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Trade Candidate Profiles 2021

Trade Candidate: Jonathan Bernier

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

It has been a rough ride for players in Detroit in recent years but one of the few exceptions has been goaltender Jonathan Bernier.  The 32-year-old netminder put up respectable numbers in his first two seasons with the Red Wings but has played quite well this season, putting up a winning record on a team that has lost 26 of 38 games so far.  While the goalie market is usually soft around the trade deadline, Bernier’s performance has been good enough to make him a viable trade candidate over the next week and a half.

Contract

Bernier is in the final year of a three-year, $9MM contract with a $3MM AAV and a $2.5MM salary.  The deal does not contain any form of trade protection.  He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

2020-21

When Detroit signed Thomas Greiss to a two-year deal last fall, the intention seemed to be to platoon him and Bernier with Greiss expected to do better than Jimmy Howard’s poor showing a year ago.  Greiss has done that but not by much.  As a result, Bernier – when healthy – has been the clear-cut number one in terms of performance although the veterans have still largely alternated starts when both are available.

Among goalies with at least 10 starts this season, Bernier is 17th in save percentage.  That may not seem impressive but when you consider the quality of the team in front of him, being in the top-20 is certainly notable.  Considering that potentially interested teams aren’t likely to view Bernier as a starter but rather an upgrade on their backup position, having a second option performing that well becomes quite intriguing.

It’s worth noting that Bernier was placed on IR earlier this week due to a leg injury that has kept him out for the past two weeks.  That was more of a procedural move for roster space than a sign of his recovery as he has returned to practice and is expected to be back soon.  It’s the second time that he has missed time due to injury this season.

Season Stats

17 GP, 8-6-0 record, 2.78 GAA, .918 SV%, 0 SO

Potential Suitors

There are two types of teams that look for goalie help around the deadline.  The first is those that have had an injury and need a replacement (or at least someone to get them through the time until the injured goalie gets back) and the other is a team with playoff aspirations that is in the mix in spite of poor goaltending.  This year, there are teams in both categories.

Among the teams with injuries, Colorado stands out.  Pavel Francouz has missed the entire season and while Philipp Grubauer has been nothing short of outstanding, they can’t keep playing him at the rate they have been if they want to keep him somewhat fresh for the playoffs.  Hunter Miska wasn’t the solution and neither is the recently-acquired Jonas Johansson.  With there being no real update on Francouz’s situation, a proven backup is certainly needed and the Avs are certainly familiar with Bernier from his time with them in 2017-18.

Tristan Jarry’s injury in Pittsburgh and Frederik Andersen’s issue in Toronto also have to be monitored.  Both teams would undoubtedly like to focus their limited cap space to try to fill another need but if the prognosis isn’t good for them, those teams may have to pivot.  Jarry has resumed light skating although Andersen hasn’t.  Arizona is viewed as a possible seller but they are hanging around the playoff race despite being without both Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta.  If they decide not to sell, they could be an outside suitor for him as well.

Then there are the teams that are in the mix but could use an upgrade despite their goalies being healthy.  The Flyers have already been linked to Bernier and have both Carter Hart and Brian Elliott scuffling as of late; it has become a situation where Bernier could potentially come in and start.  I’d also put Chicago in this situation.  Kevin Lankinen has done well but Malcolm Subban has been a bit erratic in his limited action and can’t really be relied upon in a playoff race.  Bernier would give Lankinen a capable veteran to work with while Chicago would get much more consistent backup play.  St. Louis and Washington could also use a veteran backup but their cap situations complicate things.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Assuming Bernier is able to return from his injury as planned, there are still two ifs at play.  The first is Detroit’s willingness to retain money.  Considering they have plenty of cap room and no retained salary slots on the books, that one seems like a yes.  However, the second is entirely out of their control.  If Florida decides to make Chris Driedger available with Spencer Knight now signed, Driedger immediately jumps to the top of the wish list for any team looking for a goalie and at $850K, he’s much more affordable than Bernier even with maximum retention.

The rental goalie market is often tricky to predict as returns have often been lower than expected in recent years on the rare occasions that one does move.  There are definitely a few teams that could benefit from his services and even if Detroit wants to re-sign Bernier, they can still take a run at that this summer in free agency.  This feels like a situation where the actual odds of him moving are lower than they should be.  If GM Steve Yzerman can get a reasonable offer, Bernier should move but a lot will depend on Florida as to whether or not that happens.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: David Savard

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

It hasn’t exactly been the year that the Columbus Blue Jackets would have hoped for. The team has struggled on offense and hasn’t done a whole lot better on defense this season. Throw in some banged up goaltending and the Blue Jackets suddenly find themselves in sixth place in the Central Division with Dallas just behind them with four games in hand. That would suggest that this might be a good year to sell.

The team could find themselves ready to move on from defensive stalwart David Savard. The 30-year-old blueliner has been with the Blue Jackets for 10 years now, but while he’s still quite effective, has seen his playing time dip a full minute from last season and as the defenseman’s contract is ending, it might be time to move on from him.

Contract

Savard is in the final year of a five-year, $21.25MM contract he signed back in 2015. It has an AAV of $4.25MM with no trade protection.

2020-21

While Savard still is seeing top-four minutes, he has seen a decline in playing time. The blueliner is averaging 19:37 of ATOI this season, while he averaged 20:41 of ice time last season. While he averaged a minus-three in plus/minus last season, that number has gotten worse as he currently has a minus-15.

The right-shot Savard, however, does offer some solid penalty killing skills, which many playoff teams are often looking for at the deadline and would be a perfect fit for many teams in the league. He isn’t an offensive threat and never will be considering his best offensive season in the last five years was a 24-point outing in 2018-19. He currently has five assists and is not on the power play.

Savard also offers some size to teams who might need it at 6-foot-2, 229 pounds and is an excellent shot blocker who can also dole out hits, again features many teams are looking for. He is also a humorous locker room presence. Savard has also looked stronger more recently and has reunited with partner Vladislav Gavrikov recently, who he played with last season.

Season Stats

34 GP, 0 goals, 5 assists, 5 points, -15 rating, 24 PIMS, 41 shots, 19:37 TOI, 43.6 CF%

Potential Suitors

Plenty of teams would be interested in Savard despite his AAV.

One team that would make sense would be the Florida Panthers. General manager Bill Zito has made a habit of picking up former Blue Jacket players and Savard might be a good fit in Florida as the team ramps up its efforts for a serious playoff run this year. While the team has some solid defense, the team can always use someone like Savard to provide much needed physicality and shot-blocking skills into their lineup.

With the lessening of the 14-day quarantine in Canada to just seven days, that could make it easier for Columbus to send Savard up North where several teams could be on the lookout for a defensive defenseman. Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets might make sense for Savard, although both teams are more likely to be looking for a bigger splash in Mattias Ekholm. However, Savard might make a solid consolation prize.

Even a team like Colorado or Vegas could be candidates for a low-key player such as Savard to help for an ultimate Stanley Cup run.

Likelihood Of A Trade

There is no guarantee that Savard would stay with the Blue Jackets if they elected not to trade him despite the fact that he’s spent his entire career in Columbus. One other key factor is that even in sixth place, the Blue Jackets are only three points out of a playoff spot, although four teams are vying for that honor. That doesn’t mean that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is ready to trade off one of his top-four defensemen. However, with few picks in the last few drafts, the Blue Jackets should be cognizant of the fact that they still don’t have a full slate of picks even this year as they are without a second-round pick, something the team might be able to pry off a team for Savard.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Dmitry Kulikov

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

For the past few years, Dmitry Kulikov’s contract made it a foregone conclusion that he wouldn’t be going anywhere at the trade deadline as teams didn’t want a depth defenseman making more than $4MM.  But the 30-year-old isn’t on that contract now and is now carrying a much more reasonable price tag.  Between that and the fact that the Devils are well out of the playoff picture, Kulikov the veteran blueliner could certainly be on the move in the coming weeks.

Contract

Kulikov is on a one-year, $1.15MM contract.  The deal does not contain any form of trade protection.

2020-21

While it hasn’t been a great year for New Jersey, Kulikov has had a decent season overall.  He sits fourth on New Jersey in ice time by defensemen and has split time between the second and third pairings.  He also has played heavy minutes on the penalty kill, anchoring their top unit.

From an offensive perspective, Kulikov hasn’t done much.  While he has never been a top-notch point producer (his career high is 28), this has been his worst season in terms of points per game as he sits at just 0.06 (two assists in 31 contests).  While offense has never been his calling card, teams typically are expecting a bit more than that from even their stay-at-home options.

One element that may be intriguing to some teams is Kulikov’s possession numbers which are the best of his career and one of the best on the Devils.  With half of a shortened season under his belt, it is a bit of a small sample size but as front offices become more analytically inclined, that’s something that will work in his favor as a lot of depth defensive blueliners aren’t typically on the positive side of possession.

Season Stats

31 GP, 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, -2 rating, 22 PIMS, 34 shots, 19:25 TOI, 54.0 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Kulikov has spent time on the second pairing with New Jersey, prospective buyers and playoff teams will likely view him as a more of a depth option, one that can play closer to 16 minutes per game.

In the East, the Islanders have some cap room with Anders Lee on LTIR and done for the year.  Clearly, their focus will be on adding a forward but assuming they don’t spend all of their flexibility on that upgrade, GM Lou Lamoriello – a fan of extra defensive depth – could turn his focus to someone like Kulikov.  The Rangers and Flyers – teams tied in points but heading in opposite directions at the moment – could also stand to add some depth on the back end if they’re still in the race closer to April 12th.

As for the Central, Chicago is another team with plenty of LTIR room.  While they’re not necessarily in a spot where they’d be wise to spend big on rentals at the deadline, adding a capable veteran or two for a low price to give them some extra depth would be wise and Kulikov certainly fits that type of idea.

In the North Division, Winnipeg could stand to add more depth and has some familiarity with Kulikov from his time there so that can’t entirely be ruled out.  Montreal is in a money-in, money-out situation but with Ben Chiarot out and Victor Mete struggling this season, there is a definite need for a short-term boost.  Calgary could use a boost on their third pairing with Nikita Nesterov scuffling offensively and they have enough cap flexibility that they may not need a salary offset.

St. Louis makes sense from the West Division with Carl Gunnarsson out for the year; Kulikov would, in theory, replace him.  The Blues will lose some of their LTIR flexibility once Colton Parayko returns although Oskar Sundqvist (ACL surgery) can be transferred there at any time.  Colorado is currently using Jacob MacDonald on an emergency loan, a role that Kulikov could certainly upgrade on.

Likelihood Of A Trade

With the Devils well outside of the playoff picture, there isn’t much of a need to keep someone like Kulikov around, as much of a decent fit as he has been.  There are always teams looking for defensive depth for the stretch run and as one of the more affordable ones out there in terms of cap hit and salary, that works in New Jersey’s favor.  As a result, there’s a very good chance he moves with a mid-round pick coming the other way sometime in the next few weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Eric Staal

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

It has been an interesting six months or so for Eric Staal.  First, he was surprisingly traded to Buffalo in the middle of the offseason for what seemed like a downgrade from Minnesota’s standpoint in Marcus Johansson based on their respective 2019-20 performances.  Second, he has been involved in what has been nothing short of a disastrous season for the Sabres.

At this stage of his career, it’s certainly not what he signed up for and from Buffalo’s perspective, carrying a 36-year-old when the team is clearly going to be extending their rebuilding plans doesn’t make a lot of sense either.  Accordingly, it looks like he’ll be on the move before next month’s trade deadline.

Contract

Staal is in the final season of a two-year, $6.5MM contract ($3.25MM AAV) with a $3MM salary.  Per CapFriendly, his deal contains a ten-team no-trade clause.  He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

2020-21

It has been an ugly year for Staal, to put it nicely.  When he was acquired, he seemed like a logical fit to provide some secondary scoring behind Jack Eichel while providing some veteran insurance for someone like Dylan Cozens to start out on the wing.  He has been in that role for most of the year but has done next to nothing offensively with just three goals.

To be fair, it has been an ugly year for just about everyone on Buffalo offensively as not a single player overachieving offensively with few living up to even modest expectations.  His power play time is down unsurprisingly and even his faceoff percentage is at the lowest rate in a decade.

Some players find themselves trade candidates based on an impressive performance that catches the eye of another team.  In Staal’s case, he’s on the list because there’s basically nowhere to go but up.  That’s a steep drop from someone who last season was a capable second-line center.

Season Stats

31 GP, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points, -20 rating, 8 PIMS, 55 shots, 15:26 TOI, 47.8 faceoff win percentage, 50.3 CF%

Potential Suitors

While he was a top-six player just a year ago, teams won’t be viewing Staal as one now.  As a result, his best role is with a team that has an offensively-oriented third line.

In terms of best fits within the East Division, there aren’t a lot of good ones.  The Islanders have cap space for a rental but have decent depth down the middle.  So does Boston although Charlie Coyle, their third-line center, has plenty of experience on the wing and could easily be shifted over.  Of course, improved depth down the middle is hardly their biggest need so Staal would only make sense if other options fall through.  Evgeni Malkin’s injury could create an opening in Pittsburgh but most of their cap room is derived from Jason Zucker’s LTIR and he’s expected back before much longer so making the money work would be a challenge.

In the Central, Florida is a team that doesn’t have the strongest center depth and would certainly benefit from adding a veteran to the mix.  They have the cap room to absorb Staal’s deal without an offset although as a team that has typically been more of a budget one than a cap spender, they may still want Buffalo to either take a player back or retain on the contract.  His old team in Carolina would be a feel-good story and they have the cap space to make it happen although with Vincent Trocheck nearing a return, there isn’t a pressing need for Staal either.

As for the North Division, Edmonton is known to be seeking some help down the middle – Frank Seravalli indicated as much in the latest Insider Trading for TSN (video link) – although Staal isn’t a right-shot player like the Oilers are believed to be seeking.  They’re a team that also would need to match money or require some retention to get a deal done.  With Vancouver’s recent injuries, they could stand to add a center if they hang around the playoff battle over the next few weeks although with basically no cap room at all, making a move could be tricky.

In the West, a reunion with Minnesota makes some sense.  The Wild never really addressed their center depth after moving Staal and as someone familiar with the team and system, there’s some added value you don’t see with most rentals.  At the same time, he’s not a huge upgrade based on his current performance and the salary cap element would be a bit challenging.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering Buffalo’s situation, both sides would likely want a move to happen although there aren’t a lot of good fits and even fewer that can afford him without matching some money.  Ultimately, Buffalo’s willingness to absorb a contract or retain up to half of the contract will ultimately determine the outcome.  Right now, it’s reasonable to think they’d be willing to do so which means Staal should be in another uniform by April 12th.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Alex Goligoski

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

For more than a decade, Alex Goligoski had been one of the more consistent secondary offensive blueliners.  From 2009-10 through 2019-20, the 35-year-old had just one year below 30 points while averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game.  It was reasonable to expect the same from him coming into this season.

However, that hasn’t been the case at all which hasn’t helped an Arizona attack that wasn’t the strongest to begin with.  Now, the Coyotes find themselves out of a playoff spot with several veterans set to become unrestricted free agents.  If they wind up selling, he will be a name to keep an eye on.

Contract

Goligoski is in the final season of a five-year, $27.375MM contract ($5.475MM AAV) with a $4MM salary.  Per CapFriendly, his deal contains an eight-team no-trade clause.  He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

2020-21

Goligoski had an assist in Arizona’s season opener and since then, he has just one assist in a 30-game stretch.  This type of offensive drought is simply unprecedented for him and has certainly come at an inopportune time both in terms of trying to help his market value for free agency and his trade value for the Coyotes.

It’s not all negative, however.  He has been an anchor on Arizona’s top penalty killing unit, one that is well above the league average; it’s that element that may be the most appealing to teams looking to upgrade on the back end.  He also has been more disciplined than usual with just four minor penalties despite logging more than 22 minutes per night so far.

Is that a great return on such a high price tag?  Certainly not but the fact remains that Goligoski is still a capable defender but this season, he has been more of a shutdown option than the two-way player he had been for so long.  Who knows, perhaps a change of scenery would help revive his offensive game as well?

Season Stats

31 GP, 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, -1 rating, 8 PIMS, 36 shots, 22:24 TOI, 46.6 CF%

Potential Suitors

Quite a few teams will be on the lookout for defensive upgrades although Goligoski’s season and contract will have him a little lower on the wish list at this time.  However, as other options are either dealt or pulled off the market, they could pivot to him closer to the April 12th trade deadline.

In the Central, Chicago is a possible fit.  They have the cap space with Brent Seabrook (and others) on LTIR which makes them one of the few potential playoff teams that can make a move without requiring Arizona to retain money.  They’ve had varying degrees of success from their youngsters but if they are serious about trying to make the postseason, adding someone like Goligoski would upgrade their third pairing and penalty kill without costing much in terms of future assets.

Among East Division teams, Boston has been hit hard by the injury bug and has been going with a by-committee approach for most of the season.  Goligoski would give them a stable option on the third pairing at a minimum with the potential to move up if needed.  At this point, they’re probably setting their sights higher in terms of a rental to pursue but if those don’t pan out, they could pivot to Goligoski and depending on who returns between now and then, they may not need an offset as well.  A similar case can be made for Philadelphia who is believed to have interest in him if other moves don’t pan out.

In the North, Winnipeg has a definite need to add to their back end, particularly on the left side.  However, they’re already into LTIR and don’t have enough room in there to absorb his full cap hit.  Unlike regular cap room, it doesn’t accrue on a daily basis either so some sort of offset would be needed.  Montreal has a void to fill with Ben Chiarot out for six-to-eight weeks but with minimal cap space, making such a move work would be difficult.

As for the West, there isn’t a great fit unless Los Angeles was to go on a bit of a run over the next few weeks to pull themselves into the race.  If that happened, they could benefit from a veteran like Goligoski on the back end and have more than enough cap space to bring him in.  If that doesn’t happen though, Arizona will have to look outside the division for a trade partner.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Simply because of his contract, a Goligoski trade can’t be pegged as a certainty.  There will be cheaper options to choose from (the Coyotes have several other veteran rentals with lower cap hits) and there is a possibility that by the time the dust settles, contenders opt for those lower-priced players and there isn’t a fit for him.  However, Goligoski is better than quite a few of the other rentals out there even with the season he’s having which is important.  A lot will depend on their willingness to retain salary and/or take a contract back to offset some of the money and if that happens, there’s a better chance than not that he moves.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Erik Haula

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

The last 13 months have been a bit of a roller coaster for Erik Haula.  Last season, he was doing a nice job with Carolina on their third line before he was somewhat surprisingly traded at the deadline a year ago in the Vincent Trocheck deal.  He played out the stretch with Florida and then entered free agency as one of the top options on the market in what was a weak center free agent class.

However, it took quite a while for him to find a place to play, eventually signing in late December with Nashville on what looked a well below-market contract.  Things haven’t gone particularly well for him this season – something that can be said for a lot of the Predators’ players – and as a result, it looks like Haula will be on the move before the trade deadline once again.

Contract

Haula is on a one-year, $1.75MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.  His deal does not contain any trade protection.

2020-21

Haula came into the season looking like he’d be a fixture on Nashville’s third line behind Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene.  That’s mostly been the case but it’s also not a good thing.  Johansen and Duchene have both missed time due to injury and have struggled mightily and yet Haula hasn’t been able to take advantage of it with Mikael Granlund instead being moved down the middle.

It’s not as if Haula’s ice time has been limited by the lack of top-six opportunities at five-on-five either; he’s a regular on both the penalty kill and power play and actually sits sixth in ATOI among forwards but with three goals, the production simply hasn’t been there.  One thing working in his favor is that he’s still winning faceoffs at an above-average clip but that in itself won’t be enough to garner a more favorable market this summer.

Right now, he may be viewed around the league as a fourth-line upgrade over someone that can be on a third line.  A change of scenery would give him a chance to potentially rebuild some value by working his way up the lineup and with Nashville on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, it’s an opportunity he likely wouldn’t mind getting.

Season Stats

26 GP, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, -5 rating, 8 PIMS, 34 shots, 56.3% faceoff wins, 15:35 TOI, 48.4 CF%

Potential Suitors

Searching for affordable bottom-six upgrades is an annual tradition heading into the trade deadline and with so many teams being cap-strapped, there could be even more emphasis than usual on making low-cost incremental upgrades.

In the Central, Florida is a logical landing spot for the second straight year.  Their third and fourth-line centers are still quite unproven at the NHL level and Haula would have the benefit of some familiarity with Joel Quenneville’s system from his brief time there a year ago.  The Panthers also have the cap space to absorb the contract without any sort of salary offset which is something that can’t be said for some other potentially interested teams.  If Columbus hangs in the playoff race and opts not to sell, Haula would make sense there as well with a fairly weak center group in general.

In the East, the continually-long list of injuries in Pittsburgh makes them a team likely to look for some depth upgrades that can play a bigger role in the short-term and Haula could conceivably slide onto their third line with Evgeni Malkin out week-to-week.  The finances would be a bit tricky, however, with most of their cap room derived from Jason Zucker’s LTIR placement but he is expected back before the end of the regular season.  Nashville would need to retain or Pittsburgh would have to send a player back to make the money work.

As for the North Division, Montreal has already been linked to one similarly-priced rental center as they could stand to upgrade on the fourth line while their top two young centers have had some ups and downs this season.  As is the case with Pittsburgh, however, they can’t afford him straight up and would need retention to facilitate a move. Unlike others on this list, there’s also the two-week quarantine period to contend with.

In the West, Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher’s struggles this season should have Colorado looking for a short-term upgrade.  Knowing the contracts that are coming due for next season, any addition would need to be a rental which Haula is and while he hasn’t been much better than those two, it stands to reason that a change of scenery to an expected contender may help elevate his game.  In terms of cap affordability, a lot depends on the status of Erik Johnson and Pavel Francouz, both of whom are on LTIR with no certainty for when or if they’ll be able to return during the regular season.

Likelihood Of A Trade

With Nashville technically only six points out of the final spot in the Central Division, it can’t entirely be ruled out that they opt not to sell in which case Haula will probably stick around.  However, if they continue to be on the outside looking in over the next few weeks, he’s a strong candidate to be moved considering his struggles so far while still having a good enough recent track record to make him fit on several playoff-contending teams.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Brandon Montour

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we begin our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

Just two years ago, it looked like Buffalo had brought in a core piece to their back end.  Even though they were out of playoff contention, they shipped a late first-round pick and prospect Brendan Guhle to Anaheim to bring in Brandon Montour.  Montour, then 24, was in the midst of a career season and while he was a bit of a late-bloomer, it looked as if the Sabres had a top-four defender in place for the foreseeable future.

Since then, things have spiralled in the wrong direction.  Montour has gone from a potential core player to a non-tender candidate last offseason to one that doesn’t appear to have a future with Buffalo.  He fit with the Ducks and clearly, under multiple coaches now since joining them, he doesn’t fit with the Sabres and as a result, is quite likely to be dealt having been made available for a couple of weeks already.

Contract

Montour is on a one-year, $3.85MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.  His deal does not contain any trade protection.

2020-21

On the one hand, Montour – an offensive defenseman in Anaheim – has just one goal and four assists in 23 games this season.  That’s not exactly high-level offensive production (or even average).  He’s below the team average in possession stats and while this could be said about just about everyone in Buffalo’s back end this season, his play in his own zone has been spotty at times.

On the other hand, Montour is still a right-shot defender that averages more than 20 minutes a game and takes a regular turn on the penalty kill.  This is not a commodity that is easy to get around the trade deadline.  His offensive downturn can also in part be explained by the fact he does not see any regular time on the man advantage.

Is Montour a true top-four defender on a contender?  Probably not but there will be teams viewing him as a third-pairing upgrade with the ability to move up in certain matchups or when injuries arise.  Despite the negativity surrounding him – and there has been plenty of it – this is still a profile of a fairly useful player and he should be viewed as such around the league.

Season Stats

23 GP, 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points, -11 rating, 14 PIMS, 41 shots, 20:54 TOI, 47.3 CF%

Potential Suitors

The majority of the league can’t afford to take on Montour’s salary outright and would require some sort of offset either by retention or taking another contract back (or even both).  He’s hardly the only player who will be in this situation though.

Chicago is one of the teams that can afford him due to their huge LTIR pool and considering they’re seven points up on a playoff spot, adding to their group would certainly help.  They’ve used several young defensemen this season with varying degrees of success but there’s a difference between finding playing time for someone in the regular season versus being in that spot in the playoffs.  Montour would slide in onto their third pairing and give them some insurance while still being young enough where a good showing could put him in the mix to stick around as well.

Philadelphia hasn’t really replaced Matt Niskanen with their offseason signing of Erik Gustafsson not really covering that role.  A cap offset would be needed but Montour would definitely boost their third pairing and he could conceivably fit in the top four given their shallower depth on the right side.

Winnipeg has a bit more right-side depth than Philadelphia but still has a void to fill defensively.  They’re in a spot where their LTIR-created cap room is fixed (it doesn’t bank like regular cap space) so unlike teams that may want to wait until closer to the deadline for additional flexibility, the Jets could pull a deal quicker but would also need an offset of some sort.  Calgary also has a need for a bottom-pairing upgrade but the offset would need to be significant given their lack of cap space; someone like Derek Ryan ($3.125MM, UFA) would likely need to be involved.

In the West, the Coyotes already have five pending UFAs on the roster but Montour would at least slide in ahead of a couple of them.  They’re on the outside looking in at a playoff spot but only by a handful of points so if they hang around the race over the next few weeks, they could be an option and have the cap space.  If they falter though, they’d be off the table.

Likelihood Of A Trade

In this financial environment, it’s hard to say anyone costing nearly $4MM has a high chance to be dealt due to cap and budgetary restrictions.  But the odds of Montour being moved are still high.  There are always teams looking for help on the back end and the Sabres have enough LTIR flexibility with Jake McCabe and Zemgus Girgensons out for the year to be creative in terms of retaining money and/or taking back expiring contracts.  They’re not going to get back what they gave up but there should be enough of a market to net GM Kevyn Adams a decent pick or prospect as the rebuilding continues in Buffalo.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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