GOALIES
Courtesy: USATSI
Martin Brodeur – St. Louis Blues: Brodeur has took a leave of absence to re-evaluate his future after the All-Star break. Brodeur snagged a front office job in St. Louis, but indications are that he still wants to play. It was a very unceremonious end to one of the greats in NHL history, as he finished the season with a 3-3 record.
Cam Ward – Carolina Hurricanes: Now that Minnesota went out and got Devan Dubnyk from Arizona, the fate of Ward is back up in the air. He could very well stay in Carolina and finish off his career, but the Hurricanes may be re-tooling their lineup. Ward is still a very capable number one goalie. Edmonton could be a destination.
Niklas Backstrom – Minnesota Wild: The wheels have fallen off for Backstrom in Minnesota and it’s time for a fresh start. The Wild now have 4 goaltenders (Backstrom, Dubnyk, Kemper and Harding) on their roster and at least two of them will be traded. Backstrom could be a target for Edmonton.
Jhonas Enroth – Buffalo Sabres: No goalie in the NHL has suffered more this season than Enroth. He’s been outstanding in a miserable season and could be dealt to bring in more young prospects or draft picks. Nashville has come up in rumors, especailly with Rinne down with injury. Edmonton of course, and even Minnesota, though that may be doubtful with Dubnyk there now.
Martin Jones – Los Angeles Kings: Jones has been brilliant when called upon throughout his short career, but there isn’t much room for him to grow in L.A. with Quick manning the crease. Edmonton (again) is interested.
Mike Smith – Arizona Coyotes: Now that Dubnyk is gone, the Coyotes may just hold on to Smith, however there is speculation that he could be dealt for some more youth. Smith has struggled this season, but could do well with a fresh start.
Craig Anderson – Ottawa Senators: The Sens are looking to re-tool, not re-build. Anderson may or may not be a part of that, and he’s up for whatever management wants to do. Minnesota could always come calling if they don’t like Dubnyk full time, and San Jose is rumored to be interested as well.
Antti Niemi – San Jose Sharks: The Sharks are another team in the NHL that will be making some moves especially if they remain at the bottom of the West. Niemi has not closed the deal on the playoffs the last few seasons, and the Sharks may want to try something else before Niemi’s stock falls. The Senators would an interesting fit. The Blue Jackets may inquire as well if Bobrovsky keeps getting injured.
DEFENSEMEN
Courtesy: ESPN
Keith Yandle – Arizona Coyotes: For years now, Yandle has been at the helm of trade rumors, but this year may be the year he’s dealt. The Coyotes are asking the moon, and desperate teams may just pay up. Detroit has been all over Yandle for years now and still want him. Colorado is also in the mix and may be offering up Ryan O’Reilly. L.A. could also be interested.
Andrej Sekera – Carolina Hurricanes: Sekera has quietly produced over the last couple seasons and may be due for a hefty raise – $6M-$7M. The Kings are quite fond of him and could offer up Martin Jones. The Jets could be a destination, but that all depends on what direction they want to go. The Flames have been rumored, but their defense is already doing quite well and they don’t need another offensive-type d-man.
Mike Green – Washington Capitals: He’ll be a UFA at the end of the season and could get a hefty pay raise from teams in need of offense. The Capitals could also trade him by the deadline if they feel they want an upgrade up the middle and want to rely on their defensive depth. Another idea is to rent Green out to a desperate team, and then re-sign him to a hometown discount in the summer. Green wants to win a Cup here and he has set down roots, so it’s entirely possible. The Red Wings want him bad, and I could see the Kings calling as well – especially for Mike Richards.
Tyler Myers – Buffalo Sabres: If the Oilers want goaltending then the Red Wings want defensemen. Myers has been high on their list much like Yandle, but the Sabres are asking a lot of the big man. Myers had one good season and has struggled in Buffalo since. He could do well playing for the Red Wings. L.A. is also interested.
Marek Zidlicky – New Jersey Devils: The Devils are a little bit of a mess right now and they may be thinking re-build instead of re-tool. Zidlicky is still a solid offensive-defenseman and could bring in a nice return. Colorado is interested. As are the Bruins and Coyotes.
Slava Voynov – Los Angeles Kings: This is an interesting situation. Voynov will undergo trial for a domestic dispute and things don’t look too good. He probably will never play in a Kings uniform again, but the team could still trade his rights. New Jersey could be a destination if Voynov doesn’t do jail time.
Nicklas Grossman – Philadelphia Flyers: The aging NHL defenseman never panned out the way the Flyers hoped (much like all the d-men they’ve aquired over the years). Grossman can still give a playoff team some much needed toughness and he can move the puck. L.A. and Detroit should be interested.
Jake Gardiner – Toronto Maple Leafs: Who really knows what’s going on in Toronto these days? Gardiner has been up and down since his arrival, and a lot of that can be the way he was developed. He’s got a lot of potential and the Maple Leafs may not want to let that go, however, it may be time to gut the core and start over. Detroit and Colorado would be good places to start. Pittsburgh may also be interested especially with Matta out.
Dion Phaneuf – Toronto Maple Leafs: The Maple Leafs need to make some drastic moves, and if they can re-sign Gardiner, then that will all but spell the end of Phaneuf’s days in Toronto. He hasn’t made the impact that the Leafs were expecting (because they are always expecting too much). Phaneuf is still a powerful defenseman and would be a great addition to a contender. L.A. is rumored to be interested in sending Mike Richards to Toronto. The Avalanche are involved as well, and Ryan O’Reilly could be a target. The Ducks and Oilers are two other teams to watch, as are the Stars.
Cody Franson – Toronto Maple Leafs: Franson will be probably be the one to go in Toronto, if Phanauf and Gardiner stick around. The Avalanche would benefit the most from Franson’s play, and would not cost them as much as it would for Phaneuf. L.A. is also interested.
FORWARDS
Courtesy: CBS Sports
Antoine Vermette – Arizona Coyotes: The Coyotes are in sell mode (finally) and Vermette should bring them a pretty decent return. He’s a great addition for a team looking for secondary scoring going into the playoffs, and teams like Boston and Washington have been kicking tires. However, the Senators, who sit 10th in the East, could be where Vermette ends up. The Sens aren’t re-building, but re-tooling and trying to get a spark in offense to help Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris. A longshot would the Rangers.
Taylor Hall – Edmonton Oilers: Hall’s name keeps coming up in NHL trade rumors and I still have no idea why. Hall won’t be traded – he’s the best of the core trio in Edmonton. However, if he is available, almost every team in the league will be interested in the future superstar.
Phil Kessel – Toronto Maple Leafs: Kessel’s future is up in the air in Toronto. I’m not sure if the Maple Leafs really want to get rid of a consistent 40 goal scorer, but it is Toronto, and they’re not the smartest organization. Nashville is a team to look at right now. They have a few good, young players that would be worth giving up for Kessel. Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis could be packaged. The Islanders are another team to watch, but the Toronto would rather Kessel go to the West, like they’d do with Phaneuf. Arizona would do well to get a superstar like Kessel to sell tickets. The Blue Jackets could also be interested.
Mike Richards – Los Angeles Kings: Richards will most likely be traded if the Kings want to get themselves back into the playoff mix – they are only one point out. Richards has a few years left on his contract at around $5.2M a year, but that is a decent hit for a team looking for one of the better leaders and two-way centers in the league. I’d love to see Washington be interested, and they very well could be as they could dangle either Mike Green or Dmitry Orlov. Toronto, of course, is involved and the Penguins are also kicking tires.
Ryan O’Reilly – Colorado Avalanche: ROR won’t be re-signing with Colorado, especially if he wants the same amount of money he asked for last time. He’s a great two-way center, but the Avs have enough fire power to let him go and get a nice return. Arizona could snatch him up and have the cap space to give him what he wants. Toronto is interested, of course. I can also see Washington as a potential landing spot, but it all depends on Green. ROR’s cap hit wouldn’t work in DC.
Nail Yakupov – Edmonton Oilers: I’m surprised he’s still in Edmonton to be honest, but Yakupov could finally be on his way out. He would be a great fit for the Islanders, who appear to be interested. Montreal as well. Washington is intriguing, however the Caps already have Kuznetsov and Burakovsky coming up. The Rangers might be a longshot.
Vincent Lecavalier – Philadelphia Flyers: Vinny deserves better and he’s playing to be traded. The Flyers are a little bit of a mess and would like to move his contract. Nashville has been a rumored spot for him for a few weeks now, especially with Laviolette (who he wanted to play for in Phila. orginially). The Panthers could be interested as well. He still has a lot to offer a team in need of experience.
Jordan Eberle – Edmonton Oilers: Eberle seems to be the odd man out in Edmonton. He’s a heckuva NHL player, but has struggled this season (like most of the team). The Maple Leafs are interested as are the Canadiens. Montreal really wants Eberle. The Rangers might be interested as well, but they may not have room.
Drew Stafford – Buffalo Sabres: Stafford has been available for some time now, however, no one wants him. He’s had some success in the past in Buffalo, but he’s a supporting player who needs better players around him. Calgary would be an interested landing spot, but Vancouver and St. Louis would make more sense. They both would like some secondary scoring for the playoff push.
Tomas Kopecky – Florida Panthers: The Caps were interested, and still could be, but now it looks like Vancouver and the Penguins are in the mix. Kopecky is a sneaky player and would add some great depth to a playoff team. The Panthers are not re-building, but looking for pieces for next season.
Michael Ryder – New Jersey Devils: Ryder will be on the of casualties of the Devils purge that will inevitably come. He’s a right winger and wouldn’t look too bad next to Backstrom and Ovechkin. he wouldn’t cost much either – probably a mid-range draft pick. Nashville and Dallas could also be a spot for him, too. Pittsburgh is not out of the realm of possibility.
Jiri Tlusty – Carolina Hurricanes: Tlusty’s name has popped up in rumors now, and the Capitals are said to be the front runners. He’s a good goal scorer for Carolina and could be a nice addition to the Caps line up. Montreal and St. Louis are said to be interested as well.
Patrik Berglund – St. Louis Blues: Berglund seems to be the odd man out now in St. Louis now that the Blues are back to form. He may not cost too much across the NHL, but the Blues also want to fill a need on offense. The Canadiens are interested and he could be a nice fit. The Caps are kicking tires as well.
Jaromir Jagr – New Jersey Devils: The big man will be on the move again. He’s been a nice addition to teams over the last few years who are looking for experience and a boost in offense, especially on the power play. Jagr can still contribute, and he could still be back next year. The Predators and Islanders are interested – He would look pretty good play on the Island.
Evander Kane – Winnipeg Jets: The Jets would be dumb to trade Kane, however, the return for him might be worth it. Kane hasn’t really fit in with the Jets since their move from Atlanta, and he would benefit from a change. The Maple Leafs have been rumored, but I can’t see that. Boston still is the best fit for him, however their cap space is limited. The Candiens are also rumored, but I can see Kane going to an American franchise. The Blues and Rangers are also kicking tires.
Eric Cole – Dallas Stars: Cole is an interesting player to watch. Lately, he has opened up the scoresheet and is making it really easy to trade him. He has great playoff experience and is a tough player to have on your team for a run. The Preds are interested. I wonder if the Caps would take a flyer out on him as well.
There are a ton of NHL rumors out there, and I’ll do my best to update you all on what’s going on before the trade deadline.
Lots more to come!
