In a little over three months, the NHL calendar will set its sights on one of the most exciting days of the year, with this season’s trade deadline falling on March 8th. With the annual roster freeze lifting this morning, the unofficial start to the trade season is finally underway across the league.
In one of the bigger deadlines in recent memory, the 2022-23 season saw star players such as Timo Meier, Ryan O’Reilly, Patrick Kane, and Mattias Ekholm all change hands, as two arms races sprouted in both of the league’s conferences. This year, once again, there are a handful of high-profile players seeing their names pop up in the rumor mill.
Chris Johnston, writing in The Athletic, has produced a Trade Deadline Big Board for this season, an assortment of players he annually produces around this time each year. Currently, the four best players available appear to be Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin of the Calgary Flames, John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, and Jake Guentzel of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The future of both Lindholm and Hanifin has been clouded since the beginning of the summer, with multiple reports indicating they would like to stay with the Flames organization, and other reports saying the complete opposite. As of now, with the Flames currently holding a 14-16-5 record and sitting four points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, Lindholm and Hanifin’s days in Calgary are likely numbered.
Even outside of this season, Gibson has been the subject of trade rumors dating back several years now, with reports suggesting that Gibson had tried to force his way out of Anaheim this past summer. Even though those reports were soon downplayed, the market for Gibson has likely never been higher, as several competitive teams are in dire need of goaltending help. Unfortunately, with a $6.4MM salary until the end of the 2026-27 season, few teams will have the cap space to acquire Gibson outright.
Lastly, Guentzel is one of the newer names on the board, as recent reporting indicates that the Penguins and Guentzel are not close to a contract extension, leading many to believe Pittsburgh might be interested in moving the winger if the right offer came along. Headed for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, and with Pittsburgh currently sitting three points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, Guentzel and the Penguins may be headed for a divorce before the end of the season.
Now it’s time for a vote, will one of these four players be one of the biggest names traded at this year’s deadline, or will a surprise player take the headlines? Vote below!
Would never happen but I’d love to see Guentzel slip on a NYR sweater after years of tormenting us.
Slip on, as in fall??? It would make sense why you’d want to see that then
John Gibson is becoming the NHL version of John Collins.
Gibson moves with ANA retaining salary… Not sure where, but his days as a Quack are coming to an end.
Jake is going nowhere.
He’ll get 8 x 8.
Jake Allen????? Oh, like the movie, there are 2 Jakes! LOL
Only if holland signs him!
Connor McDavid traded to Arizona. I just pulled that out of nothing – I am on the same level as 90% of sports rumours websites!
Lindholm and Hanifin to the Dodgers. Might as well…
March 8th is a little over two, not three, months ahead.
Stamkos will be traded for draft picks!
Closer to the deadline…..
Matheson ($1m retained) & Monahan for Byram & _____ ?
Detroit still a year away. Kaner gets moved again.
Hopefully Kane does get moved. Something got disrupted when he got into the lineup and the Red Wings haven’t been right since.
Maybe Pittsburgh ought to move Guentzel, but they’re not going to: that’s the admission of surrender they’ve been doing everything to avoid for two years. My vote was for Hanifin, on the grounds that very few teams could acquire Lindholm without moving out salary dollar for dollar; Hanifin’s more likely to move.
With that, Schwa has a point. I could easily see them moving Kane as a deadline deal.
I’ve seen an 8 x 8 suggestion for Guentzel. These contracts rarely produce value in the later years, but 8 mil in his age 38 season makes me pause. I think Jake would like to see Hextall back in the saddle again.
As far as Kane moving, the Wings are in an interesting spot. In a month or so, Stevie has to decide whether he has the horses. The Wings have to hop over Tampa & Jersey and Pittsburgh could hang around. I don’t think Detroit wants to move Kane but this isn’t a sentimental league and I’m sure Yzerman will listen to any reasonable offer. Kane has an NTC, so I doubt he’ll go to Calgary, for example. Isles & Caps could use more pop in their offense. If it’s close, would Yzerman want to help a wildcard rival? Kane could help the Preds but I wonder if Trotz will be willing to give much for Kane.
The Red Wings are going to have a very different roster soon. And hopefully Patrick Kane is not part of that new roster when Yzerman is finished.