Dan’s Daily Links: NHL Trade Rumors Kings-Leafs, Trouba Trade Bait

In case you’re like me and rarely know the date, today is June 1 which is significant only because we’re now in the draft month and in just 23 days NHL teams will begin talking to free agents. As the playoffs quicken skates and intensity, June adds urgency to the front office and puts purpose in their stride. The Toronto Maple Leafs and LA Kings are talking trade, and Jacob Trouba is climbing the trade bait list. The Pittsburgh Penguins will undoubtedly be linked to a few big names like Trouba via NHL trade rumors but at this moment, all is quiet.

The Stanley Cup Final is in St. Louis for the first time since 1970. Think about that. The Kinks were singing about Lola and a transgender hookup, the political left was seething mad and pulling a political party away from the center in an attempt to defeat an unpopular president, and the Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup Final. Hard to recognize the world sometimes?

The Bruins practice report–Bergeron took a maintenance day and the Bruins made some defensive adjustments to replace Grzelcyk (Boston Hockey Now)

Pierre McGuire said Blues forward Pat Maroon has also engaged in some impressive trash talk (Boston Hockey Now)

Nikita Zaitsev has requested a trade and the Winnipeg Jets don’t think Jacob Trouba will be around for much longer. And Pittsburgh Penguins winger Phil Kessel is still on top. The trade bait list is getting intense (TSN)

Jack Hughes made some waves at the draft combine, “you don’t dream of being two, three, or four,” he said. (New York Post)

The Penguins have three RFAs to sign. What will Zach Aston-Reese, Marcus Pettersson and Teddy Blueger command? (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

The Toronto Maple Leafs and LA Kings are talking bad contract trade with some big names according to Pierre LeBrun. Here’s the Toronto side (Pension Plan Puppets)

Fired Kings coach Willie Desjardins tossed Illya Kovalchuk under the bus…but the bus couldn’t make it over his contract (The Athletic)