DEFENCE FIRST: TALK ON CHYCHRUN, GAVRIKOV, MYERS AND MORE

LOS ANGELES, CA — We’re three weeks away from the NHL trade deadline and maybe the hype of this week’s NBA trade deadline has galvanized the hockey world because it seems to have caused a trickledown affect into our sport.

Friday has been absolutely buzzing with gossip – a lot of it is legit, a bunch of it is nonsense, and a good chunk of it needs to be properly vetted before being assigned to either category. It is the silly season, after all.

Patrick Kane’s remarks about the New York Rangers landing Vladimir Tarasenko definitely spurred some extra chatter – I continue to believe, as I mentioned on NHL Network this afternoon, that the Dallas Stars are in the thick of things for No.88 – but talk around the League is spicing up.

Over All-Star Weekend, my TFP colleague Dennis Bernstein threw some gasoline on the Jakob Chychrun flame when he reported the Boston Bruins were in the mix for Chychrun and might have climbed the leaderboard over the Los Angeles Kings.

I’m not sure if Dennis is the exact reason, but the talk here in L.A. suggests the Kings have upped their efforts this week to acquire Chychrun.

According to multiple well-placed sources, the Kings and Arizona Coyotes have taken things up a notch or two and have been in consistent dialogue over a potential trade. The Kings and Bruins aren’t the only potential suitors, however, and that could certainly complicate matters for either team – not so much the Coyotes.

Chychrun has two more years left on his contract and comes with a lovely $4.6 million salary cap hit. He’d like this saga to finally come to an end, but it rests in the hands of Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong. If he’s comfortable with the return, he’ll pull the trigger. So far, that hasn’t happened.

Last season, the Coyotes wanted Gabe Vilardi in a package for Chychrun. The Kings said no. There’s some talk Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke are off the table as well, but the Kings have a very deep prospect pool and I imagine a significant package will need to be tabled to convince Armstrong to finally say yes.

If/when Chychrun is dealt, it will have an affect on the defensive market. There are other teams keeping tabs on the situation and we could see a sizeable shake up if some of today’s chatter comes to fruition.

GAVRIKOV TALK PICKING UP

The Columbus Blue Jackets are working the lines and trying to get the best return for rugged defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov.

Gavrikov, 27, is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, but his camp has been given permission to speak with other teams about a contract extension to help facilitate a trade.

The Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins are four teams (there are more) that have spoken with the Blue Jackets about Gavrikov, who comes with a very attractive $2.8 million salary cap hit.

I don’t get the sense, right now, that a move is imminent. This one, given the overall marketplace, could go down to the 11th hour, but all signs point to Gavrikov being dealt and not re-signing with Columbus.

CANUCKS, LEAFS CHATTING?

As the Vancouver Canucks navigate Brock Boeser, Luke Schenn and Conor Garland trade discussions, talks surrounding Tyler Myers have picked up steam.

The Canucks have been engaged in trade talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs, whom have been suggesting to everyone that their focus is on upgrading up front, about a Myers deal. There appears to be steady traction there, from what I’ve been told.

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is exploring all his options, at both ends of the ice, but it seems talks with Vancouver on Myers have shifted his focus for the time being.

Myers has one-year left on his contract and comes with a $6 million salary cap hit. The Canucks, I presume, would retain part of his deal to make a deal happen. Myers also owns a 10-team no-trade list, but the Leafs are not on it.

Both the Canucks and Leafs are pretty active, for different reasons, but there could be a marriage between the two clubs here. Toronto has also reached out to St. Louis about Blues forward Ivan Barbashev, as I reported last week.

SENS TRYING TO MOVE ZAITSEV

The Ottawa Senators are still actively trying to move defenceman Nikita Zaitsev and there is a strong sense the team will be able to pull it off by the deadline.

In order to make a trade work – Zaitsev has a $4.5 million salary cap hit and owns a 10-team no-trade list – the Senators know they will have to sweeten the pot for another team to take on his contract. Word around the League suggests it’ll take a second-round draft pick, at least.

Would a team like the Anaheim Ducks, who are trying to move John Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov, be an option with all their cap space?

What about the Arizona Coyotes, who have a history of making these types of deals?

Ottawa seems to have some options.

TIP-INS

• Boston is checking in on everybody. Everybody. They aren’t going to make a ton of moves, but the Bruins are strategically making sure they are well informed of the trade market. We’re keeping a watchful eye on Don Sweeney & Co.

• Players talk. I wonder if anyone from the New York Islanders has chatted with Patrick Kane recently.

• There seems to be some traction on the Erik Karlsson front. Nothing is close, and many still believe this is something that goes down in the summer, but San Jose has had elevated talks with multiple clubs lately and there could be a pathway to an in-season move.

• Tampa doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room, but they always find a way, don’t they? Don’t be surprised to see the Lightning add a cost-effective bottom-six forward with some snarl over the next three weeks.

• With the spotlight directed at the Blues lately – Barbashev, Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Thomas Greiss, etc. – there are some whispers a couple of teams have been aggressively poking around on Colton Parayko.

• As of today, there haven’t been any contract talks on an extension between the Montreal Canadiens and injured centre Sean Monahan.