Daily Nuggets: Golden Knights Rise, Oilers Fall; Last Supper?

The Vegas Golden Knights are off until Sunday, but they’re risers in my newest Western Conference power rankings. The Los Angeles Kings were in action on Friday night but lost, so they didn’t advance in the Pacific Division standings. It sounds like the Golden Knights will likely deal their 2025 second-rounder at the Trade Deadline, which is now less than a week away. Tick, tock…

Speaking of, let’s do one more Mailbag before the Trade Deadline next Friday, March 7th. Submit your trade proposals, questions about the season and playoffs, etc., in the comments below.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the Mikko Rantanen drama might end soon. A Philadelphia Flyers forward may have broken his own trade– perhaps to the New Jersey Devils? They’re sure to trade for a center, per Elliotte Friedman. Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones wants a trade, but that’s entirely in the hands of general manager Kyle Davidson.

Golden Knights News

I’ll get it out of the way now– no team comes close to taking the top spot in the Western Conference power rankings; that firmly belongs to the Winnipeg Jets. The Edmonton Oilers are the biggest fallers, but where do the Golden Knights land?

The Dallas Stars kicked the Los Angeles Kings up and down the ice for 60 minutes on Friday, so the Pacific Division standings remain unchanged. 

The Athletic ($): Which player (or pick) is each team most likely to trade at the deadline? Jesse Granger says the Golden Knights probably won’t be too attached to their 2025 second-round pick.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

TSN: The Mikko Rantanen situation could be resolved in the next few days. Chris Johnston reported that his camp will formally indicate where they want to go soon– potentially by the end of the weekend.

Philly Hockey Now: Was Scott Laughton’s Tweet a joke, or was it a farewell to the Flyers before a trade? Only time will tell, but it was an all-time social media post.

New York Islanders Hockey Now: The Islanders are one of several Eastern Conference teams that hang in limbo ahead of the Trade Deadline. What does that mean for the team and their pending UFAs?

Chicago Hockey Now: Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones has dominated the news cycle in recent days. He understandably wants to play for a contender– when he signed his long-term deal, it was with the belief that the Blackhawks would be competitive. But general manager Kyle Davidson holds all the cards.

New Jersey Hockey Now: According to Elliotte Friedman, the Devils will “100-per-cent trade for a center.” Who will general manager Tom Fitzgerald kick the tires on?

Detroit Hockey Now: On Thursday, Red Wings head coach Tod McLellan called out his captain, Dylan Larkin, for sub-par play. Larkin, ever the professional, had no problems with it.