It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. Super Sunday has passed and the focus now shifts to the National Hockey League. The trade deadline is coming up on March 8th and teams might be in need of some help. Injuries and underperforming play may have forced the hands of some general managers. However, these executives know there is a price to pay. Today’s NHL rumours focus on the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Tampa Bay Lightning
Rumour: David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period talked about how the Lightning are now in the market for a defenceman. This is due to the likely season-ending injury to Mikhail Sergachev.
Analysis: Tampa Bay received a hammer blow to its chances when Sergachev broke his leg in two places against the New York Rangers. The Lightning now need to spend resources in order to fill a massive hole in the lineup. Sergachev did a lot of things for the Lightning, but now Julien BriseBois will have to find a suitable replacement.
Another issue for the Lighting is that they’re tight against the salary cap. A replacement for the Russian defender will have to come cheap or someone will have to go out the other way. Pagnotta mentions names like Noah Hanifin and Sean Walker for starters. However, they may have to open up their search to some other names.
Players like Alexandre Carrier or Chris Tanev could also come onto BriseBois’ radar at the deadline. The Lightning will have some extra space with the injury to Sergachev, but the team will still have to play it smart. BriseBois has been pretty shrewd about the deals he’s made. However, he’s going to have to pull another rabbit out of his hat to replace a key defender.
Buffalo Sabres
Rumour: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Sabres are looking for help now. This was during Saturday night’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
Saturday Headlines/32: Markstrom & Devils…trade market…Sabres hunt for "now"…Coyotes:https://t.co/kjg0ihdY1g
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 11, 2024
Analysis: It’s been another year of disappointment on ice in Western New York. The Sabres were tabbed to take the next step, but are likely to continue the longest current post-season drought in the league.
This means another deadline for general manager Kevyn Adams. The team does have some veterans who could fetch some assets in return. There’s even been talk that a young player like Casey Mittelstadt could be a sought-after piece for contending clubs. However, the fan base would probably get upset that another promising young star is getting shipped out of the Queen City.
Adams seems to want to get this team ready to contend for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot next season. It’s not unheard of for Buffalo to get a good player at the deadline. Alex Tuch and Jordan Greenway have come over in deals and seem to be long-term fixtures in the team’s lineup. Could Adams be thinking up something similar for this trade deadline?
We’ve talked about some veterans that could be available like Erik Johnson, Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons. Getting these players to a contender could be a priority. However, there are some good young players who are starting to get minutes or waiting in the wings in AHL Rochester.
The cupboard isn’t bare in Western New York with exciting players like John-Jason Peterka, Dylan Cozens and Zach Benson. However, this is a team that’s underachieved this campaign. Adams seems to be following the path of Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios of getting veterans to supplement a promising young lineup. It seems to be the plan to get some “professionals” in the lineup.
Main photo by: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
