NHL-podden med Bjurman och Ekeliw · Aftonbladet Sportbladet

Avsnitt 534 – TIO bytesaffärer vi vill se innan deadline

·1 hr 17 min·7 clips
Why Robert Thomas, a 26-year-old star under contract until 2031, could be the NHL's biggest trade deadline move.
1. NHL-podden avsnitt 534 is a pre-trade-deadline episode where hosts Per Bjurman and Jonathan Ekeliw each propose five trades to be executed before the Friday 21:00 deadline. 2. Per Bjurman hosts from New York weighing whether to attend a Devils-Maple Leafs game at The Rock; Jonathan Ekeliw is in Norway for cross-country skiing. 3. The episode's framing premise is that this year's free agent market is thin — Panarin and Rasmus Andersson already signed, Robertson/Ovechkin unavailable — so deadline action will center on contract-locked players. 4. Jonathan Ekeliw's first trade sends Robert Thomas from St. Louis Blues to Utah Mammoth; Thomas is 26, under contract to 2031, but has a no-movement clause that would require his consent. 5. Ekeliw argues Utah's prospect package is the strongest available: Caleb Deinoaie (4th overall pick, future first-line center), Tish Iginla (Utah's first-ever draft pick, son of Hall of Famer Jerome Iginla), and defensive prospects Chimachev and Maverick Lamoureux. 6. Per Bjurman's Robert Thomas candidate is Detroit Red Wings, pairing him with Axel Sandin-Pellika and Nate Danielson — but acknowledges the price would be prohibitive. 7. Elias Pettersson is discussed as a potential trade target; Bjurman says he sees him fitting best in Detroit as a second-line center, but the $11M+ cap hit makes it difficult to justify the prospect cost. 8. Ekeliw proposes trading Jordan Kyrou ('Cairo' as pronounced) to Seattle Kraken for Shane Wright and other assets; he notes Kyrou has three consecutive 30-goal seasons, three 70-point campaigns, and underlying expected-goals data suggesting he should have a +13 plus-minus despite posting -6. 9. Kyrou's value to Seattle is described as a 'pattern breaker' — a player who can create independently when play is locked, a skill type currently absent from the Kraken roster. 10. Ekeliw floats a Jesper Wallstedt trade from Minnesota Wild, noting the team has two high-quality goalies and may deal Wallstedt; possible destinations include St. Louis (for Binnington's replacement), Florida (listening on Bobrovski), or Philadelphia. 11. Per Bjurman proposes Vincent Trocheck from Rangers to Minnesota Wild: Trocheck earns $5.6M for three more years — a manageable fit given Minnesota's upcoming obligation to pay Kirill Kaprizov a record salary and to eventually re-sign Quinn Hughes. 12. Bjurman estimates Rangers' asking price for Trocheck includes prospect Charlie Stramel, a first-round pick, and defenseman David Spacek; he notes Trocheck has publicly said he prefers not to go to the Western Conference, which works against Minnesota. 13. Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto Maple Leafs) is discussed as a potential Islanders target; Bjurman argues he would add depth and experience to the Islanders blueline without displacing Matthew Schaefer from the first power play. 14. Bjurman's most elaborate proposal is a three-way deal: Patrik Laine to LA Kings at minimal cost, clearing $8.7M for Montreal; Montreal acquires Sergei Bobrovski from Florida; Florida receives a 2027 first-round pick — valuable because Florida has mortgaged its own picks through 2028-29. 15. Bjurman argues LA Kings are a good 'gamble' for Laine given Kevin Fiala's injury creating a need for a scoring winger alongside Panarin; if Laine underperforms, he has an expiring contract so the risk is limited. 16. Ekeliw speculates Simon Nemeth of New Jersey could be made available in exchange for a 'really good forward'; his proposed trade sends William Eklund from San Jose Sharks to New Jersey for Nemeth, though Bjurman challenges whether NJ actually needs another Eklund-type player. 17. Both hosts acknowledge the Simon Nemeth-Eklund trade may not make positional sense for New Jersey given they already have Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier as Eklund-type forwards. 18. Bjurman closes with a humorous 'wildcard' proposal: Mika Zibanejad to Anaheim Ducks to form a duo with Leo Karlsson — noting Zibanejad said he wants to stay in New York 'as it feels right now,' leaving a small opening. 19. Jonathan Ekeliw's closer is Conor McDavid to Vegas Golden Knights, framed as a joke parallel to the Gretzky-to-LA trade in exchange for half the roster plus 'a casino on the Strip.' 20. NHL fans who follow the trade deadline closely and enjoy prospect-level detail on Swedish players across multiple franchises will find the most value; those wanting game recaps or playoff discussion will find this episode narrowly focused on rumor speculation.
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