Insider Trading: The latest ahead of 4 Nations and trade deadline

TSN’s Hockey Insiders have the latest on the possibility of Blues captain Brayden Schenn hitting the market, Sidney Crosby’s 4 Nations status, how the Blue Jackets aim to be moderate buyers, what will happen with Brock Nelson, Ryan Hartman’s suspension appeal, and why 4 Nations burnout isn’t a concern for most NHL teams.

Could Blues captain Brayden Schenn hit the market?

Reda: Our insiders are Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger. Gentlemen, the trade deadline is a month from tomorrow. A number of teams like the Leafs are out shopping for a centre right now. Is one about to become available in St. Louis, Dregs?

Dreger: Well, some believe that there's potential of Brayden Schenn being traded by the St. Louis Blues. He is their captain. He does have a full no-trade clause, so it is a complicated process. But we also know Doug Armstrong, the general manager, very well how aggressive he can be, and the Blues are underachieving right now. So yes, the top contenders looking at the market, looking for a centre, are interested, and that would include the Toronto Maple Leafs. The return would have to be mammoth. Is there a team that is willing to pay it? It's too soon to say, but I do believe the Blues are at least testing or gauging the market to see what that level of interest is, and ultimately will probably have to make that call in the weeks ahead.

Sidney Crosby’s 4 Nations status up in the air

Reda: Meanwhile, less than a week to puck drop of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Team Canada's waiting to hear about its captain. CJ, Sidney Crosby got hurt and left the game Tuesday against the Devils. What's the latest news on him?

Johnston: What do you want to start with? The good news or the bad news? It's almost the weekend, so we'll go good news. He was on the ice in Pittsburgh on this day. Was able to be skating on his own, did a couple drills with the team, but that is obviously an encouraging sign after he missed practice Wednesday. The bad news here, I would suggest, is just how secretive everyone around the situation is being. It's almost like they're guarding the nuclear codes when asked about Crosby's potential availability. And you can contrast that with other players like say, Mitch Marner, who missed the game for the Maple Leafs this week, everyone in that case was quick to say, 'don't worry, he's going to play.' So this is still somewhat up in the air. I think there's a whiff of optimism behind the scenes, but until we hear anything definitively, this is a serious situation for Canada.

Surprising Jackets aim to be moderate buyers to boost injured club

Reda: Hey, this is the time of year GMs try to reward their team that may be performing above expectations. Is that what's happening in Columbus now, Pierre?

LeBrun: Boy, you got that right, Gino. Is there more of a feel-good story than the resolve of the Columbus Blue Jackets, they're battling through so many injuries, and in speaking with GM Don Waddell on Thursday, he said he's decided to try and be a moderate buyer here before March 7, which is to say he's not going to get into the big names. Obviously, the long-term vision of the team still matters most, but with all these injuries and the way his players are battling, he feels he owes it to his group to go out and try and add a top nine forward, a rental player. He's obviously not going to want to trade either of his first-round picks. He's got two of them this year, but if he can add a player for a more moderate price, that's his plan, and he started making calls this week to do just that.

What will happen with Brock Nelson?

Reda: Hey, a boatload of big names are pending UFAs this July 1, guys like Marner, Rantanen, they're obviously drawing a lot of the chatter. But what about Brock Nelson, Pierre?

LeBrun: Yeah, that's one of the more intriguing situations right now, ahead of the trade deadline. There are teams that would love to get into serious discussions with the New York Islanders on pending UFA Brock Nelson. They really have not yet, and the reason is no one is quite sure whether he's actually going to be available or traded by Isles GM Lou Lamoriello, for a number of reasons. One, the Isles are back in the playoff race. Two, Lou Lamoriello, regardless of the standings, hasn't always decided to trade his pending UFAs, and of course, three, the Islanders may try to still and extend Brock Nelson, potentially. Now, Nelson's agent, Ben Hankinson, is based in Minnesota, just so happens the Islanders are there on Saturday, I would expect a meeting between the veteran GM and the agent. At this point, I don't think it's likely that Brock Nelson signs an extension. I think he is more than likely headed to July 1. Teams like Minnesota, Dallas, I don't think the Stars are done. Certainly the Winnipeg Jets and I know the Leafs too have Brock Nelson on their list, all with a lot of interest in a guy like Brock Nelson, if he truly becomes available.

Hartman hoping for prompt suspension appeal

Reda: If he becomes available. Look, we know Ryan Hartman is appealing his 10-game suspension for driving Tim Stützle's face into the ice. This process usually crawls along. But could this situation be different, CJ?

Johnston: Well, what's different is the 4 Nations Face-Off is on the horizon, and that means, obviously, a break in the schedule. It's almost four weeks until Ryan Hartman is due to serve the 10th game of that suspension. And a quirk, as you mentioned, of this system is when it goes through an appeal to Gary Bettman and later a neutral arbitrator, often even when a player gets a reduction in suspension, it comes after they've already served that suspension. But part of why Hartman pursued this appeal is there's hope that this will be processed before he serves 10 games, and the Wild can certainly use him, because they're down some bodies right now, and they're in a tough cap situation as well.

4 Nations burnout isn’t a concern for most NHL clubs

Reda: Players that aren't taking part in the 4 Nations are set for a nice 12-day break. But how worried are the teams whose stars could be playing throughout the entire tournament, Dregs?

Dreger: Yeah, there's a level of concern, obviously. I mean, it is going to be an incredibly tight turnaround for those participating and back into the NHL regular season. But you know what, fellas, weirdly, based on how condensed the regular season already is, that has seasoned the players to expect what they're going to have to go through with the 4 Nations and then get right back into the grind. You look at Florida, they have several players participating, but the Florida Panthers have had maybe three practices in each of the last two months. So it's kind of same old for those that are going into the 4 Nations and what they should expect when they come out.

Reda: They are the insiders: Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger.