NHL trade rumors: Kraken eye Toews, Flames already considering moving on from Weegar?

The 2023 NHL trade deadline on March 3 is still weeks away, yet some teams have already made big moves (Bo Horvat to the Islanders; Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers) and plenty of other rumors are floating around. Let’s take a look at the latest buzz surrounding Jonathan Toews, MacKenzie Weegar, and Vladislav Gavrikov.

Kraken surface in Toews trade rumors

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta and Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker rank among those who mention the Seattle Kraken as a possible landing spot for Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews.

If you don’t live off of name recognition alone, then the best reasons to pursue Toews revolve around:

a) Taking minutes from Alexander Wennberg/someone who shouldn’t be so high in the Kraken lineup.

b) Toews may not cost too much in a trade — assuming he’d even waive his NMC to go to Seattle.

It’s important to balance nostalgia with present reality when discussing a Toews trade. This Evolving Hockey chart quickly captures Toews’ decline, pointing to a current status where he might actually take more “from” the table than he brings “to it.”

As much as anything else, it’s a red flag that Toews is also dealing with murky health issues that have kept him out of Chicago’s lineup. Maybe Ron Francis sees something of himself in the Toews he remembers, but the current version screams “buyer beware.” From the look of a cramped cap situation, the Kraken would likely need significant salary retention in a Toews trade.

Bruins emerging as Gavrikov frontrunners

Just about every year, an ordinary player becomes the belle of the trade deadline ball for whatever reason. Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov fits that bill for 2023: a serviceable blueliner suddenly demanding “first-round pick plus more”-type prices.

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports the Bruins currently rank as frontrunners to trade for Gavrikov, but there are other bidders. Boston holds its first- and third-rounders for both 2023 and 2024 (yet neither of its second-rounders), so the Bruins could indeed be a fit. They’re also the sort of team that’s mainly seeking depth rather than some magic cure for defense, so they may regret splurging on Gavrikov less than a more desperate team.

Gavrikov is a 27-year-old left-handed defenseman with some size, making him appealing to an array of other rumored trade destinations, from the Oilers to the Kings. It’s possible teams look at Gavrikov as a cheaper, rental alternative to a bigger-ticket item such as Jakob Chychrun. Even before salary retention, Gavrikov’s $2.8-million AAV is contender-friendly.

Intriguing possible link: Senators asking Flames about Weegar

If you want to melt down the Flames’ anxieties to a single thought — not fair when it’s actually a pile of issues — you can merely think “Jonathan Huberdeau’s $10.5M cap hit hasn’t even kicked in yet.” Yet, Pagnotta floats an interesting possibility about a different Flames player whose hefty extension hasn’t taken effect: defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who the Ottawa Senators have reportedly inquired about.

Weegar, who was born in Ottawa, will carry a $6.25-million cap hit from 2023-24 through 2030-31. The promise or the pain of that extension revolves around how a team or talent evaluator views Weegar. You’d be in an extreme position if you made him the scapegoat for Calgary's troubles, though.

Then again, Weegar is the opposite of a defenseman like Gavrikov. While people talk themselves into defensive rearguards, they often obsess over every turnover from a more skilled one such as Weegar.

Pagnotta reports that a Weegar trade isn’t necessarily “imminent,” which makes sense since a team like the Senators would mostly be focused on the future with a Weegar deal. That said, if the Flames traded Weegar now, they arguably might be selling low while deadline time is often about inflated prices (like what you might see with Toews, Gavrikov, and others).