NHL Rumors: Spitballing five trades, and an Alexis Lafreniere decision
Spit five trades
The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek: The holiday roster freeze is over and here are five swaps we’d like to see happen. (purely speculation / spit)
1. The Arizona Coyotes trade Jakob Chychrun to the Los Angeles Kings for Quinton Byfield. Chychrun and Karel Vejmelka for Byfield and Cal Petersen.
2. New York Rangers trade Alexis Lafrenière to Vancouver Canucks – Lafrenière’s former agent, Émilie Castonguay, is part of the management of the Canucks.
3. Carolina Hurricanes trade for Bo Horvat or Ryan O’Reilly – either could be the last piece the Hurricanes need and could slip into the No. 2 center slot.
4. Chicago Blackhawks trade Jonathan Toews to Winnipeg Jets for draft pick and prospect – May need someone, maybe Mark Scheifele, to play on the wing.
5. Anaheim Ducks trade standby UFA defensemen – John Klingberg, Kevin Shattenkirk and Dmitry Kulikov could all be moved. Klingberg has struggled in Anaheim so far, and with a cap of $7 million, the Ducks will have to keep their salary. The Toronto Maple Leafs could use a right-handed defenseman, but would Klingberg be a good choice? If the Hurricanes can’t add a No. 2 center, maybe they’ll add someone like Klingberg to help their PP. If the St. Louis Blues get back in the running, Klingberg might make sense. Former Blues defender Shattenkirk would cost less than Klingberg and could become an option for the Blues.
Rangers may have a decision to make on Alexis Lafrenière
The Athletic’s Arthur Staple: The New York Rangers made forward and former No. 1 pick Alexis Lafrenière a healthy elimination on Thursday.
“He doesn’t seem to be accomplishing much with or without the puck,” said an NHL scout whose coverage area includes the Rangers. “When you watch him play, it’s hard to find him there, it has little impact on the result. I don’t know if it’s a lack of confidence, but his treatment seems a bit behind.
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant noted that Lafrenière has been inconsistent. Dreams of a second big contract seem to have faded for Lafrenière unless he can really turn things around.
If Lafrenière doesn’t improve his game, Rangers will have to make the decision to keep him or trade him. Bad news for Rangers as they are not the only team noticing their struggles.