Philadelphia Flyers
A big question now for the Flyers is if defenseman Jamie Drysdale's upper-body injury impacts what they will do with pending UFA defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler.
Drysdale was injured early in Philadelphia's 7-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday after being hit on the left shoulder by Jansen Harkins. It's the same shoulder that required surgery eight games into last season, causing him to miss the rest of the season.
The Flyers are third in the Metropolitan Division, but all season the front office has been clear that they're thinking about their long-term sustainability and they will not make decisions based solely on trying to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
That is why Walker and Seeler are potential trade chips for the Flyers. But as a team contending for a playoff spot is it right for them to trade Walker and/or Seeler if Drysdale is going to be out long term, which we do not know yet?
Elliotte Friedman tackled this subject on his "32 Thoughts" podcast Monday.
"I think the Philadelphia Flyers are still taking a big-picture look at their organization," Friedman said. "Assuming that's the case, and I have no reason to believe that it isn't the case, I believe that it doesn't change anything at all because what (general manager) Daniel Briere should be thinking about is, 'What's my line to re-sign these two guys and what's my line to trade these two guys?' The answer should be unchanged based on Jamie Drysdale's injury. The only way it changes is if the Flyers have decided they want to make the playoffs."
The Flyers have given zero indication that they're willing to change course despite their position in the standings, so Friedman's opinion is likely in line with the team's thinking.
Nashville Predators
The Predators swept a five-game road trip, completing it with a 4-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Sunday and enter Monday four points ahead of the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
The Predators’ deadline position has been murky. There have been reports that they're at least willing to listen to trade proposals involving goalie Juuse Saros, who is signed through next season ($5 million AAV). They also have several pending UFAs, including defensemen Alexandre Carrier and Tyson Barrie.
But the five-game winning streak should be enough to quell any potential discussion about trading Saros and instead allow the Predators to zero in on adding before the deadline to bolster their chances for a playoff run.
Nashville has space under the NHL salary cap to add a significant player or multiple players and draft pick capital to move (their own first-round pick, three picks in the second round and two in the third in the 2024 NHL Draft) if it decides to be a buyer.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Bryan Rust did not accompany the Penguins on their trip to Vancouver, where they will begin a four-game road trip Tuesday, coach Mike Sullivan said. Rust sustained an upper-body injury in the third period of a 7-6 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday and Sullivan said he is still being evaluated.
Rust's injury could be a significant blow to the Penguins' hopes of climbing the standings to get back into a playoff position on their four-game road trip. If they can't do that, it increases their chances of being a seller before the deadline.
They enter Monday seven points behind the Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Rust, who scored two goals and had an assist in the win against the Flyers, has 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in 42 games. He missed 13 games earlier this season.
The Penguins have already played five straight games without pending unrestricted free agent forward Jake Guentzel (upper body), who has 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 50 games and is a potential trade target.
If the Penguins don't have Rust too, that means two-thirds of the top line that Sidney Crosby centers will be out, significantly impacting their ability to climb in the standings, which could cement their position as a seller ahead of the deadline.
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes lost their 12th straight game (0-10-2) Sunday, 4-3 in overtime at the Winnipeg Jets. They also potentially lost forward Clayton Keller to an upper-body injury.
It all further clarifies Arizona's position as a seller in advance of the trade deadline.
Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong all but confirmed that to The Athletic on Friday, saying "at this point we're not rich enough as an organization to go down a road and not receive assets if we're not going to get into the playoffs."
The top two players to watch in Arizona are defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Jason Zucker. They each signed one-year contracts with the Coyotes last offseason and are pending unrestricted free agents.
