The NHL holiday roster freeze is around the corner. But once teams return from the NHL Christmas break and the freeze lifts, trade rumors and transactions will start ramping up as the countdown to the trade deadline will be around two months to go. To coincide with the release of the THW trade board early next week, let’s look at some players who could be popular trade targets ahead of the trade deadline on March 8, 2024.
Flames’ Pending UFAs
The Calgary Flames already traded Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks. That was more of a pressing issue, as Zadorov had indicated he wanted out of Calgary. But that could be far from the last move Flames GM Craig Conroy pulls off if his team doesn’t improve their position in the standings.
At 11-14-5, the Flames could find themselves as sellers ahead of the trade deadline, and they have plenty of players to deal. Among their pending unrestricted free agents are defensemen Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin and center Elias Lindholm.
Tanev may be the most coveted of the Flames’ UFAs; teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils have already been connected to the right-handed defenseman. He plays a rugged style of hockey and is one of the top defensive blueliners in the NHL.
Hanifin wouldn’t be a half-bad addition, either, since he’s a mobile, puck-moving top-four defender. His cap hit of $4.95 million may make it difficult for the Flames to move him before the first week of March. But he will be highly sought after once contenders accrue enough cap space to fit in his cap hit.
Lindholm is perhaps the Flames’ most interesting UFA. It seemed like the two sides were heading for an extension at one point. But with the Flames teetering closer to seller status, they may end up dealing him. A first-line center being available at the deadline isn’t always a given, and he could fetch the Flames the most significant return from their pending UFAs.
Canadiens Goalies
It isn’t a secret that the Montreal Canadiens would like to move one of their three goaltenders. After signing Sam Montembault to a three-year extension, one of Jake Allen or Cayden Primeau will likely be on the move in the coming weeks.
In-season trades for goalies are rare, but with so many teams needing an upgrade in net, the Canadiens are in a good spot. In one of his Rumblings posts on Dec. 8, Pierre LeBrun stated that the Devils, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers are teams to monitor for potential goalie needs (From ‘LeBrun: Earlier-than-usual rumblings on NHL’s defense, goalie trade markets’ – The Athletic, 12/8/2023).
Related: NHL Rumors: Oilers, Maple Leafs, Flames, Bruins, Canucks
Considering teams like the Devils, Hurricanes, and Oilers are in win-now mode, one would think they’d prefer Allen over Primeau. Allen has fared relatively well this season, with a .901 save percentage across 11 starts while saving 1.2 goals above expected. That’s slightly above league average, something that previously mentioned teams aren’t getting heading toward Christmas.
Primeau has posted similar numbers to Allen — a .902 SV% and 0.9 goals saved above expected. But it’s also come in just six games, so it’s harder to evaluate his performance. Still, a team may believe in his upside since he’s only 24 years old.
Tyson Barrie
Tyson Barrie’s 2023-24 season has not gone well with the Nashville Predators. His offensive impacts have declined, and it seems he’s fallen out of favor with Predators head coach Andrew Brunette. That led to GM Barry Trotz granting Barrie and his camp permission to seek a trade to find a better fit elsewhere.
Barrie has just ten points in 25 games this season, with all his points being assists. He’s getting less time on the power play, and his offensive impacts at even strength have not been great:
That’s always been the case with Barrie. He’s a headcase in the defensive zone and needs heavy sheltering to cover up his defensive shortcomings. But he could always make up for it to a degree with his puck-moving and offensive abilities.
Any team interested in him would have to be aware of those defensive shortcomings and has to put him in a position to succeed. He’s in the final year of his contract and has a cap hit of $4.5 million. Given that he’s fallen out of favor with the Predators, the acquisition cost shouldn’t be much. He could be a good gamble for a contender needing more offensive ability on their back end if they keep him sheltered.
Anthony Duclair
The San Jose Sharks are 9-7-2 in their last 18 games and have been playing better. But make no mistake, they will be sellers at the trade deadline. They’re in a good position to sell, as they have a few players who should interest contenders.
One of those is winger Anthony Duclair, who’s caught fire lately. After totaling just five points across his first 20 games, he has six points in his last six games. He’s always been a quality winger capable of 25-30 goals per season and would likely produce at a similar rate on a better team.
Duclair is in the final year of his contract at a cap hit of $3 million. It’s unlikely the Sharks keep him, as they still have a ways to go in their rebuild. GM Mike Grier should be able to get a second-round pick and another lesser asset for Duclair. He’d be a quality top-nine addition for most contenders.
Philip Broberg
A bit of a similar situation to Barrie, the Edmonton Oilers have granted Philip Broberg and his camp permission to seek a trade and find a better fit elsewhere. The former first-round pick has had trouble becoming a regular on the Oilers’ blue line, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find a role with another club.
One of Broberg’s strengths is his high-end skating, making any team that likes to play off the rush a fit for him. But it’s not just his skating that should make him a popular trade target. Obviously, there’s his age (22) and draft pedigree, but his impacts have been solid in his NHL career:
It’s hard to gauge what the Oilers could get in return for Broberg. If it’s another NHLer, it has to be money in and money out because of their cap situation. The Dallas Stars did pay a first-round pick for Nils Lundkvist when they acquired him from the New York Rangers, but that seems like a stretch for Broberg. Either way, it appears his days with the Oilers may be coming to a close.
Andrei Kuzmenko
Andrei Kuzmenko hasn’t yet popped up on trade boards from insiders such as Frank Seravalli and Chris Johnston, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if that occurs at some point. On the most recent edition of Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman reported that teams are talking to the Canucks about Kuzmenko.
Kuzmenko has “struggled” this season compared to 2022-23, but that shouldn’t be a shock. He totaled 39 goals while shooting just over 27 percent a season ago. That’s just not sustainable and screamed that he was due for regression. His shooting percentage has now normalized to 12.5 percent, but he only has five goals.
Even with that regression, Kuzmenko is still on pace for close to 50 points this season. He’s under contract through the 2024-25 campaign at a cap hit of $5.5 million, which may make a trade tricky because of the extra year. It doesn’t appear anything is imminent on a Kuzmenko trade. But if he continues to struggle and starts falling out of favor with Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, his name will continue popping up in the rumor mill.
NHL Trade Season Is Just Getting Started
This is just a sneak preview of some of the names that will be on our first trade board out early next week. The first edition will be a top 20 based on trade-bait lists from Daily Faceoff, The Athletic and TSN. It will receive continuous updates as trade boards get refreshed approaching the trade deadline, so stay on the lookout for it.
