The Bruins and Avalanche appear to be in trade discussions revolving around the Avs' captain. But Boston seems unwilling to part with defenseman Brandon Carlo.
The Colorado Avalanche continue to dominate the NHL rumor mill. Recent media chatter has them talking trade with the Boston Bruins.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report NHL columnist Adrian Dater took to Twitter reporting Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was the center of discussions between the two clubs. Avs GM Joe Sakic apparently sought rookie defenseman Brandon Carlo in return.
Dater claimed the Bruins rejected that offer, countering with promising – but untested – blueliner Jakub Zboril. He speculated Zboril, fellow defense prospect Jake DeBrusk, blueliner Joe Morrow and the Bruins first-round pick in 2017 could be part of a package for the 24-year-old Landeskog.
The Bruins are in need of scoring depth. CSNNE.com's Joe Haggerty believes Landeskog, a top-line left winger, could be a good fit.
Bruins GM Don Sweeney isn't keen to part with Carlo. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports he's told teams the youngster isn't available.
The Boston Herald's Steve Conroy observes the Bruins are deep in young defense prospects that can be used as trade chips. He agrees it's risky for the Bruins to part with Carlo, but if the 20-year-old rearguard attracts an offer of a true star, Conroy believes Sweeney should at least listen.
If Sweeney won't budge on Carlo, it's unlikely he can put together a different offer that convinces Sakic to part with Landeskog. Sweeney must also shed salary to make room for Landeskog's $5.5- million annual salary-cap hit. Sakic might have to retain part of that cap hit or take back a significant salary in return.
Brennan notes Beauchemin has a year remaining on his contract at an annual cap hit of $4.5 million. However, he feels the 36-year-old is the type of steady blueline presence the Senators need.
Beauchemin has a full no-movement clause, so any trade proposal requires his approval. Adding a defenseman, however, isn't a priority for Senators GM Pierre Dorion.
In a recent interview with Brennan's colleague Bruce Garrioch, Dorion said he doesn't have any concerns on defense. His focus is on adding another forward, something he's finding difficult to do at this point in the season.
Terry Frei of The Denver Postobserves most of the trade speculation will ignore the Avs limited cap space this season, the $52 million invested in next season's payroll and the expensive contracts of their core players, including Landeskog and Duchene. Those factors could force Sakic to wait until the off-season to find a suitable deal.
Rumor Roundup appears regularly only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Eishockey News and The Guardian (P.E.I.).
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