NHL Trade Board: Panarin, Trocheck on the block as sellers begin to emerge
The urgency is here. We can feel it. The NHL’s Olympic roster freeze is Feb. 4 at 3:00 p.m. ET and represents a form of “mini Trade Deadline” given all transactions halt from that point until Feb. 22 at 11:59 p.m. ET and will leave just an 11-day sprint remaining until the official Trade Deadline March 6. It’s no wonder, then, that we’ve seen some of the most coveted names on the Daily Faceoff Trade Board scratched off in the past few days in Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and Vancouver Canucks right winger Kiefer Sherwood, now property of the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks, respectively.
We thus better get moving on our next Trade Board before any more players get dealt. The exercise has been particularly fascinating and challenging this season given the unbelievable parity, but we’ve finally started to see some standings separation in recent weeks, with the Canucks, Flames and New York Rangers establishing themselves as clear sellers while teams like the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues fade from contention.
Still, most of the NHL field remains in the playoff hunt, so the board will continue to be fluid, which is why the tiered system of trade likelihood matters.
I’ve compiled names for this board via a committee approach across The Nation Network, consisting of:
(a) Intel provided from the various insiders appearing across our shows and/or publishing content for us, from the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman to DFO’s own Anthony Di Marco and more;
(b) My own information;
(c) Absorbing the external reporting and trade chatter already out there as public knowledge;
(d) Hypothesizing a handful of names not yet publicly on the block that could be later this season.
Let’s dive into the board. Contract information courtesy of our friends at PuckPedia.
TIER 1: Obvious trade candidates
Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers
Age: 34
Cap hit: $11,842,657, pending UFA
(No-movement clause)
The Bread Man era is ending in Manhattan. Last week, the Rangers released The Letter 2.0, informing their fans the franchise is entering a retool phase and committing to get younger, and GM Chris Drury told Panarin he won’t be re-signed. That doesn’t come as a massive surprise given it was already established that he wouldn’t be taking a pay cut. And why would he when he’s still producing better than a point per game and almost every top-tier 2026 UFA has already re-signed with his team? He and the Rangers will work on a trade now. The list of suitors will be plentiful. The Rangers will want to find a package that brings in some combination of first-round pick + legit prospect + young NHLer (ideally all three), but they’ll be limited by Panarin’s leverage. He has a full NMC and gets to pick his destination in the end.
Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils
Age: 32
Cap hit: $9,000,000 through 2027-28
(10-team trade list)
Hamilton’s no-movement clause softened to a 10-team trade list beginning with this season. He’ll always have his knuckle-draggin’ haters as a player with lackadaisical body language, and his scoring has evaporated this year, but he’s perennially a strong play-driving defenseman. Not that he’s on this board for his perceived external trade value per se; it’s more that the Devils would like to offload his hefty cap hit to clear space. Since the last Trade Board update, Hamilton’s camp expressed a willingness to expand his 10-team trade list in hopes of finding him a new home, so a trade feels inevitable, albeit it won’t be the easiest to work out given his hefty cap hit. The playoff salary cap and double-salary-retention crackdown will make high-AAV players harder to move at the deadline this year, don’t forget.
Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues
Age: 34
Cap hit: $6,500,000 through 2027-28
(15-team no-trade list)
Schenn is not a $6.5-million player anymore. The Blues would almost certainly need to retain salary to facilitate a trade, especially since he has a couple years of term left. But Schenn at a discounted price could still boost a team’s third line and bring brawny veteran leadership.
Ryan Hartman, C, Minnesota Wild
Age: 31
Cap hit: $4,000,000 through 2026-27
(15-team no-trade clause)
Ideally, a team acquiring Hartman uses him as a third-line center, not a second-liner, but the agitator has succeeded in the past playing as high as the first line, though he doesn’t seem to have the upside he once did. The Wild don’t appear to be done after landing Quinn Hughes. They want to upgrade at center next but may need to dump Hartman’s cap hit first and have been dangling him, reported Pagnotta on Daily Faceoff Live last week.
Steven Stamkos, C, Nashville Predators
Age: 35
Cap hit: $8,000,000 through 2027-28
(No-movement clause)
Stamkos is not the superstar he was in his Tampa Bay Lightning glory days, but he’s been far better this season than last, scoring at a 35-goal pace. Couldn’t he still help a contender as a cog in a high-functioning machine who assists the power play with his one-timer? Picture late-career Brett Hull as a Detroit Red Wing. Despite Nashville hanging on the fringe of the Western Conference Wildcard picture, there’s been no indication trade talks are called off as a result.
Boone Jenner, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 32
Cap hit: $3,750,000, pending UFA
(Eight-team no-trade clause)
Here’s where the East’s parity makes things so complicated. If the Blue Jackets can get hot for a couple weeks: no reason to deal their captain and all-time games leader and more reason to expect he’ll re-sign. If not: a heart-and-soul forward like Jenner would invite a feeding frenzy if he’s available.
Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators
Age: 34
Cap hit: $4,500,000 through 2026-27
It was jarring to see O’Reilly mercilessly trash his own play in a post-game scrum a couple months back. The last time he spoke like that, he was on his way out of Buffalo, and he makes too much sense as a popular trade target given he’s a Conn Smythe Trophy winner and brainy two-way center who plays a clean shutdown game. He still has enough gas left in him to bolster a contender’s middle six.
Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues
Age: 33
Cap hit: $6,500,000 through 2026-27
(15-team no-trade list)
Faulk plays 22 minutes a night in his sleep. He’s still plenty mobile for his age. He’s one of the game’s more prolific shot blockers. He chips in a healthy amount of goals from the point, and he’s a right shot. So, yeah, he’ll have plenty of suitors should the Blues decide they can’t recover from their lackluster first half. Unlike Andersson, Faulk offers the extra year of term as a ‘luxury rental’ to boot.
Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Nashville Predators
Age: 35
Cap hit: $5,500,000 through 2028-29
(15-team no-trade list)
If you’re shopping in Music City, Conn Smythe winners apparently do grow on trees? Marchessault is another. But he’s a much more difficult player to appraise compared to Stamkos and O’Reilly. Is Marchessault worth taking on for three more seasons after this one? Was his 42-goal season at 33 years old an extreme outlier a couple seasons back? Given his competitiveness and playoff success, he’d still be a pretty nice depth add if Nashville retained some money. As Pagnotta explained on DFO Live earlier this month, Marchessault is still in play despite the team’s improvement of late.
Blake Coleman, LW, Calgary Flames
Age: 34
Cap hit: $4,900,000 through 2026-27
(10-team trade list)
He’s a proven two-time Stanley Cup winner who can deliver 20 goals, occasionally more, while assisting on the penalty kill and playing a feisty, physical game. What contender wouldn’t want him for third-line and PK1 work? The Flames could always sit on him a year and move him as a rental next season, but the demand for his services should be sufficient this year when it’s stretch-run time. A reunion with the team that drafted him, the New Jersey Devils, could make sense given he can play center in a pinch, but should we also keep an eye on his other former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning? The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun floated that idea.
Ondrej Palat, LW, New Jersey Devils
Age: 34
Cap hit: $6,000,000 through 2026-27
(10-team trade list)
It’s no secret the Devils badly want to dump cap space. Moving Palat is the easiest way to do it, especially because his front-loaded contract means he isn’t owed much more real money. He could go to a bottom-feeder team looking for a draft pick in return for taking on Palat’s cap hit or to a team with slightly bigger aspirations who could use a veteran two-time Stanley Cup champ in their room. I’d assume New Jersey would have to retain some money in the latter scenario – but with a lower acquisition cost if they don’t have to surrender draft capital.
Carson Soucy, D, New York Rangers
Age: 31
Cap hit: $3,250,000, pending UFA
(12-team no-trade list)
Soucy is as good as gone now that the Rangers are committed to a semi-teardown. His analytics are rarely favorable, but he’ll attract interest nonetheless given his 6-foot-4, 211-pound frame and 38 games of playoff experience.
Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 22
Cap hit: $918,333, pending RFA
After multiple healthy scratches this season, Mintyukov is open to being moved if it means he’ll get a larger opportunity elsewhere, Friedman reported earlier this season. Mintyukov was the 10th overall pick in the 2022 Draft and still has a do-it-all skill set, but he’s been passed on the Ducks’ depth chart by dynamic young D-men such as Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger, albeit Mintyukov is back on the second pair of late. Mintyukov’s potential hasn’t gone anywhere after just 176 career games. He makes a helluva buy-low on a franchise looking to retool.
Brad Lambert, C, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 22
Cap hit: $886,667 through 2026-27
As insider Frank Seravalli reported earlier this season, Lambert has been granted permission to seek a trade. Even during his draft year, he carried boom-bust status as a clearly gifted but volatile talent, and he’s skewed more toward the bust side, struggling to break through and earn a large opportunity at the NHL level. Still, he’s young enough and skilled enough that perhaps he’d blossom on a team willing to play him more. An interesting reclamation project.
Michael Bunting, LW, Nashville Predators
Age: 30
Cap hit: $4,500,000, pending UFA
Bunting’s 10-team no-trade list disappeared after last season, so he’s a clear trade candidate playing on an expiring deal. Throughout his career, he’s shown the ability to produce in spurts when paired with high-end linemates. His agitation skills can also shift momentum in playoff series if he stays on the right side of the line, which isn’t always a guarantee. Bunting’s value isn’t nearly what it was a couple years back, but he could still be a sneaky-helpful depth addition.
Evander Kane, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 34
Cap hit: $5,125,000, pending UFA
(16-team trade list)
The local-boy-returns-home story was neat, but Kane is an expiring, declining asset on a sinking ship. He won’t be a frontline player again at this stage of his career, but could a veteran contender with a strong dressing-room culture find a spot for him as a bottom-six shift disturber who can still chip in the odd goal? I think yes, if Vancouver retains half his salary.
Andrew Mangiapane, LW, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,600,000 through 2026-27
(No-trade clause)
It just hasn’t worked in Edmonton. He’s scored six times in 45 games, he’s buried on the fourth line, he expressed anger over a recent healthy scratch, and his agent has been granted permission to find a trade for him. Maybe a new environment energizes Mangiapane, but his trade value isn’t exactly high right now, so a deal isn’t a lock to get done immediately.
Lukas Reichel, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 23
Cap hit: $1,200,000, pending RFA
That was quick. The Canucks acquired Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks in October, and the Canucks made him available for a trade by November. He’s running out of chances to translate his speed and skill into NHL production. Prospects of this ilk are common: your skill set only works on a scoring line, and if there are no opportunities there, your skill set doesn’t work on a depth line. It’s difficult for players like that to find homes at the NHL level. He passed through waivers unclaimed in December, which gives you a sense of how he’s valued around the league at the moment.
Emil Andrae, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 23
Cap hit: $903,333, pending RFA
Even though his under-the-hood numbers were strong last season, the undersized Andrae hasn’t won over the Flyers brass, per Di Marco, and doesn’t appear to be part of their long-term plans. His play driving continues to be better than the eye test, so he could actually be a low-key steal of an acquisition for a team that knows how to deploy him.
Teddy Blueger, C, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,800,000, pending UFA
(12-team no-trade list)
Blueger has played just three games this season and finally returned from his lower-body injury this week, just in time to boost his trade value. Strong on draws and a penalty-kill fixture, he’s a prototypical fourth-line pivot.
Luke Schenn, D, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 36
Cap hit: $2,750,000, pending UFA
Looks like we’re doing this again. Schenn is slowing down at 36, only logging 13:51 a night for the disappointing Jets, but his brute strength, nasty streak and dressing-room leadership will always make him attractive to a contender when, as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as too many defensemen during the playoffs. Schenn has played for nine teams in his 18-season career; will he add a 10th or rejoin a club he played for previously? On Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill last week, Schenn seemed pretty open to a third tour in Toronto.
Mathieu Joseph, RW, St. Louis Blues
Age: 28
Cap hit: $2,950,000, pending UFA
The Blues remain open for business. And while they have multiple higher-end assets potentially available, plenty of teams can use fast, feisty checking forwards like the 2020-21 Stanley Cup winner Joseph and can likely get him for a mid- to late-round pick. He’s currently on injured reserve due to an elbow infection.
Oskar Sundqvist, C, St. Louis Blues
Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,500,000, pending UFA
See above re: Joseph, but as a bonus, fellow checker Sundqvist is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with a heavy game at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. He’s out with a skate cut on his ankle but avoided a serious injury.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 25
Cap hit: $4,820,000 through 2029-30
(10-team no-trade list)
It’s easy to forget Kotkaniemi is still somehow just 25; he was the NHL’s youngest player when the Montreal Canadiens rushed him into duty straight out of the Draft in 2018-19. Perhaps that’s why he’s never realized his potential and never really settled in as a scorer or checker. Now truly an afterthought, he’s dressed for just 29 games this season, though some of his absences were due to an ankle injury. He averages a career low 11:13 of ice time per game. He’s a classic “fresh start” candidate, and, as Friedman reported earlier this month, the Canes are fielding offers for him. Maybe he’d thrive with a larger opportunity elsewhere.
TIER 2: Names to keep an eye on
Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames
Age: 35
Cap hit: $7,000,000 through 2028-29
(13-team no-trade list)
The classic conundrum for Flames GM Craig Conroy: even if you’re in the midst of a rebuild and have already traded most of your core over the past couple seasons…don’t you need a few veteran tone setters to hang around and teach the kids how to win? That would be a reason to hold Kadri. But he could also command a significant return given his impact as a scorer and emotional leader. Now that the Habs landed Danault, would the Wild be the most logical place for Kadri to land? They have interest, reports Di Marco. Dallas could be a strong fit as well.
Vincent Trocheck, C, New York Rangers
Age: 32
Cap hit: $5,625,000 through 2028-29
(12-team no-trade list)
The Blueshirts aren’t obligated to move Trocheck the way they are the expiring Panarin, but it wouldn’t be the worst idea to explore a trade now while Trocheck’s value remains high. With his mix of scoring ability, agitation tactics, physicality and faceoff acumen, he’d be a dream No. 2 center for almost any contender. The Wild and Hurricanes, in particular, would be ideal landing spots for his services.
Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 27
Cap hit: $11,600,000 through 2031-32
(No-movement clause)
Pettersson doesn’t get enough credit for his all-around play, but, yes, he’s nowhere close to an $11.6-million player right now. Insider Frank Seravalli has reported “growing suspicion” that a Pettersson trade goes down soon. Like, really soon. Like, before the Olympics soon. But that’s a monstrous cap hit to navigate, especially with the playoff salary cap in place now. Still, the Rantanen trade(s) last season have established that anything can happen. Pettersson is still young enough to reassert himself as a star if he finds the right situation.
Jordan Kyrou, RW, St. Louis Blues
Age: 27
Cap hit: $8,125,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)
Kyrou’s a first-line talent with three 30-goal campaigns to his name. But he’s been a disaster this year, an $8.125-million healthy scratch at one point, and it sure feels like he could use a reset on a new team. Note that he controls his destiny via a full no-trade clause that doesn’t become a modified no-trade until the final season of his deal.
Charlie Coyle, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 33
Cap hit: $5,250,000, pending UFA
(3-team no trade list)
Coyle has been a revelation for Columbus this season, one of the league’s top defensive forwards. But if the Jackets find themselves too far out of the race in a couple weeks, they’ll have to punt here, right? His size, 100-plus games of playoff experience and penalty-killing ability scream “third-line center on Cup contender.” How about that three-team no-trade list, eh? He must really hate those teams.
Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis Blues
Age: 26
Cap hit: $8,125,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)
Color me skeptical on this one. Thomas’ name is out there in the trade rumor mill, we know, but it would take quite an offer to pry St. Louis’ No. 1 center away. Over the past three seasons, he’s sixth in assists per 60 and 16th in points per 60 at 5-on-5 league-wide. He’s 26 and in his prime. The Blues would want to trade him why, exactly?
Shane Wright, C, Seattle Kraken
Age: 22
Cap hit: $866,667 through 2026-27
The Kraken are seemingly searching for a splashy add to their top-six forward group and potentially willing to sacrifice Wright to do so, Pagnotta reported on The DFO Rundown this week. Wright would be a fascinating buy; he still has another year left at his entry-level AAV after this one, and he has proven to be an efficient scorer in his (extremely) limited opportunities, averaging 18 goals per 82 games despite playing only 13:37 per night.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C, New York Islanders
Age: 33
Cap hit: $5,000,000, pending UFA
(16-team no-trade list)
Pageau could be off the table if the Islanders stay competitive all year. What a fun story they’ve been, led by historically amazing rookie blueliner Matthew Schaefer. If they slip, Pageau should attract interest, however. He’s a classic third-line center who excels on faceoffs and historically elevates his scoring rate in the playoffs. I moved Anders Lee down a couple tiers, as you can’t trade your captain when you’re second in the division, but Pageau is averaging his lowest ice time in 11 years and feels more expendable.
Sam Montembeault, G, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,150,000 through 2026-27
Yes, he was always keeping the seat warm for Jacob Fowler, but we all thought Montembeault had a lot more time, right? His game went in the toilet this season, costing him an Olympic roster spot with Canada and earning him a conditioning stint with AHL Laval last month. He’s back with the big club now and trying to recapture his game, but a three-goalie battery feels crowded, and Montembeault has showcased sufficient upside to warrant another team taking a chance on him.
Nick Robertson, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 24
Cap hit: $1,825,000, pending RFA
Robertson has seemingly been on the trade block for so long that he’s paying rent at this point. He also requested to be moved before the 2024-25 season. And now he’s switched agents to share one with brother Jason. Does it still make sense to deal Nick, though? With all their injuries this season, the Leafs have finally granted him his wish and played him higher in the lineup for spurts, and he has produced on and off, though not without the odd healthy scratch. Dealing Robertson would make an old, slow team older and slower, so it’s hardly a foregone conclusion we see him moved, especially as injuries continue to plague Toronto’s roster top to bottom.
Brandon Carlo, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,100,000 through 2026-27
(Eight-team no-trade list)
Mike Komisarek 2.0? Carlo was big, physically imposing, heavy on opposing forwards…until he became a Maple Leaf, apparently. He’s a shell of his old self. He averaged 4.66 hits per 60 in nine seasons as a Boston Bruin. As a Leaf: 3.20, including 2.57 this season. Maybe that’s because he wasn’t healthy, dealing with a foot injury that required surgery after a setback. Or maybe Carlo isn’t cut out for the market. Still just 29, he could return to form in the right situation, and his AAV remains a bargain. He seemingly fit a need for the Leafs a year ago, but now they’re big, slow and redundant on ‘D.’ They won’t get the equivalent of Fraser Minten and a first-round pick for Carlo, but maybe they can recoup the pick portion of that package somewhere. Then again, with righty Chris Tanev likely done for the rest of the regular season and the Leafs creeping back into the playoff picture, is Carlo no longer expendable? That’s why I’ve dropped him from the sure-thing trade tier into the maybe tier.
Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 31
Cap hit: $5,100,000 through 2026-27
Ristolainen was back after triceps surgery and playing north of 20 minutes a night before a new upper-body injury sidelined him. If available, he should attract some trade interest now that his contract is more palatable given the rising salary cap and the fact he has just one season left after this one. Under the tutelage of John Tortorella and Brad Shaw, Ristolainen improved as a rangy, physical defender, and Rick Tocchet, in theory, should be another good fit to help Ristolainen’s game. But is he still actually on the block with the Flyers so competitive this season? Yes and no. The Flyers aren’t actively shopping him but are definitely still open to moving him for the right price, Di Marco reported earlier this month.
Mario Ferraro, D, San Jose Sharks
Age: 27
2025-26 cap hit: $3,250,000, pending UFA
If Macklin Celebrini has anything to say about it, the Sharks will remain in playoff contention and won’t be sellers come March. The Sherwood addition changes a lot; it doesn’t feel like San Jose’s pending UFAs are locks to move unless the team slumps badly between now and March 6. Ferraro is a warrior who would make a fine addition to a second or third pair on a contender and whose defensive metrics would likely improve in that environment.
Jared McCann, LW, Seattle Kraken
Age: 29
Cap hit: $5,000,000 through 2026-27
(10-team no-trade list)
The Kraken can’t seem to get out of their own way, winning just enough to remain in the playoff race. If they’re smart, they’ll understand the need to reset and that McCann would be quite a coveted asset approaching the deadline. He’s had a hard time staying healthy this year but was pretty durable before 2025-26 and averages 31 goals per 82 games in four seasons and change since joining the Kraken.
Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,750,000, pending UFA
(Five-team no-trade list)
Tuch was pretty open about wanting to remain a Sabre after last season ended, but no extension got done, and every ensuing report on the negotiations suggested the two sides were far apart. That’s likely because Tuch knows he can land a life-changing deal on the open market since so many of the top 2026 UFAs have already re-signed. So much has changed since our first trade board, though. The Sabres replaced GM Kevyn Adams by promoting Jarmo Kekalainen, then went 16-3-1 over their next 20 games. So we have a new GM who has already expressed interest in retaining Tuch plus a Sabres team that has clawed its way back into contention. We thus may have to wait until the 11th hour to understand what makes sense for Buffalo and Tuch. He’d obviously be a massive get for any contender given his blend of size, scoring touch and penalty-killing acumen. But you simply cannot trade him if you’re the contender.
Jake DeBrusk, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 29
Cap hit: $5,500,000 through 2030-31
(No-movement clause)
Finding the right fit won’t be easy given all that term left on his deal. But the streaky DeBrusk could augment a contender; he averages 26 goals per 82 games in the postseason for his career. It’s a matter of whether short-term help is worth the long-term sting on your cap.
Conor Garland, RW, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,950,000 through 2025-26; $6,000,000 from 2026-27 through 2031-32
Whoa. Garland on the block when his six-year extension hasn’t even begun? That contract was signed before the Canucks and Garland knew the team would veer off a cliff and trade Quinn Hughes. If we think of his already-signed contract as a price a team could pay in free agency…could there be a market for his speed and scrappiness? Per Pagnotta, the Canucks are taking calls on Garland, who is “not for sale” but whose NMC kicks in this summer.
Nick Foligno, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 38
Cap hit: $4,500,000, pending UFA
Think Kyle Okposo in 2023-24. Foligno is almost at the end of the line, but perhaps a contender would pick him up as a legendarily great dressing-room presence in hopes of getting him a ring. He has no official movement restrictions on his contract, but he took a leave of absence earlier this season to be with his daughter who had heart surgery, so he obviously would only be traded if he really wanted to go.
Jonathan Quick, G, New York Rangers
Age: 40
Cap hit: $1,550,000, pending UFA
(20-team no-trade list)
Quick has his Stanley Cup rings. He’s playing for his hometown team. He has plenty of control over where he lands. He doesn’t have to go anywhere. But what if an injury arises in the coming weeks and creates an opportunity for him to play a key role on a contending team, as he briefly did for Vegas three years ago?
John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks
Age: 33
Cap hit: $4,000,000, pending UFA
(No-trade clause until Jan. 30, then 14-team no-trade list)
Sharks GM Mike Grier would be smart to sell high on Klingberg’s revival, finding a trade partner needing power-play augmentation, but that can’t be the play now that San Jose has entered buyer mode, hence me dropping Klingberg down a tier. Interestingly, he has a no-trade clause until Jan. 30, at which point it changes to a 14-team no-trade list.
Ryan Strome, C, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 32
Cap hit: $5,000,000 through 2026-27
Strome’s average ice time has dropped to 12:19 per game, and that’s when he’s not healthy scratched. He’s simply not a big part of Anaheim’s core anymore, it seems, despite the fact he’s a respected dressing-room leader on a young team. Could there be a hockey trade out there involving a team that could use him for a larger role in its top nine?
Matias Maccelli, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 25
Cap hit: $3,425,000, pending RFA
Maccelli would’ve landed in tier 1 a month ago. But since the Leafs bumped out assistant Marc Savard and handed the power-play reins to Steve Sullivan, Maccelli is seeing looks on the top unit and seems rejuvenated. If he maintains the newfound momentum, maybe he’s not a lock to be traded after all.
Logan Stanley, D, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 27
Cap hit: $1,250,000, pending UFA
Stanley is still young enough to be part of Winnipeg’s present and future. But with his blend of size and snarl, he could be quite a sought-after commodity, the type that could net something pretty shiny in a trade. Winnipeg Sports Talk’s Michael Remis appeared on DFO Live earlier this month and theorized that Stanley could net Winnipeg a high pick.
Simon Benoit, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 27
Cap hit: $1,350,000 through 2026-27
Benoit is your classic rugged depth defenseman who intimidates with his open-ice hitting and protects his net with his shot blocking. He carries a reasonable contract that extends through next season. Should the Leafs slip too far in the playoff picture, he’d be a logical piece to cash out for high mid-round pick.
TIER 3: Big names, blockbuster potential, but too soon
Erik Karlsson, D, Pittsburgh Penguins: Everyone needs that righty puck-mover on ‘D.’ Karlsson’s contract isn’t an albatross anymore since it ends next year, and the Pens could retain money on it. But they’re still in the playoff the hunt, to everyone’s surprise. Also, he’s on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs: Plenty of term left and has never wanted out of Toronto, but if the Leafs are in the basement by Deadline Day, maybe they blow it up.
Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues: Wouldn’t make sense to do anything before the Olympics. Would make things awkward between Binnington and Blues/Canada GM Doug Armstrong in Milan. And with Binnington having such a bad year, the Winter Games offer a great opportunity to re-establish his trade value. His stock can’t get much lower than it is right now.
Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres: Change-of-scenery candidate, but the GM switch from Adams to Kekalainen slows things down in my mind. Jarmo will need more runway to decide what to do with his (surging) team.
Andrei Svechnkikov, LW, Carolina Hurricanes: Was talked up as someone open to a trade earlier this season, but he’s playing too well to move now, right? Back on top line and has put up a 10-10-20 stat line in his past 16 games.
Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa Senators: He was pretty sick of losing…how will he take if it he’s right back out of the playoffs one year after it took him seven seasons to finally make it?
Alexis Lafreniere, RW, New York Rangers: Could seriously use a reset. Could he be part of a major “hockey trade?”
Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers: Some uncertainty over his long-term fit in Philly, but there isn’t a rush to deal him before the deadline.
TIER 4: Theoretical trade chips if their teams fall out of contention
Jaden Schwartz, LW, Seattle Kraken
Nick Schmaltz, RW, Utah Mammoth
Rickard Rakell, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Anders Lee, LW, New York Islanders
Bryan Rust, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Erik Haula, C, Nashville Predators
Connor Murphy, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Scott Laughton, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Jamie Oleksiak, D, Seattle Kraken
Calle Jarnkrok, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Troy Stecher, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Anthony Mantha, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Mason Marchment (again), LW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Jason Dickinson, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Gustav Nyquist, LW, Winnipeg Jets
Ryan Lomberg, LW, Calgary Flames
Jordan Eberle, RW, Seattle Kraken
Timothy Liljegren, D, San Jose Sharks
Eeli Tolvanen, LW, Seattle Kraken
Maxim Tsyplakov, RW, New York Islanders
Jonathan Toews, C, Winnipeg Jets
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, San Jose Sharks
Andrew Peeke, D, Boston Bruins
Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Boston Bruins
Nick Jensen, D, Ottawa Senators
Claude Giroux, RW, Ottawa Senators
Evgenii Dadonov, RW, New Jersey Devils
TRADED from previous boards
Quinn Hughes
Stuart Skinner
Marco Rossi
Yegor Chinakhkov
Mason Marchment
Laurent Brossoit
Rasmus Andersson
Kiefer Sherwood
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