Latest NHL Trade Buzz: Maple Leafs, Kraken, Panarin Sweepstakes

The playoff picture — in the Eastern Conference in particular — is starting to clear up, which could force teams around the league to face the reality of whether they’re buying or selling ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. Are the Toronto Maple Leafs headed toward selling for the first time in the Auston Matthews era? The Seattle Kraken are itching to take a big swing. And Artemi Panarin continues to draw the most attention on the market — so what’s the latest?

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We’ll dive into all of that in the latest edition of NHL trade buzz.

Maple Leafs Shifting to Sellers?

After going on a heater after Christmas, the Maple Leafs have gone 1-4-2 in their last seven, seeing their playoff odds drop to 7.2% in the process. Don’t expect GM Brad Treliving to waive the white flag just yet, though, if it gets to that point, there are plenty of names to keep an eye on in Toronto.

Pending UFAs Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Troy Stecher would draw plenty of interest should Toronto deem extensions unlikely, while Calle Järnkrok could also be flipped as a low-cost rental. Outside of that, team reporter Jonas Siegel recently speculated about the Maple Leafs’ willingness to move other names, such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo, Nick Robertson, and Matias Maccelli.

Don’t expect any drastic changes — i.e., a shake-up of the core — that said, the actions of Matthews and William Nylander this past weekend weren’t pretty to say the least.

Seattle Seeking a Splash

The Kraken don’t often draw much league-wide attention, but when a name like Shane Wright hits the rumor mill as part of a potential pursuit of a legitimate star forward, they deserve some time in the spotlight.

Wright’s availability has been confirmed by numerous insiders, with several suitors already linked, including the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets, while there are surely others kicking tires as we speak.

Winnipeg feels unlikely given they have no intention of parting with any of their core players. St. Louis, on the other hand, could make some sense as Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have both circulated in trade talks over the last several weeks.

Latest on Artemi Panarin

As expected, Panarin has taken up a lot of oxygen around the hockey world of late as far and away the premier player available on the market.

With each passing day comes a new report and a new team linked to the superstar winger, and the Los Angeles Kings are the latest suitor to emerge. That said, nearly every contending team has interest in Panarin, with Carolina, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, and Washington all having been mentioned to some degree.

GM Chris Drury is reportedly willing to retain a portion of Panarin’s $11,642,857 cap hit to not only make a deal work, but to maximize a potential return package. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has also noted that Panarin may prefer a trade to a destination where an extension can be agreed upon, which could narrow the field of suitors even further.

Next: Could Senators Be the Solution to Oilers Top-Nine Forward Search?