SUNDAY BEST: SELLER’S MARKET TAKING SHAPE WITH SCORERS UP FOR GRABS

TORONTO, ON — The NHL trade deadline is five weeks away on Monday and talk around the League is starting to pick up. Teams have begun to target whom they’d like to acquire in the weeks ahead, and there’s no doubt the conversations will continue leading up to April 12 at 3PM ET.

With Ottawa, Detroit, Nashville, Buffalo, New Jersey and Anaheim among the sellers – Vancouver’s holding on for dear life before making that realization – you’d think the pickings are slim right now, but all six teams have multiple assets they’re willing to move.

San Jose’s technically a seller at this point, too, but they have limited pieces to move; nobody’s taking Martin Jones and his $5.75 million salary cap hit; Tomas Hertl, whom several teams would love to have, has a three-team trade list and unless that changes, he’s unmovable; why would Marc-Edouard Vlavic want to waive his NMC; and Patrick Marleau doesn’t have the same appeal he once did.

There are other teams that will join the seller’s club as we inch closer to the deadline, but that’s where we’re at.

If you’re an NHL franchise looking to bolster your offence, you’re in luck.

The Devils haven’t had any talks to date with Kyle Palmieri’s camp about a contract extension and while I’m told he’s open to the possibility of signing a new deal, it sounds like GM Tom Fitzgerald will explore the market.

Palmieri has scored 24 or more goals in each of his previous five seasons. Considering he’s in a contract year, he’ll be even more motivated to put up numbers on a contender if he’s moved by the deadline.

As I wrote about last week, the Ducks will get calls on Rickard Rakell, who tallied 42 or more points in each of his previous five seasons, including a 34-goal campaign in 2017-18 and a 33-goal season in 2016-17, and they’re willing to listen on Jakob Silfverberg, who has a 12-team no-trade list.

One scorer generating interest out of Nashville, outside of Filip Forsberg – I believe the astronomical and well-earned asking price will drive away some potential suitors – is Viktor Arvidsson.

Arvidsson, 27, is in the fourth year of a seven-year, $29.75 million contract, which does not have any no-trade protection. He has struggled to find the back of the net lately, though he scored his third of the season on Saturday, but the 94 goals he scored in 212 games over three seasons from 2016-17 through 2018-19 haven’t been forgotten and a change of scenery could reignite his scoring touch.

He gets the benefit of the doubt this season because almost everybody on Nashville is struggling and his $4.25 million cap hit is manageable. I expect several teams to go after him and given the Preds’ willingness to listen, a trade before the deadline could be in the cards. He’s also made his way onto our Trade Watch List.

TIME FOR CANUCKS TO BE REALISTIC

Jim Benning’s state of the union address in Vancouver had a much different tone than that of Kevyn Adams in Buffalo.

I spoke my piece about it on my weekly visit on “Reach Deep” on SN650 in Vancouver – you can listen here – and my feelings haven’t changed. The Canucks have the assets needed to evolve into a good team, they just aren’t one right now. And while one trade isn’t going to help them, moves have to start happening.

“Any player that we look to trade for and bring in, he’s three weeks away from probably playing a game for us,” Benning said Friday. “We can’t look from the outside to improve things. We’ve got to figure it out from within.”

I’m sorry, but it’s time to be realistic. It’s time to shift the focus to next season.

“We’re stay prepared,” Benning later said. “If something comes our way that makes sense, we’ll look to do that.”

That’s better.

Benning plans on speaking with Tanner Pearson’s agent about an extension. It seems clear Brandon Sutter’s in his last year in Vancouver, Jordie Benn won’t be back next season, and Alex Edler will consider waiving his no-movement clause if the right opportunity presented itself ahead of the trade deadline.

Teams are calling, and they’re asking about some of Vancouver’s veteran pieces (even those with term), but I don’t get the sense Benning’s close. That should change in the coming weeks.

ISLES WANT 3RD LINE UPGRADE

The New York Islanders are looking to a boost to their third line and GM Lou Lamoriello is trying to acquire a left winger to play with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Oliver Wahlstrom.

Lamoriello’s problem is his lack of salary cap space. Money in would mean money out, and there aren’t that many teams willing to take on Leo Komarov’s contract right now, especially if the Isles are trying to upgrade their lineup.

There was some chatter circulating about the Islanders and Florida Panthers discussing a swap of Komarov for Brett Connolly, but the Panthers would need to retain a portion of Connolly’s deal or take on another contract in order to make this work. So far, it hasn’t.

With five weeks up until the trade deadline, expect the Isles to cast a few more lines out there in hopes of strengthening their forward corps.

BUFFA‘LOL’

Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams seemed quite genuine during Friday’s zoom conference with the media. His messaging was clear, he’s not happy and changes are coming. But when?

In response to Adams’ remarks – which began with, “Not happy. Unacceptable where we’re at right now” – the team laid another fat egg against the Islanders on Saturday, losing 5-2.

It’s bad in Buffalo. The Sabres have two wins in their last 12 games and while parts of their performance against the Isles were better, the Sabres failed to back their GM with a motivational effort, let alone a win.

What’s most striking is the coaching staff’s ice time distribution. For a team that is second last in the NHL in even strength goals, you’d think they’d give their top two lines more of an opportunity to drum up some offence. That didn’t happen Saturday afternoon. In fact, all four lines shared the ice five-on-five – not one forward played less than 12:20 at even strength.

If you’re struggling to score, like the Sabres are, and the two goals you did happen to score were generated by your top two lines, I fail to see the reasoning behind playing your four line more than 10 minutes.

• Hall 14:49 - Eichel 15:15 - Cozens 16:17

• Olofsson 15:04 - Staal 15:32 - Reinhart 15:26

• Reider 12:36 - Eakin 12:20 - Okposo 12:32

• Skinner 15:38 - Lazar 14:50 - Sheahan 13:45

Adams said Friday he doesn’t believe in a “full fledge” rebuild, but “everything is being evaluated.” That includes head coach Ralph Krueger.

“Part of the evaluation is to look at everything, big picture, small picture and everything in between,” Adams said. “I need to do what’s best for the team right now and in the long-term. I look at those things on a daily basis.”

He’s looking, alright, and teams are calling and inquiring about several players.

Eric Staal and Brandon Montour can become unrestricted free agents this July, and all signs point to them being moved by the deadline – they’re both on our Trade Watch List. Teams have already been told Montour’s available, and Staal has some say with a 10-team no-trade list.

The Sabres will start the conversation with Taylor Hall’s agent as early as this week and that will determine whether the club will move him or sign him to a new deal, something Hall says he’s open to. He’s actually played decently, despite his goal-scoring woes, and owns a full no-movement clause, so if he is dealt, it’ll be on his terms.

Hang in there, Sabres fans. Change is coming, and this team will look different next season.

VIDEO COVERAGE

Cheap plug time!

If you’ve already seen some of our video content on Twitter, you’re familiar with our new regular segments Immediate Reaction, Dirty Data and Market Rumblings.

We’ll continue to offer quick analysis and intel from around the NHL in video form, which we introduced during the bubble in the fall, and more segments are coming.

Catch our weekly hits with Irfaan Gaffar, Dennis Bernstein, Aaron Ward, Shane Kelly and me on Twitter, our video page or YouTube channel.

Here’s a Market Rumblings segment about Mikael Granlund and Kyle Palmieri from earlier in the week: