NHL Trade Deadline Wishlist
Putting together a list of major moves I'd like to see go down across the National Hockey League today...
Today marks boom-or-bust time for teams in the NHL hoping to compete for the Stanley Cup.
After a quiet start to the week, we’ve seen a burst in trade activity over the last couple of days, with a number of Stanley Cup hopefuls making moves ready for the stretch run.
Arguably the biggest and most shocking trade so far occurred overnight, with the Anaheim Ducks acquiring veteran defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals. That was a move that caught almost everybody by surprise.
Elsewhere, the Utah Mammoth upgraded the blueline by trading for MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames. The Vegas Golden Knights got a grizzled veteran for the bottom six in forward Nic Dowd from the Caps. The Colorado Avalanche sent a first-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Nicolas Roy. And the Columbus Blue Jackets bolstered its forward depth by acquiring Connor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks.
Despite the recent uptick in activity, however, there are still a ton of big names available as we prepare for the 3 p.m. ET deadline. So, with that in mind, here’s my NHL Trade Deadline Wishlist…
The Blues To Blow It Up
For me, the St. Louis Blues are the most interesting selling team to watch today, and they also arguably could be the difference between a crazy Trade Deadline or a quiet one.
Boasting a lot of talent, the Blues are looking to hit the button on a retool, and they have a slew of players that could help a contending team right now. Forward Robert Thomas is the biggest name, and he was seemingly on his way to the Buffalo Sabres before that move fell through on Thursday. The Sabres were also in on defenseman Colton Parayko, but he decided to invoke his no-trade clause.
However, with hours remaining, there is still time for St. Louis to move several pieces and really spark chaos across the league. Thomas is without a doubt one of the biggest names available. He’s 26, he’s entering the prime of his career, he’s third in assists per 60 at 5-on-5 league-wide over the past three seasons, and he’s winning 52.6% of his draws this season. Not only would Thomas help a team win now, but he would be a huge contributing piece for years to come too.
Parayko is the kind of big-bodied, shutdown defenseman that any true contender needs come playoff time. And the likes of Brayden Schenn, Pavel Buchnevich, and Justin Faulk, and Jordan Kyrou are all names that would make a team better right now. Heck, if we’re talking about dream scenarios, I’d love to see the Oilers finally solve their goaltending issue by trading for Jordan Binnington. Yes, he has his issues, but what can’t be disputed is the fact that Binnington knows what it takes to win, and he’s a big-game performer. He would be a huge upgrade for the Oilers between the pipes, and that’s arguably what’s standing between them and finally winning the Stanley Cup.
If we are to have any chance of witnessing all-out madness at the Trade Deadline, the Blues actually being able to get some deals over the lines and parting with some of their valuable core will be key.
Steven Stamkos to the Penguins
At the time of writing this, the Nashville Predators are on the playoff bubble and could still make a run. However, that group has been mired in hockey mediocrity for a while now, and now might be the best time to start to retool the roster somewhat.
Therefore, trading Steven Stamkos would make a lot of sense. And I think the Penguins would be the perfect landing spot.
Yes, Stamkos is 36 and isn’t the player he once was, but he’s still got 30 goals so far this season, and that level of goalscoring would boost a Penguins team that’s currently second in the Metro Division. Plus, how fun would it be to see Stamkos with his sniping ability on the same line as Sidney Crosby in the playoffs? That has the tantalizing potential to be an explosive pairing.
Stamkos has a full no-trade clause. He’s been public in wanting to stay in Nashville, but the opportunity to play with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson and compete for another Stanley Cup may be too good to turn down. Per Spotrac, Pittsburgh has just under $8 million in cap space available, so no heavy lifting would be required in order to fit in Stamkos’ $8 million cap hit.
While the Penguins have surpassed all expectations so far this season, the end goal should always be to compete for the Stanley Cup as long as Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are still in town. And adding a proven and potent scorer to the lineup in Stamkos would make Pittsburgh a formidable opponent for any team in the postseason.
Buffalo To Re-Sign Alex Tuch & Go All-In
You know the story by now; the Buffalo Sabres have one of the longest postseason droughts in all of sports, having not made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season. However, that streak could be about to end.
Currently tied for first in the Atlantic Division with the Lightning, and an impressive 26-5-2 since Dec. 9, the time is now for the Sabres to throw caution to the wind and go for it. Granted, the front office made some on-the-margin improvements on Thursday by trading for defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets, in addition to depth forward Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers.
However, I don’t think that’s enough. This team looks like one that could actually make a lot of noise in the playoffs, and I think making a major move at the Trade Deadline would send all the right messages to the locker room and to a fanbase that has had to suffer for way too long. So much so that I actually want the Sabres to do two things today: re-sign forward Alex Tuch, and make a splashy upgrade.
Tuch is second on the team with 53 points (25 G, 28 A), and his size makes him a key contributor in all areas of the game. He can contribute both on the power play and on the penalty kill, and he’s been a huge part of the success Buffalo has enjoyed so far this year. Tuch has made it no secret that he would like to remain a Sabre and, although he could get a monster deal on the open market in free agency, I think a contract extension would make sense for both player and team in this instance.
Then, in terms of a major upgrade, I’d like Buffalo to re-visit trade talks with the Blues over forward Robert Thomas. That’s a perfect fit in my opinion. Thomas is 26, he’s reliable in the faceoff circle, he’s a playmaker, he can contribute now and in the future, and he knows what it takes to win in the postseason, which is an important intangible for a team that hasn’t sniffed the postseason in years.
If Thomas is a no-go, then another Blues forward in Brayden Schenn to bolster the bottom six could be a good idea. Or, how about bringing back Ryan O’Reilly? The former Sabre could be traded by the Predators, and he would be an excellent fit for a team looking to take that next big leap. New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck would also be another smart way to upgrade the roster and give everyone in that building a massive lift.
This is Buffalo’s best chance in years to end the playoff drought, and not making significant improvements at the Trade Deadline would be disappointing.
Devils To Keep Simon Nemec
According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Devils have been listening to offers on defenseman Simon Nemec, but would only move him in the right package for a young top-six forward that impacts the group.
As a Devils fan, I see this as a non-starter. Firstly, the Devils are way outside of the playoff picture and may as well wave the white flag on this season. Acquiring a top-six forward now probably doesn’t make a lot of sense. Secondly, Nemec has proven this season that he should be considered a big part of the blueline going forward. He has already set career-highs in goals (9), points (21), and is on his way to doing the same with assists. He also has 69 blocked shots and is averaging 19:41 of total ice time a game this season. If I were in the Devils front office, I’d be focusing on signing Nemec to a new deal and instead moving veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton for a forward piece that can help to win games in the future.
The Wild To Swing Big Again
Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin showed all other front office executives how it should be done by going all out and acquiring elite defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks earlier in the season. Guerin saw an opportunity to exponentially make his team better, and he swung for the fences and went for it.
Hopefully, he does so again today.
In order to get you have to give, and the Wild had to part with a talented young center in Marco Rossi in the Hughes deal. Therefore, it would make a ton of sense for Minnesota to go out and bolster its center depth by acquiring Vincent Trocheck from the New York Rangers.
The veteran forward is one of the biggest names available today, and he would be a good fit on a Wild team that probably needs another legit forward piece in order to be really dangerous come the playoffs. Trocheck has 39 points (12 G, 27 A) in 46 games this season, but he plays a really solid two-way game, can hit, can eat big minutes, play in all situations, and he’s incredibly reliable in the faceoff circle (57.2% winning percentage this season).
Trocheck is a dependable, gritty two-way center who would be a perfect fit in Minnesota. The Wild would have to do some work in order to fit in Trocheck’s cap hit, but, if they can, it would be another big-time move by Guerin.
Time To Act
Steve Yzerman has been methodically rebuilding the Detroit Red Wings for years now. He’s been decisive in keeping his power dry, instead opting to build through the draft.
However, with Detroit currently third in the Atlantic and just a few points behind the Lightning and the Sabres, now is the time for Yzerman to finally pull the trigger on a significant move.
The Red Wings need some reinforcements for the stretch run, especially when it comes to helping an offense that ranks 20th in goals for (183), and a power play that sits middle-of-the-pack (22.5%). You could also make an argument that they need a second-pairing defenseman.
Justin Faulk or Rasmus Ristolainen would help to upgrade the blueline, while Rangers center Vincent Trocheck would add more toughness to the forward group. As would Brayden Schenn or Ryan O’Reilly. Or, maybe, if Yzerman really wanted to send a vote of confidence to a team that’s been in the playoff picture all year, why not try and succeed where the Sabres failed by trading for both Robert Thomas and Colton Parayko from the Blues? Thomas would be a major upgrade offensively, and he’s a player who would help Detroit well into the future. And Parayko is perfectly suited for the blood and thunder of playoff hockey.
After years of settling for marginal improvements, I would love to see Yzerman make a real statement of intent.
Out-Of-Nowhere Shocker
As already mentioned, the Ducks acquiring defenseman John Carlson from the Capitals overnight was a mini blockbuster.
But I think we could do better.
In order to really spice up the Trade Deadline, we need a true stunner out of nowhere. I’m thinking along the lines of a young-ish player with plenty of upside in the ilk of Adam Fox or Elias Pettersson being moved.
There have been reports that Fox may want out of New York with the Rangers now rebuilding. While it is unlikely that he’s moved today, stranger things have happened. And moving Fox would certainly help to supercharge New York’s latest retool. Although he’s been hurt for some of this season, Fox is still a premier blueliner who can provide plenty of offense and a hell of a punch on the power play, and his skillset would make any contender even more dangerous. Now, Fox does have a full no-movement clause, although it would be hard to imagine him not waiving it if it meant going to a team with a real chance of competing for the Stanley Cup this year.
Pettersson is in a similar boat. The forward isn’t as dominant as he once was, but I’d argue being stuck on a bad Vancouver team probably hasn’t helped. He only has 37 points (13 G, 24 A) so far this season, and a lot of the underlying metrics don’t look good, either. There’s also the small matter of Pettersson’s gaudy $11.6 million cap hit too.
However, maybe a change of scenery would be the spark the center needs to revitalize his game and get back to being one of the best forwards in the game. And, with the Canucks rebuilding, maybe they could be tempted into retaining a large chunk of Pettersson’s salary in exchange for more draft capital.
Either way, in order for today to be truly exciting, I feel like we need a major move to come out of left field and leave us all stunned.