It's NHL rumors season. Ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft, Kevin Hayes and Mackenzie Blackwood have new homes, Erik Karlsson has interest, and Pierre-Luc Dubois is now in Los Angeles.
NHL rumors: Grading the Kevin Hayes and Mackenzie Blackwood trades
The NHL world is in Nashville, Tenn. for the Draft on Wednesday, June 28. But ahead of the big day for the prospects realizing their childhood dreams come true, trades have taken the spotlight. For the Metropolitan Division, things are going to look very different.
Over the weekend, there were reports and speculation that the Philadelphia Flyers were looking to trade forward Kevin Hayes. Initial reports were that he was going to be dealt to the St. Louis Blues, but there was a hold-up. Yet on Tuesday, the two sides agreed to terms, with Hayes going to St. Louis, with Philadelphia receiving a 2024 sixth-round draft pick and retaining 50 percent of his 2023 cap hit.
Also on Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks brought in a new goaltender. The New Jersey Devils sent over Mackenzie Blackwood in exchange for their 2023 sixth-round pick.
With these trades being officially announced by the teams, let's hand out some grades.
NHL trade grades: Who won the Kevin Hayes trade between the Flyers and Blues?
When a trade is announced, it's a given that fans will begin analyzing it before determining who won the transaction initially before the players take the ice or when the draft picks are utilized.
Blues trade grade: B-
The Blues were shocking sellers at the trade deadline this past season when they dealt Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers and Ryan O'Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now, the team is looking to head back in the right direction and felt that bringing in Hayes could help them with that.
This past season, Hayes played in all but one game for the Flyers. This was a far cry from the previous two years, in which he missed time due to injury. In those 81 games played, Hayes scored 18 goals and put up 36 assists.
All the Blues needed to do was give up a sixth-round pick and for the Flyers to take on 50 percent of his salary for this upcoming season to acquire Hayes, who now reunites with former Rangers teammate Pavel Buchnevich. If Hayes put up solid numbers, this could be an absolute win for the Blues.
Flyers trade grade: D
The Flyers are in a tough spot. General manager Danny Briere and team president Keith Jones are looking to free up cap space, due in part to the contracts that former general manager Chuck Fletcher gave out. The Flyers dealt Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team trade also involving the Los Angeles Kings. They are in the process of punting Tony DeAngelo's contract back to the Carolina Hurricanes one year after they gave up draft capital to acquire him and sign him to a two-year, $10 million contract.
Hayes was among Fletcher's big signings, handing him a seven-year, $50 million contract. The forward was Philadelphia's top scorer easily. But, with the team strapped for cap space, they needed to get rid of some contracts, and Hayes was among them.
The sixth-round pick is better than nothing, but t does still sting that the Flyers have to take on half of his cap hit this upcoming season.
NHL trade grades: Who won the Mackenzie Blackwood trade with the Sharks and Devils
The Sharks have a new goalie, and the Devils got some extra draft capital. So, who won the trade between both organizations?
Sharks trade grade: C
The Sharks had one goaltender under contract for the upcoming season, and that was Kaapo Kahkonen, who posted a .883 save percentage, 3.85 goals allowed average, and a 9-20-7 record. James Reimer and Aaron Dell are both unrestricted free agents, so there was a need to bring in another goalie, and the free-agent market was shallow.
Blackwood does have significant starter's experience during the start of his career with the Devils, which is something that the Sharks covet. But, he's not exactly a long-term answer at the position or a player that will help a team go on a deep run in the playoffs. Let's not forget, the Devils brought in Vitek Vanecek last offseason with Blackwood under contract for one more year.
This past season, Blackwood posted a .893 save percentage, a 3.20 goals allowed average, and a 10-6-2 record in 22 games played (20 starts).
Blackwood is a restricted free agent, but one has to imagine that the Sharks will work out a deal.
Devils trade grade: C
The Devils had no plans in reuniting with Blackwood. Not only did they acquire Vanecek last offseason, but they saw the rise of Akira Schmid in the playoffs. Schmid helped stave off the rival Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs. Getting any sort of return is deserving of a passing grade, especially for a player set to become a free agent.
NHL rumors: Erik Karlsson trade suitors revealed
If there was ever a time for the San Jose Sharks to get premium trade value for a top defenseman, it's right now. At the NHL Awards on Monday night, Erik Karlsson won the Norris Trophy for the league's top defenseman after putting up 101 points and is now the third time he has won the award. But, all the attention is on where Karlsson will play next season.
The Sharks and Karlsson are working to negotiate a trade in which the star defenseman will play elsewhere. Karlsson expressed at the NHL Awards that he would prefer to get dealt to a contender so he could win his first Stanley Cup.
There is now an update as to which teams have expressed interest in acquiring Karlsson.
According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, and Toronto Maple Leafs have all spoken with the Sharks about a Karlsson trade.
These three teams mentioned do fit the description of a "Stanley Cup contender."
The Hurricanes are a near perennial contender out of the Eastern Conference every season. This year, the Hurricanes fell to the red-hot Florida Panthers in the Conference Finals. Adding Karlsson to a defensive group alongside Brent Burns? That could create some problems in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto, meanwhile, made it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004 but was subsequently swept by the Panthers. Sheldon Keefe is staying put as head coach, potentially on a long-term extension. It will be interesting to see how new general manager Brad Treliving managed to build a roster that could contend for the Cup.
Then there is the Kraken, who shocked the world in just their second season in existence. They knocked out the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the playoffs and pushed the Dallas Stars to seven games in the second round before ultimately getting eliminated. Adding Karlsson to the mix could push Seattle over the edge in what is a competitive Western Conference.
With trades flying this week, it will be interesting to see if Karlsson does get dealt while the league is in Nashville.
NHL rumors: Pierre-Luc Dubois has a new home in Los Angeles
The 2023 NHL free agency class is, well, not deep. When it comes to forwards, the biggest names available are Ryan O'Reilly, Ivan Barbashev, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Tyler Bertuzzi. Outside of those players, there is a real drop-off in talent. With that, the trade market would be the best way for teams to find a legitimate answer in a position of need.
For the Los Angeles Kings, they decided to add a former top-five draft pick to their forward group.
The Winnipeg Jets are a team that will look entirely different entering the 2023-24 season after the team's latest season in which they underperformed in the playoffs. One name that was given to not be on the roster is Pierre-Luc Dubois, the 2016 No. 3 overall pick that the Jets acquired in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets after dealing the No. 2 pick in that draft in Patrik Laine. Dubois wanted off the team, as he was set to become a restricted free agent.
On Tuesday, the Jets traded Dubois to the Kings in a blockbuster trade that saw forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari, and a 2024 second-round pick being sent to Winnipeg. And the Kings wasted no time in making sure that Dubois would be with them long-term.
According to various reports, the Kings and Dubois agreed to terms on an eight-year contract with an annual average salary of $8.5 million. So, Dubois will be making a total of $68 million.
This past season, Dubois scored 27 goals and dished out 36 assists (63 points) in 73 games played.
Los Angeles is on the rise, and they now get a top scorer on the wing.