NHL Trade Rumors: Latest on Dylan Strome’s Blackhawks Future, Vitali Kravtsov

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The 2021-22 NHL season is only three days old, but it’s not too early to start thinking about potential midseason trades.

And it’s possible that some players could be dealt before the campaign’s first month is out, with rumors already brewing about who may be switching teams in the near future.

Here’s some of the latest trade buzz from around the NHL.

Could Strome Be Heading Out of Chicago in Near Future?

After three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, Dylan Strome could be on the move soon.

With a plethora of centers on their roster, the Blackhawks are considering trading Strome, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, who reported that the 24-year-old is “retaining attention around the league.”

“There’s some teams kicking tires on him and I think there’s a chance that he moves here over the next week or two,” LeBrun said on TSN’s Insider Trading.

Strome began his NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes, who took him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft. In November 2018, he was traded to the Blackhawks. Throughout his first five seasons in the league, Strome was a solid offensive player. However, his numbers dipped during an injury-hit 2020-21 campaign, when he had nine goals and eight assists in 40 games.

Even though Strome is now healthy, he was scratched for Chicago’s season opener against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. That’s a sign he has moved down the pecking order and that there may no longer be a spot for him on any of the Blackhawks’ lines.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported that Chicago is open to trading Strome, who is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Kravtsov Drawing Trade Interest

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Vitali Kravtsov couldn’t land a spot on the New York Rangers’ season-opening roster. Because of that, the 21-year-old forward was given permission to seek a trade, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

It apparently hasn’t taken long for suitors to materialize. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that there’s been “good interest” in Kravtsov, who may just be looking for a fresh start with a new franchise.

“I’m told he’s willing to play in the AHL with another NHL club and would consider a one-year agreement around his qualifying offer for next season,” Dreger tweeted.

Kravtsov has only 20 games of NHL experience, all of which came last season with the Rangers, and he notched two goals and two assists. New York selected the 21-year-old with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft. Despite overlooking him for a roster spot, the Rangers want a top-six player in return for Kravtsov, per Dreger.

The winger, who refused his assignment with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, still has a bright future ahead of him. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here and whether he makes an impact in the NHL during the 2021-22 campaign.