Tampa Bay Lightning looking to trade a defenceman
Joe Smith: Smith reports the Tampa Bay Lightning are open to moving Slater Koekkoek or Braydon Coburn. They’ve been calling other teams. One week until season opener, so should be interesting. The fact Erik Cernak opened some eyes in training camp which has made Coburn and Koekkoek expendable.
In five preseason starts with the Lightning, Cernak has looked impressive despite not registering any points. This is due to his ability to play hard minutes alongside some of the team’s top defensemen like Ryan McDonagh.
Given the fact that the Lightning could be losing three or more of their starting defensemen in the off-season, this seems like the perfect time to move Cernak into a full-time role with the franchise.
The New York Islanders could have some tough choices to make
Newsday: The New York Islanders cannot afford to repeat the mistake of letting John Tavares walk out the door without compensation. So, GM Lou Lamoriello may be forced into some tough decisions come the 2019 NHL trade deadline with top-six forwards Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson, all headed toward unrestricted free agency. The Islanders can’t have this storyline loom over this season as Tavares’ contract situation did last season.
