With a week left until the close, it goes without saying that anything reported this minute can be dated in a hurry.
But here are some down-to-earth updates from across the NHL a week after the March 3, 3:00 p.m. ET deadline:
• Patrick Kane’s agent Pat Brisson told me Thursday night that his superstar client was undecided about waiving his no-movement clause. We could make a decision as early as Friday. Colleague Chris Johnston reported Friday a solution is expected within 24 hours. It’s an emotional time for Kane, and I don’t blame the future Hall of Famer for struggling with it. If he decides to move, as I wrote earlier, he’ll give Brisson a team and then it’s up to Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson to see if there’s a trade. Three teams that are interested and would make the most sense: the Rangers, Stars and Oilers. The betting money is with the Rangers; There is mutual interest if Kane decides to move.
• The Capitals reportedly sent a note to other clubs on Sunday saying they were willing to listen to exchange offers for outstanding unrestricted free agent defender Dmitry Orlov. This was clearly a game changer for the Bruins, who had spoken extensively with Columbus about Vladislav Gavrikov. As our Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline reported, the Jackets felt like they were making a deal with Boston, but the Bruins kept asking for more time, presumably to make more cap space. It shows you how quickly things are changing around the deadline. Orlov was unavailable until this week after the fading caps kept losing games. He’s a top pair defender. Clever move by Bruins general manager Don Sweeney to rotate.
• It was also the right call from Caps GM Brian MacLellan to be absolutely honest with his struggling team. It was difficult for him to make that trade, but he needed to recoup assets when it became clear he couldn’t re-sign Orlov, and he was able to do so before Boston traded their first-round picks elsewhere. I mean how many first round picks are going to move? The Islanders, Maple Leafs and Rangers have already misplaced their first rounds, and those pickaxes don’t grow on trees. Washington decided it had to move quickly against Orlov. The Blue Jackets are all the more seething.
• The Capitals are now actively listening to a number of their upcoming UFAs, but I get the impression they don’t want a total sell-off either. There is a balance they will try to achieve between trading pending UFAs but also holding and maybe signing others. They want a competitive team next season.
But I suspect Lars Eller is being traded, for example. Just last week, upcoming UFA defenders Nick Jensen and Erik Gustafsson were in contract talks with the Caps. But of course that was also Orlov’s camp. Are the caps trading with these blueliners? I could see them swapping one and signing the other. In the meantime, I also think like the Blues, they will try to achieve a quick roster change. There is no interest in a rebuild with Alex Ovechkin nearby. So I could see Washington trying to compete in some interesting add-ons this summer. But in the end it would be nice for them to just be healthy next season. It’s been brutal this year in terms of injury and has taken its toll.
• Columbus and Gavrikov were back at No. 1 on Friday morning. The Oilers have had a number of discussions with them about him over the past month, but the price has always been too high. Maybe it’s coming down now. My feeling is that Edmonton was interested in getting back into the Gavrikov talk on Friday. Do the hands and kings also ask? I still think Jakob Chychrun is the top draw for Los Angeles, and I don’t think Kings GM Rob Blake wants to issue a first-round pick on a loan player, which is also why I’m told he wasn’t actually a player on Orlov.
• Speaking of Chychrun, some interesting reports from our Pittsburgh resident Rob Rossi, who has linked the Penguins to a possible deal with Arizona on the Blueliner. I checked in this Friday morning and indeed the penguins have had several conversations with the coyotes. Whether it will lead to anything concrete by next Friday is difficult to estimate.
• I wonder if Colorado would be a possible landing spot for Eller. The problem is that the Avs don’t have a second or third round pick this year or next. I can’t imagine they would trade a premiere for Eller. You traded a few interested parties on the reporting date last year. … If I’m Washington, I’ll call the Avs and try to get them into a bigger package involving both Eller and one of their defense attorneys.
• And finally to Timo Meier, further discussions between the Sharks and interested applicants are expected on Friday. I’ve been wrong before, but I think Meier ends up in either New Jersey, Carolina, or Vegas.
(Top Photo by Dmitry Orlov and Patrick Kane: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)