Connor McDavid has no doubt been the most talked about NHL prospect since Sidney Crosby. This past season he put 120 points in just 47 games with the OHL’s Erie Otters. This past weekend the NHL held their Draft Lottery, and the Edmonton Oilers landed the number 1 overall pick, which most certainly will translate into McDavid. It’s nearly unfathomable that the Oilers would trade the pick, but let’s have some fun and imagine what each team would need to give up to get the pick.
Anaheim Ducks
What they would need to trade: Corey Perry, Cam Fowler, Kyle Palmeri and John Gibson.
Worth it for the Ducks? Not at all. The Ducks already have a solid lineup. They are consistently among the best teams in the league and the return for trading away one of the centerpieces of the Ducks would not be worth it. Cam Fowler is a young defenseman, and John Gibson is considered one of the Ducks top prospects.
Arizona Coyotes
What they would need to trade: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Max Domi, 2015 First Round Pick, 2016 First Round Pick
Worth it for the Coyotes? It just might be. Ekman-Larsson led the Coyotes in points and goals this season, but that was only with 43 points. Max Domi has dazzled some of us already in the OHL, and showed in this years World Juniors that he can put up points. The Yotes severely lack someone who can put up big points, and adding someone like Connor McDavid could easily change that.
Boston Bruins
What they would need to trade: Dougie Hamilton, Torey Krug, David Pastranak
Worth it for the Bruins? Not a shot. Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug are part of the future in Boston along the blue-line. Hamilton had a breakout season this year at just 21 years old, leading all Bruin defensemen in points with 42. Torey Krug wasn’t far behind with 39 points on the season. As for Pastranak, trading him would be asinine. Pastranak came into the league and put on a show. At just 18 years old, he had 27 points in 46 games this season, and looks poised to be a part of Boston’s future.
Buffalo Sabres
What they would need to trade: I’ll be honest here. They don’t have enough to offer. The only thing I could remotely see them putting together is a package that included Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen, among other players. Although that would be counterproductive to what the Sabres are trying to accomplish.
Calgary Flames
What they would need to trade: Sean Monahan, TJ Brodie, Dennis Wideman and 2015 First Round Pick
Worth it for the Flames? No. The Flames made it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season and are in the midst of a nasty series with
the Vancouver Canucks. This team is gritty, they stand up for one another, and they can score. Monahan is just 20 years old and he has been a huge piece of Calgary’s lethal first line. TJ Brodie is really starting to fit in well along the blue-line and put up points. The Flames have a good young core, and that is not something to mess with.
Carolina Hurricanes
What they would need to trade: Jeff Skinner, Jordan Staal, Justin Faulk
Worth it for the Hurricanes? It really depends. In his first season in the NHL, Jeff Skinner put up 63 points, mind you, he was just 18. His production has slumped ever since, but he is still only 22 years old. Skinner, Faulk, and Staal are part of the future and core of the Hurricanes. They need assets, not centerpieces, so trading for the pick probably wouldn’t be worth it.
Chicago Blackhawks
What they would need to trade: Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, 2015 Second Round Pick, 2016 First Round Pick
Worth it for the Blackhawks? We’ll keep this short and sweet. No. The Hawks are in the midst of a dynasty, there’s no reason to mess with anything they have going right now.
Colorado Avalanche
What they would need to trade: Gabriel Landeskog, Matt Duchene, Tyson Barrie, 2015 First Round Pick
Worth it for the Avs? This depends on where you stand. The Avalanche came off good 2013-2014 campaign which saw them make the
playoffs. Landeskog, Duchene, and MacKinnon all showed promise. In fact they looked like they would be a force in the Western Conference. Things went sour this year, injuries and slumping production hurt them. That being said, they still have a solid young group of forwards, and McDavid probably wouldn’t be worth the price tag.
Columbus Blue Jackets
What they would need to trade: Sergei Bobrovsky, Nick Foligno, Fedor Tyutin, and one of either Marko Dano or Alex Wennberg
Worth it for the Jackets? Probably not. Although the Jackets didn’t make the playoffs this year, they showed promise. They finished the season 9-0-1 and had three players crack the 60 point plateau. Both Dano and Wennberg are projected to be solid NHL forwards, Bobrovsky has already notched a Vezina, and Foligno was a powerplay menace this season.
Dallas Stars
What they would need to trade: Tyler Seguin, Trevor Daley, John Klingberg, 2015 First Round Pick
Worth it for the Stars? Both Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had breakout seasons this year. Benn took home the Art Ross trophy, and Tyler Seguin was following suit until an injury got the best of him. Klingberg is just 22 years old and had 40 points and was a plus-5 in his first season as an NHL defenseman. The Stars are an aging team on some fronts, so trading away their youth for one player wouldn’t be worth it.
Detroit Red Wings
What they would need to trade: Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Danny Dekeyser, Niklas Kronwall
Worth it for the Red Wings? Yes. Both Zetterberg and Datsyuk, while still effective, are past their prime. The Red Wings are an older team and trading away Zetterberg and Datsyuk for an explosive center such as McDavid could end up working out. Especially with guys such as Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, and Riley Sheahan. Dekeyser and Kronwall would be a lot to give up on the back end, but for a generational talent such as McDavid, it might be worth it.
Florida Panthers
What they would need to trade: Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, and 2015 Third Round Pick
Worth it for the Panthers? No, no, no, and no. This would mean the Panthers are essentially giving up the core of their youth. Barkov has already shown promise at 19 years old, Huberdeau led the team in points, and Ekblad came straight out of last years draft and proved he can play.
Los Angeles Kings
What they would need to trade: Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter, Jake Muzzin, 2015 First Round Pick
Worth it for the Kings? No. Doughty and Carter were crucial pieces of the two Stanley Cups the Kings have won since 2012. Jake Muzzin is a good defenseman who can put up points. The Kings are a year removed from their second Stanley Cup since 2012. Trading any of the core of this team would be a knee jerk reaction.
Minnesota Wild
What they would need to trade: Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville, and Ryan Suter
Worth it for the Wild? Probably not. The Wild shelled out big bucks just a few seasons ago to win the Parise/Suter sweepstakes. Undoing that now would not benefit them. Neither would give up a few of their top scorers. Minnesota can go without trading for McDavid.
Montreal Canadiens
What they would need to trade: Brendan Gallagher, PK Subban, Max Pacioretty
Worth it for Habs? Not a chance. The Habs have been building a team for the last few years, and now it finally seems as if the pieces are
starting to fall into place. They finished second in the Eastern Conference this season with 110 points and had 3 players crack 60 points. Trading away PK Subban would be crazy. Talk about generational players, rarely does a defenseman with the offensive skill and firepower such as Subban come around. On top of that, Pacioretty is among the best two-way forwards in the league. The Canadiens don’t need to mess with what they have.
Nashville Predators
What they would need to trade: Shea Weber, Filip Forsberg, Pekka Rinne
Worth it for Preds? A franchise defenseman? A blossoming young forward? A top-tier golatender? Also not worth it for the Predators. They brought in Peter Laviolette this year, and he led the team to one of the best finishes in franchise history. It would be beneficial for the team to build around that, rather than to start trading away the core of their team?
New Jersey Devils
What they would need to trade: Adam Henrique, Mike Cammallieri, Andy Greene, Adam Larsson, and Damon Severson
Worth it for the Devils? Yes. This is a team that really doesn’t have much in the way of starpower to offer. Andy Greene is a good veteran defenseman and Adam Larsson has looked good and shown promise in his short NHL career. Damon Severson is a highly touted defensive prospect that could pan out. Adam Henrique showed flashes of his talent during the 2011-2012 campaign, but has failed to pan out as the team’s top forward. The Devils would need to give up a lot to get McDavid, but the team is desperately in need of a scoring forward.
New York Islanders
What they would need to trade: John Tavares, Ryan Strome, Johnny Boychuk
Worth it for the Islanders? No. Tavares is one of those generational players we have been talking about. Tavares has played on some
bad Islander teams since coming into the NHL, and still has managed 401 points in 432 career games. He has been an outstanding captain since taking on the role, and is no doubt one of the elite players in the game today. He alone makes this trade not worth it.
New York Rangers
What they would need to trade: Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal, and Kevin Hayes
Worth it for the Rangers? Once again, this is a team that is in ‘win now’ mode. The Rangers have one of the best defenses in the NHL, along with one of the top scorers in the NHL. Breaking up that defense would be a huge mistake. Connor McDavid also doesn’t fit the type of game the Rangers play. Not saying he wouldn’t change their dynamic, but breaking up the team the Rangers have now would not be worth it, especially fresh off the Presidents Trophy.
Ottawa Senators
What they would need to trade: Bobby Ryan, Mika Zibanejad, Mark Stone, Clark MacArthur
Worth it for the Sens? Probably not. If you’ve paid attention to the NHL at all over the past few months, you surely have heard about the emergence of Mark Stone. Ryan and Stone both surpassed the 50 point mark this season, and they were some of Ottawa’s best forwards. Zibanejad is also another young forward who the Senators would be crazy to part with. The Sens have a good group of players, and after the grit and determination they showed this season, this young group may be just a few pieces away from making a deep playoff run.
Philadelphia Flyers
![Shayne Gostisbehere [photo: Amy Irvin]](https://s3951.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Shayne-Gostisbehere.jpg)
Worth it for the Flyers? No. Ron Hextall has preached patience with his young players in Philadelphia. Jakub Voracek was a part of one of the best duos in the NHL this season, and led the NHL scoring race for a substantial amount of time. Wayne Simmonds is a great front of the net presence who can score goals. Shayne Gostisbehere already has some NHL experience just one year removed from his NCAA championship in which he was a plus-7. The Flyers have a bright future that they have worked to build. Trading it all away would be the wrong move.
Pittsburgh Penguins
What they would need to trade: Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, 2016 First Round Pick, 2015 Second Round Pick
Worth it for the Pens? No. Evgeni Malkin is no doubt an elite forward in the NHL, the same can be said for defenseman Kris Letang. The Penguins also really can’t afford to lose anymore draft picks. They lack depth right now, and need to rebuild their farm system. They have just one pick before the fifth round this season. Say no to trading for McDavid, not worth it.
San Jose Sharks
What they would need to trade: This is one other team I think lacks enough to trade for the pick. Marleau, Thornton, and Pavelski are all older than 30, so they wouldn’t really be great trade options. There is Logan Couture, but with the way things have gone the past few seasons in San Jose, they have bigger issues than trying to get McDavid.
St. Louis Blues
What they would need to trade: Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk
Worth it for the Blues? It may sound crazy, but I could see it being worth it. Tarasenko had a career year this season, and seems to have fallen into his role with the Blues. That being said, if the Blues traded him, they would still be left with Steen, Oshie, Backes, Schwartz, and Lehtera, on top of presumably having McDavid. Of course, Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo are two elite defenseman but that is a position the Blues are pretty deep at. It’s an interesting thought experiment.
Tampa Bay Lightning
What they would need to trade: Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Victor Hedman, Matt Carle
Worth it for the Bolts? No. Both Johnson and Kucherov were outstanding for the Bolts this season. Johnson was tied for the team lead with 72 points and Kucherov put up 65. Combine those numbers with a team that also possesses Steven Stamkos and you are looking a defense’s worst nightmare. Victor Hedman also had 38 points in 58 games this season, continuing his good numbers since last season. This isn’t something Tampa would want to break up, they could be good for a long time to come.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Once again, this is another team that has bigger problems than worrying about a trade for the number one overall pick. The Maple Leafs are in free fall mode since their epic playoff collapse. Aside from James vanRiemsdyk and Phil Kessel, the Leafs really don’t have much to offer, especially on the defensive front.
Vancouver Canucks
What they would need to trade: Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Adam Clendening, and 2015 First Round Pick
Worth it for the Canucks? Possibly. Both Daniel and Henrik would likely want to be traded as a package. That being said, these two have been the centerpiece in Vancouver since they came into the NHL in 2001. They are up there in age, but still very effective on the ice. Adam Clendening is a very highly touted defensive prospect that the Canucks acquired from Chicago, and he could be fully NHL ready very soon. A change of scenery in Vancouver might be very welcomed. Connor McDavid could do that.
Washington Capitals
What they would need to trade: Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson, Andre Burakovsky
Worth it for the Caps? Take a deep breath. Connor McDavid centering Alex Ovechkin. That would be a site to see. But would it work? If
there’s any example that you can’t just throw talent on a team and expect it to work, it’s the Edmonton Oilers. Now, the Capitals already have found great chemistry between Ovechkin and Backstrom, breaking that up could severely damage the Caps as a team. John Carlson is also one of the best offensive-defenseman in the game today. Trading him would be a big blow to the Caps blue-line, especially since Mike Green could walk this summer.
Winnipeg Jets
What they would need to trade: Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, both of Winnipeg’s First Round Picks
Worth it for the Jets? Yes. Winnipeg doesn’t have much to look forward to in the way of prospects. They lack any potential elite wingers in their system. Scheifele could pan out in a few years, and Wheeler is already proving to be a good forward. Trading away their two first rounders in a draft as deep as this could be a very risky move, but Connor McDavid could defeinately change the dynamic of the Winnipeg Jets.
Edmonton Oilers
It’s highly unlikely that the Oilers would ever trade away this pick given what’s at stake, but maybe they should give it some thought. If you remember way back when, a guy named Eric Lindros. Lindros didn’t want to play for the Nordiques after they drafted him back in 1991. Quebec traded away Lindors and got a huge return for him. The names Quebec got were the likes of Peter Forsberg and Ron Hextall. Quebec went on to win a cup (as the Avalanche), Philadelphia never did.
Of course, when talking about McDavid, this article just throws possibilities out there. But it would likely take a top forward, a top defenseman, and a prospect or high pick to atleast get the Oilers attention. But if someone throws the right offer Edmonton’s way, they just might want to entertain it.
What do you think it would take for your favorite team to land Connor McDavid? Do you think it would benefit them? Leave your comment below.
