Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are two days remaining until the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET on Friday). Here's a look around the League at the latest deadline doings:
Arizona Coyotes
Jason Zucker was held out of the lineup in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday for trade-related reasons.
The 32-year-old forward, who signed a one-year contract with Arizona on July 1, can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He has 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 51 games this season.
Arizona (25-32-5) is 18 points behind Nashville Predators for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, and is looking to move players on expiring contracts for pieces for the future.
General manager Bill Armstrong said Sunday that "there's people calling on everything right now" and that he's spoken with Zucker and defenseman Matt Dumba, who also is a pending unrestricted free agent, about their situations.
"I think they know where they're at," Armstrong said. "I think there's been some transparency and some openness all the way through not only with the players but also with their agents."
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins could have a trade in place for forward Jake Guentzel prior to the Deadline, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.ca.
Guentzel, a 29-year-old pending unrestricted free agent who has missed the past 10 games due to an upper-body injury, is expected to be removed from long term injured reserve Sunday.
"Sources say the Penguins are hoping to have a trade in place for Jake Guentzel by [Wednesday] evening," Dreger said on his X account, formerly Twitter. "Pittsburgh is open to quality over quantity in return, but would like a first-round pick, young NHL player, plus prospects. Flexibility comes in the caliber of prospects or a rostered player."
Guentzel, who last played Feb. 14, has 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 50 games, second to Sidney Crosby with 63 points (32 goals, 31 assists) in 60 games.
Guentzel is in the final season of a five-year, $30 million contract ($6 million AAV) he signed with the Penguins on Dec. 27, 2018.
New Jersey Devils
It remains to be seen if the Devils will be buyers or sellers at the Deadline.
New Jersey has gone 2-6-0 in eight games since a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 17 to fall to seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 64 points. They are eight points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
On Monday, the Devils fired coach Lindy Ruff and named associate coach Travis Green his replacement for the duration of the season.
"I'm trying to do the right thing for the organization in the short window with the big window in my mind," New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald said Tuesday. "We talked about the timing with 20 games left. I mean, is making a change now worth it from a cost perspective, given the runway that you have in front of you?"
The Devils are mathematically still in the hunt for a playoff berth but the odds are diminishing. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet told NHL Network Radio on Monday that it's tough to gauge what the Devils are thinking at this point.
"I think that as much as we make it about the goaltending, and rest assured this is a team that still does need a legitimate number one netminder, I still think they have problems in front of the goaltender as well," Marek said. "I just think that if New Jersey is going to try to take this program to the next level, I don't think it's just goaltending that they're looking at. I wouldn't be surprised at the end of all of this, Tom Fitzgerald isn't just looking to get a goaltender, but maybe looking to get at least one more blue liner on the on the back end.
"Whether they're sellers ... I'm not exactly sure. I think this has kind of surprised New Jersey. I think in their mind, they were going to build upon what they did last year. But I think Tom Fitzgerald knows now more so than ever where the flaws are. It's not up front. The flaws are very much on the back end and in net."
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are expected to be sellers at the Deadline, but at what price?
San Jose has six pending unrestricted free agent forwards (Kevin Labanc, Mike Hoffman, Anthony Duclair, Alexander Barabanov, Justin Bailey, Ryan Carpenter), and one pending UFA goalie (Kaapo Kahkonen).
"They're definitely going to try to move their UFAs if they can," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said in his "32 Thoughts" podcast on Monday. "The challenge there has been between whatever prices might be asked or whatever is available. Teams just aren't clamoring to get what's there."
Forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Mario Ferraro could be more attractive in a potential trade. Granlund has one more season remaining on his contract after this one before becoming a UFA, and Ferraro has two more seasons remaining.
"Granlund is a guy, teams believe in the right situation, can help you," Friedman said. "Ferraro is a guy, even though he's struggled this year, he's still very young (25), got a great work ethic. If you get him in your situation, maybe you can work with him and make him better."
