With eight days to go before teams gather in Buffalo for the 2016 NHL Draft, the available options for teams looking for defensemen may be evaporating. That could make the cost prohibitive for teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are looking to upgrade their blueline.
Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic said on Thursday that he will not be trading defenseman Tyson Barrie, who is a restricted free agent and looking for a big pay raise on a new deal.
Barrie made $2.6 Million last season and scored 10+ goals for the third straight year. There has been speculation going back to the start of last season that the Avs did not want to re-sign the 24-year-old blueliner to a long-term deal and would explore trade options this summer, but Sakic indicates that he will go to arbitration or sign the defenseman to a contract extension.
The options are few in unrestricted free agency this summer, with defensemen Keith Yandle and Alex Goligoski the most attractive targets. The Dallas Stars, who have a number of young blueliners in their system ready to challenge for a spot in the NHL next season, traded Goligoski’s negotiating rights to the Arizona Coyotes for a 2016 5th round pick.
The 30-year-old former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick registered over 30 assists for the third straight season and is likely looking for a deal longer than the four-year, $18.4 Million contract he signed in 2012.
Arizona has only two defensemen under contract for 2016 and more than $30 Million in available cap space, which gives them a great deal of flexibility to offer Goligoski more money than other interested clubs.
There is still a possibility that both Barrie and Goligoski could be available at the Draft or in early July, if the Sakic statement is simply a ploy to get a better return in a trade and/or if Goligoski is set on seeing what options there are on the open market instead of signing with the rebuilding Coyotes.
If both blueliners are unavailable, it could raise the price for other rumored available defensemen, such as Kevin Shattenkirk(a UFA in 2017), Hampus Lindholm or Sami Vatanen(both RFA’s this summer).
The price that Vancouver paid the Florida Panthers for Erik Gudbranson (a 2016 2nd, 4th and former first round pick Jared McCann) hints that a more offensively gifted Shattenkirk would cost the Leafs at least a high draft pick and a prospect for a player who could walk for nothing next summer.
For Toronto to acquire a young defenseman, the Leafs may have to move a high draft pick and a talented young forward such as Josh Leivo, Connor Brown, Brendan Leipsic or Kasperi Kapanen. For a more established blueliner capable of playing in a top four role, Toronto may have to float a forward like Nazem Kadri or James van Riemsdyk.
TSN commentator Ray Ferraro believes that van Riemsdyk would be a good fit for the Anaheim Ducks, who have a plethora of defensemen in their organization, including Lindholm and Vatanen. The Ducks hired former Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle this week and are an established scorer to play with Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler.
It is unknown whether Toronto is open to trading the 27-year-old van Riemsdyk, who has two years remaining at a very economical $4.25 Million cap hit and would be a good fit to play with presumptive first overall pick Auston Matthews or potentially with Steven Stamkos if the free agent center signs with the Leafs on July 1.
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