The Flames' Rasmus Andersson becomes the best defenseman potentially available in the NHL trade market. Meanwhile, will new Sabres management re-sign Alex Tuch?
Last week's trade of Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild sent a jolt through what had been a mostly stagnant trade market.
The move renewed trade speculation regarding Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. Eligible for UFA status next July, the 29-year-old is no closer to a contract extension and is expected to be dealt by the March 6 NHL trade deadline.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported the Flames received an increase in calls regarding Andersson following the Hughes trade. He indicated the Toronto Maple Leafs attempted to acquire the Flames blueliner at last season's trade deadline and have recently revisited their interest.
LeBrun wondered if the Flames would move Andersson as a playoff rental player or attempt to pull off a sign-and-trade for a better return. He claimed the Maple Leafs are among the clubs the veteran defenseman is willing to sign with, provided a trade could be worked out.
The relationship between Andersson and Leafs GM Brad Treliving might have something to do with that. Treliving was GM of the Flames when they chose Andersson in the second round of the 2015 NHL draft, and he signed the blueliner to his current six-year contract.
Kent Wilson of the Calgary Sun considers Andersson to be the top defenseman in the trade market now that Hughes is off the block. He doesn't expect the Flames to get something comparable to what the Canucks received for Hughes (three young NHL players and a first-round pick), but Andersson should still fetch a good return.
That would still make it difficult for the Maple Leafs to land Andersson. They lack sufficient depth in trade assets such as draft picks and prospects to outbid other clubs.
The Sabres' Next Move Should Be To Fire Lindy Ruff — And Hire Peter DeBoer
Forget making a trade; now that Jarmo Kekalainen has been hired as the Buffalo Sabres GM, his first order of business is to hire a coach who can get the team back in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres' replacement of Kevyn Adams as GM with Jarmo Kekalainen raised questions about the club's efforts to sign Alex Tuch to an extension.
The 29-year-old right winger is completing a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $4.75 million and will seek a substantial raise on his next contract.
Kekalainen told reporters he intends to "take charge" of the Tuch negotiations.
"We appreciate, we like him. We want to get him signed," he said.
It could prove expensive to sign Tuch. According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the previous negotiations stalled because his camp sought over $10 million annually.
LeBrun's colleague, Darren Dreger, reported the Tuch camp is seeking a deal worth slightly more than what Adrian Kempe received from the Los Angeles Kings. The 29-year-old Kempe signed an eight-year deal last month worth an average annual value of $10.625 million.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau thinks if Tuch's camp doesn't budge on the cap hit, the Sabres should trade him, suggesting he's not worth that value.
The Sabres won't lack for trade partners if Kekalainen decides to move Tuch before March 6. Daily Faceoff's Jeff Marek believes the Dallas Stars could lead the pack. The Stars are in “win-now” mode this season, and Marek suggested that Tuch would be a good addition to their lineup.
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