NHL Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Claude Giroux, Hampus Lindholm and More

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Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Claude Giroux played his 1,000th game for the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. It also may have been his last in the black and orange.

With the NHL trade deadline set for Monday at 3 p.m. ET, rumors have been swirling around the league this week. Giroux has been one of the players most frequently named among the standouts who could be switching teams heading into the final stretch of the 2021-22 season.

Will the 34-year-old forward be dealt in his 15th year with the Flyers? Or could he end up staying put? We’ll soon find out.

Here’s some of the latest buzz surrounding Giroux and several other players around the NHL.

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Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Even though Giroux could remain on the Flyers until Monday, he won’t be taking the ice for the team this weekend. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, Philadelphia will hold Giroux out of action for its games on Friday and Sunday to ensure he stays healthy while working out a potential trade.

LeBrun reported that the Florida Panthers remain “very interested” in acquiring Giroux, while the Colorado Avalanche are also still “in the mix.” Florida is in first place in the Eastern Conference and Colorado is in first in the Western Conference, so either team would give Giroux a strong opportunity to potentially make a run to his first career Stanley Cup.

Although these teams appear interested in Giroux, it isn’t clear where talks stand. On Wednesday night, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that it “doesn’t look like anything is close,” but perhaps that could have changed a bit on Thursday.

Giroux continues to be a productive offensive player at this stage in his career, as he has 18 goals and 24 assists in 57 games this season. He’d likely provide a boost to either the Panthers or Avalanche, but he could end up being a rental, as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

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Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

On Thursday, the Panthers acquired Ben Chiarot in a deal with the Montreal Canadiens. But he wasn’t the only strong defenseman available on the trade market. That’s a good thing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who appear to be interested in making a move for one.

Friedman reported that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm is the Maple Leafs’ top target, but they’ve also “taken long looks” at several other blueliners. That group includes the Seattle Kraken’s Mark Giordano, the Philadelphia Flyers’ Justin Braun, the Dallas Stars’ John Klingberg and the San Jose Sharks’ Jacob Middleton.

Toronto doesn’t want to deal prospects for a rental player or trade away its first-round draft pick, per Friedman. Lindholm is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, so perhaps the Maple Leafs will only try to acquire him at what they determine is a reasonable price.

If none of these defensemen end up in Toronto, it’s still possible any could be traded to another team. It will be interesting to see which teams upgrade their defense, as well as what moves the Maple Leafs make as they look to make a Stanley Cup run.

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Julio Cortez/Associated Press

It’s possible that numerous goaltenders could be dealt prior to Monday’s trade deadline. However, it seems that New York Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov may not be one of them.

According to Friedman, there are several sources who “don’t believe Varlamov will go anywhere,” even though his name has been featured in some trade rumors of late. The 33-year-old is under contract through the end of the 2022-23 season, so perhaps he could end up staying with the Isles for quite a bit more time.

Varlamov, who is a 14-year NHL veteran, is in his third season with New York. In 20 games during the 2021-22 campaign, he has a .912 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average.

James Nichols of The Fourth Period reported earlier this month that the Islanders could be able to get two draft picks in exchange for Varlamov, potentially one in the second round and one in the third. If teams are willing to give up more, there could still be a chance he is dealt, although things appear to be leaning the other way.