Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. Thursday is the penultimate day before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET on Friday). Here’s a look around the League at the latest deadline doings:
New Jersey Devils
Tyler Toffoli was not in the lineup against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
“Trade deadline, precautionary,” coach Travis Green said.
The Devils (30-28-4) are eight points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division. They are also eight points behind the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, who are tied for the first wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Toffoli, who leads the Devils with 26 goals in 61 games this season, is in the final season of a four-year, $17 million contract ($4.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 13, 2020, and can become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald said on Tuesday that he would prefer not to trade Toffoli and continue to search for goaltending help before the trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Friday.
“The reality is teams have called on him and what a return looks like,” Fitzgerald said Tuesday. “I wouldn’t be giving away a player, my leading scorer, that’s for sure, just to gain future assets. But the reality is those future assets could help us down the road.”
Toffoli was acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames for forward Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on June 27, 2023.
“It’s a dilemma because of where we believe we’re at, [where] we want to go [and] messaging as well to the rest of team,” Fitzgerald said. “If you trade your leading (goal) scorer, you’re throwing in the towel. You can get on a run. No one knows what type of run you can get on.”
Toffoli was replaced in the lineup by Ondrej Palat, who returned after missing a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers because of a lower-body injury.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jake Guentzel is the biggest name on the trade market and he could be moved as soon as, oh, about right now, or shortly after right now. Or certainly before the deadline Friday.
Guentzel has been on long-term injured reserve because of an upper-body injury. He’s been out since Feb. 14 and missed his 11th straight game when the Penguins played the Washington Capitals on Thursday. However, he is skating and is eligible to come off LTIR on Sunday.
Guentzel has 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 50 games this season and can become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported Thursday that a trade sending Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes had been agreed upon in principle but that a trade call likely wouldn’t happen until after the teams played that night. Eariler Thursday, Kaplan wrote in her column that the Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers were in on Guentzel, with the Penguins sifting through offers for the 29-year-old forward.
The Vancouver Canucks might be a contender to land Guentzel, too, through a bold move that would involve center Elias Lindholm and the Boston Bruins. That initially was reported by Chris Johnston of The Athletic on Tuesday, and Kevin Weekes of NHL Network and ESPN reported Wednesday that Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk could be part of the equation too.
The Penguins reportedly want at least one roster player as part of the return package for Guentzel.
The Rangers are in the market for a right wing to play on their first line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Guentzel is a left wing, but if the price is right for them the Rangers are not going to balk at trying to acquire him. If they land him, either he or Kreider could move to the right side.
The Golden Knights still could include their first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in any trade. They technically sent that pick to the Calgary Flames as part of the trade for defenseman Noah Hanifin on Wednesday, but with the condition that if they move the pick…
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