Welcome to a new featured series of NHL rumors on StadiumRant.com! According to sources, we will cover the latest rumors around the league. With just 33 days until the NHL trade deadline, teams are evaluating their trade options to improve their success. More trades are on the horizon. There’s already been a massive trade between three teams. Let’s take a look at the latest NHL rumors. We will have a West Coast theme today. Check it out!
In this edition, we will focus on the following:
Is Brandt Clarke available for trading? Is Trevor Zegras headed to Colorado? Which San Jose Sharks players are in limbo to be traded?
After securing points in ten of his first 11 eleven games, it was thought Clarke would see constant playing time. He didn’t fare so well in January, just collecting three points in 11 games. While his scoring has cooled off, the team’s management has curtailed rumors of his demise in LA. He is assuredly a player the Kings see in their future and is not available for trade simply because he is not playing a few games as a healthy scratch.
Head coach Jim Hiller said this was a “rest period” for the young defenseman. The fact that star defenseman Drew Doughty has returned to the lineup could have some bearing on Clarke’s playing time. The other factor is that the team carries nine defensemen, which may be too many. The contract renewal status of rearguard Vladislav Gavrikov is also a consideration. He will be an unrestricted free agent with a no-movement clause this summer.
For now, Clarke’s status on the LA blueline appears safe.
The thought process here was that Zegras could take advantage of the skilled tutelage from one Nathan MacKinnon. No kidding… wouldn’t any young NHL player learn quite a bit from the talented scoring phenom in Denver? Zegras has been mentioned in NHL rumors before. MacKinnon has scored 19 goals and 60 assists in 53 games. If Zegras could choose a better mentor than MacKinnon, it’s not apparent who that could be.
Zegras is on a $5.75 million deal, good through next season. The Avs have only $4.76 million in cap space, so some financial decisions would need to be made. The obvious solution would be for the Ducks to retain some of Zegras’ salary. If they are motivated to move Zegras, that shouldn’t be an obstacle. They have a whopping $43.4 million in cap space to do so.
If Zegras could join the Avalanche, it would put a shot in the arm of his NHL career. Since signing a new contract worth $5.75 million AAV in October 2023, his production has faltered (11-G, 17-A) due to injuries. Who knows what else has caused his downfall? One thing is sure… if he were to go under the skillful arm of MacKinnon, it could turn his statistics around swiftly.
Two traded players shortened that list while this post was written. This shows that some rumors do come true for you doubters. Mikael Granlund and defenseman Code Ceci were traded to the Dallas Stars in a released deal. The Sharks received a 2025 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-rounder that can become a third-round selection if they participate in the Stanley Cup Final this year.
The deal displayed the needs that the Stars are encountering due to injuries. Miro Heiskanen is out week-to-week with a knee injury. Nils Lundkvist has had season-ending shoulder surgery, and Tyler Seguin is also gone for the season after hip surgery.
Sharks general manager (GM) Mike Grier has added numerous future assets to supplement his rebuilding plans. He is expected to continue on that journey over the next few weeks leading up to the trade deadline on March 7. Grunland and Ceci were his first moves; let’s wait to see what else he has to do to improve his club. Will he deal away one of his goalies in Vitek Vanecik or Alexandar Georgiev?
That concludes this edition of Stadium Rant’s NHL rumors. Check again, as this series will be published every Wednesday and Sunday.
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