The buzz in the NHL transfer market is growing. Estimates of which clubs are on the move with selling and which buying intentions and, on the other hand, the needs of different clubs always accelerate towards the evening of the third day of March. The transfer period in the NHL ends on March 3 Finnish time. at 22:00.
There are also Finnish names in the transfer rumors this year as well. Here are the Finnish players who are most likely to move to a new club.
Jesse Puljujärvi is the most obvious Finnish name in player transfer discussions. The situation at Kärppäkasvati has reached a final deadlock in Edmonton. Puljujärvi has scored only 10 power points in 49 matches, and the impasse is no longer triggered by anything other than a player trade. The Oilers have tried to trade the Finnish winger before, but with poor results – now the expectation is that Puljujärvi will move before the transfer deadline.
First of all, Edmonton needs reinforcements for its back lines, and Puljujärvi could be traded to a club that would get a suitable defender in return. According to Urheilu’s information, Carolina is one of the clubs watching Puljujärvi with that eye. This is a fascinating option for Finns Sebastian Ahon and through the golden history of Puljujärvi’s junk race.
It is known that Anaheim has also been monitoring Lake Puljujärvi.
Urheilu’s ice hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen throws in a third possible address.
– Let’s throw such a Finnish trade that Puljujärvi is replaced by Detroit Olli Määtä with. Edmonton needs a reliable defender, and that would be the case, says Lehkonen.
– Detroit could be a very good alternative for Puljujärvi.
The 28-year-old Määttä has played more than 650 NHL games, including the playoffs. There are two Stanley Cups in the trophy cabinet. Taking into account that many clubs are specifically looking for a defender in the last few weeks, Määtä, who has played a good season, is certainly in demand. Some playoff team would get an experienced and reliable depth package from Määtä, whose Special expertise is in quality basic play.
What makes Määtä’s situation interesting is that, according to , Edmonton has been keeping an eye on the Finnish defender. Määtta was already on Edmonton’s list as a free agent in the summer as another option Brett Kulak too after.
As stated, before the beginning of March, many clubs are looking for reinforcements specifically at the defensive end, and basic brooms specialized in protecting the own goal never go out of style in the NHL. Niko Mikkola has played a good season in underperforming St. Louis.
Mikkola, who signed a one-year extension with the Blues in the summer, has built a player profile for himself in the NHL, which is primarily built around basic defense. Mikkola’s style of play is also suitably rough, and he does not hesitate to give the opponent pain in the corners and in front of the goal. Alivoimaa Kiiming’s man has played the second most of all St. Louis players.
There is a large and hard-hitting, ice-killing basic defender, who, however, does not produce much power in the offensive direction.
– Mikkola could have more to give in the puck game and some GM might see that, as long as that roughness in playing is also maintained. I see that, in addition to Edmonton, Tampa, Toronto and Pittsburgh could be teams that could need such a player in their ranks, says Lehkonen.
Suffered from numerous injuries in recent years Joonas Korpisalo has been his team’s best goalkeeper this season, but that hardly changes the big picture. GM Jarmo Kekäläinen made by the Latvian goalkeeper For Elvis Merzlikins a year ago, an extension contract worth more than five million talas until the summer of 2027. In addition, the club has also signed a well-known Ässi Daniil Tarasov to summer 2025.
The club really appreciates Korpisalo’s sportsmanship, dedication and good character, but the one-year contract expires in the summer and there is no room for three goalkeepers in the club. It is likely that Korpisalo will leave. From the point of view of both the club and Korpisalo, it is positive that the Finnish keeper has gotten back on top of his game after difficult years and thus increased his resale value.
Basically, at this stage, the clubs are probably looking for another member of the tandem instead of the first keeper from Korpisalo. Korpisalo can play at a good level and is, above all, a loyal person to the team.
Could Korpisalo be a solution to, for example, the goaltending challenges of the Los Angeles Kings?
– Here, Kekäläinen has a strict consideration that whether it is Korpisalo or Merzlikins, there would certainly be demand for both. Korpisalo has now played better than them. I believe that if Korpisalo leaves there, many GMs will certainly see him as a good alternative to the tandem for a longer period of time, not just for this spring, Lehkonen believes.
Antti Raannan, 33, the statistics are pure dynamite: the winning balance is a dull 13-2-3. Raumalainen has lost only two of the 18 matches he has started in regular time. When Raanta has stayed healthy for a long time, he has shown himself to be a quality NHL goaltender, but the big picture looks very similar to Korpisalo’s.
Carolina’s number one guard is Frederik Andersenin addition to which the club did an excellent job locating the injured Finland-Denmark axis earlier in the winter By Pyotr Kotshekov with a four-year extension contract worth eight million dollars. Raanta is in a way the third wheel in the current equation, even though the Russian youth was previously sent to the farm.
Raanta could be a good addition to the cap department for a playoff team (for example, the previously mentioned Kings), and this two million contract is not a bad deal either.
Raanta is an experienced and high-quality goalkeeper and, like Korpisalo, an easy team-first person who will not rock the boat under any circumstances. Maybe Lukko-kasvat also has Stanley Cup experience in the role of third guard.
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