The name of veteran Anaheim Ducks blueliner Cam Fowler is now at the top of trade speculation after Elliotte Friedman said late last week that GM Pat Verbeek is working to find a home for the 32-year-old defenseman. The move is more because Fowler does not fit with the Ducks time frame to be competitive.
Cap considerations should not be an issue with Fowler, since he has two years left at $6.5 million AAV and the Ducks have over $20 million in available cap space, which means they can retain 50% of his salary if they can get a good return.
The four teams that would be a fit in a deal for Fowler are:
Carolina – lost Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei in free agency and have two more blueliners in Dmitry Orlov and Brent Burns with expiring contracts.
Edmonton – lost Philip Broberg to an offer sheet, Cody Ceci to a trade to clear cap space, and whose defense has been a weak spot for years.
Detroit – The connections (Verbeek is a former assistant to Steve Yzerman, Fowler is from Windsor, ON) make too much sense. Plus, the Wings D is weak with guys like Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson playing big roles.
Toronto – The Leafs added Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson in free agency, and reportedly plan on extending Jake McCabe, but their win-now philosophy fits with the addition of another quality veteran D and they have a better age fit in a deal for the Ducks if they swap Timothy Liljegren in the deal.
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