CDCFL Insider

2021 CDCFL TRADE BAIT BOARD Zdeno Chara (STL - 2M, pending UFA) 99 pool points Jordan Martinook (STL - 3M, pending UFA) 70 pool points Joe Thornton (STL - 3M, pending UFA) 66 pool points Eric Staal (DAL - 5M, pending UFA) 67 pool points Mike Smith (SJS - 1.5M, pending UFA) 172 pool points Dougie Hamilton (OTT - 6.25M, 3 years) 232 pool points Jonas Brodin (ARI - 4.1M, pending UFA) 127 pool points Derek Forbort (STL - 3M, pending UFA) 90 pool points Evgeny Kuznetsov (DET - 6.2M, pending UFA) 123 pool points Jonathan Marchessault (DAL - 7.25M, 3 years) 174 pool points Kyle Palmieri (FLA - 6.25M, 5 years) 117 pool points Daniel Sprong (FLA - 2M, pending RFA) 59 pool points Dante Fabbro (COL - 1.75M, 2 years) 96 pool points Nick Bonino (PHI - 4.8M, pending UFA) 73 pool points Robin Lehner (ANA - 4.5M, pending UFA) 80 pool points Jacob Markstrom (NSH - 5.35M, 5 years) 152 pool points Curtis McElhinney (NJD - 2.3M, pending UFA) 35 pool points

A few things am I hearing on the eve of free agency beginning: There may be a few signings tomorrow, but it may likely be just the bigger names signing. This will allow the second tier of free agents to gain a bit more interest from teams that have missed out on their targets. The goalie market will likely need a few dominos to fall in order to get things moving. Sergei Bobrovsky is widely expected to be one of the first major goalies to sign and everyone else is expected to fall into line shortly after. This also affects the trade market for both Connor Hellebuyck and Antti Raanta. It is believed both goalies are being shopped by Tampa Bay and New Jersey respectively, however interested parties are waiting to see how free agency goes first. Looking at the defenseman market, Jake Muzzin and Shea Weber are all getting the most interest, as expected. Look for both to get some term on their next contracts, as well as some form of trade clause. I am hearing some offers on the table for each of these players may exceed 6 million per season, however money may not be everything for these guys.. Another defenceman, Kevin Shattenkirk is believed to have narrowed down his choices to two Eastern Conference teams. I am under the impression that both Erik Haula and Danton Heinen are receiving their fair share of interest. Both players are young, with Haula a 27 year old UFA and Heinen a product of the compliance buyout. I'm hearing both have solid offers from Eastern Conference teams that they are currently considering. Another couple younger free agent forwards to keep an eye on? Lawson Crouse and Miles Wood. Teams are always looking for younger powerforwards that have some offensive upside. On the RFA market, I've heard one Western Conference team has heavily considered offersheeting New York Rangers star defenceman Charlie McAvoy. I'm not sure if an official offer has been made, but it is something to keep an eye on here. Finally, some of the prospect free agents that have been receiving a ton of interest include Aidan McDonough, Mitchell Chaffee, and Tyce Thompson. I would expect all 3 of these players to sign before the weekend is over, and I believe all 3 are looking for the best combination of money and future playing time they can find.

With the free agent negotiation window slated to end tomorrow night at 11:59 PM PST, I will begin to report any rumours on potential player signings I hear as they begin to trickle in. Should any teams have any rumours they would like posted as well, feel free to send them into my messages.

CDCFL Trade Bait Board 1. Jonathan Marchessault (DAL) 2. Torey Krug (PIT) 3. Jaden Schwartz (PHI) 4. Travis Konecny (PIT) 5. Patric Hornqvist (SJS) 6. Blake Coleman (STL) 7. Igor Shesterkin (TBL) 8. Ondrej Palat (DAL) 9. David Krejci (STL) 10. Jesse Puljujarvi (NSH) 11. Patrick Maroon (NJD) 12. Tyler Johnson (DAL) 13. Joel Edmundson (PHI) 14. Ilya Kovalchuk (MTL) 15. COL 2020 1st Round Pick (COL) 16. Antoine Roussel (VGK) 17. WPG 2020 1st Round Pick (WPG) 18. Chris Tanev (NJD) 19. Kevin Fiala (CBJ) 20. Isac Lundestrom (NYR)

I'm hearing David Ayres has already received one offer, sounds like he'll be signing a deal before the trade deadline.

A Couple More Days Monday is fast approaching, and any team looking to beef up for the playoffs or make some moves for the future only have a few more days. If teams move too slow, they’ll have to wait until the draft. There are some significant talks going on, and some not so big. However, here’s the main ones I’ve heard: Nathan MacKinnon was in deep talks to be moved out of Buffalo. The Sabres aren’t making the playoffs, thanks in large part to the East being a yearly dogfight. GM @donut47 has been entertaining the idea of life without Nathan Mack, as their window does not appear to be one that is open at this time. Does this mean that Cody Eakin and Brett Pesche could also be on their way out? Since taking over in Arizona, GM @Gally has been hard at work in a continuing the rebuild in the desert. The three big names are Jonas Brodin, Travis Hamonic, and Mikko Koskinen. Return for Brodin seems to be a 2nd round pick or a similar prospect. Whether you want to call it a “rebuild” or a “retool”, the Dallas Stars are in the thick of it. The problem appears to be that they were just recently a playoff team. Dropping this hard and fast has the GM and his cohort stumped, making additional moves that change the makeup of the team drastically a hard pill to swallow. GM’s around the league get the sense that Dallas just wants to sit tight and see if this year was a “one off.” If you like salary cap troubles, look no further than the Carolina Hurricanes. $76.3M committed next season, with 16 players signed. Not much leftover for extensions. GM @D-Money will have to get creative. Speaking of getting creative, it’s no secret, as GM @Canuck Surfer has made it known, that John Gibson, Tristan Jarry, and Mackenzie Blackwood are available, perhaps Blackwood less so. Unsure at this point if he’ll go with Jarry or Gibson long term, but GM’s in the league know it’ll be one or the other. If there’s one GM in the league everyone appreciates, it’s @Patrick Kane. He came into an impossible situation when taking over Montreal. He’s slowly rebuilding the team, with some great pieces in place. However, a few players do need to find new homes for the playoffs. Will he stand pat like last deadline, or pull the trigger and move some of his assets? With a new GM in Nashville, talks have moved to Jesse Puljujarvi. However, GM @kj29 has made it known that he isn’t giving him away, despite his future up in the air. A late first/early second is the return he’s looking for. With Mikko Rantanen down for the count, and the Rangers looking to go deep in the playoffs, @JimLahey is working the phones to get a top 6 forward on an expiring contract. Columbus has cap issues going forward, with a few key players needing extensions. Kevin Fiala has been in talks to be moved, and apparently the cost is cheap. Just needs to move him out. New Pittsburgh GM @Colby Covington has his work cut out after just stepping in. He’s got playoff assets and team lining up for his players. Torey Krug, Adam Larsson, Charlie Coyle, and Joel Farabee are all highly sought after. Will all be moved? Probably not, but GM’s in the league are antsy to get deals done. Colby doesn’t have the luxury of time on his hands, but he must make moves for the better of his club. Lastly, post trade deadline, I’ve heard that there’s a potential rule change that will be announced that will greatly alter the future of the league.

Some thoughts... 1) I'm hearing that Philadelphia GM @Art Vandelay may be shopping players such as Jaden Schwartz and Valeri Nichushkin this trade deadline. Both players have term left to their contracts, so it may take a lot to pry them out of Philly. 2) I have my eye on Los Angeles this deadline, will new GM @Down by the River try and make a trade deadline splash to catch Edmonton for the Pacific Division? 3) Winnipeg has been recently surpassed by Carolina for the President's Trophy lead, and I'm hearing the Jets are interested in adding a top 6 forward this trade deadline. I've heard Rickard Rakell and Ryan Poehling's names floated out there. 4) I've been told the league is not very happy with how the recent waiver acquisitions of Kyle Turris and Craig Smith transpired. Expect this to be a talking point at the next GM meetings, and I'm told the league is getting ready to unveil some harsh punishments should this happen again in the future. 5) I believe Florida and Pittsburgh are currently the front runners to acquire MacKenzie Blackwood from Minnesota, however a deal isn't believed to be close yet. 6) Could Chicago dangle New Jersey's unprotected first round pick in order to make a splash this trade deadline? @Bombastik der Teutone's Blackhawks have come so far, he may be inclined to make a big move. 7) A move might be brewing in D.C. as Nolan Patrick is believed to be ready to return soon. GM @Arbourshate will have to explore the trade market, as he currently has 0M in cap space. Some moves will have to be made as things don't get an easier in the future, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Morgan Rielly are due for raises this summer. 8) Toronto is in a good position right now as they've currently got two goalies excelling and are leading the Atlantic Division all while incurring a 5.425M cap penalty for Jason Pominville. They're a team to keep an eye out for this deadline, as a big move could be imminent. 9) With all of their retention spots open, I fully expect Jay Bouwmeester, Jason Spezza, Dan Hamhuis and Mike Smith to be moved out of St. Louis before the trade deadline. 10) Finally, hearing there's been pretty good interest in Jonathan Marchessault, Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson from Dallas. Not sure they move all 3, but at least 1 may be in a new uniform by the time the deadline passes.

Under 3 weeks until the trade deadline means some more thoughts! 1. Dallas has made it known they want to make big moves, and my sources aren't doubting this at all. I fully expect Ondrej Palat to be gone by the trade deadline, and I believe they are focused on rebuilding their prospect pool back up. 2. Sounds like Buffalo is going to be selling off some pieces at the deadline, despite being very close to a playoff spot. Interesting strategy, but maybe they know they don't have the pieces this year to make a run. 3. This makes me wonder if Nathan MacKinnon would ever be traded by Buffalo. They would get a haul for him, but can management justify doing it? 4. No new news on Matt Murray, I heard the Rangers may have taken a run at acquiring Tristan Jarry from Minnesota and running with the real life Penguins tandem, but I cannot confirm my source. As we get closer to the deadline this will be a key thing to keep an eye out for, I'm sure Rangers management knows that every point in the playoffs matters, especially in the Metro Division. 5. Speaking of goalies, I've had multiple sources tell me that Semyon Varlamov may be on his way out of San Jose. The netminder holds a LNTC, so he does have some pull over where he ends up going. 6. Soon-to-be UFA Nikita Kucherov seems to be nearing a new deal with the Winnipeg Jets that will keep him a member of the franchise for the foreseeable future. Trying to get numbers on the potential contract but haven't heard anything just yet. 7. I'm wondering if Boston decides to make a big splash this deadline. Despite being ravaged by injuries (currently 6 roster players on IR), they are currently 60 points out of top spot in the Atlantic. With Cale Makar on his ELC, this could be the opening the Bruins have been waiting for. 8. Will Colorado try and make a big move to take a run at back-to-back Cups? One's gotta think their window is only open for max 2 more years, especially with Ryan Johansen, David Pastrnak, Alex Pietrangelo, and Braden Holtby all expiring together at the end of 2020-21. 9. New Nashville GM @kj29 will be busy this deadline, I'm hearing teams have begun lining up to acquire Vincent Trocheck. Between being a pending RFA, his likely playoff status, and the fact that Nashville also has Mat Barzal and Nico Hischier, I'm expecting Trocheck will be playing for a contender in the next couple weeks. 10. Detroit is battling for a playoff position in the Western Conference, and an injection into the lineup could help solidify their spot. They're in the luxurious position of owning two first round picks, could one of these be used to make a splash this deadline?

Hello everyone! It's time for me to release my first CDCFL Trade Bait board of 2020! Through some connections throughout the league, I've been hearing the following names rumoured on the block. If you have any other "tips" to release, please PM me so! CDCFL Trade Bait Board 1. John Gibson (MIN / 155 pool points / 6.25M / 5 seasons left) 2. Johnny Gaudreau (FLA / 193 pool points / 6.75M / 4 seasons left) 3. Vincent Trocheck (NSH / 153 pool points / 4.65M / pending RFA) 4. Jared McCann (NJD / 157 pool points / 1.25M / pending RFA) 5. Evgeny Dadonov (STL / 198 pool points / 5M / 2 seasons left) 6. Mackenzie Blackwood (MIN / 180 pool points / 0.945M / pending RFA) 7. Nick Foligno (STL / 143 pool points / 6.2M / pending UFA) 8. Joel Edmundson (PHI / 128 pool points / 2.8M / pending UFA) 9. Patrick Maroon (NJD / 138 pool points / 4.4M / 2 seasons left) 10. Eric Staal (SJS / 205 pool points / 5M / pending UFA) 11. Zdeno Chara (VGK / 137 pool points / 3.5M / pending UFA) 12. Thomas Greiss (PIT / 113 pool points / 2.5M / pending UFA) 13. Mike Smith (STL / 137 pool points / 5M / pending UFA) 14. Matt Murray (NYR / 170 pool points / 4.85M / pending RFA) 15. K'Andre Miller (CGY / N/A / N/A / unsigned prospect) 16. Chris Kreider (TBL / 188 pool points / 5.5M / 4 seasons left) 17. Connor McMichael (CBJ / N/A / N/A / unsigned prospect) 18. Ryan Reaves (VGK / 81 pool points / 2.25M / pending UFA) 19. Casey Cizikas (PIT / 122 pool points / 2.75M / pending UFA) 20. Matt Nieto (FLA / 108 pool points / 2.75M / 2 seasons left)

A lot of signings today, with one big fish notably still available. Tyler Myers. I’ve heard he has a couple offers, but he is still holding out to see where the market is at tomorrow.

It's the day before the craziness begins! Here's what I've been hearing: - Ryan Ellis will end up in Canada, I've heard its between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs for his services. Expect something in the 7.5M range with a full NMC. - Logan Couture has been linked to the Philadelphia Flyers, I'm hearing he may get into the 9's in terms of salary per year... Philly may make a couple big splashes tomorrow as they have also been linked to Max Pacioretty and Anders Lee - Couture may not take in the highest AAV though, I'm hearing that honour belongs to Matt Duchene. New Jersey and Anaheim may be fits here and I'm hearing he could reach 10M AAV. - I believe it will be between the two desert teams for Jeff Skinner, both Arizona and Vegas are believed to be making strong pushes to secure the sniper. Don't count out Toronto though, they may be making a push to re-sign him. - Taro Hirose has been rumoured to have been offered a top 6 role on multiple teams, I think three Central teams, Dallas, St. Louis and Winnipeg may be in the lead. - Expect both Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko to have their ELCs signed by the end of next week. - The trade market is quiet right now, but expect it to pick up again once teams see where their cap situations stand after the first wave of free agents go.

We are back with a few quick notes on the first couple days of the negotiating period... I'm hearing Jeff Skinner has gotten some major interest around the league, expect him to start going on some visits in the next couple days and make a shortlist of 2-3 teams. Matt Duchene and Logan Couture are the biggest two fish up front, expect both to sign on July 1 and both command upwards of 9M each. Behind those 3 forwards, Max Pacioretty is expecting to sign in the 7.5 to 8.5M range with a full NMC. I'm hearing he may lean on staying in the Western Conference. Three unsigned free agents to keep an eye out for - Taro Hirose, Oliwer Kaski and Ilya Konovalov. All three are rumoured to be highly pursued, and each may be expecting upwards of ten offers each. I'm also hearing that quite a few previously drafted, but not signed prospects have garnered a ton of interest. If I were to take a stab at some names I would assume Aarne Talivite and Reilly Walsh. The undoubted top defenceman on the market is Ryan Ellis, I wouldn't be surprised if a bidding war began and he was able to get over 7M per year. All eyes on newest Florida GM @Schols, will he feel any pressure to make a big move and put his own stamp on the team? I wonder if they'd look at moving one of their top forwards to even out the talent on the backend. I don't get a sense that @Down by the River will "rush" into any moves with Los Angeles, the team is limited on cap space and trade assets right now. Free agent goalie market is heating up, with Mikko Koskinen and Brian Elliott getting some attention from teams looking for goalie depth.