued to scour the forward market leading up to the March 7 trade deadline. However, finding a fit could be difficult.
Garrioch notes Ottawa only has about $1.6 million in cap space to work with and likely won’t part with their first-round pick since they have to surrender one in 2025 or 2026 as part of the league’s punishment for the Evgenii Dadonov deal with the Vegas Golden Knights in July of 2021.
Forwards Josh Norris, Shane Pinto and Brady Tkachuk are all expected to return from injury for Wednesday’s game against the red-hot Winnipeg Jets, or soon after. But Garrioch writes the Sens’ recent slide has exposed some holes up front that president and general manager Steve Staios could look to fill before the deadline. After a five-game winning streak stretching from Jan. 25 to Feb. 3, Ottawa has dropped four in a row where they've managed just seven goals total, and are tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets with 62 points for the East’s final wild-card spot.
Garrioch reports the Sens have shown interest in forwards Brandon Tanev of the Seattle Kraken and Ryan Donato of the Chicago Blackhawks. Each player is schedule to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and have generated interest from teams around the league.
Donato carries a $2 million cap hit this season and has 19 goals and 19 assists in 55 games. Tanev makes $3.5 million this year and has nine goals and eight assists in 57 games.
Garrioch also mentions that defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker could be available with Ottawa seeking a prospect in exchange. The 24-year-old has been out since Dec. 28 with an ankle injury and is nearing a return with Garrioch noting the Nashville Predators having interest in the former first-round pick.
Bernard-Docker had one goal and three assists in 25 games before going down. He is scheduled to be a restricted free agent after the season and is making $805,000 in 2024-25.
Rantanen Watch Continues
After already being involved in the biggest trade this season, speculation continues to swirl around whether Mikko Rantanen could be moved again if he declines to sign an extension with the Carolina Hurricanes before March 7.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote in The Athletic Monday that he believes the most likely course of action for Carolina is to keep Rantanen, even as a potential 'own rental.' However, LeBrun noted that Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon could ultimately give the directive to recoup assets on Rantanen now and send him back into the trade market.
Rantanen has struggled early in his time with Carolina, posting one goal and two assists in seven games after scoring 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points in 49 games with Colorado.
The 28-year-old arrived with the Hurricanes on Jan. 24 in a deal involving the Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. Carolina sent a 2025 third-round pick to the Blackhawks, and a 2025 second, a 2026 fourth, as well as forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury to the Avs. And the Hurricanes also received Taylor Hall and Nils Juntorp in addition to Rantanen.
Rantanen is in the last year of a six-year, $55.5 million deal. The Blackhawks retained half of his $9.25 million in last month's trade, dropping it to $4.625 million for the remainder of this season.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined OverDrive on Monday evening to give his take on the situation: