Hockey insider Bob McKenzie appeared on NBCSN on Wednesday, dishing on some very interesting subjects. Fans will probably be most interested to hear his takes on the trade market.
In the first video (see above), some fascinating stuff on the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray.
To start, the not-so-surprising: McKenzie reports that the Penguins are “wide open” to the idea of moving “MAF,” though maybe not as desperate as some might think. Why? He believes that the Penguins won’t get into a situation where they’d lose Murray, even if it means buying out Fleury.
Here’s how a Fleury buyout would shake out, according to Cap Friendly’s buyout calculator:
A lot to consider there.
Final point on that: McKenzie emphasizes that the Penguins’ top focus is a run at the Stanley Cup; if that means keeping Fleury and then figuring something out this summer, then so be it.
The other especially intriguing video revolves around McKenzie’s breakdown of a “grim situation” for the Arizona Coyotes, which leads him to believe that it’s not a matter of if “but when” the team decides to trade players on expiring contracts. Specifically, McKenzie points to hulking center Martin Hanzal and injured scoring defenseman Michael Stone.
Hanzal, in particular, could conceivably net something nice on the open market.
If you want more from McKenzie, check out his take on the Colorado Avalanche shopping Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene.
