NHL rumors: Two Flyers trades hit snags, Leafs poking around on defensemen

With the 2023 NHL Draft and start of free agency rapidly approaching, the hockey hot stove is firing up. That said, some deals are either being put on the backburner or are being scorched beyond recognition.

Here's the latest buzz from around the league:

Flyers-Blues blockbuster hits snag due to no-trade clause

During much of Saturday, there was buzz that the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues were closing in on a potentially complicated trade involving Travis Sanheim, Kevin Hayes, a Blues defenseman such as Torey Krug and possibly significant draft picks with a dash of salary retention.

Multiple reporters indicate that such a possible trade ground to a halt, with a swap either ending up compromised or dead altogether.

The biggest stumbling block appears to be Krug not wanting to waive his no-trade clause. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and others indicate that, while there’s a chance he might change his mind, the 32-year-old defenseman is reportedly leaning against waiving it.

Could Flyers GM Daniel Briere eventually find a third team that Krug would waive his no-trade clause to join? That remains to be seen.

Krug’s $6.5-million cap hit runs through the 2026-27 season. His deal might be especially unappealing to other teams right now, as his actual salary swells to $8.5M for each of the next two seasons.

There are also some rumblings about the Blues just taking on Hayes post-salary retention, yet it’s unclear if that would come to fruition.

DeAngelo's Hurricanes return may also fall short

The Flyers were also reportedly working on a trade that would send Tony DeAngelo back to the Carolina Hurricanes, aka the one place where the polarizing defenseman actually worked out reasonably well recently.

In this case, it’s unclear what the “snag” might be, as the Flyers were seemingly set to retain as much as 50% of DeAngelo’s salary (which would bump him from $5 million to as low as $2.5 million for his final season under contract).

In a development that would surprise only those who haven’t followed the defenseman’s career, DeAngelo clashed with Flyers head coach John Tortorella, in part because the team may have overrated his actual defensive abilities. It’s unclear how many other teams aside from Carolina would view the rewards of DeAngelo being worth his defensive warts and on/off-ice antics, so this weekend could feel like a series of missed opportunities for Briere and the Flyers.

Then again, the 2023 NHL Draft is just a few days away, so there’s always a chance that a face-to-face meeting or merely the passage of time could grease the wheels just enough for one or more of those near-trades to round out.

Jets nearing Dubois trade, Kings possibly getting a PLD extension done in the process?

As busy as the Flyers have been, many expect both the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets to trade off big names more than anyone else. While the Jets may look to move franchise goalie Connor Hellebuyck, multiple reports point to the Jets possibly shipping Pierre Luc-Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings.

From the sound of things, there could be several pieces involved in such a deal between the Jets and Kings.

Dubois, 25, is a pending RFA with salary arbitration rights. One key element to any Dubois move is how a team feels about his uncertain contract situation. That might be resolved, as the Kings reportedly are working on a potential extension for the rugged-yet-skilled center.

Theoretically, the Kings could look at next season as a passing of the torch from Anze Kopitar to Dubois. Either way, they’d boast a deep center group if Kopitar, Dubois and someone like Phillip Danault are all still on their roster (not to mention some flexibility if someone like Dubois and Quinton Byfield played on the wing).

Such a complex trade may take a while, though, particularly if Dubois decides to mull over a contract extension.

Golden Knights seemingly on the verge of re-signing Adin Hill

Friedman reports that, while it isn’t yet official, the Golden Knights are closing in on a two-year contract with goalie Adin Hill that would carry a roughly $4.9-million cap hit.

In some ways, that decision brings to mind the Blues handing Jordan Binnington a two-year contract with a $4.4-million AAV after his surprising surge to a Stanley Cup win. In each case, a reigning champion handed out some risky-ish dollars, yet the shorter term mitigates some of the gamble.

The real problem with Binnington is his current contract, which carries a $6-million AAV from 2021-22 all the way through 2026-27. As with many shaky St. Louis deals, it also includes trade protection.

As of this writing, the Golden Knights also have Logan Thompson under contract for two cheap years at less than $800K, while Robin Lehner’s health and LTIR status are unclear (he carries a $5-million cap hit for two more seasons). The perpetually salary-cap challenged Golden Knights may struggle to retain someone like Ivan Barbashev after bringing back Hill.

Maple Leafs trying to trade for a defenseman such as Hanifin or Sanheim?

New Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving may be in the trade market for a defenseman. The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta reports that the Maple Leafs could get in on trade talks for Sanheim (Flyers) or Noah Hanifin (Flames).

Your opinion of both Sanheim and Hanifin can hinge on multiple factors. If you consider Sanheim's disastrous 2022-23 season, he looks like the inferior choice by most metrics. Take a three-year RAPM comparison from Evolving Hockey for instance.

Move that three-year window back just a year, and Sanheim looks like a diamond in the rough.

Their contract statuses also boil down to beauty being in the eye of the beholder. Sanheim, 27, carries a $6.25-million cap hit all the way through 2030-31. If last season was a sign of things to come instead of an outlier, that’s terrifying. If you believe he’s instead either an outstanding second-pair option or a suitable No. 2 player on a top pairing, then he’s reasonably young and cost-controlled.

For the 2023-24 season, Hanifin is substantially cheaper at $4.95 million and a bit younger at 26, yet he’s entering a contract year and would be a UFA. It’s anyone’s guess what he might cost moving forward, but considering how teams go wild for prototypical defenseman like him, a reasonable guess would be that he’d cost a lot.

The Maple Leafs are a team focused on the immediate future, yet with plenty of uncertainty surrounding how much Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner may cost down the line, they might value certainty.