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Deadline Primer 2022

Trade Deadline Primer: San Jose Sharks

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As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks are a team in transition. From 2015-16 through the 2018-19 season, the Sharks made the playoffs each year, winning six playoff series in the process. But a Stanley Cup championship eluded them, and since falling to the Blues in the 2018-19 Western Conference Final the Sharks have not been back to the playoffs, finishing in the league’s basement in each of the past two seasons. Longtime GM Doug Wilson has stepped away from the team on indefinite medical leave, and assistant GM Joe Will has a host of decisions to make in his boss’ absence as the trade deadline nears. The Sharks are unlikely to make the playoffs this season, and as a result, it is up to Will to navigate the Sharks’ decision-making process with several players of note hitting unrestricted free agency. They are probably going to be sellers, but how far will they go?

Record

24-25-7, 7th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$16MM today, $21.7MM in full-season space, 47/50 contracts used, 0/3 retention slots used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: SJS 1st, SJS 3rd, SJS 4th, BUF 5th, SJS 6th, SJS 7th, ARZ 7th, MIN 7th

2023: SJS 1st, SJS 2nd, SJS 3rd, SJS 4th, SJS 5th, SJS 6th, SJS 7th

Trade Chips

The discussion surrounding the Sharks’ trade deadline approach has rightfully revolved around center Tomas Hertl. Hertl is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and he has spent his entire career with the Sharks since being drafted by the team in the first round of the 2012 draft. Hertl is a top-six center, occupying the sweet spot in between being a low-end first-line center and being an elite second-line option. Hertl had an offensive breakout in 2018-19, when he scored 35 goals and 74 points in 77 games, and he has been hovering just under the point-per-game mark for the past two seasons. He has 22 goals and 42 points in 52 games so far this year, and 30 goals and about 65 to 70 points is a reasonable expectation for Hertl, who is right in his prime as a 28-year-old player. Hertl isn’t a suffocating defensive presence but he also isn’t a slouch in that area either, and he drives play well enough to handle being the centerpiece of his own line. He’s a truly valuable player, the kind of player numerous NHL clubs would like to add. But Hertl’s virtues complicate his status as a trade chip, as the Sharks are “taking a run” at keeping Hertl, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Sharks have good reason to want to extend Hertl, he’s a fantastic player for all the reasons previously mentioned, but should the two camps not be able to arrive at a deal before the trade deadline, expect Hertl to return a significant bounty of assets to the Sharks from whatever team acquires him.

After Hertl, the Sharks don’t have any additional players who profile as true difference-makers set to be available at the deadline. That’s not to say they don’t have some attractive assets, though. One of those assets is Alexander Barabanov. Like his frequent linemate Hertl, Barabanov is also a pending unrestricted free agent. After a long career in the KHL, Barabanov first made his way into the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but struggled there and was traded to the Sharks. With the Sharks, Barabanov found immediate success, posting 7 points in 9 games for the big club in 2020-2021, and this season he has found chemistry with the Sharks’ scorers to the tune of eight goals and 27 points in 48 games. He’s enough of a skilled offensive player to be able to fit on one of a team’s scoring lines and has been productive this year. He should be able to provide a team with some solid secondary scoring and the ability to play higher in the lineup should a more accomplished skill player have trouble with injuries. His cap hit is only $1MM, which makes him an ideal candidate for teams tight up against the upper limit of the salary cap. If a team needs some scoring depth at a cheap price, (both on the cap sheet and in terms of acquisition cost) Barabanov is a solid option.

One more winger the Sharks could shop to other teams is veteran Andrew Cogliano. Cogliano has an expiring $1MM cap hit, like Barabanov, but his play style could not be more different. Cogliano is now 34 years old, and whereas he once could reliably provide thirty-plus points of offense he now has seen that production mostly dry up. He has only four goals and 14 points on the season, but at this point he wouldn’t be acquired for his offense. It’s his penalty killing, reliability, and veteran leadership that gets him paid these days, and those three things that he brings to the table are coveted by many general managers across the league. Cogliano probably won’t return much for the Sharks, but for a team looking to add some reliable reinforcements to their special teams and their bottom-six, Cogliano is a proven, respected player to target.

Others to Watch For: G James Reimer, F Ryan Dzingel, D Jaycob Megna

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks

The Sharks, like many teams struggling on the fringes of the NHL’s playoff races, need more talent. Due to management’s uncompromising chase of a Stanley Cup this past decade, the Sharks have seen their pipeline of young talent erode. They have had some quality players emerge from their system, like Mario Ferraro, but in total young players like him have been few and far between. The Sharks now have an improved prospect system, ranked 14th leaguewide by the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler (subscription required) but they still could use more should some of their prospects not pan out as hoped. When approaching this season’s trade deadline, a priority should be adding to the team’s stable of draft picks, a collection that is currently missing the additional valuable picks that many other rebuilding clubs can boast.

2) Investment in Young Goalies

A goalie, perhaps more than any other player on the ice, can change a team’s fortunes in any given game. With the decline and then eventual departure of Martin Jones, the Sharks lost the player they once believed would be their long-term answer in net. This past offseason, the team traded a 2nd round pick for the Coyotes’ Adin Hill, but he has not had an ideal season for the Sharks. He has played in 24 games and has a .901 save percentage, which is not a confidence-inspiring number. To put it simply, the Sharks need more options to decide who will be their goalie long-term. The Sharks do not have a blue-chip goaltending prospect in their system, and since the 2016 draft, they have only selected two netminders. One has to wonder if developing goalies has been an organizational priority in the past, but from the perspective of the deadline, that isn’t relevant. What matters is that the Sharks need to make finding a long-term goalie a priority, and they can start at this trade deadline.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Edmonton Oilers.

There is a lot of pressure on the Edmonton Oilers this season. The team boasts two of the NHL’s premier offensive talents, but has been unable to find any sort of consistent play, and as a result is on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. They sit a point behind the Dallas Stars for the second wild-card spot (with two extra games played) and two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Oilers got off to a blazing start, but then went on a brutal stretch of games that ended up costing coach Dave Tippett his job. The season is now in the hands of interim coach Jay Woodcroft, and as the deadline nears the heat is on GM Ken Holland to fix the issues with his roster in order to provide Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with the best chance to truly threaten for a Stanley Cup for the first time in their careers.

Record

30-22-4, 4th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$1.96MM today, $1.96MM in full-season space, 43/50 contracts used, 1/3 retention slots used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd*, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th

2023: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th

* Per the terms of the offseason Duncan Keith trade, if the Oilers make the 2022 Stanley Cup Final and Keith is inside the Oilers’ top-four highest time-on-ice for defenseman during those first three rounds of their playoff run, the Chicago Blackhawks will receive Edmonton’s 2022 2nd instead of the 2022 3rd they are currently owed.

Trade Chips

Much of the conversation surrounding the Oilers this season concerns their goaltending, and it’s not difficult to see why. Their tandem of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen has been challenging, to say the least. Smith, 39, has an .891 save percentage so far this season. Koskinen, 33, has been slightly better, with a mark of .904 in 31 starts. Koskinen is more important for the deadline, though, because of his cap hit. He is on an expiring contract that has a $4.5MM cap hit, a number that the Oilers would likely be eager to ship out in order to facilitate adding additional players to a roster without much wiggle room under the cap. The issue with trading Koskinen, though, is that he has trade protection on his contract. Koskinen is allowed to submit a no-trade list of 15 teams, per CapFriendly, and that reality combined with his play this season could make him a difficult asset to move despite how beneficial it could be for the Oilers.

Pivoting from goaltending, if the Oilers do wish to make upgrades to their team at the deadline they could potentially need to part ways with players on their NHL roster to make a deal work. One of those players who could be moved is winger Kailer Yamamoto. Yamamoto, 23, is the 22nd overall pick from the 2017 draft who has flashed great offensive talent at the NHL level but has yet to put together his game on a more consistent basis. After a brilliant 27-game stretch with the Oilers in 2019-2020 where he had 26 points, Yamamoto struggled to re-capture that offensive spark. He has only 20 points in 55 games this season and had 21 points in 52 games last season, marks that are clearly lower than what a five-foot-eight, skilled offensive player would be expected to produce at the NHL level. But despite those struggles with consistency, Yamamoto remains a somewhat tantalizing offensive talent who has scored at a high level earlier in his career. Given his age and status as a former top prospect, Yamamoto could be a player other teams target to receive in return for the player they send to the Oilers.

If the Oilers need to create some cap space in order to faciliate bigger additions at the deadline, but moving Koskinen’s contract proves to be impossible given his no-trade protection or $4.5MM cap hit, a player who could be shipped out instead (for more modest savings) is center Kyle Turris. Turris is a longtime NHL veteran who was the 3rd overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft and starred with the Ottawa Senators from 2011-12 season to the 2017-18 campaign, when he was included in the blockbuster Matt Duchene trade. Since that point, Turris has struggled to maintain his form as an NHL scoring center. He was bought out of a massive extension with the Nashville Predators, and signed a two-year contract with the Oilers in the 2020 offseason with the idea that he could be a strong third-line-center for the club. Since signing, Turris has continued his struggles and has only nine total points in his 50 games in Edmonton over two seasons. With a cap hit of $1.65MM, he would provide some relatively minor (but still potentially crucial) savings for the Oilers if he is shipped away at the deadline.

Others to Watch For: F Tyler Benson, D Tyson Barrie, D Dmitri Samorukov

Team Needs

1) Quality Goaltending

The Oilers are desperate to make noise in the playoffs this season, something that has not really happened in the McDavid-Draisaitl era. In order to make noise in the playoffs, teams typically need exceptional goaltending. What the Oilers have received from their Koskinen-Smith tandem this season has been far from exceptional, as mentioned before. If Holland is serious about wanting his team to earnestly compete for a Stanley Cup, they simply must have a different goalie starting playoff games for them this spring. Barring some unforeseen miracle, a long playoff run will probably not be possible with Koskinen or Smith minding the crease.

2) Defensive Reinforcements

Evan Bouchard has impressed this season, but if the Oilers are to be Stanley Cup contenders they will need to add some help to their defense. Darnell Nurse is a star, and Keith has had a great career, but as currently constructed their defense is a flawed unit that rarely does its goaltending many favors. We all know that playoff hockey is a different beast than the regular season grind, and perhaps adding some muscle and experience to reinforce a defense populated with offensively-oriented players like Barrie and Bouchard could make for a more well-rounded unit.

3) Additional Scoring Depth

Looking at the situation from a strictly on-ice perspective, Evander Kane has been an important addition for an Oilers team with some issues getting reliable scoring outside of their two offensive dynamos. Adding more experienced offensive scorers to this roster could help them down the stretch as they are currently a bit too reliant on their dynamic power play to create goals. Adding some additional scoring depth should not be the first priority for Holland’s deadline, goaltending is far more crucial, but the team’s issues scoring sustainably at five-on-five is something to definitely keep an eye on.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

 

 

Trade Deadline Primer: Vegas Golden Knights

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As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Maybe more than any other season in their franchise’s brief history, this season seems to be one where the Vegas Golden Knights are truly pushing all their chips to the center of the table, going all-in on winning a Stanley Cup. Since losing their battle for the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl to the Montreal Canadiens to end their 2020-2021 season, the Golden Knights have been aggressive in pursuit of upgrades to their team. This offseason, they made one of the biggest trades the NHL has seen in the past few years, landing superstar center Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres to fill a longstanding need for a star first-line center. With Eichel in tow, the task for coach Pete DeBoer’s side is clear: win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, anything else will be disappointment, and GM Kelly McCrimmon and his front office enter trade deadline season with that mission in mind.

Record

30-21-4, 4th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$5.15MM today, $5.15MM in full-season space, 47/50 contracts used, 0/3 retention slots used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: VGK 1st*, VGK 2nd, NYR 3rd, VGK 5th, CHI 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th
2023: VGK 1st*, VGK 2nd^,  VGK 3rd, BUF 3rd**, VGK 4th, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th

* Whether Vegas owns their 2022 or 2023 1st rounder depends on where they finish this season. Should their 2022 pick end up inside the top-10, Buffalo would receive Vegas’ 2023 1st. If it is outside the top-10, Buffalo receives Vegas’ 2022 1st.

^ Vegas’ 2022 2nd round pick belongs to the Sabres unless Vegas’ 2022 1st round pick is inside the top-10, then the Sabres will instead receive Vegas’ 2024 2nd.

** Vegas receives Buffalo’s 2023 3rd round pick unless Vegas’ 2022 1st round pick is inside the top-10. If that happens, Vegas will instead receive Buffalo’s 2024 3rd round pick.

Trade Chips

The curse of the Golden Knights’ winning ways is that they typically find themselves with little room to work with below the salary cap. This year’s team is no different, and the aggression with which the Golden Knights’ front office has pursued upgrades for their team has left the team in a unique situation for this deadline season. The Golden Knights are, of course, cap compliant despite adding Jack Eichel’s significant salary, but that was not done without a cost. Captain Mark Stone is on long-term injured reserve, as is defenseman Alec Martinez. Stone is expected to be out until the playoffs begin, in a similar way to how Nikita Kucherov’s injury situation was handled last season. Martinez, on the other hand, is expected to return to the lineup eventually. That return gives Vegas essentially zero extra cap space to work with for this deadline season. That means that the team is in a situation where money entering the roster must be matched by money exiting the roster, making finding potential trade fits that much harder. 

That being said, should they choose to make upgrades at the deadline, the ideal candidate to be moved would be Evgeny Dadonov. Dadonov has not scored a point since January and his $5MM cap hit, if moved, could pave the way for Vegas to add a legitimate difference-maker to bolster their roster. Dadonov in total has 10 goals and 21 points in 53 games for Vegas since arriving in an offseason trade with the Senators, and he has two seasons left on his contract, a contract that also provides him with some trade protection. So it would definitely be a difficult deal to make, and Vegas could very well need to add sweeteners for a team to take on Dadonov’s contract. But if the team is set on going all-in on a Stanley Cup this season moving Dadonov is definitely their clearest way to the cap room required to add a useful player.

If moving Dadonov proves too difficult in an environment where cap space is at a premium, the other player Vegas could move to facilitate the addition of another player could be Mattias Janmark. Janmark, 29, was traded to Vegas at last year’s trade deadline and enjoyed a reasonably successful run with the team as a rental, scoring five points in 15 regular season games and eight points in 16 playoff games, including a game-7 hat-trick that clinched a series victory over the Minnesota Wild. Janmark has posted similar numbers this season, with seven goals and 17 assists, but he suffered an upper-body injury in a February 25th game versus the Coyotes and has not played since. Janmark’s injury combined with his expiring $2MM cap hit means that he is not immediately useful on the ice but incredibly useful to the Golden Knights as a salary-matching trade-chip at the deadline. So if Vegas can find a way to fit an addition at a cap number under Janmark’s cap number, expect him to be shipped away to facilitate that addition.

Others to Watch For: F Reilly Smith, F Nolan Patrick, G Laurent Brossoit

Team Needs

1) Cap Flexibility

The Vegas Golden Knights’ entire existence as a franchise has been marked by a consistent tendency to pursue aggressive upgrades to their roster. This is a team that has traded for two star players who captain other teams ,(Eichel and Max Pacioretty) and signed another as a free agent. (Alex Pietrangelo) They traded for Robin Lehner despite having Marc-Andre Fleury, the closest thing Vegas has to a franchise icon, on their roster. This is clearly a front office that wants to do something, and will do anything it takes to get an edge. But to do that they need space under the cap to make moves, which they are sorely lacking right now.

2) More Consistent Goaltending

By trading Fleury this offseason, the Knights made it clear that Lehner would be their franchise goaltender going forward. The 30-year-old Swede is an accomplished goaltender who can clearly be a #1, but he has been inconsistent this season, with a .907 save percentage, and he has also battled injuries. If Vegas is absolutely sure they need to win a Cup this season, perhaps they find a surer hand to play as Lehner’s backup instead of Laurent Brossoit and his .903 save percentage.

3) Cheap Depth Players

As has been mentioned ad nauseam, Vegas is all-in on winning a Stanley Cup this year. To win a Stanley Cup, there is very little margin for error. A team needs to be designed with great intent and coached to embody an identity that each player buys into. The players currently playing in Vegas’ bottom-6 as depth pieces, players like Michael Amadio and Jonas Rondbjerg, are decent enough players, but probably not the players coach DeBoer would want in a high-leverage playoff situation. The Knights at full strength are only an injury or two away from them, so a dark-horse priority going in the deadline for Vegas could be adding some more reliable and playoff-proven depth.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Seattle Kraken

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As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Seattle Kraken. 

It hasn’t been the year that Seattle expected, with brutal goaltending and an anemic offense sinking the ship almost immediately. With Vegas the gold standard for expansion teams right in their face, the Kraken have been unable to find their sea legs to this point and now face a deadline as pure sellers. General manager Ron Francis has been open about the fact that he’ll have to move on from some of the names he picked in the expansion draft, including the first captain in franchise history. The word is also out that they will happily take on bad money or be third-party in a trade to add draft picks, something that may be extremely valuable to contenders looking to squeeze the most talent under a flat cap.

Record

17-34-4, 8th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$7.13MM today, $25.02MM in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: SEA 1st, SEA 2nd, SEA 3rd, SEA 4th, CGY 4th, SEA 5th, SEA 6th, SEA 7th
2023: SEA 1st, SEA 2nd, WPG 2nd, SEA 3rd, SEA 4th, COL 4th, SEA 5th, SEA 6th, SEA 7th

Trade Chips

The most notable piece that the Kraken have to offer is captain Mark Giordano, who is on an expiring contract and carries a cap hit of $6.75MM. Earlier today it was reported that Giordano hasn’t even submitted his partial no-trade list, knowing that wherever he goes will be a contending team. He’s going somewhere though, as both the veteran defenseman and general manager have agreed on that already. Giordano could be a pretty substantial addition for anyone, especially if the Kraken are willing to retain half his contract so that more teams can fit him in financially. Last season, pending free agent David Savard landed the Columbus Blue Jackets a first- and third-round pick, while they also had to give up a fourth in order for a third party to retain salary. Some would argue that Giordano can still make a bigger impact than Savard, meaning that potentially could be the starting point, depending on how the market works out this season.

Beyond the captain though, there are many other expiring deals. Calle Jarnkrok, Marcus Johansson, Riley Sheahan, and Colin Blackwell could all carry varying levels of value for contenders, with the former two being the most intriguing. Jarnkrok and Johansson are both extremely versatile players with history at center (though both are likely better wingers at this point) and could slide into a team’s bottom-six with ease. While they may not be the most impactful acquisitions, they also probably won’t cost much in terms of assets.

Then there are players like Jared McCann, who is a pending restricted free agent and could potentially make a much more thorough impact on a contender this season. Seattle’s leading scorer, McCann has 21 goals and 33 points in 48 games. Obviously, that’s a player who could continue to help the Kraken in the future, but given he is a pending RFA just one year away from unrestricted free agency, they might want to cash in now.

Others, like Joonas Donskoi and Carson Soucy, are signed through 2022-23 but will hit the open market after that. The 29-year-old Donskoi is having a brutal year with just one goal in 54 games, but has proven in the past that he can be a nice complementary player if given the right linemates. Soucy too is an effective defenseman who probably shouldn’t be playing in a contender’s top-four, but could add some pretty nice depth on an inexpensive $2.75MM cap hit (before potential retention).

Others To Watch For: G Chris Driedger, F Mason Appleton, D Haydn Fleury

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks: It’s simple, the Kraken need to load up and build through the draft. Their expansion experience wasn’t good enough to make them a playoff contender right out of the gate and the free agent splurges were misplaced entirely. Matty Beniers is going to be the first true face of the franchise when he turns pro, but he’s going to need help. By the time March 21 is over, the Kraken should have another 2022 first-round pick in their hands, or the day might very well be considered a failure.

2) Flippable Contracts: There will be an opportunity though, to acquire players this deadline who are having a bad season and potentially flip them down the line when they are closer to expiring. You can see the Arizona Coyotes trying this tactic with names like Shayne Gostisbehere and Nick Ritchie–take them now with a sweetener, and send them out later for another asset. They’ll have to dig for the opportunities, but they are out there if you look hard enough.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Anaheim Ducks

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As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Anaheim Ducks.

The youth is here in Southern California, perhaps a bit earlier than planned. Jamie Drysdale, Trevor Zegras, and Troy Terry are just part of the young core that’s helped to spearhead the Ducks into the playoff conversation early in the season, although things have begun to fade recently. Sonny Milano and Isac Lundestrom have also made sizable contributions to the Anaheim lineup this year.

But Anaheim has stuttered in recent weeks, now under .500 in their last ten games and two points out of a playoff spot despite playing more games than everyone else. Now in battle with more experienced teams like Nashville, Dallas, and Edmonton, the Ducks simply aren’t in a position anymore to consider selling assets for a playoff run, if they ever were. How the Ducks and new general manager Pat Verbeek navigate the Trade Deadline in this stepping stone season could have big dividends for their future.

Record

26-21-9, (.545), fifth in Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$38,364,807 today, $55,628,970 in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, TOR 5th, NSH 6th
2023: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, ANA 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th

Trade Chips

The name that likely jumps off the page for many NHL fans is defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who’s in the final season of a $5.21MM AAV deal and is a pending UFA. However, the Ducks do hope to extend Lindholm, so unless it becomes apparent in the next few weeks that an extension isn’t possible, he likely won’t be moved.

One forward who could likely get shipped out of town after many years of speculation is Rickard Rakell. He’s also a pending UFA with a cap hit of $3.79MM, an extremely reasonable hit for Rakell, who has 15 goals and 26 points in 46 games this season. He would provide great middle-six depth for any team looking to add another scoring winger to their lineup, and with Anaheim’s breadth of forward prospects, he may not really fit into their long-term plan at this point.

There’s also Nicolas Deslauriers, who was nearly a Pittsburgh Penguin at last year’s trade deadline. Now a pending UFA as well with a $1MM cap hit, the gritty fourth-line checking winger is the type of player playoff teams salivate over to complete their lineup. He has nine points in 53 games this season.

There’s also the question of captain Ryan Getzlaf, who’s again a pending UFA after signing a one-year deal to remain in Orange County. He’ll likely control his own destiny, but if he wants to chase another Stanley Cup in what could be his last season, Anaheim would likely oblige.

Defenseman Josh Manson is definitely another trade candidate and another pending UFA. One of the better defensive defensemen in the league, he can handle top-four minutes with ease and can play a bruising game. But he’s on the shelf right now with an injury, and it’s uncertain whether he’ll be healthy before the Trade Deadline. If he’s not, he can’t be moved while on injured reserve.

Team Needs

1) Defense Prospects — Anaheim’s starting to get good things out of their young defensemen like Drysdale and Josh Mahura. But the team’s prospect pool remains top-heavy as players like Jacob Larsson begin to flame out. The team’s best defensive prospect right now is likely Jackson LaCombe out of the University of Minnesota, and while he’s solid, they could use another piece or two like him to help round out their list of prospects. If teams are willing to part with players instead of draft picks in any deadline deals Anaheim makes, they’d do best to shoot for a ’D’.

2) More Draft Picks — The Ducks only have six selections in each of the next two drafts, trading away their 2022 3rd for an additional 2021 3rd last year and trading away their 2023 7th for Alexander Volkov, who has since departed the organization. The team should definitely be in a contending position in three or four years at this trajectory, and they’ll need more players from these upcoming drafts to step into the lineup on cheap, entry-level deals as they begin to spend to the salary cap again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Boston Bruins

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As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Boston Bruins.

The Boston Bruins have learned the hard way this year that every player has an expiration date. The sudden departure of David Krejci to Europe this summer and the failed comeback attempt of Tuukka Rask removed two of the team’s core players, despite both still performing at an elite level just last season. It left only two names remaining from their 2011 Stanley Cup roster: Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. While both are still at the top of their games, there is no way for the club to know just how long that might last. Bergeron and Marchand have been back to two Cups since 2011, but a second title has eluded them and the chances to win it all one more time are running out.

Locked into a playoff spot in the East – albeit likely a wild card spot – the Bruins can’t waste an opportunity to provide these veteran stars with another shot at a championship. With considerable salary cap flexibility, especially compared to most other contenders, and a full collection of draft picks, Boston looks primed to make some noise. However, they will also try to keep an eye on the future and protect what few blue-chip prospects they have. Can they make a big enough move to win a Stanley Cup this season without mortgaging the future?

Record

32-17-4 (.642), fourth in Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$3,357,753 today, $5,036,630 in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: BOS 1st, BOS 2nd, CGY 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th
2023: BOS 1st, BOS 2nd, BOS 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th

Trade Chips

The most obvious trade chip for the Bruins is forward Jake DeBrusk. DeBrusk formally requested a trade from Boston earlier this season and by all accounts, that request still stands. While a slow start coming off a down year in 2020-21 didn’t inspire the bidding war that the Bruins might have hoped for, the status quo is beginning to shift. DeBrusk has been red hot of late and potential suitors who were previously hesitant of acquiring DeBrusk given his lofty qualifying offer may be rethinking their position or at least looking to get creative.

Of course, DeBrusk’s strong play in recent weeks could also force the Bruins to change their approach to the trade request as well. Boston is under no obligation to honor the request in a given time period and could be looking to play out the year with DeBrusk while he is finding success. If he continues to score, the Bruins could still trade his restricted free agent rights or perhaps even re-sign him if the relationship has improved. If DeBrusk cools off, as he has been known to do, the team could always let him walk, essentially treating him as an internal rental. If DeBrusk is moved before the deadline, the Bruins will have to immediately replace him with another top-six winger anyhow.

The Bruins do not need to move DeBrusk to accomplish their goals at the deadline. With a full complement of draft picks (thanks to the Calgary Flames replacing a missing 2022 third-round pick), the team can package picks and prospects to acquire help. Which picks and prospects they are willing to part with will ultimately determine who lands in Boston. With a shallow system when it comes to elite young talent, top prospects Fabian Lysell and Mason Lohrei seem safe, but may not be entirely off the table.

More likely to move are some of the Bruins’ older, NHL-ready prospects. The Bruins have been able to showcase some promising pro talent this season in forwards Jack Studnicka and Oskar Steen and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen. The team would normally not be in any hurry to move them, but face an impending roster crunch next season when all three become eligible for waivers. If the team won’t have the roster space to keep them all safely in the NHL next year, it could make the trio more susceptible to being traded this year. Of course, the alternative would be to move some of those young players who they could replace. Injured defenseman Jakub Zboril was playing well before he was sidelined and will be in line for a roster spot next year as well if still in the organization. Or could the affordable Connor Clifton instead be on the move, allowing Vaakanainen and Zboril to play in Boston next year? Upfront, if Studnicka and Steen have been prioritized for roster spots next year, could Trent Frederic instead be the odd man out?

Though unlikely to make much of a difference, it is worth noting that DeBrusk is not the only Bruin to have requested a trade. Fellow 2015 first-rounder Zach Senyshyn would also like a fresh start and it would not be surprising if he is dealt at the deadline as a minor piece in a package. The speedy, two-way winger has admittedly not received much NHL opportunity, but also hasn’t done enough to earn it.

Others To Watch For: F John Beecher, F Jakub Lauko, F Quinn Olson, D Jack Ahcan, D Victor Berglund

Team Needs

1) Top-Four Defenseman

The Bruins believed that by re-signing last year’s deadline addition Mike Reilly and adding Derek Forbort to a defense corps that already had Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk they would be in good shape on the blue line this season. While the early returns suggested the same, especially with Zboril also impressing, as the season has worn on the defense has become the main point of concern for this Bruins team. Zboril is now out for the season, Vaakanainen is also sidelined, and Clifton has struggled in a regular role. At the very least, the Bruins need to add a more reliable option for the right side of their third pair. However, the team should aim higher to take some pressure off of McAvoy, who is playing huge minutes and in all special teams situations and is the only blueliner regularly contributing on offense. A veteran top-four defenseman that can produce and eat minutes would allow the Bruins to shift other defensemen down the lineup to build a deeper, more reliable starting group. The team could even look to add both a starter and additional depth option on the blue line.

2) Top-Six Right Wing

If DeBrusk is in fact traded, this becomes the Bruins’ biggest need – if not already addressed in the DeBrusk return. Boston has found great chemistry in its current second and third lines of Taylor Hall–Erik Haula–David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic–Charlie Coyle–Craig Smith. However, with Pastrnak and Smith playing lower in the lineup, a hole was created beside Bergeron and Marchand on the top line. DeBrusk took the job by default and has taken advantage, but his previous struggles on his offside and with consistency are a concern. If the team opts to sell high on DeBrusk, they will need a new right-wing for the top line. Even if DeBrusk is not traded, it still would not be a bad idea to add some security with a depth scorer. Former Bruin Phil Kessel is one name that has been linked to Boston.

3) Long-Term Top-Six Center or Top Pair Defenseman

If the Bruins decide to go all out at the deadline and address long-term needs rather than just short-term solutions, a young, left-handed defenseman and a proven second-line center are the organization’s most glaring holes. As previously noted, McAvoy needs a long-term defense partner. Perhaps even more pressing though is the depth down the middle, where there is no heir apparent to the aging Bergeron with Coyle and Haula limited in their ability and prospects such as Studnicka, Frederic, and Beecher yet to show top-six upside. The question of course is whether Boston wants to fill these gaps via trade at great cost to their pipeline or if they will instead wait for the free agent market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Montreal Canadiens

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As the calendar turns to March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Montreal Canadiens enjoyed a dream run to cap off what had been an inconsistent 2020-2021 season, defeating three strong playoff teams before eventually falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final. That dream run stands in great contrast to how the team began their 2021-2022 season. The Canadiens collapsed, falling to the bottom of the NHL standings. These results led to an organizational overhaul. Out was longtime GM Marc Bergevin, in was former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton in a role overseeing hockey operations along with former agent Kent Hughes as GM. Hughes and Gorton dismissed incumbent head coach Dominique Ducharme, replacing him with Hall-of-Fame player Martin St. Louis, who now has the Canadiens surging with five straight wins. Despite the team’s turnaround under St. Louis, the Canadiens still figure to be sellers at the deadline, as they indicated with the trade of Tyler Toffoli to Calgary.

Record

13-33-7, 8th in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$9.41MM today, $9.41MM in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per CapFriendly. 

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: MTL/CAR 1st,* CGY 1st,^ MTL 2nd, MTL 3rd, ANA 3rd, CAR 3rd, MTL 4th, TBL 4th, MTL 5th, MTL 6th, MTL 7th, STL 7th

2023: MTL 1st, MTL 2nd, MTL 3rd, MTL 4th, MTL 5th, CGY 5th, MTL 6th, MTL 7th

*As per the terms of the offseason Christian Dvorak trade, Montreal will give Arizona the better of Montreal/Carolina’s first-round picks, unless either or both are inside the top-10, in which case Montreal will receive the better of the two picks. 

^If Calgary’s pick is inside the top-10 the Flames have the option to trade Montreal their 2023 1st instead, and if they do so Montreal will also receive Calgary’s 2024 4th.

Trade Chips

Despite languishing at the bottom of the standings, the Montreal Canadiens still have a solid amount of desirable trade chips on their roster. The Canadiens player getting perhaps the most attention in trade speculation is defender Ben Chiarot. Chiarot, 30, is a pending UFA on a $3.5MM cap hit that is relatively easy for many contenders to absorb. Chiarot is a bit of a divisive player, with many disagreeing on his true value, but what is clear is that he plays the kind of playoff-oriented game that NHL decision-makers covet. Chiarot’s best asset is his physicality, his rugged style that wears down opposing players, especially in front of the net. He is not an offensive player, and his 12 points in 48 games show that, but he is still a good enough skater to handle himself in transition. More analytically-inclined observers might scoff at the idea of Chiarot returning the Canadiens any assets of significance, and that would not be an unreasonable stance to take given Chiarot’s place as a high-minute defenseman on one of the league’s worst teams. But even with that in mind, it is undeniable is that Chiarot is exactly the kind of player coaches and executives want to have in their uniform when playoff hockey begins.

Beyond Chiarot, the Canadiens have another player who many coaches and GMs will seek: Artturi Lehkonen. Like Chiarot, Lehkonen also saw his profile raised leaguewide during the team’s playoff run. Lehkonen helped linemates Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher take on the team’s toughest matchups, and their success in shutting down scorers like Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews (among others) was crucial to the Canadiens being able to go as far as they did. Lehkonen is a relentless forechecker who can fit on a contending team’s penalty kill as well as any of their four lines. He also brings an underrated offensive element to his game, with nine goals and 22 points in 50 games so far this season without much powerplay usage. Lehkonen offers an extra year of team control as an RFA after this season when his $2.3MM cap hit expires. His versatility, relentless two-way game, and an extra year of team control should make him a hot commodity on the trade market, especially given the trade interest a comparable player like Barclay Goodrow, for example, received a few years ago.

While Chiarot and Lehkonen figure to be largely in-demand assets on the trade market, the same cannot be said for defenseman Brett Kulak. Kulak, 28, is a bottom-pairing defenseman on an expiring $1.85MM deal. After struggling to establish himself as an NHL player as part of the Flames’ organization, Kulak arrived in Montreal and became a relatively regular NHL fixture. He is now a veteran of over 300 NHL games and can offer a team some stability and skating on their bottom pairing. A team shouldn’t expect a player who can handle intense special teams work or shelter an inexperienced defenseman, but that being said a team could do a lot worse than Kulak as a depth blueliner. He shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive to acquire, either.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Cedric Paquette ($950k through 2021-2022), F Mathieu Perreault ($950k through 2021-2022), F Joel Armia ($3.4MM through 2024-2025)

Team Needs:

1) Skilled Prospects

New GM Hughes made it clear when he was first introduced to Montreal media that he did not envision the team undergoing the sort of long-term, scorched-earth rebuild other franchises have undertaken. With those marching orders in mind, it is likely that Hughes’ plan to get the Canadiens back on track will center around already-drafted prospects and young players rather than draft picks to be used on players further away from the NHL.

2) Cap Flexibility

Despite the Canadiens’ struggles this season, the team is deep into LTIR spending and has some significant contracts on the books. It’s not as if the roster has been stripped bare and has no veterans commanding significant salaries. In fact, the roster has quite a few of them. Pierre LeBrun of TSN reported that the Canadiens’ long-term plan could include adding a “significant” free agent, but for that to be the case the team would likely need to improve its cap flexibility from its current point.

3) Draft Picks

While Hughes has made it clear that he would ideally rebuild the Canadiens on an accelerated timeline, the fact remains that draft picks are crucial to building any successful NHL franchise. The Canadiens have a few extra picks moving forward thanks to trades, but still could use some more selections in the coming drafts to help re-stock their prospect cupboards.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning

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With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Aspirations of a three-peat are still alive and well in Tampa Bay, where the Lightning are once again thriving in a tough division despite facing a variety of injuries all year. They’ll undoubtedly be one of the top three teams in the Atlantic Division at the season’s end, but with increasingly tough competition, more fortification to the lineup wouldn’t hurt to help their chances at a Cup in 2022.

Record

34-11-6, 2nd in Atlantic

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$100,000 today, $100,000 in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 49/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: TBL 1st, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, DET 6th, TBL 7th, NYR 7th
2023: TBL 1st, TBL 3rd, TBL 4th, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, TBL 7th, ANA 7th

Trade Chips

One of the handicaps of being back-to-back Stanley Cup champions is having to pay up when players’ contracts expire. That’s impacted the Lightning greatly, forcing them to jettison their now-famed third line of Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, and Blake Coleman this offseason as well as acquire Brent Seabrook’s contract for long-term injured reserve relief. Even with all that, they’re within thousands of dollars of the salary cap, and any trade deadline deal will likely need to be a money-in, money-out sort of swap.

It would be fair to argue that it would serve Tampa better to just stand pat, considering how strong their team has been all season. But if they do opt to move out a roster player for a win-now upgrade, defenseman Cal Foote immediately jumps off the page. It’s certainly not time to give up on him yet, but in his second full-time season, he’s got just five points in 37 games and has been sparingly used in the lineup, averaging just 13:35 per game. He’s also the weakest analytical link on the Tampa Bay blue line. In fact, given Foote’s youth and ceiling, general manager Julien BriseBois could likely recoup an asset or two from another team along with a more experienced, veteran defenseman.

If a different deal comes along, the Bolts do still have a closet of later-round picks to deal from in the 2023 Draft. With just six picks remaining in 2022, it’s reasonable to expect that they’d prefer to hold onto those for the time being.

Others To Watch For: F Alex Barre-Boulet ($758k through 2024), F Gabriel Fortier ($792k through 2023), G Hugo Alnefelt ($851k through 2023)

Team Needs

1) Depth Defenseman – It’s poetic that one of the few transactions that makes sense for such a cap-strapped team also fills likely their biggest need in the lineup. Behind Foote on the depth chart is Zach Bogosian, who’s struggled with injury all season, and Andrej Sustr, a European re-entry player this year who’s gotten into just 13 games with one point. Another body would be good insurance for Tampa, especially another left-shot man for the third pairing that would allow them to more comfortably use Mikhail Sergachev up alongside Victor Hedman, where he’s found a good home this season.

2) More Draft Picks – The prospect cupboard is beginning to empty for Tampa, who has drafted very efficiently in recent years to maintain their success. Getting some more mid- to late-round picks in the fold in the right trade could once again pan out to be a star for the Lightning’s stellar scouting group.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Detroit Red Wings.

The Detroit Red Wings have impressed this season, enjoying growth all around from their young core and gigantic rookie performances from Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. With the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference virtually set in stone, though, any playoff aspirations for Detroit at this point are ill-advised, but that doesn’t take away from the extremely solid stepping-stone season Detroit and general manager Steve Yzerman have built to help set up the future.

Record

23-24-6, 5th in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$35.80MM today, $55.49MM in full-season space, 1/3 retention slots used, 43/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: DET 1st, DET 2nd, WSH 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, COL 4th, VGK 4th, DET 5th, DET 7th
2023: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th

Trade Chips

Detroit’s on the emerging end of a rebuild, so any decent player with term for the Wings is likely safe from trade speculation. However, there’s a decent amount of pending unrestricted free agents for whom Detroit would love to retain assets.

The highest-caliber of these Detroit pending free agents is undoubtedly defenseman Nick Leddy. The long-time New York Islander was shipped to Detroit this past offseason in a salary-clearing move, with Detroit yielding a second-round pick to acquire his services. The 30-year-old has 12 points in 48 games this year and is still capable of logging top-four minutes, meaning that Yzerman should be able to at least recoup similar value for Leddy on the trade market. Leddy has struggled defensively, often being outshined by his partner Seider, but could benefit from facing lesser competition on a better team.

Marc Staal is another left-shot veteran defenseman on an expiring deal that could make some sense for teams. He’s having his best season in recent memory, rebounding with some solid two-way play after being an analytical nightmare for the past few years. His +12 rating is the only positive rating among active Detroit defensemen, and with a reasonable $2MM cap hit, many contenders could work him into a third-pairing/seventh man role with ease. He does have a no-movement clause, however, meaning he’d need to accept any trade in order for it to clear.

On offense, there’s Vladislav Namestnikov. Fifth on the team in goals with 13, he’s having a much better season than his first year in Detroit. He’s a good two-way presence capable of logging middle-six minutes, and his versatility among forward positions makes him an attractive option to have in the lineup when injury strikes. He could likely command a third- or fourth-round pick on the trade market, perhaps more.

Others To Watch For: F Sam Gagner ($850K, pending UFA), D Troy Stecher ($1.7M, pending UFA), G Thomas Greiss ($3.6MM, pending UFA)

Team Needs

1) 2023 Draft Picks — Detroit already has considerable pick depth in 2022 with an additional second-round choice and two extra fourth-round picks, but they’re lacking any additional selections in 2023. With that 2023 Draft class shaping up to be one of the overall highest-quality ones in recent memory, it would be wiser to load up the following year rather than trading for more 2022 selections. It could also give Detroit additional trade chip material at the 2023 Trade Deadline if the team finds itself in playoff contention.

2) Forward Prospects — While the Red Wings have an incredibly bright and deep future on defense, the Red Wings are now lacking many high-end forward prospects in the team’s development system after players like Lucas Raymond and Joe Veleno have graduated to full-time NHL roles. Additional depth there would be a nice get for Detroit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As has been the case for the past few seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs are once again under immense pressure to buy at the deadline and finally make the jump out of the first round of the playoffs. The team has already made one move, adding defensive depth to the roster in the form of former Arizona Coyote Ilya Lyubushkin, but with some potential added cap flexibility due to defenseman Jake Muzzin’s injury, general manager Kyle Dubas has the chance to make a bigger splash prior to March 21st.

Record

33-14-4, 3rd in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$4.47MM today, $4.47MM in full-season space, 1/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 7th*
2023: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 6th

* – if Brennan Menell plays 30 regular-season games for Toronto in 2021-22, the Minnesota Wild receive Toronto’s 2022 seventh-round pick. Menell has yet to make his Leafs debut this season.

Trade Chips

It’s been widely reported that the team is reluctant to move their first-round pick this year or much of their top prospect pool. Taking that into account, it’s likely that any trade package includes a body from their now-extremely deep defensive pool. The most appealing option for trade partners is likely Travis Dermott. The team’s second-round selection in 2015 has been continually pushed down the depth chart by the emergence of Rasmus Sandin, but still has upside at 25 years old. He’s consistently mustered solid defensive results, and increased opportunity could help unlock some more offense. He has just five points in 37 games this year.

There’s also the matter of Justin Holl. He offers some cost certainty for teams, which is appealing — he’s locked into a $2MM cap hit through the end of next season. But he’s been prone to some egregious defensive mistakes this season, causing him to slip further down the lineup and become a healthy scratch at times. He does have experience playing top-four minutes, though, and does have a solid defensive track record throughout his short career. He still likely has some trade value.

Toronto also has a trio of young goalies in their AHL system in Erik Källgren, Joseph Woll, and Ian Scott. While the organization is high on Woll and would prefer to retain him, one of Kallgren or Scott could almost certainly be a part of a trade package. Källgren in particular likely carries some value, as he’s posted a solid .909 SV% in 22 AHL games and was the netminder behind Växjo’s run to the Swedish Hockey League championship in 2021.

Others To Watch For: F Alex Steeves ($834K through 2024), F Pontus Holmberg ($828k through 2023), D Mac Hollowell ($800k this year, $750k through 2023)

Team Needs

1) Wing Depth — Toronto has gotten impressive seasons out of free-agent wild cards Michael Bunting and Ondrej Kase, as well as Alexander Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev. But too much depth is never a bad thing, and the Leafs could use an upgrade to slot into the top-six, likely alongside John Tavares on the second line. Kerfoot’s versatility allows him to slide back down to a third-line role with ease, helping create a better matchup game for head coach Sheldon Keefe come playoff time.

2) Potential Muzzin Replacement — The health status of Jake Muzzin for the playoffs remains uncertain, as he’s on long-term injured reserve indefinitely as he recovers from his second concussion in a short timeframe. If Muzzin isn’t ready to go, an experienced left-shot D-man (Mark Giordano?) could make sense, especially as to not put too much pressure on the shoulders of the young Sandin and Liljegren.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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