NHL Trade Talk Recap Oct. 17: Stars, Canucks, Oilers, Flames

In today’s NHL Trade Talk recap (Oct 17, 2024), there was big news as the Dallas Stars signed goaltender Jake Oettinger, the Pittsburgh Penguins demoted Rutger McGroarty, there are questions about Elias Pettersson with the Vancouver Canucks, the Edmonton Oilers picked up a second-straight win after Leon Draisaitl was sent a message and are the Flames looking at making an in-season trade?

Stars Sign Jake Oettinger

The Dallas Stars signed goaltender Jake Oettinger to a long-term extension, matching the deal Jeremy Swayman signed with the Boston Bruins. Oettinger was a pending RFA and said he was happy not to go through any of the wild processes other goalies have had to go through.

Read Details of the Signing Here

Oilers Beat Predators After Draisaitl Sent a Message

The Edmonton Oilers pulled out a decisive win versus the Nashville Predators two nights after Leon Draisaltl was benched and responded by scoring the game-winning overtime goal against the Philadelphia Flyers. This was the best all-around effort from the Oilers this season.

Brett Kulak scored two goals and McDavid got his first of the season. How did Draisaitl play?

Read The Key Takeaways from the Game

Flames Looking to Add a Center

In a recent appearance on Amazon’s Sports on Prime, insider Frank Seravalli revealed that the Calgary Flames are looking to make an early-season trade, but not as sellers. General Manager Craig Conroy is focused on adding and enhancing the current 4-0 roster while also planning for the future.

“Keep an eye on the Calgary Flames,” Seravalli advised, emphasizing that the team is not interested in a teardown but rather aims to bolster their lineup. Conroy has been actively engaged in trade discussions, reportedly “working the phone in recent days”.

What is Conroy looking to add?

Elias Pettersson has struggled since signing an eight-year deal worth $11.6 million per season on March 3, 2024. He has scored just one even-strength goal in his first game under the new contract and has tallied six goals and 15 assists over 36 games, with all goals coming from special teams. This performance has raised eyebrows among fans and analysts, with critics like sports commentator Don Taylor questioning whether Pettersson has lost his passion for the game or is hiding an injury.

What will the Canucks do with a player making that much money and not being productive?

The Penguins Send McGroarty to the AHL

The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned forward Rutger McGroarty to the AHL following a brief NHL stint that raised eyebrows among fans, particularly in Winnipeg. McGroarty, who forced a trade from the Winnipeg Jets earlier this year, failed to register a point in three games while averaging just 11:37 of ice time.

Does this demotion serve as a wake-up call for McGroarty? Some believe that this was karma considering his attitude about leaving the Jets and expecting to play in the NHL.

View our take on the McGroarty demotion here.

Other NHL Trade Talk Recaps Worth Reading:

Return tomorrow for more NHL Trade Talk recaps and the biggest stories of the day.