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There's not long until the NHL playoffs arrive May 11 following the shortened 56-game regular season. There's even less time for the league's 31 teams to try to improve their rosters (or to move top players for draft picks) via trades.
The trade deadline is set for April 12 at 3 p.m. ET, so there are sure to be plenty of rumors circulating about moves that could take place. With 16 postseason berths up for grabs, there are some tight postseason races around the NHL, so the trades that could occur could influence which teams will extend their seasons past mid-May.
Here's some of the latest trade buzz from around the NHL.
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Spencer Knight is likely to be the Florida Panthers' goaltender of the future, as the 19-year-old, who was taken 13th overall in the 2019 draft, has a ton of potential. Earlier this week, the Panthers agreed to a deal with Knight after his season with Boston College ended, and he could be in the NHL sooner rather than later.
So the question is, where does that leave Chris Driedger? The 26-year-old is having a stellar season, but perhaps Florida will want to quickly give Knight opportunities to play, especially with Driedger set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun recently reported there were "several NHL teams that immediately reached out" to Panthers general manager Bill Zito about Driedger's status following the signing of Knight.
"There is a possibility now that he gets dealt now that they've signed Spencer Knight," LeBrun said on TSN's Insider Trading. "There were even a couple of trade offers made on the spot on Wednesday, I'm told, in lieu of this news, so keep an eye on that, because he's a cheap cap hit and there are teams looking for goalie insurance."
Trading Driedger, who is making $850,000 this season, may bring in a strong return for the Panthers, and he could provide a boost to the team acquiring him. In 16 games this season, Driedger has a 2.18 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
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The Edmonton Oilers are in second in the North Division standings with 47 points (owning a 23-14-1 record), and they appear to be well on their way to securing a playoff spot. Despite that, they may not be willing to part with some of their draft capital to improve their roster ahead of the postseason.
According to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman, Edmonton's first-round pick for the 2021 NHL draft is "not for sale" ahead of the trade deadline.
"The Oilers don't see themselves as a top-five team in the NHL, a truly elite Stanley Cup contender where a player who could be bought with a first-round pick (and potentially more) could push them over the edge," Nugent-Bowman wrote.
That means Edmonton is unlikely to have a chance to land Buffalo Sabres forward Taylor Hall, whose name has been featured in trade rumors of late. LeBrun previously reported that the Sabres' asking price for the former NHL MVP is a first-round draft pick.
Unless that changes, Hall probably won't be heading back to Edmonton, where he played from 2010 to 2016.
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With nine wins in their past 11 games, the Nashville Predators are making a push for the postseason. They are now 20-18-1, which has them in fourth place in the Central Division (the final playoff spot) with 41 points.
Nashville's recent success appears to have affected how the team is approaching the trade deadline. According to LeBrun, writing for The Athletic, a source told him that there "isn't the same level of urgency now to sell" for the Predators, although they will "continue to listen to offers on many of their players right up to the deadline."
LeBrun read into that as, "If a team paid the high price for [Mattias] Ekholm of a first-round pick, an elite prospect and a third asset, maybe the Preds listen."
With four games remaining before the trade deadline, Nashville's situation could change again. But it appears the Predators may not be too active and decide to ride their current roster into the postseason for the seventh straight year.
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April 04, 2021 at 08:07PM
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NHL Trade Rumors: Examining Latest Reports as 2021 Deadline Approaches - Bleacher Report
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