2020 NHL Trade Deadline: Fisher’s Big Board of Bait

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It is a sellers’ market and the prices are steep.

That is evident, based on the deals to date. Teams wanting to upgrade ahead of Monday’s NHL trade deadline are going to pay a premium, especially for players with term. See Blake Coleman.

Even the rentals — from top-six wingers like Tyler Toffoli to bottom-pairing defenders like Marco Scandella — are fetching significant (and surprising) returns. Nobody is coming cheap.

The real impact players are sure to command substantial packages. Whether that is Chris Kreider or Matt Dumba, Tomas Tatar or Sami Vatanen. There are quality players available despite the lack of sellers, with so many teams still in playoff contention.

That makes for more buyers, which means bidding wars. Several general managers are feeling the pressure to add — or the urge to improve — while matching the moves of their rivals.

Take the Pacific Division, for example, where Arizona acted early in landing Taylor Hall and Vancouver reacted to their injuries by reeling in Toffoli. Now all eyes are on Edmonton and Calgary to keep pace on paper. Both Alberta teams are missing their captains at the moment but aren’t expected to stand pat — not with the standings so tight as of today.

Other arms races will emerge between now and Monday, as every team attempts to accomplish their deadline goals in addressing their needs going forward.

Established contenders will be seeking a specific piece to put them over the top. The playoff locks will be shopping for a ringer to ensure a longer run. The bubble teams may also be looking to load up for a postseason push. Or they might pull the plug to focus on their future — retooling to some extent for next season, if not entertaining a full rebuild.

Regardless, it should be an exciting few days in the hockey world. Who knows what will happen, but it’s always fun to speculate. I enjoy making predictions at this time of year — it had become an annual tradition until I sat out the 2019 deadline — but I’m admittedly terrible at trade proposals, so I’m going to try something new for 2020.

I’m calling this project Fisher’s Big Board of Bait — get it Fisher, fishing, bait … as in trade bait. Essentially, this is a list of players I envision being on the block — listed in order of their likelihood to be dealt. Starting with the teams that have the most players available.

2020 NHL Trade Deadline Fisher’s Big Board of Bait

In total, there are 130 players from 20 teams — primarily from perceived sellers since the buyers will be parting with draft picks and prospects as currency, which is more of a crapshoot.

Realistically, I’m anticipating around 50 more NHL players to move by Monday and I’m hoping the majority of them will appear here on my bait board.

Montreal Canadiens (12)

Ilya Kovalchuk — Traded to Washington

Tomas Tatar

Jeff Petry

Nate Thompson — Traded to Philadelphia

Jordan Weal

Nick Cousins — Traded to Vegas

Brett Kulak

Max Domi

Artturi Lehkonen

Charles Hudon

Christian Folin

Keith Kinkaid

Ilya Kovalchuk Montreal Canadiens
Ilya Kovalchuk has played his way back into the rental market since arriving in Montreal.
(Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Ottawa Senators (10)

Jean-Gabriel Pageau — Traded to New York Islanders (extended for six years)

Ron Hainsey

Tyler Ennis — Traded to Edmonton

Vladislav Namestnikov — Traded to Colorado

Chris Tierney

Mikkel Boedker

Craig Anderson

Max Veronneau — Traded to Toronto

Filip Chlapik

Mark Borowiecki

Jean-Gabriel Pageau Ottawa Senators
Jean-Gabriel Pageau is Ottawa’s best trade chip and arguably the top centre available.
(Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Buffalo Sabres (10)

Conor Sheary — Traded to Pittsburgh

Michael Frolik

Johan Larsson

Jimmy Vesey

Evan Rodrigues — Traded to Pittsburgh

Zemgus Girgensons

Rasmus Ristolainen

Zach Bogosian — Signed by Tampa Bay (following contract termination)

Colin Miller

Jake McCabe

Conor Sheary Buffalo Sabres
Conor Sheary comes with plenty of playoff experience, so Buffalo should get a decent return.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Florida Panthers (10)

Mike Hoffman

Michael Matheson

Mark Pysyk

Henrik Borgstrom

Denis Malgin — Traded to Toronto

Evgeni Dadonov

Vincent Trocheck — Traded to Carolina

Brian Boyle

Dryden Hunt

Aleksi Heponiemi

Mike Hoffman Florida Panthers
Mike Hoffman is a proven scorer and several teams will be interested if Florida decides to sell.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Detroit Red Wings (9)

Trevor Daley

Mike Green — Traded to Edmonton

Jimmy Howard

Valtteri Filppula

Andreas Athanasiou — Traded to Edmonton

Luke Glendening

Darren Helm

Patrik Nemeth

Anthony Mantha

Trevor Daley Red Wings
Trevor Daley should fetch Detroit as much as Andy Greene got New Jersey.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

San Jose Sharks (9)

Patrick Marleau — Traded to Pittsburgh

Melker Karlsson

Tim Heed

Aaron Dell

Barclay Goodrow — Traded to Tampa Bay

Joe Thornton

Marcus Sorensen

Radim Simek

Lukas Radil

San Jose Sharks Patrick Marleau
Patrick Marleau is on his last legs, but his leadership could be invaluable come playoff time.
(Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY)

Nashville Predators (9)

Mikael Granlund

Craig Smith

Dan Hamhuis

Kyle Turris

Nick Bonino

Colton Sissons

Rocco Grimaldi — Re-signed for two years

Miikka Salomaki — Traded to Toronto

Daniel Carr

Nashville Predators Mikael Granlund
Mikael Granlund has heated up as of late, which should also be heating up his trade value if Nashville goes into sell mode. The Predators could go either way, still within striking distance of a playoff spot as a potential buyer. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY)

Minnesota Wild (8)

Matt Dumba

Jonas Brodin

Ryan Donato

Marcus Foligno

Ryan Hartman

Brad Hunt

Eric Staal

Devan Dubnyk

Matt Dumba Minnesota Wild
Matt Dumba is the best defenceman on the market with term remaining on his contract.
(Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

New York Rangers (7)

Chris Kreider — Re-signed for seven years

Jesper Fast

Alexandar Georgiev

Lias Andersson

Anthony DeAngelo

Pavel Buchnevich

Brady Skjei — Traded to Carolina

Chris Kreider New York Rangers
Chris Kreider is the premier rental, assuming he doesn’t re-sign with the Rangers this week.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Los Angeles Kings (7)

Alec Martinez — Traded to Vegas

Trevor Lewis

Ben Hutton

Derek Forbort — Traded to Calgary

Tim Schaller

Joakim Ryan

Martin Frk — Re-signed for two years

Alec Martinez Los Angeles Kings
Alec Martinez will be Vegas bound as early as today, according to the insiders.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Anaheim Ducks (7)

Derek Grant — Traded to Philadelphia

Ondrej Kase — Traded to Boston

Michael Del Zotto

Devin Shore — Traded to Columbus

Ryan Miller

Daniel Sprong — Traded to Washington

Josh Manson

Anaheim Ducks Derek Grant
Derek Grant is a cheap, serviceable centre that could be in demand at the deadline.
(Sergei Belski/USA TODAY)

Toronto Maple Leafs (7)

Jeremy Bracco

Nic Petan

Tyson Barrie

Kasperi Kapanen

Alex Kerfoot

Frederik Gauthier

Michael Hutchinson — Traded to Colorado

Maple Leafs Bracco Canadiens Lehkonen
Jeremy Bracco, left, has never played a regular-season game for the Leafs and likely won’t since he is no longer waiver eligible next season. That reality makes him trade bait in the present.
(Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY)

New Jersey Devils (6)

Sami Vatanen — Traded to Carolina

Wayne Simmonds — Traded to Buffalo

Kyle Palmieri

Mirco Mueller

Michael McLeod

Louis Domingue — Traded to Vancouver

New Jersey Devils Sami Vatanen
Sami Vatanen is better than the defencemen garnering second-round picks, so it’ll be interesting to see whether the Devils can get a first-rounder for him. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Edmonton Oilers (5)

Jesse Puljujarvi

Jujhar Khaira

Sam Gagner — Traded to Detroit

William Lagesson

Cooper Marody

Edmonton Oilers forward Jesse Puljujarvi
Jesse Puljujarvi is enjoying a successful season in Finland and planning on returning to the NHL next season, providing Edmonton can find a new home for him. (Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY)

Chicago Blackhawks (3)

Erik Gustafsson — Traded to Calgary

Brandon Saad

Robin Lehner — Traded to Vegas

Erik Gustafsson #56 of the Chicago Blackhawks
Erik Gustafsson is one of the better offensive defencemen available among the rentals.
(Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Arizona Coyotes (3)

Michael Grabner

Christian Fischer

Brad Richardson

Michael Grabner Arizona Coyotes
Michael Grabner has fallen out of favour in Arizona, but his speed should be welcomed elsewhere. (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Columbus Blue Jackets (3)

Josh Anderson

Sonny Milano — Traded to Anaheim

Riley Nash

Columbus Blue Jackets Josh Anderson
Josh Anderson is coming off a lengthy injury absence, but the budding power forward will have several suitors if Columbus is seriously listening. (Aaron Doster/USA TODAY)

New York Islanders (3)

Josh Ho-Sang

Michael Dal Colle

Tom Kuhnhackl

Josh Ho-Sang - Islanders
Josh Ho-Sang is a castoff for the Islanders and should be shipped out at the deadline.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Philadelphia Flyers (1)

Shayne Gostisbehere

Shayne Gostisbehere
Shayne Gostisbehere has been sidelined and the Flyers have been winning without him, so he might be deemed expendable at the deadline. His name has been floated in the rumour mill again. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Calgary Flames (1)

Sam Bennett

Sam Bennett Calgary Flames
Sam Bennett is another frequent flyer in the rumour mill, but he has also performed well in the playoffs for the Flames, so Calgary may or may not be dangling him at this year’s deadline.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Well, what do you think — could any or all of those players be traded prior to Monday’s deadline? Are there any glaring omissions? Feel free to weigh in or share your own predictions in the comments below.

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