There hasn't been much to discuss in the way of trades thus far this NHL season as league executives play it tight due to the sagging Canadian dollar and modest cap projections for next season. Just one significant deal has been struck to this point - Monday's swap of veteran defenders by the Blackhawks and Penguins. But despite the limited market, the NHL's legion of personnel men are staying active.
According to a Tuesday report from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, a couple of players in particular - Marcus Johannson of the Washington Capitals and Brandon Pirri of the Florida Panthers - have been drawing trade interest from around the league.
Johannson, the Caps' second-line left wing and a former first-round pick, is one season away from unrestricted free agency. He's got five goals and 10 assists through 28 games this season, and he's a year removed from a career effort, when he collected 20 goals and 27 assists for Barry Trotz's heavy, hard-charging group.
With questions about Washington's cap situation looming and handful of talented young forwards on the way up, Johannson could prove a valuable trade commodity ahead of the Feb. deadline. It may not happen though, unless Andre Burakovsky proves he's ready for top-six duties. Per Friedman, the Caps wouldn't feel comfortable making the move unless Burakovsky, 20 and in his second year with the big club, establishes himself as a consistent presence.
Burakovsky had a strong rookie season, notching nine goals and 13 assists in just 53 games in 2014-15, but he's far from a finished product and hasn't done anything to warrant moving up from the fourth line in 2015-16. He even admitted recently that he's "not even close" to the form he showed last year.
As for Pirri, he's shaken off a little of the streakiness he displayed last season, his second in Florida, but his goal total looks as though it will drop from the 22 he managed in 2014-15. The one-time Chicago Blackhawks draft pick also has eight assists, well up from the two collected last year, and there's no denying his overall talent level.
He's in the final year of a two-year bridge deal worth $1.85 million and is eligible for arbitration.
Panthers GM Dave Tallon will have to weigh several factors when it comes to Pirri's future with the franchise. He's young and talented and with the Panthers struggling to score consistently, it's hard to see his skills headed elsewhere. But Pirri also hasn't yet developed into a well-rounded NHL forward and he's likely going to want an upgrade on his current deal after the season.
It's a tough one for Tallon, but an overabundance of talented young forwards is a good problem to have.
