CLUBS ARE STALKING THE SHARKS

NEW YORK, NY — The San Jose Sharks are open for business. Minus some of their younger players on entry-level contracts, everyone and their dog appears to be available, and GM Mike Grier is willing to listen.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, both Tomas Hertl (knee) and captain Logan Couture (LBI) are battling injuries, and their seasons may be in jeopardy. The likelihood of either player being dealt before the March 8 trade deadline is slim, even though we’ve added Couture to the TFP Trade Watch List. But they’ll be right at the top of our Summer Trade Watch once the playoffs come to an end.

For now, Mario Ferraro, Anthony Duclair, Mikael Granlund, Mike Hoffman, Alexander Barabanov, Luke Kunin, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Kaapo Kahkonen, Kevin Labanc and Jan Rutta could all be wearing different jerseys by D Day. We could compile a Trade Watch List exclusively of Sharks players if we wanted to.

Granted, not every one of them will move, but the Sharks have informed people around the NHL they’re listening on just about everyone.

Vlasic, like Couture, owns a three-team trade list. We know Couture is willing to expand that list when the time comes – Nashville, one of the teams on his list, expressed interest last summer and it wouldn’t surprise me if they revisit talks this off-season. It is unclear, at this point, if Vlasic is open to expanding his list, even with Grier listening.

The usual suspects on expiring deals – Barabanov, Duclair, Hoffman, Kunin and Labanc – are expected to be moved, though the price tags, I’m told, have been steep thus far. The Colorado Avalanche had serious interest in Barabanov but pivoted to signing Zach Parise due to the asking price. They could always circle back.

Ferraro, Kunin and Granlund are controllable assets that have been on the radars of a few clubs. Ferraro has two more years left on his contract. Kunin is a restricted free agent this summer. Granlund has another year remaining on his deal. None are rentals, which means the prices for them are considerably higher.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have interest in Ferraro and Kunin and are more likely to move a first-round pick for an asset with term. Including a first-rounder in a package could be of interest to both clubs. I’d also throw the Edmonton Oilers in the mix for both players, as well. In either Toronto or Edmonton’s case, a contract or two would have to go back San Jose’s way to make the finances work.

Trade chatter league-wide seemed to dip last week, as teams reevaluated their positions. With the trade deadline two and a half weeks away, expect the noise to pick up.

EXPANSION TALK

I wrote about it two weeks ago: expansion’s coming. The NHL will grow to 34 teams in the not-too-distant future after the situation with the Arizona Coyotes is remedied, one way or another.

How’s that going, by the way?

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman joined myself, Dennis Bernstein & Ryan Paton on The Hot Stove, pregame show edition, ahead of Sunday’s Rangers/Islanders Stadium Series game and clarified:

“(Coyotes owner) Alex Meruelo is trying to acquire a specific piece of land where he can build a new arena in a great location with a surrounding entertainment, retail, residential district and that’s something he’s working on that hopefully in the next few weeks or few months he’s trying to bring to a conclusion,” Bettman said. “We have a strong fanbase there. Just ask Auston Matthews, who says if he hadn’t gone to a Coyotes game as a four-year-old, he wouldn’t be playing hockey.”

Hockey works in Arizona; it just needs a permanent home. The League loves it there and they’ve invested heavily in the market, but they want to see some finality. There is frustration even in league circles, but optimism exists that this approach is the final one.

“That’s a market we’ve worked very hard on and hopefully we’re in the home stretch of getting it right,” Bettman added.

Utah and Atlanta are next on the list. Beyond them, markets like Kansas City, Houston, Quebec City, Omaha and Cincinnati have expressed interest, Bettman confirmed to us, and others are also in talks. As current two NHL owners told me this past week, the NHL is eventually going to 36. How soon after they welcome 34 is uncertain, but as I’ve suspected all along, I think the timeframe is around 2030.

Bettman won’t put a firm date on timelines – “somewhere down the road, he said – but he’s clearly excited at all the interest and potential revenue being invested into the NHL. And he isn’t “worried about symmetry” either. Assuming the Coyotes get their new arena district, Utah will be Team 33 and Atlanta will be 34.

“We don’t envision going into, any time soon, a formal expansion process,” he said. “If you want a team, submit an application – which is something we’ve done in the past. I’m kind of accessible. If people want to express an interest, I listen to them. We’re hearing, we’re not encouraging, we’re hearing expressive interest. Quebec City, Atlanta, Houston, Kansas, Ohama, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City. It's gratifying, it’s exciting. I’m thrilled that hockey seems to be growing all over the place. At least, at the moment, we seem to be where we should be.”

HERE AND THERE

• Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe is on pace for another 40 goal season and a career-high in points. He has one more year left on his deal. As I’ve written about before, he’s going to cash in on his next deal and the Panthers know it. If he keeps this up, he will be getting north of $8M per season in the no-state-tax of Florida. First up are Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling, but Verhaeghe is in the back of GM Bill Zito’s mind.

• There’s been some chatter out there that Vancouver is considering moving Nikita Zadorov. Checking in with Canucks sources, I’m told that’s not the case whatsoever. Vancouver has zero plans on moving him.

• Status quo with respect to contract talks between the Carolina Hurricanes and their three top pending UFAs: Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen. As I mentioned on NHL Network last Thursday, the Canes are expected to chat with Teravainen’s agent this week, but that isn’t expected to move the needle. All three players will likely have their contracts addressed after the season.

• The Winnipeg Jets are looking to add another piece to their lineup. As TFP’s Anthony Di Marco has sniffed out, they seem to have interest in Scott Laughton, among others.

• Sean Walker is very open to signing an extension in Philly, but he’s looking for around $5 million on a new deal, depending on term. The Flyers want him closer to $4 million. Formal negotiations haven’t started, but the two sides should begin communicating their desires this week. And if that doesn’t work out and the Flyers don’t generate a high return, they’re happy keeping him as their own rental.

• As Ottawa explores options for scoring winger Vlad Tarasenko, if the price drops, I could see Florida entering the race. Panthers GM Bill Zito loves his roster, but with cap space at his disposal, I could see him adding a couple depth pieces by deadline day.

• As we first reported on Friday, the NHL Global Series returns next season with Buffalo starting exhibition play in Munich, then joining New Jersey for two regular-season games to kick off the 2024-25 campaign in Prague (see y’all there!). Then, in November, Dallas and Florida meet for two regular-season games in Tampere, Finland.