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Trade Candidate Profiles 2020

Trade Candidate: Conor Sheary

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

It was only a few years ago that it looked like Conor Sheary could be another homegrown key player in Pittsburgh’s program.  However, salary cap issues necessitated a trade to Buffalo back in the 2018 offseason.  While he hasn’t been able to come close to the 53-point campaign he had back in 2016-17, Sheary could still be an intriguing under the radar acquisition for a team looking to boost their depth on the wing.  Two Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins will only make him more interesting to prospective buyers.

Contract

Sheary is in the final season of a three-year, $9MM contract signed back in 2017 while still with Pittsburgh, paying $3MM in salary each year.  The contract does not contain any form of trade protection and he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.

2019-20

This season has not gone well for most of Buffalo’s players and Sheary is no exception.  He has managed to stay healthy for the most part (only missing four games to a minor upper-body issue) but he’s averaging his lowest point per game average over any of his four full NHL seasons.  Secondary scoring has been an issue for the Sabres all season long and he is part of the reason.

Nonetheless, he can still play both wings and isn’t reliant on power play time to pad his stats as only three of his points this season have come with the man advantage.  That follows the trend for his career as even when he was at his best with Pittsburgh, those points were few and far between.  That should appeal to teams that are looking to add to their third line but don’t want to disrupt their power play units.

Season Stats

53 GP, 9 goals, 10 assists, 19 points, -3 rating, 8 PIMS, 86 shots, 12:58 TOI, 49.0 CF%

Potential Suitors

No one is going to be looking at Sheary as one of their top targets as they’ll be setting their sights higher at this stage.  But as the more impact players come off the board (or no-trade clauses come into play), teams will eventually be pivoting to other plans and that is the tier that he fits in.

In the East, the Penguins could be a fit.  GM Jim Rutherford recently indicated his interest in adding another forward for depth and the fact that he knows the system and has played with several of their key players in the past would certainly be beneficial.  They’d need Buffalo to retain part of his deal though.  The Islanders are in need of offensive upgrades throughout their lineup and while Sheary would be a lower-end one, he’d still represent an improvement nonetheless.  The Blue Jackets may be shopping in the lower end of the market this year with an eye on an incremental upgrade and Sheary would fit in that price range.  Losing Oliver Bjorkstrand for the rest of the year creates a vacancy on the wing that they’ll likely want to fill.

Out West, Arizona is still having issues scoring and with what they paid for Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel, they’re missing some of the assets they’d need to go after a top player.  A depth upgrade is likely more up their alley.  Nashville has worked their way from a likely seller to be right in the mix.  However, GM David Poile may still want to shy away from the top of the market given that they’re still on the outside looking in at a playoff spot.  An addition like Sheary could give them a small boost without moving a pick or prospect of too much significance.

Likelihood Of A Trade

This is a situation that will likely run right to the deadline.  Teams that strike out on their top acquisitions could turn to Buffalo late in the day and offer up a mid-to-late round pick to try to salvage the day.  If that’s enough for GM Jason Botterill, there’s a good chance that Sheary will be on the move.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Brenden Dillon

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

Brenden Dillon isn’t the flashiest of players offensively.  In fact, he has only surpassed five goals in a season once in his career.  However, he’s more of a throwback defenseman, one that protects his own end and plays with a physical edge.  While players like that have been phased out to an extent in recent years, there is still a demand for them when it comes to the playoffs which are often played at a slower pace where the physicality picks up.  Accordingly, the veteran should have no shortage of suitors between now and the trade deadline.

Contract

Dillon is in the final season of a five-year, $16.35MM contract signed back in 2015.  The deal was backloaded as his $3.9MM salary is higher than his $3.27MM AAV.  The contract does not contain any trade protection and he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.

2019-20

Overall, it hasn’t been a great year in San Jose and that’s probably putting it lightly.  However, Dillon is one player that has lived up to his expectations.  He has provided the Sharks with his usual style of play.  The 29-year-old leads the team in hits by a considerable margin with 173 while he is actually logging his largest workload in terms of ice time since the 2014-15 season, the one he split between Dallas and San Jose.  With Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson both being erratic at times, Dillon has stepped in as somewhat of a steadying presence while holding down a spot in their top four for most of the year.  While contending teams may not want him to have quite that big of a role, it would certainly be encouraging for them to know that he can step up if injuries were to arise.

Season Stats

57 GP, 1 goal, 13 assists, 14 points, even rating, 83 PIMS, 47 shots, 19:20 TOI, 52.0 CF%

Potential Suitors

It’s not a great market for teams looking for defensemen and Dillon figures to be one of the top ones that ultimately gets moved by the deadline.  Accordingly, there should be several suitors for his services.

In the East, Carolina has been known to be shopping for help on the back end due to Dougie Hamilton’s injury and they have had talks with the Sharks about Dillon already.  However, their preference at this point seems to be someone that is signed beyond this season.  Toronto is also in need of defensive help and with Andreas Johnsson and his $3.4MM headed for LTIR for the rest of the regular season, they now have the cap room available to bring Dillon in for the stretch run.  Florida would like to upgrade their back end but with minimal cap space available, they would need to make a trade to free up some cap room first.  With Columbus playing their way into the playoff picture, they will likely want to shore up their back end (especially with Seth Jones and Ryan Murray on the shelf) and after spending big a year ago, looking at this end of the market would be a safer approach this time around.

Out West, Winnipeg now has some clarity regarding Dustin Byfuglien (who at the very least isn’t expected to play this year) and while Dillon is a left-shot defender (Byfuglien is a righty), they’re at a point where they just need defensive upgrades but after going the rental route the last couple of years, they may be aiming for someone with term now.  Vegas is in a similar situation – they could use some help on the back end but they have shied away from rentals over their first two seasons.  Mark Giordano’s injury in Calgary could have them looking for defensive help, especially if they strike out on adding the top-six forward they’ve been coveting for quite a while now.  The Blues may also be on the market for a short-term Jay Bouwmeester replacement; if he lands on LTIR, the cap space they’d free up is almost identical to Dillon’s cap hit.

Likelihood Of A Trade

The Sharks are well out of playoff contention.  They also have over $27MM tied up in four defenders for next season thanks to the big deals for Karlsson, Burns, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.  Even if they want to keep Dillon around, they can’t really afford to.  Accordingly, unless he’s injured over the next week or so, it almost certain that he will be dealt by the deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Tyler Toffoli

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

Last season, Kings winger Tyler Toffoli was drawing a fair bit of interest around the league but Los Angeles ultimately balked on selling low and held onto him for this season.  They’ve been somewhat rewarded for their patience as he has bounced back somewhat but they still find themselves well out of the playoff picture.  Accordingly, it seems quite likely that Toffoli will be on the move over the next few weeks.

Contract

Toffoli is in the final season of a three-year, $13.8MM contract signed back in 2017.  The deal was slightly back-loaded as his $4.8MM salary is a little higher than his $4.6MM cap hit.  There is no trade protection in the contract and he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

2019-20

There haven’t been many bright spots in Los Angeles this season as the Kings are once again mired at the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference.  However, the 27-year-old has bounced back from a rough 2018-19 campaign and would have to be considered one of the few positives they’ve had this year.  He sits third on the team in points with 30 and has already surpassed his goal total from last season despite playing in 27 fewer games and averaging a lower amount of ice time.  While Toffoli hasn’t rebounded to the level of being a top liner like he was in his breakout 2015-16 campaign, he has done enough to restore some trade value to the point where teams will look at him as a top-six upgrade.  That should also bode well for his free agency prospects.

Season Stats

55 GP, 14 goals, 16 assists, 30 points, -7 rating, 16 PIMS, 149 shots, 16:27 TOI, 57.5 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Rangers winger Chris Kreider is the top potential prize of the deadline, Toffoli could very well be the Plan B option for quite a few teams.  That should bode well for the Kings as there will certainly be enough leverage to garner a fairly strong return.

In the East, the Bruins have been linked to Toffoli going back to last season and he’s certainly on their radar again.  Boston has been looking to add secondary scoring for a while and he would certainly help round out their attack and take some pressure off their number one line but they will need some help to make him fit on their salary cap.  The Penguins are known to be looking for a replacement for the injured Jake Guentzel and with him on LTIR, they have the cap room to bring him in.  The Flyers are one of the deeper offensive teams but they’re a team that is known to have some interest but making the money work will be difficult.  The Islanders should be sniffing around any sort of potential offensive upgrade while the Blue Jackets have played their way into the playoff picture despite a mediocre attack.  GM Jarmo Kekalainen may be hesitant to enter the rental market after what transpired last year but Toffoli would give them a nice boost offensively.

Out West, the Flames have been shopping for a replacement for Michael Frolik and Toffoli would represent an offensive upgrade at a similar price tag.  The Stars have fizzled offensively and could certainly use the upgrade if they’re willing to go into LTIR and all but ensure that they’ll be facing a bonus overage penalty next season.  Adding Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel hasn’t done much to boost the scoring punch for the Coyotes so more help would be welcome but they’d basically need to match money which could make things difficult.  The Avalanche don’t really need the offensive boost – they’re in the top-five in goals scored – but they have a short-term window to work with before some of their players need new, pricier contracts so the short-term commitment to someone like Toffoli may be enticing to them.

Likelihood Of A Trade

A trade has seemed inevitable going all the way back to last season.  While Toffoli is young enough to still be part of the future core for the Kings, it doesn’t appear as if there’s interest in that happening.  He has been in trade rumors for a couple of years now and within the next couple of weeks, one of those will come to fruition.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Jean-Gabriel Pageau

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

Quite a few players that will be on the move are having quiet years with the acquiring team hoping that a change of scenery would get them going.  That is not the case when it comes to Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau.  He’s in the middle of a career season and if he doesn’t agree to an extension with Ottawa in the coming weeks, he’ll become one of the more sought after forwards around the league.

Contract

Pageau is in the final season of a three-year, $9.3MM deal.  The contract is a little back-loaded as his $3.4MM salary is a little higher than his $3.1MM cap hit.  Pageau does not have any form of trade protection in his deal and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

2019-20

After scoring just four goals in an injury-plagued 2018-19 campaign, expectations were about as low as they could be for the 27-year-old.  However, with Colin White struggling early on, Pageau was pressed into a big role and instead of merely holding his own, he thrived.  He has already established new a career high in goals with 20 and his point-per-game average is the best of his career at 0.63.  He also has been above average at the faceoff dot for the fifth year in a row and his offensive output hasn’t slowed down his defensive ability.  Coming into the season, Pageau looked like he could be a depth defensive forward for a contending team but now, he could be counted on to provide a lot more than that.

Season Stats

52 GP, 20 goals, 13 assists, 33 points, +11 rating, 20 PIMS, 117 shots, 19:19 TOI, 47.4 CF%, 52.7% faceoffs

Potential Suitors

It is a fairly weak market in terms of impact centers to the point where Pageau is arguably the best one available.  Accordingly, any team looking for help down the middle is going to have at least some level of interest.

In the East, the Islanders have been looking for upgrades down the middle dating back to the summer.  Pageau would give them another penalty killing option while providing a secondary scoring upgrade as well which is an area of need.  The Blue Jackets banged up down the middle with Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Dubinsky out and it’s not like Columbus and Ottawa haven’t made these types of deals before.  If the Bruins strike out in their search for help on the wing, they could turn around and add Pageau which would allow them to move Charlie Coyle to the right wing for the stretch run.  They’d need some assistance to make the money work though.

Out West, the Oilers have been looking for center help all season long and with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins spending a lot of time on the wing, there’s an opening for Pageau on their third line.  Colorado has a well-balanced group of secondary scoring but could certainly add to that and shift J.T. Compher back to the wing.  Dallas has strong depth down the middle already but considering that Pageau would be their leading goal-getter, that alone could get their attention as they look to add some scoring punch.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Compared to some other rentals out there, this one isn’t a guarantee.  The Senators do have legitimate interest in giving Pageau an extension and there have been recent discussions to that end.  If they can reach an agreement, they’ll forego trading him; a trade and return scenario isn’t likely.  If an extension isn’t reached, then it’s all but a certainty that he’ll be on the move and the biggest question will be what the Senators will get in return.  A guaranteed first-round pick could be tricky but a second-rounder that upgrades to a first if the acquiring team wins a couple of playoff rounds could be doable.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Ron Hainsey

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

From the moment he signed in Ottawa at the beginning of free agency in July, the countdown towards Ron Hainsey’s next trade has been underway.  The veteran blueliner played an important role in the postseason for Toronto the last two years but with the Senators well out of the playoff picture already with an expiring contract, there isn’t much of a case to keep him around for the stretch run which makes the question of a trade a matter of when and not if.

Contract

Hainsey is on a one-year, $3.5MM contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency once again in July.  The deal contains a 10-team no-trade clause.

2019-20

The 38-year-old was brought in to be a veteran mentor for a young Ottawa core while taking some pressure off a relatively untested back end.  He has done exactly that.  Hainsey is serving as an alternate captain already and has moved back and forth on the top two pairings and is once again logging more than 20 minutes a night for the ninth straight season.  He also has spent time playing on both the left and right sides which has only boosted his value to the Sens.  Generally speaking, he hasn’t done anything to get himself traded (it wouldn’t be shocking if Senators GM Pierre Dorion has already kicked the tires on what it might cost for an extension) but with Ottawa well out of the playoffs, there isn’t a compelling case to keep him around.

Season Stats

46 GP, 1 goal, 10 assists, 11 points, +6 rating, 8 PIMS, 32 shots, 20:11 TOI, 43.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Hainsey has shown that he can handle minutes in the top four, most teams will probably view him as a third pairing option.  Veteran defenders is something that practically every contender looks to add to shore up their depth but here are a few teams that stand out as potentially strong fits.

In the East, Hainsey’s former employer in Toronto makes some sense if they can make the finances work (and that could prove to be too difficult).  But the Maple Leafs could certainly stand to add someone who has some familiarity with the roster already and a proven ability to play with their top blueliner in Morgan Rielly.  Another of his former teams in Carolina could make sense.  The Hurricanes are believed to be looking for extra depth in the wake of the Dougie Hamilton injury and while Hainsey isn’t a natural righty, he has played that side enough in recent years to be a legitimate option on that side and they have enough cap room to fit him in.  Washington is going to be shopping at the lower end of the market for depth but Hainsey would give them a nice upgrade on their third pairing.  They would need Ottawa to retain some salary though.

Out West, Winnipeg has had a tough season when it comes to their back end with their key departures and several injuries among those that are there.  Hainsey could potentially step into a spot in their top four if they’re willing to go the rental route.  Calgary could be forced to pivot to defense depending on what happens with Mark Giordano‘s injury from Tuesday night and they freed up enough money to add him with their move last month.  Edmonton’s preference at this point is likely depth down the middle but if they can’t get that, they’ll likely pivot to strengthening their back end where Hainsey would give their third pairing a boost.

Likelihood Of A Trade

All things considered, the likelihood is quite high that Hainsey will be on the move here.  Unless he’s willing to sign a very team-friendly extension that is worth more than whatever mid-tier draft pick or prospect they’d get in return, the smart play for Ottawa is to move him out and if they’re so inclined, try to bring him back in free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Sami Vatanen

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

Sami Vatanen is a defenseman that has seemingly been on the verge of becoming a core player for several years now.  He looked well on his way to becoming one before Anaheim traded him to New Jersey back in 2017 and since then, he has been a serviceable player for them but hasn’t really emerged as that top piece.

At the time of his acquisition, it seemed likely that Vatanen could become a part of their long-term plans for a revamped back end.  Instead, with the Devils out of contention, it appears likely that he will be on the move over the next few weeks.

Contract

Vatanen is in the final season of a four-year, $19.5MM deal that he signed back in 2016 while still with Anaheim.  His $4.5MM salary is slightly lower than the $4.875MM AAV of the deal.  The initial contract contained a 12-team no-trade clause once he turned 27 but as he was dealt before then, it was nullified and likely not assumed by New Jersey.  Vatanen is eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.

2019-20

While things haven’t gone too well for the Devils this season, Vatanen is having a decent year.  For starters, he has managed to stay in the lineup (aside from a brief upper-body issue).  After playing in just 50 games last year, he’s almost at that total already which bodes well both for New Jersey in terms of trade value but also for Vatanen in terms of bolstering his free agency case this summer.

Offensively, the 28-year-old is at his best point per game pace since the 2015-16 season with Anaheim.  He leads all New Jersey blueliners in points while sitting third in ATOI; his 21:45 mark is just above his career average.  Many Devils have underachieved but Vatanen hasn’t been one of them.

Season Stats

47 GP, 5 goals, 18 assists, 23 points, -12 rating, 22 PIMS, 95 shots, 21:45 TOI, 48.1 CF%

Potential Suitors

Impact defensemen are hard to find at this time of year and while Vatanen isn’t a top pairing option, he’s a quality player that can boost a second pairing or be an anchor on a third pair.  With that in mind, pretty much any contender that’s looking to add more than simple defensive depth should be calling Devils interim GM Tom Fitzgerald.

In the East, Carolina recently lost Dougie Hamilton, a skilled right-shot defender, with a long-term injury.  They were already somewhat surprisingly sniffing around a defensive upgrade but Vatanen would be a strong stylistic replacement for him.  They also should have the cap room to bring him in without LTIR assistance closer to the deadline and have extra picks in the top three rounds this year at their disposal.  Toronto is another team that has been looking for defensive help all season.  Vatanen’s puck-moving ability would fit in well with their up-tempo structure but fitting his contract in will be difficult and would require moving some money out.  Washington’s in a similar situation – finding an upgrade for their second pairing which Vatanen would represent would be ideal but they’d need New Jersey to retain half and perhaps still move a bit of money out to leave themselves with some flexibility.

Out West, Vegas is seeking defensive improvements but their preference has been to look for players either signed beyond the season or willing to sign an extension.  Vatanen would be an interesting fit for them but they would likely need to clear out Cody Eakin’s expiring contract as part of the deal.  With Dustin Byfuglien now not likely coming back this season, Winnipeg can now get into the trade market and Vatanen would serve as a reasonable upgrade on their right side.  Dallas is the top defensive team in the league but their depth on the right side of their back end isn’t the strongest.  If they can’t land a forward upgrade, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them look this way and try to upgrade a team strength instead.

Likelihood Of A Trade

In a perfect world, New Jersey probably wants to keep Vatanen around as he’s still young enough to be a part of their next core group.  However, there’s little incentive for him to take himself off the open market early and with Fitzgerald serving as interim GM, there’s no guarantee that he’d have the ability to offer the type of extension it would take to get something done.  As a result, it’s quite likely that Vatanen will have a new home when the clock strikes on the trade deadline later this month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Mikael Granlund

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

Last season, the Nashville Predators made a big splash at the trade deadline with the acquisition of Mikael Granlund from Minnesota.  They had been looking for one basically all season long and it wasn’t even a rental situation.  Things were looking up, or so it seemed.

Granlund struggled down the stretch and in the playoffs last year and things haven’t gone too well for this season either.  Between that and the fact that Nashville needed a couple of wins this week just to stay out of the basement of the Central Division, it seems quite likely that he’ll on the move over the next few weeks.  Even if the Predators can stay close to the playoff picture, he could still be on the move due to his rather limited production on the team as his money could be better spent elsewhere.

Contract

Granlund is in the final season of a three-year, $17.25MM deal that he signed back in August of 2017.  The deal was slightly back-loaded as his salary this season is $6.5MM, $750K higher than his $5.75MM AAV.  He will become an unrestricted free agent in July.

2019-20

While he has performed better than he did after being acquired, Granlund has still underwhelmed, especially relative to his production in his final years with Minnesota.  Despite playing in the top six basically all season long (including more than two minutes a night on the power play), his point per game output is the lowest of any full season of his career.  The 27-year-old has a well-earned reputation for being a playmaking forward and has recorded at least 31 assists in each full season of his career.  However, Granlund has just eight helpers on the season and has gone more than a month and a half without one.  That pretty much sums up how disappointing his season has been.

Season Stats

44 GP, 10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points, -1 rating, 16 PIMS, 90 shots, 17:05 TOI, 55.3 CF%

Potential Suitors

Despite his struggles since joining Nashville, there will be several teams that look at Granlund’s body of work with Minnesota and think that a change of scenery can help get him going again.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that a $5.75MM price tag is going to limit the number of trade options; even if Nashville retains (they can hold back up to 50%), he’s still going to be too expensive for some of the cap-strapped contenders.

In the East, the Islanders stand out as a team that would be a good fit.  They are in the bottom ten in the league in goals scored and have a few players capable of scoring more than they have been.  Yes, adding another underachiever into the mix is risky but Granlund’s overall track record suggests he’d give them a boost at the very least.  They’re one of the only playoff contenders that can afford his contract outright as well.  Lightning GM Julien BriseBois isn’t bullish on adding a rental player but Granlund could fit in well with their high-skilled attack in a middle-six role.   And of course, when it comes to making splashes at the deadline, the Penguins can’t be counted off though they would need Nashville to retain some money or send a contract or two the other way.  Pittsburgh has a clear vacancy to fill with Jake Guentzel out long term and Granlund is one of the more skilled forwards that’s available.

Out West, Flames GM Brad Treliving would prefer to add someone that’s signed beyond this season but if that falls through, Granlund would be a nice pickup for their top six and give them some extra skill in that group.  However, the Michael Frolik deal last month doesn’t free up enough cap space alone to add Granlund so there would need to be some retention.  The Avalanche are still one of the top teams in the league offensively but they have plenty of short-term cap room to work with and this is a year they should be trying to go for it so don’t be surprised if they still look to bolster their attack.

Likelihood Of A Trade

While the return isn’t going to be anywhere near what it would have been perceived to be a year ago, GM David Poile has all but certainly decided that Granlund won’t be staying past this season and that his money will go elsewhere on the open market.  In this case, getting something is better than nothing, even if they wind up turning around and acting as a buyer to get a short-term replacement for him.  Barring injury or a rapid turnaround, it’s hard to envision him still being in Nashville past February 24th.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Ilya Kovalchuk

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

There was plenty of anticipation when Ilya Kovalchuk announced he wanted to return to the NHL after five straight years in the KHL. The former star wanted another crack at a Stanley Cup title, but made the mistake of signing a contract with the Los Angeles Kings (a three-year, $18.75MM deal), who were hoping for one more title run. Between the team’s struggles and Kovalchuk’s inability to fit into the Kings’ lineup, he bottomed out this year, even being asked to sit out before finally being placed on unconditional waivers. However, the Montreal Canadiens rescued him where he has thrived eight short games.

Having revived his career with the Canadiens in just a short amount of time, Kovalchuk suddenly could become quite the trade chip who is quite inexpensive as he is under a minimum contract and might be a big win-win for general manager Marc Bergevin.

Contract

Once a free-agent, Kovalchuk was free to sign with anyone and anywhere, but his main goal was to sign with an NHL team and the Montreal Canadiens offered him that chance, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K.

2019-20

Kovalchuk’s numbers may look adequate when looking at his numbers with the Kings, but the veteran didn’t fit in with new head coach Todd McLellan and on Nov. 12, was informed that he would not be in the lineup for the “foreseeable future.” The veteran averaged just 15 minutes on the ice and often found himself on the fourth line when with the Kings. He was eventually placed on unconditional waivers, while Los Angeles is still responsible for the final year of his deal next season at $6.25MM.

The Montreal Canadiens, however, took a chance, signing the 36-year-old to a one-year deal to revive his career. And that he’s done, as he has four goals and eight points in eight games with the Canadiens and looking like the player that many expected when he signed with the Kings back in 2018.

Season Stats

TOTAL: 25 GP, 7 goals, 10 assists, 17 points, -7 rating, 12 PIMs, 57 shots, 16:45 ATOI, 51.5 CF%
L.A.: 17 GP, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, -10 rating, 12 PIMS, 35 shots, 15:25 ATOI, 49.3 CF%
MON: 8 GP, 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points, +3 rating, 0 PIMS, 22 shots, 19:36 ATOI, 55.2 CF%

Potential Suitors

The key reason that Kovalchuk might provide significant value isn’t just for his offensive prowess, but because he comes with a minimum salary, which could mean that top playoff teams with little to no cap room should easily be able to afford the 36-year-old.

That could leave several thoughts on where he might go, but one thought could be a trade to the New York Islanders. The Islanders have solid goaltending and a quality defense, but the rank 21st in the league in scoring and 19th in the league in power-play efficiency. Kovalchuk, who is well-known by general manager Lou Lamoriello (he signed him to the infamous 15-year, $100MM contract), could boost both those numbers as he could fit into the team’s lineup perfectly and even play a role on the team’s second power-play unit. The Boston Bruins could also be looking to add a cheap option to their top six, although the team does have some cap room to work with if needed.

In the west, teams such as Dallas and Edmonton could use Kovalchuk’s skills. Dallas could use another impact forward for their middle nine, while Edmonton is desperately in need of forwards and have little cap room to work with, making Kovalchuk an obvious option.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Much of whether Kovalchuk will be traded at the trade deadline will be determined by what Bergevin decides to do with him. The Canadiens seem to be a better team with him in the lineup and if Bergevin can convince Kovalchuk to sign an extension before the trade deadline, then Montreal might be better off holding onto him. However, if the team cannot find a way to lock him up or if other teams are offering significant assets that Bergevin can’t pass up, then the team will likely be better off trading him away and just remembering they signed him for almost nothing. Because the worst thing that could happen to Montreal is not trading him and then watching him leave at the end of the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Chris Kreider

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

The New York Rangers find themselves in quite the dilemma as one of their top players for the last several years, Chris Kreider, finds himself ready to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, and the team has to decide what to do with him. As of now, most indications are that the Rangers and Kreider haven’t gotten very far in extension talks and the general belief is that New York intends to trade him at the trade deadline.

With the team in a rebuilding phase, it makes sense to move Kreider, but the team has made some progress in the last year. The team is just 11 points out of a playoff spot and a strong second-half could allow them to catapult them into the playoffs. However, the team is hardly ready to compete for a Stanley Cup and at age 28, signing Kreider to a seven or eight-year deal may also not be the greatest idea either. Despite the sentimental side of things, the team might be better off getting what they can.

Contract

Kreider is in the final year of a four-year, $18.5MM  contract that he signed back in 2016. He has a an AAV of $4.625MM and will hit unrestricted free agency in July. He does have a modified no-trade clause in which he has an 11-team no-trade list.

2019-20

Kreider has been a consistent goal scorer in New York for the past seven years and the 28-year-old has been no different this season. After a 28-goal campaign in 2018-19, Kreider is well on his way of duplicating that number once again. He currently has 17 goals and 32 points and should be in line for similar numbers from last year, if not better. However, he’s been even better over the past 20 games as Kreider has 11 goals in that span, along with 19 points, making his stock continue to rise as he has been playing close to a point-per-game player. He has been playing so well that many wonder if the Rangers would be losing too key of a player.

Season Stats

48 GP, 17 goals, 15 assists, 32 points, +1 rating, 58 PIMS, 117 shots, 17:43 ATOI, 47.4 CF%

Potential Suitors

Many teams will be looking to acquire a speedy power forward, who can score. The earliest suitor for Kreider goes back a ways as there were rumors that the Colorado Avalanche might be interested to bring Kreider in for a Stanley Cup run. However, that interest has supposedly slipped. The Montreal Canadiens have also expressed interest, but there are rumors that Kreider put all Canadian teams on his no-trade list.

In the East, the Rangers have a history making moves with the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline and this year is likely no different. Despite a dominant first line, the Bruins are still struggling to get quality offense from their second line and could use a veteran goal scorer who could step in and help anchor a group of forwards, including Jake Debrusk and Charlie Coyle. The team does have almost all of its picks, including its first-round picks in the next three drafts, so the have some key assets in which to acquire Kreider. The Bruins also have a bunch of young forwards that are NHL ready and could be another trade chip to use, including Anders Bjork, Danton Heinen as well as several forwards currently playing in Providence of the AHL.

Out West, there could be several teams interested in Kreider, but its rumored that the Dallas Stars might be looking for some goal scoring. The team is currently ranked 27th in goals scored and also acquired Mats Zuccarello from the Rangers last season. Despite being tight against the cap, Dallas does have the luxury of placing Martin Hanzal on LTIR, which could open up the needed space to bring in Kreider. The biggest concern, however, is that the team might be hesitant to move its first-round pick after having already traded their second-round (to Vegas for Marc Methot) and a third-rounder (to the Rangers for Zuccarello), which could leave without any picks until the fourth round at the draft. Even among prospects, Dallas might hesitate to trade their top prospects, which could make a match difficult, but not impossible.

Likelihood Of A Trade

With a key game-winning goal against the rival New York Islanders nine days ago, many have felt that moving Kreider would be a mistake as he is a major part to the team. However, the Rangers expect to have some cap issues in the coming seasons as the team has to sign several key players in the next couple of years to long-term deals, including Anthony DeAngelo, Ryan Strome, Brendan Lemieux, Alexandar Georgiev for next year, while others like Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil are both likely to expect big deals down the road. Throw in the $6.08MM cap hit that the team will get from Kevin Shattenkirk’s buyout next year, and there doesn’t look to be much money left available for Kreider, who is likely looking for a big payday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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