NHL trade deadline notebook: Backes reportedly drawing interest from teams, Hall staying put in Arizona

You’ve all heard the names by now. 

Chris Kreider. Tyler Toffoli. Josh Anderson. Kyle Palmieri. Ilya Kovalchuk. 

All talented wingers poised to be trade bait ahead of the Feb. 24 deadline. All players that, in some shape or form, have been linked to the Bruins.

At this point, it seems like a given that the Bruins will be plunging headfirst into the madness that is deadline day — with Don Sweeney and Co. working the phones in an effort to finally secure some stability to David Krejci’s right. 

Elsewhere across the league, other names continue to pop up as high-value targets.

Cup contenders in need of blue-line help continue to be linked to skaters such as L.A.’s Alec Martinez or New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen. Teams looking for support down the middle are honing in on the likes Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau or San Jose’s Joe Thornton. 

And teams on the prowl for assets might have found their cash cow in ... David Backes?

It actually makes plenty of sense.



Both Boston and Backes remain in a state of limbo since the veteran forward was waived by Boston last month. After both parties agreed that an assignment to Providence was not in the best interest of anyone, it appeared as though a trade might be brewing — given that Boston likely doesn’t want to risk Backes suffering an injury down in the AHL ranks.

However, as we’re all well aware by now, trading a player like Backes is easier said than done — given both the money remaining on his contract (he’s due $6 million in 2020-21) and his lack of production when in the lineup (eight goals, 23 points over last 86 games).

But it’s far from a lost cause this season, especially for rebuilding teams with the cap space to absorb some of Backes’ salary.

St. Louis Blues rinkside reporter Andy Strickland echoed those thoughts on Tuesday, noting that Backes is drawing interest from a number of teams ahead of the deadline. 

https://twitter.com/andystrickland/status/1227231505262489601

A trade would likely satisfy all involved — Backes would likely be able to earn minutes back up at the NHL level, while the Bruins would finally have a bit of cap relief. However, any potential deal wouldn’t come easy for the Bruins, who would have to include draft picks or prospects in any deal to convince a team to take on that contract.

Given that the Maple Leafs had to surrender their 2020 first-round pick in a deal with Carolina to get Patrick Marleau’s cap hit of $6.25 million off the books last summer, it would seem as though the price would be around the same for the Bruins if they want to rid themselves of Backes’ $6 million hit in 2020-21. 

Of course, Boston could offer to retain some of Backes’ salary (perhaps $3 million or more) and include a lower draft pick to see if a team could bite on that offer. This could come in handy, considering that Boston will likely need to part ways with a first or second-round pick if it wants to acquire a player like Kreider or Toffoli this month. 

As you can see, there are multiple avenues for Sweeney to take when it comes to trading Backes. But to pull off a deal, it takes two to tango, and luckily for Boston, it appears as though there are at least some teams willing to listen in on offers. 

Teams might not be lining up for a chance to add a player like Backes to their roster, but we noted last month that a young team with cap space like the Ducks could make plenty of sense — bringing aboard a veteran while also scooping up a prospect/picks for Boston in one move. 

The Ottawa Senators also make plenty of sense as a Backes suitor, given that organization already has about $5.8 million in available cap space and could use a veteran presence — given that the Sens’ forward corps has an average age of just 25.5. 

So perhaps there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for both Backes and the Bruins this season. Ultimately, it’s going to have to come down to the price and Backes himself — given that he has an eight-team, no-trade list. 

A season and change in Ottawa may not be all too appealing, but if Backes wants to keep on playing up in the NHL ranks, agreeing to such a trade might be his best bet. 

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Names like Kreider, Pageau, Kovalchuk and Toffoli are currently the top names on many trade big boards — and don’t expect that leaderboard to change all that much in the weeks ahead. 

One name that has continued to sprout up over the last couple of days has been Coyotes winger Taylor Hall — yes, the same Hall that was dealt to Arizona from New Jersey less than two months ago. 

While Hall, once the top dog as far as trade bait goes this year, has generally lived up to the billing out in the desert (20 points in 24 games), the results haven’t been as kind for his new club in the Coyotes — who have gone 9-11-4 since the trade was struck.

Given Hall’s pending UFA status and his intention to not discuss a potential contract extension in the middle of the 2019-20 campaign, there has been discussions sprouting up that perhaps the ‘Yotes would be better off dealing the star winger to the highest bidder in the coming days. 

The return could be pretty substantial, and would benefit Arizona in the long run if this team — still without golaie Darcy Kuemper — continues to lag behind in a contested Pacific Division.

Alas, it doesn’t look like we’re going to have Hall Watch 2.0 (at least until free agency begins on July 1). 

While TSN’s Frank Seravalli entertained the thought of Hall getting dealt on Tuesday, fellow TSN insider Pierre LeBrun threw cold water on the rumors, noting that the Coyotes and new owner Alex Meruelo remain committed to locking up Hall for the long haul once the free-agency frenzy starts up. 

The potential of Hall getting dangled out on the trade market for the second time in two months would have made for some incredible drama, especially given how many teams would climb over one another for a chance to woo the ‘Yotes. 

But, for as much as the Coyotes have struggled as of late, they are just three points out of first place in the Pacific. Given both the compacted standings in the west and Meruelo’s willingness to go all in after dealing for Hall months earlier, it does make sense for Arizona to roll with the club it has and let the chips fall where they may.