Boston and Winnipeg talking defensemen
Rumours in the summer that the Bruins were pursuing Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien were dismissed by many as hearsay from bloggers suffering through a long and boring summer. As it turns out, the Bruins talked to just about every team in the league regarding the availability of top four defenseman, and that includes Byfuglien.
The Bruins are still showing interest, and have reportedly asked on pending RFA defenseman Jacob Trouba as well. If the Jets do manage to resign both Trouba and Byfuglien, some wonder whether recently acquired Tyler Myers or prospect blueliner Josh Morrissey could be made available.
The Bruins will be far from alone when in comes to pursuing Byfuglien, who would be the top rental target of most teams were he made available.
Jets goalie situation could lead to trade
Keep an eye on the Jets goalie situation. With Ondrej Pavelec soon returning from injury and the emergence of Connor Hellebuyck, the Jets will need to deal with their crowded crease. Hutchinson is a pending RFA after this year, but comes in very cheap at $575,000, making him an interesting trade candidate. Pavelec might be the player the Jets wish to trade, but his $3.9 million cap hit for this season and the next will be a stumbling block.
Oilers defensemen are in play
It's well known that Justin Schultz' name is on the trade market, but another defenseman who could be in play come the NHL trade deadline is Eric Gryba. The Oilers want to free up ice time for a number of young defensemen in their system, and at an affordable 1.25 million cap hit, Gryba should be of interest to teams poised for a deep playoff run.
Don't forget about Nikita Nikitin, who has generated interest from the Blackhawks and Avalanche amongst other teams.
KHLers making NHL comebacks?
Sounds like Dadonov is going to take another crack at the NHL next season. Rumours out of Russia have the 26 year old buying out his contract with SKA St. Petersburg and heading to NHL free agency, a move similar to that of Viktor Tikhonov last season. Dadonov last played in the NHL in 2012.
Last week Kovalev told a reporter he thinks he could make an NHL comeback. This isn't the first time Kovalev has joked about making an NHL return, so until further notice let's assume he's not serious.
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Photo credit: National Post