It’s been a little over a month since the start of the 2019 - 2020 NHL season and the first few games have certainly given teams something to think about. The off-season was a strong one and gave teams the opportunity to see where they need to strengthen. Tampa Bay Lightning, the St Louis Blues, and the Boston Bruins had a particularly strong off-season, but that doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be more incoming signings before the season deadline.
In this article, we’re going to look at the most recent NHL trade rumors as we approach the 2020 NHL trade deadline, as well as the NHL standings over the first month of the 2019 - 2020 season, and the important dates to keep an eye out for.
Important dates in the 2019/20 NHL season
Although the current NHL season is already in full swing, these are the key dates for the season that you should keep an eye on, according to NHL.com:
- Oct. 2: Opening night, featuring the St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony versus the Washington Capitals
- Oct. 4: NHL Global Series opens with Philadelphia Flyers vs Chicago Blackhawks in Prague, Czech Republic
- Oct. 26: Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets square off in 2019 Heritage Classic at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan
- Jan. 1: Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators hit the ice in the 2020 Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas
- Jan. 23-Jan. 26: All-Star break in St. Louis
- Feb. 8: Hockey Day in Canada
- Feb. 15: Colorado Avalanche versus Los Angeles Kings in Stadium Series game at U.S. Air Force Academy's Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Feb. 16: Hockey Day in America
- Feb 24: 2019–20 NHL trade deadline
- April 4: Last day of the regular season
NHL standings for the 2019 - 2020 season
We know that it hasn’t been much more than a month since the league officially kicked off, but already we’ve seen some interesting results. As it stands, Washington Capitals are top of the league, followed closely by Boston Bruins.
Bringing up the lower end of the table are the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks. The Washington Capitals are the current NHL point leaders with 25 points, as well as the NHL score leaders with 64 goals scored for the team.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the standings change as the fixtures start to get tougher, more frequent, and when all the new and incoming players have settled in.
Top NHL trade rumors 2019 - 2020
While many teams have most likely completed their trade activity for the 2019/20 season, the NHL trade deadline only falls on February the 24th and as such, teams still have time to strengthen areas or move on unwanted players. The first month of the season has given teams the opportunity to really assess where they need to bring in some players and where others may be a bit of deadwood.
These are just some of the most recent trade rumors and NHL trade news coming out of the league in the last week:
Is Taylor Hall staying or going?
Taylor Hall had a bit of a run-in with his team’s fans after their 7-6 loss to Tampa Bay Lighting. This has lit up the NHL trade rumors that the Blues could have a shot at landing the New Jersey Devils player. After their winger Vladimir Tarasenko injured his shoulder, the Blues need to strengthen this area, although they also remain interested in New York Rangers player Chris Kreider.
Hall was the 2018 Hart Trophy winner and as such, he stands to be the more expensive acquisition of the two. It remains to be seen whether the Blues will splash the cash for Hall or take the more affordable alternative for Kreider. Only time will tell.
Are the struggling San Jose Sharks going to strengthen?
The first month of the league has not been a good one for the San Jose Sharks. With a record of 4-10-1, they are sitting bottom in the Western Conference Standings and second from the bottom in the overall league. The NHL trade tracker predicts that they are going to have to sign someone by the deadline if they don’t want to have a disaster of a season.
Their biggest problem stems from the goal, and they still haven’t replaced forwards Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi who both left in the off-season. Wilson is going to have to make a move for a player in the crease, however, pickings are slim and right now we aren’t sure who they will line up for. This is a situation to keep an eye on.
Gustafsson for sale?
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson no longer has an automatic spot in the lineup if Adam Boqvist can prove that he’s got what it takes. He’s not had a good season so far and with Blackhawks in the middle of a rebuild, trading him would fetch a return that could help towards their ultimate goal. However, worries are that if his season continues in this vein, that he won’t fetch much a return even if he is put on the trade block.
It’s all up to Gustafsson to see if he can build on his poor performances and once again become an asset to the Blackhawks.
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