Insider: NHL GM willing to trade “just about anybody...”

Trade talks have picked up quite a bit around the league since the end of the holiday break, and the latest to be mentioned are the Tampa Bay Lightning.

During a recent radio segment on TSN 1040 in Vancouver insider Bob McKenzie stated that the Tampa Bay Lightning are now in a scenario where they feel they must back a trade to improve their defense, and all but one of their forwards could be on the table.

“I’m not sure what Steve Yzerman does, because there are so many financial handcuffs he’s dealing with, and financial pressures that he’s dealing with," said McKenzie as per Chris Nichols. "But maybe that also plays into the fact that it gives him something to play with. That he’s not going to be able to sign all of his players in the summer. Tyler Johnson is up. Ondrej Palat is up for a deal. Jonathan Drouin is up for a deal. Now, he’s not trading Drouin. But boy oh boy, just about anybody else up front might be a possibility if they could get a defenseman in that would help them."

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McKenzie doesn't believe that general manager Steve Yzerman will allow a team that was projected to be among the league leaders to continue on their current pace for just over 80 points this season. It's clear at least in his mind that a change in some form is coming from the Lightning.

“But I’ve got to think that something has got to give somewhere along the line.”