As teams start to finalize their next big roster choices, the NHL rumor mill is on fire. There is a lot of action around the Ottawa Senators, who are constantly on the move to find a high-end forward, while the Vancouver Canucks are reportedly setting up an exit door for Lukas Reichel just a dozen games after giving him a chance, and the San Jose Sharks are still putting themselves in the sellers’ spot despite their not-so-bad performances. Moreover, the trade market is fast changing, especially with the Postmedia, TSN, and The Fourth Period insiders’ talk.Looking at the Senators, GM Steve Staios has been on the lookout for a true top-six winger since May. The situation of the wing beside their core rotating has become an issue, even with very strong offensive players like Tim Stützle, Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, and Shane Pinto. Young players like Ridly Greig are not able to deliver regularly, while the veterans David Perron and Claude Giroux can’t do more than usual in different roles on the third line. According to Bruce Garrioch, the Senators want a big “home-run” addition, and Pierre LeBrun reports that Dallas will trade once Jason Robertson’s camp re-engages—thus making him the ideal target. Other names that might come up are Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos, Bryan Rust, or Rickard Rakell.
Why Lukas Reichel and San Jose Sharks’ trade plans could impact NHL market
The Vancouver Canucks, who just recently traded Aaron Ekblad for a fourth-round pick, have Lukas Reichel on their trading block once more. Rick Dhaliwal reports that so far, Reichel has turned out to be an unsatisfactory acquisition, as the performances of other players who were previously considered a part of the second line have surpassed his. He has also been trying hard, but the production has not been there, thus leaving the door open for a fast flip open.On the other hand, the San Jose Sharks, despite their decent 10-8-3 start, are still selling. Insider David Pagnotta has reported that among the players with expiring contracts, the ones available are defensemen Mario Ferraro, Timothy Liljegren, John Klingberg, Vincent Desharnais, and Nick Leddy. In doing so, San Jose hopes to keep its young core, including a star who is just 19 and already on the rise, in charge while they are collecting assets.The NHL trade market will be very active as Ottawa is pursuing a blockbuster, Vancouver is unsure about its bet, and San Jose is gathering assets. A number of these rumors might materialize as actual transactions sooner rather than later.Also Read: NHL trade rumors: Pavel Mintyukov buzz heats up as Montreal Canadiens explore their options
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