NHL Trade Board: Will USA Manifest Destiny lure Hellebuyck out of Winnipeg?

Everyone take a breath. In through the nose…hold…out through the mouth.

Actually, don’t. Go ahead and panic. The Brady Tkachuk trade validated all the conspiracy theories going as far back as the Team USA group chat at the 4 Nations Faceoff in 2025. We can now forget what we thought we knew and let the paranoid voices into our heads.

Brady is a Florida Panther. Quinn Hughes plays for the Minnesota Wild now. Will Connor Hellebuyck be the next American-born star to leave a Canadian NHL franchise? It appears the Team USA Manifest Destiny is real, and we have to take the trade rumors seriously at this point. Especially when they involve markets like Florida and Vegas, which offer endless advantages, from tax breaks to warm weather to relative anonymity among fans to a quieter media presence. It’s simply difficult for the Canadian clubs to compete with those setups, and the pull toward the favorable American markets gets stronger by the day.

With that, here’s an updated look at the Daily Faceoff Trade Board entering what should be a bananas week of activity leading up to Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday night. The Ottawa Senators own picks 9, 25 and 32…what will GM Steve Staios do with his new assets?

I’ve compiled names for this board via 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 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;

(e) Contract information courtesy of our partners at PuckPedia.

TIER 1: Obvious trade candidates

Dylan Larkin, C, Detroit Red Wings

Age: 29
Cap hit: $8,700,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)

With the UFA market looking so barren, Larkin’s trade request earlier this month was an absolute boon. Half the teams in the league could use a speedy center who gets 30 goals every year and plays a ton of minutes. Larkin’s request reportedly began with just three teams in (yawn) the Panthers, Wild and Golden Knights, but that won’t stop other suitors from knocking. It does feel like the Wild are an overwhelmingly good fit for Larkin, though.

Darnell Nurse, D, Edmonton Oilers

Age: 31
Cap hit: $9,250,000 through 2029-30
(No-movement clause)

Not only is a Nurse trade looking likely now, but the Oilers are confident that they won’t have to retain much if any money on the deal now – we’ve even heard whispers of zero retention – and it sounds like Nurse is finally ready for a change of scenery after more than a decade in a hockey hotbed. Stay tuned; this one feels imminent.

Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks

Age: 23
Cap hit: $7,000,000 through 2030-31

Year 1 of his six-year contract…healthy scratched for multiple games this postseason. The negotiations leading up to his extension last September were rocky to begin with, and the Ducks mothballed a $7-million player for some must-win games. They’ll be selling low, but plenty of teams should have interest in his upside, and GM Pat Verbeek simply can’t be paying anyone this much to sit in the press box even once. Particularly as a junior-aged player, McTavish showed a tantalizing power-forward skill set, and he’s still young enough at 23 that it’s worth betting on a post-hype breakout.

Vincent Trocheck, C, New York Rangers

Age: 32
Cap hit: $5,625,000 through 2028-29
(12-team no-trade list; becomes 10-team no-trade list July 1)

The Blueshirts aren’t obligated to move Trocheck the way they were the expiring Artemi Panarin a few months ago, 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, even if his defensive game has slipped.

Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues

Age: 32
Cap hit: $6,000,000 through 2026-27
(14-team no-trade list; becomes 10-team no-trade list July 1)

Binnington is coming off the worst season of his career but showed enough at the Olympics to remind us he can be an asset on the right team given his puckhandling and clutch-save ability. Is there enough of a market for him right now? The Oilers are the clear team to watch. We shouldn’t sleep on the Panthers, either, if they opt not to re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky.

Rights to Ilya Mikheyev, LW, Chicago Blackhawks

Age: 31
Unrestricted free agent
(12-team no-trade list until July 1)

Every playoff-grade team needs depth players just like Mikheyev. He can kill penalties, he’s strong on the wall, he’s reasonably big and he can chip in the odd goal. The Hawks have made his rights available for a trade after the two sides couldn’t get a deal done. The shopping of his rights got the NHL’s tampering antenna up; teams aren’t actually allowed to speak with pending UFAs without trading for their rights first, so any early conversations would qualify as Mikheyev illegally testing the market to see if staying in Chicago is the best option. That means anyone wanting a pre-July 1 conversation with him must fully trade for his rights.

Ilya Lyubushkin, D, Dallas Stars

Age: 32
Cap hit: $3,250,000 through 2026-27

The Stars need to bolster the right side of their D-corps, yet they don’t even have enough cap space to re-sign RFA forwards Jason Robertson and Mavrik Bourque at the moment. They’ll have to jettison some money, and Lyubushkin hasn’t met their standard, but if you’re a non-contender, imagining netting a pick to take him on and securing a physical right-shot defenseman you can flip as a rental at next year’s Trade Deadline. Seems like a no-brainer deal to make, and Lyubushkin has zero movement restrictions on his contract.

Brendan Gallagher, RW, Montreal Canadiens

Age: 34
Cap hit: $6,500,000 through 2026-27
(Six-team no-trade list)

In the Habs’ season-end availability following their Eastern Conference final ouster, an emotional Gallagher, who dressed for three playoff games this spring, stated, “It’s pretty clear that I’ll be moving on here.” He’s probably right, but moving the $6.5-million cap hit will be easier said than done given he’s a marginal NHL contributor at this stage of his career. The Habs absolutely do need to shed cap space as they chase a higher-end upgrade, likely at center, but moving Gallagher likely means (a) retaining up to 50 percent of his AAV or (b) attaching an asset in exchange for the acquiring team eating his whole cap hit. in the latter scenario, the acquiring team could shrink the cap hit via buyout; he’d cost $3.83 million, but he’d still be on the books an extra year for $1.33 million in that case.

Jordan Kyrou, RW, St. Louis Blues

Age: 28
Cap hit: $8,125,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)

Kyrou’s days as a Blue have felt numbered since the home-booing incident that left him in literal tears in December 2023. He’s a dynamic scorer but one who hasn’t justified his $8.125-million price tag of late. At least, that’s the perception. He undoubtedly underachieved offensively this past season, scoring just 18 goals in 72 games after four seasons between 27 and 37. He was even healthy scratched for a game. But Kyrou quietly played good defensive hockey this season, he’s in his prime at 28, and he could return to producing as a frontline player – perhaps reaching a new ceiling  – with a change of environment. Across the three seasons preceding this one, Kyrou was tied with Adrian Kempe for 21^st in the NHL in goals. Kyrou hasn’t turned into a scrub overnight.

Bowen Byram, D, Buffalo Sabres

Age: 25
Cap hit: $6,250,000 through 2026-27

Byram seems to be fairly happy on a Sabres team that just ended a 15-year playoff drought and even won a round. Byram was fantastic for much of that postseason run, too. But if he’s looking ahead, he’s never going to pass Rasmus Dahlin on the depth chart for top-pair work and PP1 duties. Byram’s path to being a true No. 1 defenseman lies elsewhere, and the Sabres do have a surplus of left-shot blueliners, so a trade could make sense as long as the return helps Buffalo win in the present.

Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils

Age: 33
Cap hit: $9,000,000 through 2027-28
(10-team trade list)

The Tom Fitzgerald regime was interested in offloading Hamilton’s AAV, but the under-the-hood numbers showed Hamilton had a good all-around year, and his scoring rebounded massively from January onward with eight goals and 31 points in 41 games – a 16-goal, 62-point pace. Will Devils’ analytically minded new GM Sunny Mehta appreciate Hamilton’s game more, or is it time for both sides to move on? Given his age, it might be wise to capitalize on his bounce-back year.

Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Nashville Predators

Age: 35
Cap hit: $5,500,000 through 2028-29
(15-team no-trade list)

Is Marchessault worth taking on for three more seasons? Was his 42-goal campaign 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 the Predators retained some money. New president of hockey ops and GM Chris MacFarland is as aggressive as they come and doesn’t arrive with any loyalty toward deals previous GM Barry Trotz handed out, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Nashville make some big moves this summer.

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, and the Habs net belongs to Jakob Dobes now, with Fowler riding shotgun. With just a year remaining on his deal and only a season removed from being a pretty effective starter, Montembeault could warrant a buy-low offer.

Shane Wright, C, Seattle Kraken

Age: 22
Cap hit: $866,667 through 2026-27

The Kraken were searching for a splashy addition to their top-six forward group and potentially willing to sacrifice Wright to do so over the winter. Wright would be a fascinating buy if still on the block, and Pagnotta reports that is the case indeed. Wright still has another year left at his entry-level AAV, and he has proven to be an efficient scorer in his (extremely) limited opportunities, averaging 17 goals per 82 games for his career despite playing only 13:40 per night.

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.

TIER 2: Names to keep an eye on

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? Think of Coleman as a stand-in for many Flames veterans; sources indicated to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco that they remain open to trading almost anyone not named Dustin Wolf, Zayne Parekh, Matt Coronato or Matvei Gridin. Coleman and perhaps Zach Whitecloud have the most immediate value, but the Flames don’t have to sell off pieces immediately. They could easily wait until next March, when Coleman will make for an attractive rental. An extension isn’t out of the question, either.

Colton Parayko, D, St. Louis Blues

Age: 33
Cap hit: $6,500,000 through 2029-30
(No-trade clause)

Parayko nixed a trade to the Sabres before the deadline. On one hand, that told us he still decides if and where he goes. On the other hand, we know the Blues were willing to part with him, so we can expect outgoing GM Doug Armstrong and/or incoming GM Alex Steen to deal with additional offers for the hulking rearguard.

Sebastian Cossa, G, Detroit Red Wings

Age: 23
Restricted free agent

What a mess. Even a few months ago, the Wings’ goaltending succession plan felt clear: let Cam Talbot walk as a UFA and have the red-hot Cossa slide into a 1B role behind John Gibson next season, similar to what the Wild have done with Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt. But then Cossa slumped, he lost his AHL playoff starting job to Michal Postava, and Cossa’s standing in the organization has clouded, especially with another elite-grade goalie prospect coming in Trey Augustine. Still: Cossa was a true blue-chipper as recently as early winter, and the fall-plus-rise of Wallstedt in Minnesota is an obvious cautionary tale GM Steve Yzerman must keep in mind. The Wild wisely stuck it out with Wallstedt, and it paid off; will Detroit give up on Cossa? It would be wise for any other goalie-starved teams to send lowball offers and find out.

Ryan Hartman, C, Minnesota Wild

Age: 31
Cap hit: $4,000,000 through 2026-27
(15-team no-trade list, changes to 10-team July 1)

The Wild want a top-end No. 1 center and to extend all-world blueliner Quinn Hughes. They thus need to move money out. Trading goaltender Gustavsson, relegated to $6.8-million 1B status this postseason, would’ve been the logical play, but his hip surgery puts his status for the start of next season – and trade value – in flux. Plan B could be unloading Hartman’s cap hit, which would clear space for immediate help, though it wouldn’t impact any cap space for a Hughes extension in 2027-28. Hartman is not the No. 1 scoring-line pivot he’s too often asked to be in Minnesota, but his blend of skill and agitation make him plenty useful. Averaging 23 goals and 49 points per 82 games over his past five seasons, he’s not overpaid at his AAV and thus shouldn’t be an overly difficult player to move with just a year left on his deal. 

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. That’s a monstrous cap hit to navigate. Still. Pettersson is still young enough to reassert himself as a star if he finds the right situation.

Brad Lambert, C, Winnipeg Jets

Age: 22
Cap hit: $886,667 through 2026-27

As insider Frank Seravalli reported earlier this season, Lambert was 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.

Mason Lohrei, D, Boston Bruins

Age: 25
Cap hit: $3,200,000 through 2026-27

Lohrei has great size and some puck-moving acumen, but coach Marco Sturm only trusted him enough to use him in three playoff games, healthy-scratching the $3.2-million defenseman. Lohrei feels like the kind of player who needs to join a fledgling organization that will give him the leeway to make mistakes in a larger role.

Kent Johnson, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets

Age: 23
Cap hit: $1,800,000 through 2026-27

Johnson’s breathtaking natural skill with the puck has never been in question, but the rest of his game has not caught up, to the point he’s looking like the second coming of Sonny Milano, another Blue Jackets’ first-round bust. Johnston appeared to have new life after a midseason coaching switch to Rick Bowness but, by April, Johnson was playing just 11:11 per night, and he was a healthy scratch on occasion, with the coaching staff feeling he was getting muscled off pucks too often. Still: Johnson actually generated individual scoring chances at the highest rate of his career this season at 5-on-5. He’s still just 23, and a team that trusts him more in a role that maximizes his razzle-dazzle could reap major rewards buying low.

Devon Levi, G, Buffalo Sabres

Age: 24
Cap hit: $812,500 through 2026-27

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis all remain under contract for 2026-27, and the latter two have cheap enough AAVs that Levi’s low cap hit might not be enough of a selling point to keep him. He has shown plenty of promise in the AHL, albeit his game took a step back on a so-so Rochester club this season, but as DFO’s Jeff Marek reported last month, the relationship between the Sabres and Levi is pretty much finished. Plenty of teams will have interest in a dice roll on Levi’s upside.

Elvis Merzlikins, G, Columbus Blue Jackets

Age: 32
Cap hit: $5,400,000 through 2026-27
(10-team no-trade list)

At first glance, it may not seem like Columbus needs a sacrificial salary-cap lamb given it has $32.36 million in space. But look closer. Franchise center Adam Fantilli and starting goaltender Jet Greaves are RFAs; the team needs to re-sign or replace departing UFA forwards Mason Marchment and Boone Jenner as well. Greaves finally pulled away from Merzlikins as the No. 1 netminder this season, making Merzlikins (a) too expensive of a backup and (b) someone who might welcome a new team anyway. He’s lived south of a .900 save percentage for the past four years, so trading him might require some salary retention, but he could be an option for a thrift-shopping team without the capital to chase a top netminder.

Jordan Greenway, LW, Buffalo Sabres

Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,000,000 through 2026-27
(five-team no trade list)

The Sabres will likely clear at least one goaltender from their logjam, but GM Jarmo Kekalainen must do more than that if he wants to re-sign Alex Tuch and extend Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs with only $11.95 million in cap space. Greenway brings great size and has been an effective checker in the past, but, sheesh, $4 million is far too much for a fourth-liner with four goals across his past two regular seasons combined.

Danila Yurov, C, Minnesota Wild

Age: 22
Cap hit: $972,500 through 2027-28

The Wild would surely rather move out Hartman than Yurov as his entry-level AAV. He’s just one season into a promising NHL career and possesses 90th-percentile max skating speed and 79th-percentile max shot power. But if Minnesota is hellbent on landing a monster upgrade up the middle such as Larkin, it may have to sacrifice someone with high potential. The other party in the deal has to feel happy about its haul, after all.

Jordan Spence, D, Ottawa Senators

Age: 25
Restricted free agent

Make it make sense, Mr. Staios! The Sens aren’t shopping Spence but are gauging interest, per the Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch. Spence is an arbitration-eligible RFA, and he’s undersized, but…who cares, Ottawa? He was excellent at both ends of the ice this past season, particularly when swallowing huge minutes while Thomas Chabot was hurt. Trading Spence would probably be a mistake, but the market is likely there for a blueliner who does many things well, so perhaps the Sens listen if they’re reeling and trying to make a big splash to fill the Tkachuk-sized hole.

Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas Stars

Age: 26
Restricted free agent

Only eight players have more points over the past five seasons. The Stars would be foolish to push him out. But Robertson’s contract negotiations with them have been frosty in the past, they are low on cap space, and they badly need help on defense. Could Nill search for a major hockey trade to better balance his roster? It sounds like that’s more of a plan B, as they prefer to re-sign their star scorer.

Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets

Age: 33
Cap hit: $8,500,000 through 2030-31
(No-movement clause)

Brady Tkachuk doubled down on being committed to the Senators in his end-of-season media availability… and still left town. Hellebuyck was much more cryptic and exasperated in his comments after the Jets’ season wrapped. No two situations are the same, but Hellebuyck is part of the USA Olympic clique, having backstopped them to gold in Milan, and we have to pay attention to comments like, “It’s not so easy to say, ‘Hey, we are going to be great next year.’ ” If the Panthers decide the Bobrovsky era is over, will they come calling? What about Vegas after Carter Hart flopped in the Stanley Cup Final? The Sabres would be interesting, too. Hellebuyck is the best player in Thrashers/Jets franchise history, but if he can bring in a return that corrects Winnipeg’s overall course, does GM Kevin Cheveldayoff have to entertain the idea?

Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey Devils

Age: 22
Restricted free agent

The Devils reportedly took some calls on Nemec over the winter. But when we factor in his age, pedigree and ceiling, I wonder if new GM Sunny Mehta wipes the slate clean and dismisses the idea of moving Nemec. If he’s still available, though, the buying window feels just right. His defensive game needs a lot of work, but Nemec’s improvisational skills with the puck – and his overall upside – are undeniable.

Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Philadelphia Flyers

Age: 31
Cap hit: $5,100,000 through 2026-27

Ristolainen got healthy and proved an important part of Philly’s blueline in its push from outside the playoffs to the second round. He averaged an even 25 minutes of ice time across 10 postseason games. But he’s exiting his prime and on the final season of his deal; would he be a worthy casualty if he helped the Flyers land another scoring-line center in a trade?

Anthony Stolarz, G, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 32
Cap hit: $3,750,000 through 2029-30
(16-team no-trade list)

Is the Leafs’ goalie logjam clear now that Joseph Woll has been dealt, and does that mean Stolarz stays? It’s unclear. Not only does Toronto have Dennis Hildeby, who is no longer waiver exempt, but Artur Akhtyamov just won the AHL playoff MVP, so it still feels like the Leafs have excess depth in goal. Completely contradictory to that sentiment: we now have a report that the Leafs are kicking tires on veteran upgrades such as Bobrovsky and Binnington? The pieces don’t fit together here, so Stolarz stays on the board for now.

Brandon Carlo, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,845,000 through 2026-27 (15% of $4,100,000 retained by BOS)
(Eight-team no-trade list; becomes three-team no-trade list July 1)

Mike Komisarek 2.0? Carlo was big, physically imposing, heavy on opposing forwards…until he became a Maple Leaf, apparently. Maybe that’s because he wasn’t healthy, dealing with a foot injury that required surgery after a setback this past season. 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.’

Adin Hill, G, Vegas Golden Knights

Age: 30
Cap hit: $6,250,000 through 2030-31
(10-team no-trade list)

You can’t justify paying a goalie $6.25 million to ride the pine. Hart was Vegas’ starter for the entire postseason. The league’s most cutthroat franchise surely won’t want to keep Hill on the payroll any longer than it has to, especially with RFA forward Pavel Dorofeyev vulnerable to an offer sheet and top-four blueliner Rasmus Andersson an RFA. Vegas has to move out some significant money to avoid having its roster pillaged. Any suitor would be buying extremely low on Hill, as he’s coming off a terrible and injury-shortened season, but his Stanley Cup-winning pedigree remains a potential selling point.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Carolina Hurricanes

Age: 25
Cap hit: $4,820,000 through 2029-30
(10-team no-trade list)

What’s more surprising: that Kotkaniemi is still just 25 or that he has four years left on his deal? He’s been buried in bottom-six work all year, so he’s a tough sell, but he’s young enough to have some perceived upside left in him. The Canes are also a rare elite team that is also asset rich in picks and prospects, so they could attach a sweetener. It’s also worth noting his contract is extremely buyout friendly; the cap hit for every season of a buyout would be south of $1 million. Carolina could explore that path or send a pick to a team willing to pay the buyout post-trade.

Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 29
Cap hit: $7,250,000 through 2031-32
(No-movement clause)

Boeser has been a good soldier through the Canucks’ ups and downs, but he’s pushing 30 and is years away from sniffing a Cup run. Might that NMC get a bit flimsier if a true contender comes calling? With goals hard to come by in the UFA market this year, he’d generate plenty of interest if available for a trade. And the Canucks seem motivated to start over with a new regime led by the Sedins, GM Ryan Johnson and coach Manny Malhotra.

Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 32
Cap hit: $7,500,000 through 2029-30
(No-movement clause)

The Leafs and new GM John Chayka find themselves in quite the quagmire with Rielly. He’s no longer the puck-moving defenseman they need him to be. He’s not a $7.5-million player despite his scoring contributions and leadership. The team would likely be better off moving on from him. He controls whether he goes at all via his NMC. But it sounds like his camp has at least slightly warmed to the idea of finding him a new home. As for the buyout route, the savings would be significant, but eight years paying him would be tough to stomach.

Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Colorado Avalanche

Age: 31
Cap hit: $6,125,000 through 2029-30
(12-team no-trade list)

Friedman reported earlier this week that Nichushkin’s name “is out there” as the Avs look to create more cap flexibility. Nichushkin was a vital cog on the 2021-22 championship team and remains an excellent two-way forward, but he’s never a safe bet to play a full season between his injury history and off-ice issues. Those same hangups cut into his trade value, though. Is Colorado willing to take a haircut on a deal here?

Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers

Age: 27
Cap hit: $6,200,000 through 2031-32
(10-team no-trade list)

With Porter Martone and Tyson Foerster emerging as go-to wingers, might the Flyers be willing to deal Tippett for help at another position? The interest would be sky-high. He’s a crash-and-bang power forward, yet his max skating speed places him in the league’s 84^th percentile. He’s a unique enough player to attract an overpay.

Tomas Hertl, C, Vegas Golden Knights

Age: 32
Cap hit: $6,750,000 ($1,387,500 retained by SJ) through 2029-30
(No-movement clause; three-team approved trade list)

If Vegas wants the math to math so it can retain Dorofeyev and perhaps Andersson while also trying to better its roster, Hill can’t be the only casualty. Hertl is pretty expensive for a third-liner, especially one who went 29 games without a goal at one point between the regular season and playoffs. If the Golden Knights pursue a big-ticket forward like Larkin, who has them on his list, someone like Hertl may have to go the other way.

Alexis Lafreniere, RW, New York Rangers

Age: 24
Cap hit: $7,450,000 through 2031-32

So far, his career-best numbers of 2023-24 look more like an anomaly than a breakout. But the 2020 No. 1 overall pick is just 24 years old, and the 2024 playoff run in which he bullied his way to a 6-8-14 stat line in 16 games represents his potential. Particularly in a rising-cap world, a team looking to add some cost-controlled upside might be willing to invest in a career turnaround. Speaking of which: raise your hand if you knew Lafreniere had 25 points in 25 games after the Olympic break and tied his personal best with 57 points. Has the buying window closed already?

TIER 3: Big stars, big swings

Zach Werenski, D, Columbus Blue Jackets: The USA paranoia is real, and it doesn’t appear the Blue Jackets and their fans are completely immune when it comes to the reigning Norris Trophy winner and Olympic gold medallist, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. It’s long shot that Werenski gets moved, but he’s two years away from free agency, just like Tkachuk was, and Werenski hasn’t played in a postseason since 2020.

Mathew Barzal, C, New York Islanders: Whispers have emerged that the Isles are receiving calls on their speedy puckhandling whiz. Trading Barzal would require a knock-the-socks-off pitch; he’d leave a pretty big hole in their top six, and he has significant control over his destination with 22 teams vetoed. By the way, he’s a fluent French speaker. Just felt like stating that fact for no reason at all.

Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis Blues: A report from FanDuel Sports Network’s Andy Strickland earlier this month suggested Thomas was no longer in play for a trade. We’ll see if that proves true, but Larkin’s trade request might steer Thomas suitors away and cool things off in St. Louis.

Matthew Knies, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs: John Chayka’s public claim that a Knies trade was “not probable” provided some clarity. A Knies trade isn’t at zero percent, but it’s apparent the Leafs will only trade their unicorn power forward for a massive overpay.

Adam Fox, D, New York Rangers: From the Ranger retool, to not making the Olympic team coached by Rangers bench boss Mike Sullivan, to Fox’s cryptic comments to the media about his future as the season wound down…it feels like there’s an opening for another team to swoop in try and pry him away. 

Nico Hischier, C, New Jersey Devils: I’ve moved him down a tier, as LeBrun reports the negotiations between Hischier and the Devils are in a good place. It’s possible I remove Hischier altogether by the next update. Breathe easy, Devils fans.

TIER 4: Names to watch based on roster surpluses

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, Buffalo Sabres
Alex Lyon, G, Buffalo Sabres
Colten Ellis, G, Buffalo Sabres
Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim Ducks
Olen Zellweger, D, Anaheim Ducks

Traded from previous board

Ross Colton
Michael Kesselring
Brady Tkachuk

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