Here are five NHL predictions as the league prepares for its stretch run and March 21 trade deadline:
The New York Rangers will land Joe Pavelski
The Rangers need one more scorer for the playoffs. Pavelski is the most proven forward among the rental properties. Pavelski and Rangers general manager Chris Drury know each other. They were teammates on USA’s 2010 silver medal-winning Olympic team. Drury knows what a class teammate he is. The Rangers have the salary cap space and the assets to make this happen. Not many other teams do.
Bruins will announce Bergeron signing
Can’t see Patrice Bergeron wearing any jersey except the Bruins. He’s not going to Montreal. He's not retiring. Bergeron is still a difference-maker. The Bruins aren’t going to let him walk away. Bergeron is a loyal guy. The will work out a contract and Bergeron will remain with the organization. He will retire as a Bruin, and not anytime soon.
A Steve Yzerman surprise
You never see Yzerman’s punches coming. He’s aggressive, confident and thorough in his planning. He is also very secretive. There were no rumors about the Anthony Mantha-Jakub Vrana swap before it happened. No one saw the Alex Nedeljkovic trade coming. The Nick Leddy acquisition caught people by surprise. Yzerman is going to be a mover and shaker in the second half of the season, even though his team is not in a playoff spot. He’s looking for a proven defenseman for the now and future. He’s willing to take back salary. He showed last season that he’s willing to be the third team to make a trade happen. But you will have to pay for his involvement.
Flames will be significant factor in the west
Darryl Sutter has made a difference on this team. This team is hard to play against. They have a +38 goal-differential. Coming into the post-All-Star game schedule, they are 7-3 in their last 10. I’ve heard Sutter is pushing the Flames to add another scorer, maybe Tyler Toffoli. Sutter knows him from Los Angeles. Don’t sleep on the Flames. They will be a hard out in the postseason.
Claude Giroux will be a playoff hero
The Flyers captain is going to be dealt and he’s going to end up being a significant contributor for a contender like the Colorado Avalanche or Boston Bruins or Minnesota Wild, etc. His $8.2 million cap hit does complicate any potential deal. The Flyers will have to retain half of his salary. Maybe this is where Yzerman or some other team becomes involved as a third party. But the bottom line is Giroux has been productive (15 goals, 21 assists, 36 points in 43 games) even though the Flyers were in a freefall. Giroux could very easily end up among the NHL postseason scoring leaders.