NHL Rumor Roundup: Lafreniere For Zegras? Kraken Getting Calls For McCann?

New York Rangers GM Chris Drury could have other deals up his sleeve before the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

Drury has made several bold moves this season. Since December, he traded Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, sent Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken for Will Borgen and swung a multi-player deal with the Vancouver Canucks for J.T. Miller.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post believes he should make another bold trade by peddling Alexis Lafreniere to the Anaheim Ducks for Trevor Zegras.

Before you freak out, Rangers fans, Brooks isn’t saying Drury is planning to do this but only suggesting he should.

Brooks believes the two 23-year-old forwards aren’t playing to expectations with their current teams. He cited Lafreniere’s inability to build on the promising 2023-24 campaign that earned him a seven-year, $52.15-million contract extension. Meanwhile, Zegras has been hampered by injuries and playing with a bad Ducks team over the past two years.

According to Brooks, both forwards might benefit from a change of scenery, especially Zegras, as he’s a native of Bedford, N.Y. Whether Drury shares his view is another matter.

Related: NHL Trade Deadline: Could A Change Of Scenery Benefit Four Notable Players?

Meanwhile, Sportsnet’s Jacob Stoller raised some eyebrows last week when he reported hearing the Seattle Kraken could make Jared McCann available. He believes the 28-year-old would be a good fit with the Winnipeg Jets.

A versatile forward who plays center or on left wing and kills penalties, McCann is the Kraken’s franchise scoring leader. He leads the Kraken this season with 42 points in 57 games this season and is under contract through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $5 million.

Ben Kuzma of The Province cited McCann being potentially available, pointing out he began his NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks and wondering if a reunion was possible. The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber believes McCann could address the Washington Capitals’ need for a middle-six forward to bolster their secondary scoring and improve their power play.

Stoller’s colleague Elliotte Friedman addressed the McCann speculation during Friday’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. He indicated teams were calling the Kraken, not the other way around. He felt it would take a sizable offer to pry McCann away.

As for more likely Kraken trade candidates, Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times had pending UFAs Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde atop his list, followed by those with a year remaining on their contracts, such as Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jaden Schwartz and Jamie Oleksiak.

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