Canucks Daily: Top-5 Players to be Traded, ‘Steal’ Signings

With passing reference to Vancouver Canucks centre JT Miller being ‘already on the block’, his hometown site Pittsburgh Hockey Now put together a list of the ‘Top-5 NHL Players to Watch’ on the trade market this coming season.

The list also doesn’t include long-time Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who PHN says are good bets to pop up in NHL trade rumours as well.

With a cap hit of $7.5-million and in the final year of his deal, Ryan O’Reilly of the St. Louis Blues would be the next centre behind Miller.

Teammate Vladimir Tarasenko, same money and term remaining, will present cap clearing options to GM Doug Armstrong as well. Tarasenko already went through a stage of wanting out of Missouri a year ago.

Forward Tyler Bertuzzi makes the list for being a wild card in the Detroit Red Wings plans. A lot depends on what stage GM Steve Yzerman finds the club in its rebuild come the trade deadline.

Two defencemen, Shayne Gostisbehere of the Arizona Coyotes and John Klingberg, he of the new one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks, rounded out the list.

Again, JT Miller and the Vancouver Canucks parting ways? A given here.

Read all the details on Pittsburgh Hockey Now.

National Hockey Now East

— 32-year-old right-shot centre Derek Stepan signed a PTO in Carolina?!

— NYI Hockey Now: John Shannon, a stalwart of the NHL insider game, says the Islanders’ moves and news could finally break this week. The NHL trade market is stirring. New York Islanders.

— According to Sportsnet, contract talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Rasmus Sandin “are going nowhere.”

— Philly Hockey Now: Sam Carchidi put the Flyers goalies and their performance on the table against other teams. How do the Philadelphia Flyers compare?

— Washington Hockey Now: Major steals? Sammi Silber went through five major steals for the Washington Capitals in their prospect system.

— Detroit Hockey Now: Dylan Larkin snubbed as a top-20 centre in the NHL? Detroit Red Wings.

National Hockey Now West

— The Chicago Blackhawks signed Stanley Cup winning defenceman Jack Johnson.

— Vegas Hockey Now: Our young gun writers got together to ’round table’ the NHL trade market. Should GM Kelly McCrimmon go after Semyon Varlamov? Vegas Golden Knights.

— San Jose Hockey Now: How about replacing Brent Burns with PK Subban? San Jose Sharks chatter.

Simmer is on a family wedding break, but as usual, will be all over any Vancouver Canucks news.

Have a great Friday and weekend!!