ACTIVITY HEATING UP AHEAD OF TRADE DEADLINE

TORONTO, ON – These next six days should be fairly entertaining, at least from a talking point perspective. As the NHL trade deadline quickly approaches, chatter around the League has picked up once again after a lull in the action. The “silly season” has returned, and we should hear a fair share of silliness as information gets leaked, both intentionally and unintentionally, over the days ahead.

The New Jersey Devils got the wheels moving on Sunday when they scratched Kyle Palmieri from the lineup in a move confirmed by his agents meant to keep him from playing to eliminate the risk of getting injured in game action. The Devils took one last stab at trying to get Palmieri signed to an extension, but he seems poised to test the market this July and a move makes sense for both sides.

Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has accepted his team’s fate and is ready to deal. There are several teams interested in Palmieri, including the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs, and trade talks have picked up since Sunday’s decision. The 30-year-old hopes a deal is ironed out sooner rather than later, so we’ll see if a team steps up to the plate in shorter order.

The Bruins could be that club, as they have interest in both Palmieri and Devils defenceman Dmitry Kulikov, also set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Boston is all in, from what I’ve been hearing. They want a mid-six winger and a blueliner by the deadline and could kill two birds with one stone if they can agree to a deal with the Devils. There’s also been some talk the Bruins or another interested club would want to explore an extension with Palmieri before committing, but that’s not presently the case.

Ryan Murray and Aaron Dell are also generating interest league-wide and there’s a good chance they’re both dealt, as well.

As the Devils navigate trade calls, the Columbus Blue Jackets are getting a fair share of inquiries, as well.

Blue Jackets defenceman David Savard has catapulted into the top-five of our Trade Watch List and for good reason. A number of teams would like to add this defensive-rearguard and it sounds like Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is getting ready to deal.

Savard, 30, will be testing the free agent market this July and given Columbus’ position in the standings, moving him makes more sense with each passing day.

There is a lot of interest in Savard and some teams are wondering if Columbus will retain part of his $4.25 million cap hit. The Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes are among the teams with interest.

Beyond Savard, Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno is also on the radar of a few clubs. He’d like to stay in Columbus – and a short-term deal was discussed at some point this season – but he could chase a Stanley Cup with a top contender and revisit those discussions in July. The Islanders are a team to watch here, I believe, and other clubs will be knocking on the door, including the Maple Leafs and Avalanche, and I wonder if the Montreal Canadiens enter the mix if Brendan Gallagher’s fractured hand forces him to miss the rest of the regular-season.

We’ll see other names pop up in trade speculation this week – Riley Nash, Michael Del Zotto, Max Domi among them – but don’t be surprised if goalie Elvis Merzlikins is moved. Interest in Merzlikins dates back to last off-season and there has been rising chatter in Columbus lately over a potential departure.

Merzlikins, who turns 27 on April 13, has one-year left on his contract after this season and comes with a $4 million cap hit. Teams like Chicago, Boston and Buffalo have poked around before and I wonder if any of those clubs have renewed talks with the Jackets.

And no, Boston wasn’t a typo. There is some talk out of the Bruins organization that Tuukka Rask is playing in his final NHL season, and that could result in a move at some point. Darcy Kuemper is also on Boston’s radar.

In San Jose, there’s talk of the Sharks working both ends of the spectrum. Winners of six of their last eight games, the Sharks and goalie Martin Jones have gotten hot at the right time. They’re within striking distance of a playoff spot and the players are curious what GM Doug Wilson has up his sleeve.

The Sharks have been pretty adamant about not dealing away draft picks this season, and I don’t think they’ll enter the rental market. In fact, the expectation is goalie Devan Dubnyk and forward Marcus Sorensen are dealt by the deadline for picks. But could the Sharks look to add a player with term?

Wilson wanted to add a top-six scoring winger before the season started and wasn’t able to do so. With plenty of salary cap space to work with, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Sharks make a hockey deal and add a player signed beyond this season, even with the expansion draft looming.

Don’t forget about Edmonton, another team trying to find a top-six winger. The Oilers don’t have nearly the amount of cap space the Sharks have, but they have flexibility with LTIR and a lessened quarantine (14 days to 7 days) in Canada has allowed GM Ken Holland to be a little bit more active.

Like San Jose, Edmonton prefers something more long-term. Unless the prices on rentals drop, Holland seems more inclined to add someone signed past July. Rickard Rakell would be a nice fit, but these two teams rejoin the West Division in 2021-22 and the Anaheim Ducks might hold off on dancing with a club it’ll have to see regularly next season.

Speaking of the Ducks, in addition to Rakell, defenceman Josh Manson is someone to watch. Interest has picked up and with one more year left on his contract, he could be a player on the move if the right package is presented. The Ducks prefer a young, NHL-ready asset in a deal for Manson.

Staying in California, the Los Angeles Kings have taken a dive down the standings, losing five of their last six, and I’m starting to wonder if Alex Iafallo is a realistic candidate to be moved by Monday’s 12pm PT deadline.

Iafallo, 27, can become a UFA this summer and the two sides have not yet been able to come to terms on an extension. Granted, the conversation could change with one phone call and I know the Kings would love to hold on to him, but if the right deal presents itself, Kings GM Rob Blake could explore his options. The Leafs, for example, have been keeping their eyes on Iafallo.

The Kings are an interesting team. They’re willing to take on salary, want to make a hockey move and could sell off a piece or two – as I reported last month, Jonathan Quick was made available to Toronto.

Blake and Co. aren’t afraid to make a big splash. They were in on Pierre-Luc Dubois earlier this season and have had conversations about Buffalo’s Jack Eichel. Any blockbuster might be put on hold until the off-season, but the Kings are open... and I believe the same can be said for the Calgary Flames.

I couldn’t wrap up this piece without touching on Taylor Hall and the Sabres.

It sounds like a trade is likely and the Sabres could follow New Jersey’s path and protect their asset by keeping him out of the lineup this week. The Avalanche tried to sign him in the off-season, but the money wasn’t near the $8 million the Sabres gave him. They’re still interested, and while I’m not sure they have an appetite to cough up a first-round pick, they don’t have a second-round selection in each of the next two drafts. Avs GM Joe Sakic has to decide if the juice is worth the squeeze.