NHL rumors as big names top TSN Trade Bait list
Anthony Scultore
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TSN has just released their Trade Bait list for this offseason and there are some doozies on it. At the top of the list is Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender, Matt Murray who we’ve talked about on here before. Still seeing a name like Patrik Laine in the top 5 is an eye opener.
TSN Trade Bait – Patrik Laine
Frank Seravalli of TSN was on radio recently to explain how the Winnipeg Jets may trade Patrik Laine to fill some huge holes. He cites that they need to get a legit #2 center and a top pair defenseman.
According to Seravalli he thinks that Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers make the most sense, especially Laine. The 22 year-old already has a 40 goal campaign under his belt and his current deal will expire in at the end of next season. I see that Laine being an RFA will command at least $9 million a season and likely be a prime candidate for an offer sheet.
Just to calm down any panicked Jets fans, Seravalli also wrote:
By no means is Laine a lock to be traded. Free agency will be one road for the Jets to attempt to fill the crater left by Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba and Ben Chiarot on the backend since last offseason. That will be a challenge for Winnipeg, even with money to spend, and only a few true standouts ever make it to market.
TSN Trade Bait – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Another big name on the list is Coyotes blue-liner, Oliver Ekman-Larsson. NHL Insider, Elliotte Friedman recently reported on the situation in Arizona saying he expect the Yotes to make some cost cutting moves.
Several bonuses are due in September, including Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s. During their post-season appearance, players were upset about late payment of per diems. The goal will be to cut payroll and rebuild. The Coyotes have a tight cap situation for 2020-21, but then it eases.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson signed an 8 year extension last season. This September he has a $4 million bonus coming to him. Could Larsson be a financial casualty? First off, he has a no-move clause with an AAV of $8.25M hit. That will make him hard to trade, but if he becomes available that would certainly make for an interesting summer with plenty of suitors.
The TSN Trade Bait List
Below is the list of the top 20 players that could be moved this offseason.
