During the 2021-22 season, several big-name players, like Marc-Andre Fleury, Claude Giroux, Mark Giordano, and Hampus Lindholm, were traded before the deadline. This is a trend that will likely continue in 2022-23, as some star players could be moved during the season. Here are three players who stand out from the bunch.
Patrick Kane
All eyes will be on Patrick Kane during the 2022-23 season. He is heading into a contract year, and the Chicago Blackhawks are, of course, in a full-on rebuild. With the future Hall of Famer being the Blackhawks’ most valuable player, general manager (GM) Kyle Davidson would be wise to move him for an excellent return. The 33-year-old is still a star and is one of the greatest players in franchise history, but he also does not fit into Davidson’s five-year-plus rebuild plan.
Although it makes sense for the Blackhawks to trade Kane, the Buffalo native needs to okay the move because he has a no-movement clause (NMC), and at the time of this writing, he has not informed Chicago that is ready to be traded. Therefore, he is expected to start the season with the Blackhawks, but as we get closer to the 2023 Trade Deadline, I expect that to change. Kane is a three-time Stanley Cup winner who wants to compete for a championship every year, so don’t be surprised to see him request a move.
Although Kane is getting older, he is still an excellent player, and the truth is in his statistics from this past season. In 78 games with a bad Blackhawks team, he scored 26 goals and recorded 92 points. This was the fourth season in a row that he was over a point-per-game player, and that’s a trend we should see continue in 2022-23. With all of this, the Blackhawks should be able to get a first-round pick and top prospect for him, so keep your eyes out for a blockbuster centering around the star this season.
Jakob Chychrun
This has to be the year that Jakob Chyrchun gets traded by the Arizona Coyotes, right? The 24-year-old was one of the most talked about names at last season’s deadline, but the Coyotes have yet to move the top-pairing defenseman. With the 2016 first-round pick having a very affordable $4.6 million cap hit until the end of the 2024-25 season, GM Bill Armstrong does not need to rush a move. However, he would also be wise to take advantage of Chychrun’s trade value, which is at its highest.
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The Coyotes are unlikely to be competitive for several more seasons, and by the time they could be, Chychrun will likely be near the end of his contract. As a result, trading him does seem like the best course of action if it results in them receiving numerous assets that will help their rebuild. At a minimum, Armstrong should demand a first-round pick, top prospect, and NHL-caliber player in a move centering around Chychrun. His contract is too good to get anything less than that, and with teams always looking for top-pairing defensemen, they likely could get this kind of offer for him.
Although Chychrun started the 2021-22 season disastrously, he ended the year with a solid 21 points in 47 games. Heading into this campaign, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him produce more regularly. After all, he did just have a 41-point campaign in only 56 games during the 2020-21 season. If he can replicate this kind of season, don’t be surprised to see the Coyotes take advantage of his trade value and finally move him.
David Pastrnak
One of GM Don Sweeney’s biggest tasks this offseason was to sign David Pastrnak to a contract extension. At the time of this writing, the Boston Bruins have yet to extend their star winger, and things on that front may not change any time soon. While on NHL Network, Jim Haggerty said that he thinks that Pastrnak “wants to wait into the season” to see what direction the Bruins are heading before agreeing to a potential extension. If this is true, and the Bruins are not definite contenders at the deadline, one has to wonder if Sweeney will consider trading Pastrnak.
We saw the Calgary Flames get burned this offseason when they lost Johnny Gaudreau to the Columbus Blue Jackets for nothing through free agency. This is something that the Bruins cannot let happen, as they already are an aging team with an atrocious prospect pool. Thus, if Pastrnak is still not extended by the deadline, and the Bruins are a fringe-playoff team at best, Sweeney may decide to trade him for future assets.
Bruins fans will not want to see Pastrnak go, and they will be hoping that an extension comes to fruition. He is their top sniper and is exactly the kind of player to build around. However, until a deal does indeed happen, the 2014 first-round pick’s future in Boston will be in question. If the Bruins have no choice but to trade him this season, expect them to get back a first-round pick, top prospect, and a young, NHL-ready player at a minimum. That would be a nice consolation prize, but it will be another massive blunder on Sweeney’s resume if he cannot convince Pastrnak to stay.
Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see if these three stars get traded. Of the bunch, Kane and Chychrun seem more likely to find new homes before the end of the campaign. However, if extension talks continue to remain stagnant between Pastrnak and the Bruins, they may trade him if they are not contenders at the 2023 Trade Deadline.
