THW Daily - Targets for Canucks at Trade Deadline & Why Salt Lake City Is a Good Gamble for the NHL
Also, the rumored connection between Chychrun and the Oilers & more
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In today’s edition, we have trade targets for the Canucks ahead of the deadline, why Salt Lake City can work for the NHL, the rumored connection between Jakob Chychrun and the Oilers, and much more.
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New York Rangers: Rangers Have Some Questions to Answer at the Halfway Point of the Season by Jesse Courville-Lynch
Ottawa Senators: Senators: Grading Every Player at the Midway Point by Jacob Billington
Tampa Bay Lightning: Time to Bolt Audio Report: Stamkos Reaches New Milestones by Harrison Smajovits
Pittsburgh Penguins: Penguins Continue to Fall In Playoff Race by Sylvie McCarthy
Vancouver Canucks: Canucks Weekly: Hughes Wants Tanev Back, Lotto Line Runs Out of Luck & More by Matthew Zator
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Welcome to the THW Professional Women's Hockey League Substack
Schroeder & Downie-Landry Lead PWHL New York and Loren Grobel & Alina Müller Lift PWHL Boston
Yesterday’s Scores…
Oilers’ Rumoured Connection to Jakob Chychrun Makes Sense
January 26, 2024 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The Edmonton Oilers have been red-hot as of late having bounced back from what was a terrible start to their 2023-24 campaign. With the team back near the top of the Pacific Division heading near the end of January, they have to start considering what their plans will be heading into the 2024 Trade Deadline and whether they’re going to buy and go all-in or be a seller.
With their recent success, they should be planning to make some additions and push for a Stanley Cup. They have a strong roster already and bolstered it with the recent signing of Corey Perry, but there are a few other names the Oilers have been connected to.
5 Canucks Trade Targets Heading Into the 2024 Trade Deadline
January 26, 2024 by Sartaaj Bhullar
The Vancouver Canucks are at the top of the league and are having an amazing season. The club has a 32-11-5 record, sitting first in the Pacific Division, Western Conference, and NHL. As a result, the organization will likely add to their roster and strengthen their group for a potential deep playoff run. President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford discussed some of the club’s needs (from ‘LeBrun: How does Canucks’ turnaround impact trade plans, Pettersson talks? Catching up with Jim Rutherford,’ The Athletic, January 12, 2024).
Meanwhile, Sporstnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the club has a list of five players and included two players. Those two players were Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel and Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm. Here are all five of the players the Canucks will likely target and what they will need to give up to acquire them.
Canadiens Still Have the Right Coach for Right Now in St. Louis
January 26, 2024 by Ryan Szporer
It’s a good thing Patrick Roy is now coaching the New York Islanders. Maybe it’s good for hockey, but it’s also good for the Montreal Canadiens and their head coach Martin St. Louis. Anyone should want Roy back in the NHL with a coaching gig, really. His renowned passion for the game is generally considered beyond reproach. However, sometimes the Canadiens need to be saved from themselves, and, whenever any Habs head coach’s seat gets the least bit hot, Roy’s name inevitably comes up, as one of the team’s goaltending legends.
2 Trade Targets to Fix The Maple Leafs’ Penalty Kill
January 26, 2024 by Spencer Lazary
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a very good penalty kill (PK) over the last five seasons. Last year, they ranked 12th in the NHL with an 81.85% success rate. Unfortunately, this season, they have struggled. The team sits 27th in the league with a 76.74%, lumped in with non-playoff teams such as the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens. For a team that relies on their big guns to score, it’s very difficult to lock down wins when their PK is struggling.
The Maple Leafs lost some key members of their PK during the offseason, including Alex Kerfoot, Noel Acciari, Sam Lafferty, and, for a short time, Luke Schenn. As a result, Maple Leafs general manager (GM) Brad Treliving will need to try and find pieces that can help fix their struggling PK. The most likely option would be to acquire depth players who excel shorthanded from teams that are already out of the postseason. So, here are a handful of options that Toronto and Treliving could pursue.
Salt Lake City Is a Good Gamble for the NHL
January 26, 2024 by Chase Beardsley
Wednesday brought some news that Ryan Smith and the Smith Entertainment Group have formally requested the NHL to initiate an expansion process to eventually bring an NHL team to Salt Lake City.
It’s no new news that Smith is heavily interested in bringing a team to northern Utah, especially after last year when he met with commissioner Gary Bettman. It’s also not new to hear the NHL is very interested in partnering with Smith. Why Salt Lake City, though, over cities like Houston, Atlanta, and Quebec City?
Revisiting the Islanders and Canucks Bo Horvat Trade 1 Year Later
January 26, 2024 by Michael Ostrower
As we approach the Jan. 30 anniversary of the Vancouver Canucks sending Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a protected 2023 first-round draft pick, it’s a good time to evaluate how the deal worked out.
The Islanders extended Horvat in the days that followed, and the first-round selection was flipped a month later to the Detroit Red Wings in a package deal for defenseman Filip Hronek. Opinions were mixed at the time, so one year later, who won the trade?
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Edmonton Oilers - Calvin Pickard’s Solid Play Creating Unexpected Problem for Oilers
Los Angeles Kings - Doughty & McLellan’s Comments Point to Internal Issues for Kings
Montreal Canadiens - Who are the Montreal Canadiens’ Trade Candidates?
NHL News & Rumors - Penguins, Oilers, Predators, Blue Jackets
From TSN - Avalanche sign F Parise to one-year contract
From Sportsnet - NHL Rumour Roundup: Can the Canadiens get a first-round pick for Sean Monahan?
From ESPN - NHL suspends Canadiens' Gallagher 5 games for illegal check
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I don't think Staios has any intention of moving Chychrun and given Jakob's Ottawa roots, he's not interested in moving.