Three years ago, Ben Lovejoy had a strong postseason with the Penguins during their run to the Stanley Cup.  While he isn’t quite the player he was then, he’s still a veteran player that can kill penalties and has a fair bit of playoff success under his belt.  With that in mind, New Jersey will probably be getting some calls for his services if they haven’t already.

Contract

Lovejoy is in the final season of a three-year, $8MM contract that he signed following that Stanley Cup run.  He has a salary of $2.75MM with a $2.67MM AAV and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  There is no trade protection in the deal.

2018-19

His performance over his career hasn’t been particularly flashy from game-to-game as he’s an old-fashioned stay at home defenseman and this year has been no exception.  Lovejoy has largely been a regular on New Jersey’s third pairing and has been a fixture on the penalty kill, logging nearly four minutes a night in that regard.  He has shown that he’s still a capable shot-blocker, slotting second on the team with 77.  He isn’t producing much offensively (he never does) but the 35-year-old is still serviceable in his own end.

Season Stats

51 GP, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, +1 rating, 33 PIMS, 70 shots, 17:35 ATOI, 48.8 CF%

Potential Suitors

There aren’t many playoff-bound teams that would be slotting Lovejoy in as a full-time regular.  However, as far as injury insurance or extra penalty killing help goes, he’d be a strong option for quite a few teams.

In the East, Toronto has been looking for a right-shot blueliner that could kill penalties even before their acquisition of Jake Muzzin (a lefty).  While GM Kyle Dubas has said he’d prefer to avoid the rental market, this would be an easily-affordable acquisition as they have plenty of cap room to work with for this season and the acquisition cost shouldn’t be steep.  Montreal could be seeking some insurance with youngster Noah Juulsen potentially out for the season.  Tampa Bay is likely setting their sights on a top-four blueliner at the moment but if they can’t add one, this is the type of fallback they could be looking for.  Pittsburgh could make some sense as they wouldn’t mind adding another depth piece but the Devils would have to retain for the Penguins to be able to fit him in on the cap.

Out West, the Stars don’t have great defensive depth on the right side to the point where Lovejoy could very well crack their top six.  GM Jim Nill is likely looking to make more of a splash but if they can’t do that, they could turn towards adding some depth pieces (using LTIR to free up some cap room).  The injury to Ian Cole in Colorado has left them down their top shot-blocker which could create a short-term opening for Lovejoy and with the Avs being on the outside looking in, this may be the type of marginal upgrade that GM Joe Sakic could justify making without affecting their future.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering New Jersey decided to sit him for their last game as a healthy scratch to avoid the risk of injury, it’s pretty clear that they think they’ll be moving Lovejoy shortly.  The return may not be particularly high but it appears that he’ll be in another uniform come Monday.

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Incremental fourth line upgrades are rarely exciting but several playoff-bound teams will be looking to make them over the next week.  With that in mind, Detroit center Luke Glendening is once again in trade speculation and could soon find himself on the move.

Contract

Glendening is in the second season of a four-year, $7.2MM deal that’s slightly front-loaded.  The total salary over the final two years of the deal is $3.2MM.  There isn’t any form of trade protection in the contract.

2018-19

Heading into the season, it seemed likely that Glendening would bounce between the third and fourth lines and play his usual checking role.  Instead, he has been asked to play a more substantial role as he has been a fixture on the third line while even dabbling in Detroit’s top six from time to time.  As a result, he’s on pace for career highs across the board offensively while still being one of the stronger players at the faceoff dot in the league; he ranks tenth league-wide in faceoff percentage (56.2%) among players with at least 500 draws taken this season.

Season Stats

60 GP, 9 goals, 11 assists, 20 points, +8 rating, 15 PIMS, 84 shots, 15:47 ATOI, 41.6 CF%

Potential Suitors

With two years left on his deal after this one, Glendening is someone that non-contenders could, at least in theory, look to add to upgrade their bottom six with an eye on next season.  That said, the likeliest suitors are those that are looking to win now and want a faceoff/penalty kill type of specialist.

In the East, Toronto has been linked to Glendening already and had interest in him last season as well.  Their fourth line center situation hasn’t been the greatest this season with rookies Par Lindholm and Frederik Gauthier having varying degrees of success in that role.  Head coach Mike Babcock is also familiar with him from his days in Detroit.  However, a $1.8MM AAV without any sort of offset may be too much of a premium for a team that’s pegged to be very tight to the Upper Limit beyond this season.  Columbus has had all sorts of issues with center depth as of late and could certainly view him as some stability at that spot.  Boston hasn’t really replaced Riley Nash (who is now with Columbus after leaving as a free agent) and while their eyes are set on more of an impact pivot at this stage, that could change if the top names go elsewhere.

Out West, Colorado isn’t interested in rental help but would like to make some sort of upgrade.  They’re near the bottom of the league at the faceoff dot and would slot in nicely on their fourth line.  Dallas could be in the market for depth down the middle with Martin Hanzal potentially done for the year and Jason Spezza (who has seen some time at center this season) set to become a free agent this summer.  With St. Louis all of a sudden looking like possible buyers, Glendening could be the type of small upgrade they target while leaving the core parts of their roster intact.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Between his faceoff prowess and positional versatility, Red Wings GM Ken Holland should be fielding quite a few calls on Glendening if he hasn’t done so already.  However, the odds of a trade getting done will likely come down to whether or not they’re willing to pay down part of the contract (they can retain up to 50%) or take a player back to offset money that way.  While the 29-year-old would certainly help some contenders, his cap hit is high for someone that’s primarily going to be a fourth liner on those teams.  If Detroit’s willing to do that, there’s a good chance he’ll be on the move with the Red Wings picking up a pretty good return for Glendening’s services.

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Minnesota forward Charlie Coyle has been in trade speculation for several years now and every time it looks like a deal could be close, it doesn’t come to fruition.  However, now that ownership has given the green light to make some bigger moves even if it results in the team taking a step back short-term, Coyle’s name will once again be at the forefront of talks with several teams.

Contract

Coyle is signed through 2019-20 with an AAV of $3.2MM.  However, the actual dollar cost is higher in both years.  He’s making $3.75MM in salary this season and $4.25MM next year.  Coyle will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal which does not hold any trade protection.

2018-19

Coyle’s season has been a lot like his 2017-18 which is a bit of a mixed bag.  There are times where he has been an impact producer but there have been long stretches where he has been quiet as well.  He has primarily been used in a top-six role and has shifted between playing the right wing and center depending on Minnesota’s injury situation.  That versatility will be intriguing to teams but at the same time, going back and forth between the two likely hasn’t helped Coyle either.  Coming into the season, the 26-year-old was looked at as a potential bounce-back candidate but the way it has gone so far, he may need a change of scenery for that to actually come to fruition.

Season Stats

58 GP, 10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points, +2 rating, 16 PIMS, 110 shots, 17:06 ATOI, 50.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

Unlike the many players with expiring contracts that will be limited to just playoff-contending teams as suitors, the fact that Coyle is still fairly young and locked up for another year really opens up more options for Minnesota to pursue.

In the East, Boston was linked to him back in November and they still haven’t addressed their vacancies up front so it’s quite probable that they remain in the mix.  They also have several young forwards that could be of interest to Wild GM Paul Fenton in return.  Montreal has been tossed around as a potential suitor for Coyle for years so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them involved as well.  Buffalo has three first-round picks at their disposal and while they may not want to deal one for a rental, they may be willing to do so given that he’s signed for another year at a pretty good rate.  Carolina and Minnesota discussed other players at the time of their Nino Niederreiter–Victor Rask swap and with the Hurricanes still looking for forward help, Coyle was likely in those talks back then and the two sides could circle back to those now.  Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher opted to hold onto Coyle when he was GM in Minnesota which is a sign that he is a fan so he may try to work out a deal for him as well.

Out West, Nashville and Calgary have been looking for forward upgrades and have the long-term salary cap space to fit in his salary for next season.  (Winnipeg doesn’t so they’re not likely a fit here.)  Colorado is a team that appears to be hesitant to make a move for a rental but having Coyle for another year should pique their interest.  Edmonton could use all sorts of help on the wing but they’d need to find a way to move out some salary the other way in order to get a deal done while Anaheim, who could also use some new blood on the wing, is in a similar situation.  Dallas is in dire need of offensive help so they will undoubtedly inquire as well.  Between the two conferences, there are plenty of potential fits for a trade.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering the number of times that a Coyle trade looked likely but didn’t actually happen, a deal is far from a guarantee.  However, the odds are probably higher now than they’ve been for quite some time.  Fenton has the green light to shake things up and with Coyle’s cheap cap hit and the extra year of control, he’ll be one of the more sought after players in the coming days.  If the Wild can get a bidding war going, they could wind up with a very strong return.

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While things haven’t gone particularly well for the Red Wings this season, the same can’t be said for Gustav Nyquist.  Detroit is going to be on the outside looking in at a playoff spot but it hasn’t been because of the winger who is in the midst of a career season which makes him a very intriguing candidate for a contender.

Contract

Nyquist is in the final season of a four-year, $19MM contract with an AAV of $4.75MM and a salary of $5.5MM.  The pending unrestricted free agent also has a full no-trade clause.

2018-19

Nyquist had a down 2017-18 campaign but that certainly hasn’t carried over to this season.  He has been one of their top offensive threats all season long and has already surpassed his point total from a year ago.  In fact, he’s on pace for a career high in points if he can stay healthy down the stretch.  What’s particularly noteworthy is that he isn’t lighting up the scoresheet with the man advantage.  While he has more power play points than he did all of last year (11 to 8), he’s still doing a lot of damage at five-on-five.  After entering the season as a second liner, Nyquist has shown that he can still thrive in a top role which will make him that much more appealing to contenders.

Season Stats

57 GP, 14 goals, 33 assists, 47 points, -1 rating, 6 PIMS, 146 shots, 18:04 ATOI, 53.5 CF%

Potential Suitors

In the East, several Metropolitan teams look like strong suitors.  The Blue Jackets could have a need for him if they wind up moving Artemi Panarin as they’ll likely be looking for someone to replace him to help with their postseason aspirations.  The Islanders continue to sit atop the division but could certainly benefit from some extra firepower as they’re one of the lowest-scoring teams in the conference.  The Penguins are always on the lookout for more scoring help and while they can’t afford to take on his salary outright, GM Jim Rutherford has shown himself to be creative when it comes to freeing up cap room.

In the Atlantic, Boston has been targeting a top-six winger since the beginning of the season and would certainly have interest as he’d slot in nicely behind David Pastrnak.  Tampa Bay doesn’t have a direct need for more scoring but they’re all in this season and with that in mind, they could look to load up even further.

Out West, Winnipeg is known to be looking for help on the wing while the Predators will undoubtedly be in the mix as well as those two rivals look to try to one-up each other.  Dallas could certainly use someone to take some of the load off of their top three scorers so they’ll likely be in the mix as well as.  San Jose and Calgary have had no issues scoring this season so they may not be as inclined to look at Nyquist unless, like Tampa Bay, they decide they’re best off simply loading up with as much talent as possible.  Overall, the fit appears to be better in the East than it does in the West.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Compared to other rentals, this one is far from a slam dunk.  Detroit’s asking price is believed to be a first-round pick but there aren’t many of those believed to be available and there are more prominent players that could be dealt so unless that price goes lower, there may not be much interest.  The Red Wings have also expressed an interest in signing him to an extension so it’s also possible that they lock him up and forego dealing him altogether.  Nyquist would be a significant addition to any contender but it’s far from a guarantee that he’ll be on the move.

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Things haven’t gone particularly well for Marcus Johansson since being dealt to New Jersey two summers ago.  He has considerable trouble staying healthy and his production has dipped relative to how he performed in Washington.  That said, the 28-year-old still could be one of the more under the radar targets around the league over the next couple of weeks.

Contract

Johansson is in the final season of a three-year, $13.75MM contract that carries an AAV of $4.583MM and a $4.75MM salary.  He has a five-team no-trade clause and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.

2018-19

Let’s get the bad out of the way first.  After missing the majority of last season with multiple concussions, he has already missed a dozen games with a couple of injuries.  Durability wasn’t a major concern over his last few years with Washington but it has been now.  On top of that, Johansson didn’t play particularly well early on and was even spending time on the third line.  That’s a far cry from being the reliable and consistent producer that he was with the Capitals.

Lately, though, Johansson has played a lot better.  Injuries have forced him into a bigger role and to his credit, he has stepped up which should boost his value around the league.  Over the past month, he’s logging over 18 minutes per night and between that and his versatility (he can play all three forward positions), he’s positioning himself to be an intriguing addition for some playoff-bound teams.

Season Stats

41 GP, 8 goals, 12 assists, 20 points, -11 rating, 8 PIMS, 84 shots, 16:06 ATOI, 49.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

With Johansson’s contract being an expiring one, only playoff-bound teams (or ones with postseason aspirations) are likely to have interest in acquiring him.  On top of that, his cap hit will also limit his suitors unless the Devils are willing to retain a portion of his contract (they can hold back up to 50%).

In the East, Pittsburgh doesn’t have the cap space to take on his full deal but they’d be an intriguing fit.  The Penguins are still searching for the right wingers alongside Sidney Crosby and given Johansson’s ability to play both sides, it’s possible he could get a shot there which would be a significant boost heading into free agency.  If Buffalo decides to try to add a player or two to give them some more firepower up front, they would be a good fit for Johansson as well.  Columbus could be looking for a short-term addition as well depending on what happens with Artemi Panarin so they could be involved here while if the Capitals could find the money, they’d be a dark horse as well.  (However, given their cap constraints, Andre Burakovsky would need to be a part of the deal with the Devils also retaining a sizable chunk of Johansson’s deal.)

Given his style of play, I think Johansson’s a better fit in the East but a handful of Western teams make sense as a fit.  San Jose may want to shift Marcus Sorensen back onto the fourth line which would open up a spot for Johansson on their third line but again, the cap will make it a little tricky.  The recent injury to Mikko Koivu in Minnesota opens up a big hole for them to try to fill and while Johansson can’t cover the defensive element that Koivu brings, he’d at least replace some of the offense.  Vegas will also probably be on the lookout for extra forward depth and will be limited to the rental market with their upcoming extensions.  GM George McPhee also has some familiarity from his time in Washington.

Likelihood Of A Trade

With New Jersey being well out of the postseason picture, the odds of Johansson getting dealt have to be high.  He’s not among the top rental players available but his recent play and versatility will make him an enticing piece for teams looking to add for the stretch run.  The contract may wind up limiting the return but the Devils should still be able to get a decent draft pick or prospect for Johansson.

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Senators defenseman Cody Ceci is one of the more intriguing blueliners to keep an eye on in the weeks ahead.  Although he’s technically not a true rental player in that he’s still under team control for one more season after this one, he’s at a salary level where it’s a toss-up as to whether or not he’ll be qualified this offseason.  His play down the stretch might ultimately influence what happens so there will be a lot riding on these next couple of months.

Contract

Ceci is on a one-year, $4.3MM contract that was awarded in salary arbitration back in August.  That amount will represent his qualifying offer this summer where he will once again be arbitration-eligible.

2018-19

With the departure of Erik Karlsson to San Jose, Ceci entered the season as Ottawa’s undisputed top blueliner on the right side.  He did not fare well in that role last year when Karlsson was out and the results have been similar this season.  His possession numbers aren’t particularly impressive and while he leads the team in blocks by a significant margin, it also means that teams are getting a lot of shot opportunities when he’s on the ice.

On the plus side, his offensive numbers have boosted a little bit this season.  He already has reached his goal output from last season and he’s on pace for the second-highest point total of his career; he’s done so while often facing the top competition as well.  It’s certainly fair to wonder if he’d fare better in a spot where he isn’t expected to shoulder as much of the load as he currently is.

Season Stats

48 GP, 5 goals, 10 assists, 15 points, -19 rating, 6 PIMS, 82 shots, 22:39 ATOI, 42.2 CF%

Potential Suitors

The fact that Ceci could stick around beyond this season makes him a different case than a lot of the players that are going to be dealt over the next three weeks.  The fact he’s not a guaranteed rental opens up some opportunities for selling teams to consider giving him a try as well.

In the East, Tampa Bay’s depth on the right side is a little shaky and Ceci would represent an upgrade.  They have enough salary cap space this season to take on his contract entirely but knowing what’s on the horizon this summer, they would likely have to non-tender him in the summer.  New Jersey isn’t likely to be a true buyer at the deadline but it wouldn’t be shocking to see them inquire about Ceci as their back end has been shaky for a while now and they haven’t had much success when they’ve tried to address that issue in recent years.

Given Ottawa’s preference to deal players out of the conference wherever possible, it’s likely that they will try to move Ceci to the West if presented with similar offers.  He’d represent an upgrade on Nashville’s third pairing but like Tampa Bay, they’d likely have to treat him as a rental player given how much they have tied up in their defense corps already.  Minnesota has added some depth players in recent weeks but someone like Ceci would be a considerable improvement and could even slide onto their second pairing.  He’d help Edmonton but matching money might be a challenge for the Oilers while it’s unlikely that Ottawa would want to take back contracts beyond this season.

Likelihood Of A Trade

A lot of this will depend on how Ottawa views Ceci moving forward.  Do they look at the Jake Muzzin trade and hope that they can elicit a similar return?  If so, the odds of a move will be low.  However, if they’ve decided they’re not going to qualify him (or run the risk of a $5M+ contract in arbitration) and price him as more of a depth player, they should have several suitors for his services and be able to make a trade.

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Mats Zuccarello has had a tough season.  Staying healthy has proven to be troublesome for him and as a result, his value around the league appears to have taken a hit.  However, when he has been in the lineup, he has been fairly productive, especially in recent weeks.  The 31-year-old may not be a top liner at this stage of his career but he could very well bolster a second line and provide a contender with a nice offensive boost for the stretch run.

Contract

Zuccarello is in the fourth and final year of his contract, one that carries a $4.5MM cap hit and an identical salary.  He’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent in July.

2018-19

Coming into this season, Zuccarello was one of the more durable players around the league having played in 396 of a possible 410 games over the past five seasons.  However, he missed the better part of a month with a groin injury and just recently missed time with a foot infection.  While he’s back now, the issue is reportedly going to linger for the time being.

The Norwegian winger has been on a nice little run as of late, however, which might help improve his value.  He has picked up at least a point in six straight games to bring his point-per-game average to 0.75 which ties for the second-best mark of his career.  He’s also logging the highest ATOI of his career while taking a regular turn on the penalty kill.  When Zuccarello is healthy, he’s making an impact.

Season Stats

36 GP, 8 goals, 19 assists, 27 points, -12 rating, 22 PIMS, 67 shots, 19:19 ATOI, 48.1 CF%

Potential Suitors

While there are a handful of impact rentals out there, many teams will ultimately be priced out of going after those players and instead will be forced to turn to their Plan B.  There’s a very good chance that a few teams will have Zuccarello as exactly that.

In the East, Boston has been looking for a top-six right winger for a long time and he’d certainly provide them with a more proven option than the youngsters that have been hot or cold in that role.  If Columbus ultimately decides to move Artemi Panarin, they could turn to Zuccarello as a replacement and he has played for John Tortorella in the past.  If GM Jeff Gorton is willing to trade with his state rival, the Islanders could be an intriguing team to watch for as Zuccarello could be someone that’s affordable enough for Lou Lamoriello to take a run at.

While Zuccarello’s stature wouldn’t be viewed as an asset in the more physical West, there will still be interested teams.  San Jose is clearly going for it this season and they don’t have the top picks available to use for the top rentals so this is more the tier they’ll be shopping in.  However, they don’t have the cap room to absorb his full contract.  Nashville could stand to upgrade their winger depth, especially with Austin Watson suspended indefinitely.  With the number of extensions kicking in next season, Vegas will likely be forced to focus on the rental market and considering where they are (only their second season of existence), it’s hard to imagine them being willing to part with top picks or prospects for the best rentals so they will also probably be shopping in this tier.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Zuccarello hasn’t exactly hidden his desire to remain with the Rangers.  However, with New York squarely in the middle of a rebuild, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for them to lock him up now unless he’s willing to take a bargain contract.  That probably isn’t going to be in the cards so unless his foot issue turns into something more significant over the next three weeks, it’s quite likely that he’ll be on the move by deadline day.

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