Dan’s Daily: Guerin Close to Trading Goalie, Puljujarvi Finally Close?

The NHL trade market has been stuck in suspended animation for a week or more. The flood of potential trades has too many GMs waiting on the other guy and the end result is a traffic jam that resembles the Friday afternoon backup before the Ft. Pitt tunnel. The Penguins trade hopes aren’t immune as Matt Murray awaits his fate, and new address, too.

Fortunately for fans, as any Pittsburgher will tell you, once you get through the tunnel, all hell breaks loose. That may be fun to watch on a league-wide scale.

The Minnesota Wild and GM Bill Guerin were not happy with starting goalie Devan Dubnyk. The 34-year-old sank to an .890 save percentage. It sounds like Guerin is close to working the NHL trade market to get a first-round pick for his goalie (San Jose Hockey Now)

So, what is life like at the NHL Draft table? A scout spoke to our colleague Adrian Dater. Check out the story, available to Pittsburgh Hockey Now subscribers (PHN+)

Edmonton GM Ken Holland is hopeful former first-round pick (4th overall) Jesse Puljujarvi will end his self-imposed NHL exile and sign a new deal with Edmonton. It sounds like it’s finally possible, again (Sportsnet)

My .02? Holland has played hardball with other teams and with Puljujarvi. Holland held an unreasonably high trade value on Puljujarvi. It’s similar to the Josh Ho-Sang saga in New York; it’s enough to make you want to yell, “Let the kid go!”

If you hold on too long, the team gets nothing and a promising career is wasted. Also, the NHL RFA rules are nearly Draconian.

The Boston Bruins have been busy on the NHL trade front. Defenseman Torey Krug will walk via free agency, but Boston has been chasing Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Bruins trade activity may also include dealing Jake DeBrusk (Boston Hockey Now)

Are the Colorado Avalanche trade talks off until after free agency? (Colorado Hockey Now)

“Vegas gold” has a new meaning. Check out the new Vegas Golden Knights sweaters (Vegas Hockey Now)

Sportsnet’s Luke Fox goes rapid-fire through all of the NHL trade rumors (Sportsnet)

Will Edmonton re-sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Should they, and at what price? (Sudbury Star)

TSN’s Frank Seravalli says the chaos on the NHL trade market and in free agency will make some franchise players available (TSN)