NHL Trade Watch: Flames Fire Sale, Wild Searching, Michkov Linked to Leafs?

In this edition of NHL Trade Watch, we take a look at a few of the hot-button topics around the league. With the NHL roster freeze just days away, there’s a lot of noise circulating right now, whether it’s around Artemi Panarin or the Toronto Maple Leafs pivoting to selling. New information seems to come out every day as the trade market continues to take shape.

Today, we’re looking at a potential Calgary Flames fire sale as they prepare to lean further into a rebuild. We’ll also get into what the Minnesota Wild are searching for, and finally, the Maple Leafs being linked to Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov.

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Minnesota Wild Searching for Top-Six Center

After pulling off one of the biggest trades of the season so far, the Wild aren’t done yet. They’re still searching the market for a top-six centre, and they may have found a fit in New York. The New York Rangers are clearly selling off assets, and Vincent Trocheck is a name to keep an eye on. If he becomes available, don’t be surprised if Minnesota is right at the front of the line.

Trocheck feels like a clean fit for the Wild. He plays their style of hockey, slides comfortably into the top six, and there’s also a connection there with Bill Guerin from their time with the Olympic team. The big question, as always, is the asking price. The Rangers would likely be looking for a first-round pick, an NHL player, and a high-end prospect in return.

Flames’ Fire Sale

The Flames are heading into a crucial trade deadline and appear ready to sell off players to recoup assets. They’ve got two major pieces on the market in Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman, and both should draw significant interest. Each could fetch a first-round pick and more. After the deal that sent Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary has already set the tone for what they’re looking for in return.

Kadri and Coleman are the headline names, but they aren’t the only ones. Morgan Frost, Ryan Lomberg, Zach Whitecloud, and MacKenzie Weegar could also be available. If the Flames decide to move several of these pieces, the roster could look very different in a hurry. The upside is that it would set them up well for the future.

Maple Leafs Linked to Michkov

Lastly, a recent story from NHL Trade Talk by Jackson Weber floated an interesting idea. In the piece, Analyst Floats Matvei Michkov as Maple Leafs Target Amid Ice-Time Concerns, Weber referenced comments from Leafs analyst Nick Alberga, who suggested Toronto should explore a trade for Michkov.

“Leafs should go after Matvei Michkov. **** it,” Alberga said.

It’s an idea that actually makes some sense. Michkov has had an uneven start with the Flyers, and a change of scenery could be appealing. If the Maple Leafs were able to put together a package to land him, he’d immediately add skill to their middle six. And if they can help get him back on track, there’s upside for him to climb the lineup and become a major piece of the roster.

Next: Artemi Panarin Would Waive to Join Oilers as Rental in Cup Chase