NYHN Daily: NHL Teams Gearing Up For Expansion Draft & More

While we await a move from Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, the NHL world remain in motion. We have seen a few trades in order for teams to figure out who will be protected in the upcoming Expansion Draft. We have also seen stars of the game waive their clauses to be left unprotected for Seattle. These stories and more in today’s daily links!

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning were already expected to be major players on the NHL trade market as they try to become cap compliant again, but could they still acquire a high-end player? The Montreal Canadiens aren’t the Tampa Bay Lightning, and that’s why the Shea Weber news is not a sign that they’re about to pull a 2021 Lightning coup with the NHL salary cap. The NHL trade market is expected to ‘explode’ in 3-2-1… Here’s the latest in ‘Off The Record. (NYHN+)

On its face, Brandon Carlo’s importance to the Boston Bruins might not be that glaringly obvious when there are stars like Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask and Charlie McAvoy that garner most of the attention. But the 24-year-old Carlo’s importance was underscored during the second round playoff series against the New York Islanders when both Carlo and Kevan Miller were missing due to injuries, and a humdrum Islanders PP ripped up the B’s penalty kill in a pivotal Game 5 loss at TD Garden. With Zdeno Chara gone, Kevan Miller retired and Jeremy Lauzon still forming his identity at the NHL level, the 6-foot-5, 212-pound Carlo is truly the only big, bad Bruins defenseman left standing on a roster full of puck-movers and offensive-minded players. (Boston Hockey Now)

The NHL trade rumors stirred on Thursday morning with reports from multiple Canadian outlets, first by TSN’s Daren Dreger. The Toronto Maple Leafs granted right-winger Zach Hyman permission to seek a rights trade rather than lose him to free agency. It essentially signaled a white flag in negotiations but opened the door for a pig-pile of teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s a reverse sign-and-trade. The player will likely be traded but not before negotiating a new contract with the acquiring team. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko wants out of St. Louis and the Philadelphia Flyers are among the teams he would accept a trade to. With a no-trade clause, Tarasenko has control over his destination. The Flyers are on his list. Here is what Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic had to say about Tarasenko. (Philly Hockey Now)

The Florida Panthers were quite busy on Thursday. Not only did the team officially buy out the final two years of Keith Yandle’s contract, but they signed restricted free agents Anthony Duclair and Gus Forsling to three-year contract extensions as well. Both players will now be protected from the upcoming Seattle Expansion Draft. (Florida Hockey Now)

The Detroit Red Wings are not among the three favorites to sign UFA Zach Hyman, according to a report published by the Toronto Star. The newspaper reports the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers have emerged as the front runners. The Toronto Maple Leafs granted permission for teams to talk to Hyman.  The Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and Red Wings are the other interested parties. (Detroit Hockey Now)

This is hot off the wire here: the Colorado Avalanche have traded Ryan Graves to the New Jersey Devils for left wing Mikhail Maltsev and a second-round selection in the 2021 NHL draft (No. 61 overall). So there you have it. There goes any worry about losing Ryan Graves for nothing to Seattle in the expansion draft on July 21. Of course, that means Ryan Graves is no longer a member of the Avs, quite possibly because they had intel that the Kraken would have taken him with their Avs pick. We may never know on that, but the Avs pre-empted such a move by trading him away for at least something. (Colorado Hockey Now)

“I wouldn’t count out the Sharks going for Grubauer.” Could the San Jose Sharks pursue free agency’s premier goaltending prize? That’s what one NHL scout suggested to San Jose Hockey Now. It sounds crazy, but if Philipp Grubauer comes in at a contract comparable to fellow UFA Jacob Markstrom’s six-year, $36 million dollar pact last off-season, the San Jose Sharks could have the cap space. (San Jose Hockey Now)