Another week of the 2019-20 NHL regular season gone and the league steps into a new decade with a ton of discussion when it comes to trade options. One big name came off the board in Taylor Hall but is there more coming with players from organizations that are getting closer to officially becoming sellers like the New Jersey Devils are?
The below list is a combination of players who have often come up in trade talks over the past week:
12) Torey Krug Sami Vatanen
What’s next for the New Jersey Devils after moving their big-ticket trade piece? The Devils are clearly selling at this point and there could be a few names on the roster worth watching.
The moved Taylor Hall because they didn’t see a long-term fit and the Coyotes stepped up, but who on the roster might be the next to move?, The easiest way to figure that out is to look at expiring contracts; Vatanen owns one of them.
From there, take a look at the teams that are running into injury issues or need help on their blue line as they move up the standings and prepare for a playoff push.
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11) Tristan Jarry Kyle Turris
Kyle Turris will continue to hold a spot on the list but he’s moved down one spot, only because he’s back in the lineup and he contributed in his first game back. Perhaps that means he should have been moved up more because a team may see him as an option, but his salary is still a concern.
The team and the player are saying all the right things publicly but it’s easy to see the underlying tension.
10) Jesse Puljujarvi Jean-Gabriel Pageau
The Edmonton Oilers didn’t trade Jesse Puljujarvi by the December 1st deadline so he’ll remain in Finland and finish out the season for Karpat. Taking his place is depth center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. There’s lots of talk surrounding him and ironically, the Oilers are at the forefront of those conversations.
The Senators don’t want to move Pageau but as a pending free agent and player that could get overpaid in free agency, the Senators aren’t necessarily prepared to give him what the market will offer.
There aren’t a lot of third-line centers making $4 million. That’s what Pageau may likely become.
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9) Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Byfuglien has moved down the list one spot because conversations around the defenseman are almost non-existent. This could be a deal that still happens but the off-ice stuff needs to take care of itself first.
8) Taylor Hall Sam Bennett
With Taylor Hall now moved and playing for the Arizona Coyotes until, at the very least, the end of the season, we can remove him from the list and put another potential trade candidate there. This week, we’ll give Sam Bennett his spot.
The Calgary Flames don’t want to move Bennett but Elliotte Friedman has noted that interested parties are calling about Bennett to see if the Flames will move him considering he’s not necessarily finding his footing in Calgary.
If the offers are good enough, the Flames might consider a deal.
7) Jason Spezza Miles Wood
Another New Jersey forward, Elliotte Friedman has noted that Wood is available. A forward who showed grit at one time is struggling and a change of scenery might be the right medicine to get him going again.
6) Travis Hamonic Brandon Saad
Friedman has also noted in his 31 Thoughts article that Brandon Saad is getting attention from teams and that there’s a potential he’s moved once he recovers from his injuries.
Friedman noted the Edmonton Oilers kicked tires but quickly let that idea go because they weren’t interested in taking on salary or trading a draft pick to acquire him.
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5) Andreas Athanasiou
The Detroit Red Wings are almost certainly going to move Andreas Athansiou. MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman could be reaching a point where he’s frustrated with Athansiou’s inability to get things figured out and as the Red Wings drop in the standings, more and more names will become available.
Expect other names from the Red Wings to eventually appear on this list, including someone like Mike Green.
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4) Julius Honka Lias Andersson
Lias Andersson has asked for a trade from the New York Rangers and refuses to report to the AHL roster. He feels he deserves more of a chance than the Rangers have provided. Unfortunately, trading him is easier said than done.
There won’t be a lot of consideration for a player who feels entitled and hasn’t produced at the NHL level.
3) Chris Kreider Ryan Strome
For lack of putting someone better in this spot, Ryan Strome will stay on the list and he’s currently on fire right now. The Rangers are on this list in a lot of ways but keep watching Strome because the Rangers could get an offer too good to refuse.
Strome is the kind of player the Rangers want to sell high on. If he starts to drop in production, the possible return he could garner may fall off a cliff.
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2) Carey Price Penguins Goaltender
The Toronto Maple Leafs are badly looking for a backup goaltender as are a few other teams. And, while the Penguins have great depth, one of either Tristan Jarry or Casey DeSmith could be on the move if a team like Toronto steps forward with a strong offer.
Unfortunately, with all the injuries piling up for the Maple Leafs, and for that matter, the Penguins, it would hard to predict what the trade pieces might include.
1) Nic Petan Chris Kreider
The interest in Chris Kreider is at an all-time high with Hall now off the table for teams that want to boost their offense. He’s got some control as to where he goes so a team like Montreal may not be a fit. That said, there are plenty of other candidates.
“There’s a lot of interest — believed to include contenders who might be happy to wait for cap reasons (Boston, St. Louis) and others who aren’t worried about that (Colorado). ” Friedman noted.
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