NHL insider drops hints of a potential goalie trade.
Former NHL goaltender Kevin Weekes believes one active goaltender is drawing interest from rival teams.
There are a number of teams around the National Hockey League that have struggled to get consistent goaltending this season, and as a result there has been plenty of speculation regarding potential goalie trades.
One name that may be flying under the radar however is that of Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka. On Saturday, former NHL goaltender turned NHL insider Kevin Weekes revealed that his sources have informed him that Vejmelka is drawing significant interest from teams around the league.
From Weekes:
Although he enjoys being a Arizona Coyote, Vejmelka’s drawing interest from several teams looking at upgrading their G position. Great value contract and really good metrics since becoming an NHL goalie .
The interest in Vejmelka speaks to the level of desperation that some NHL teams are feeling when it comes to their goaltending issues, as Vejmelka hasn't exactly set the world on fire this season. The 27 year old Czech netminder has a 3.50 goals against average and a .892 save percentage on the season, although there is the mitigating factor of the team playing in front of him.
There is also the added cost attached to Vejmelka, a cap hit of $2.725 million per season. Vejmelka was signed to a 3 year deal in March of 2022 and will carry that cap hit through both this season and the next. That will make his contract more difficult to absorb for some of the cap teams having goaltending issues, such as the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
It's also worth noting that the Carolina Hurricanes placed longtime goaltender Antti Raanta on waivers today, so they may be worth keeping an eye on.
