With the NHL's trade deadline looming less than two weeks away, the league's 30 general managers are undoubtedly wearing out their cell phones with all kinds of trade talks.
This week, I'll take a look at some of the teams that will be sellers and which players should be available. This will be a key time for these non-playoff teams to salvage something from this season, and a number of these players could become much more valuable in season-long and daily fantasy hockey games.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs have undoubtedly had their 'For Sale' signs out for a while and should be among the busiest clubs.
Roman Polak, a rugged blueliner, is exactly the kind of veteran depth defender that playoff-bound teams tend to covet on the eve of the postseason. Polak is a guy who can clear the front of his net, play effective minutes on the penalty kill and take on a 20-minute workload every night. He's also a pending unrestricted free agent with an expiring $2.75 million cap hit. The prevailing sense is that at least a couple of teams are kicking tires on him, and that will only drive the price up. He could fetch as much as a second-round pick and an AHL prospect if the rumor mill is credible.
P.A. Parenteau is known predominantly for his offensive skill set. He's been a productive member of the Leafs power play, collecting six of his 15 goals on that special team. The veteran has
With the NHL's trade deadline looming less than two weeks away, the league's 30 general managers are undoubtedly wearing out their cell phones with all kinds of trade talks.
This week, I'll take a look at some of the teams that will be sellers and which players should be available. This will be a key time for these non-playoff teams to salvage something from this season, and a number of these players could become much more valuable in season-long and daily fantasy hockey games.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs have undoubtedly had their 'For Sale' signs out for a while and should be among the busiest clubs.
Roman Polak, a rugged blueliner, is exactly the kind of veteran depth defender that playoff-bound teams tend to covet on the eve of the postseason. Polak is a guy who can clear the front of his net, play effective minutes on the penalty kill and take on a 20-minute workload every night. He's also a pending unrestricted free agent with an expiring $2.75 million cap hit. The prevailing sense is that at least a couple of teams are kicking tires on him, and that will only drive the price up. He could fetch as much as a second-round pick and an AHL prospect if the rumor mill is credible.
P.A. Parenteau is known predominantly for his offensive skill set. He's been a productive member of the Leafs power play, collecting six of his 15 goals on that special team. The veteran has rebounded nicely from an off year in Montreal and has reclaimed his status as a good playmaker and finisher. He's on an expiring $1.5 million deal and would be an excellent fit on many teams as top-six insurance and scoring depth. The Leafs should be able to fetch a high draft pick or solid prospect in return for his services.
Toronto's roster also features a number of other pending UFAs who are likely to be moved in the next two weeks, if GM Lou Lamoriello can find takers. The rest of that group includes Michael Grabner ($3 million), a right winger who has scored as many as 34 goals in a year, Shawn Matthias ($2.3 million), a big forward who had 17 goals last year, and Brad Boyes ($700K), a veteran winger who has multiple 20-goal seasons on his resume. The Leafs have to hope to swap each of them for mid-round draft picks.
The additional intrigue with Toronto's roster is related to any trade interest in centers Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri. Bozak, a very good faceoff man, has an additional two years on his current cap-friendly contract ($4.2 million) and has proven that he can still be a solid offensive player even without Phil Kessel. Kadri is a pending RFA with a $4.1 million cap hit, and at 25 years of age, he still has time to reach the vast potential that the Leafs expected when they picked him seventh overall in 2009. The Leafs could certainly retain both players, but are expected to entertain offers that could bring a healthy return in each case.
In goal, both Jonathan Bernier (one more year at $4.1 million) and James Reimer ($2.3 million, pending UFA) are available; either could fetch a draft pick or prospect from teams looking for goaltending depth.
Edmonton Oilers
Once again, the Oilers will be on the outside of the playoffs, and they're hoping to peddle a couple of players who could generate significant interest.
Teddy Purcell is a pending UFA ($4.5 million) who has spent much of this season on one of Edmonton's top two scoring lines. A nine-year veteran winger who could easily slide into a top-six role with a contending team, he no longer fits the Oilers' salary structure, as Purcell is significantly older than the rest of their core players, who will be cashing in over the next few years. Thus I look for the Oilers to capitalize on a bidding war for his services, which should result in a high pick and/or top prospect coming to Edmonton.
Justin Schultz came onboard with the Oilers four years ago, hyped as an offensive-minded defenseman who would be the quarterback of this young offense. Well, suffice to say that things have not worked out that way, as his scoring totals have declined each year and he's fallen down Edmonton's depth chart. Still, he's expected to be one of a small number of similarly skilled blueliners available, and that's how the Oilers are going to frame his value in trade talks.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Jackets have to be disappointed to be lumped into this group, but the fact is this has been a dreadful season for a club that had much higher hopes. They have a lot of money tied up in long-term deals with only two players likely to be moved.
Curtis McElhinney is an inexpensive veteran backup goalie ($800K through next season) who could offer insurance for playoff-bound teams. The timing of a possible move may have been linked to the continued injury recovery of starter Sergei Bobrovsky (groin), but now that rookie Joonas Korpisalo has showed so well since his promotion from the AHL, McElhinney has surely become expendable.
The only other movable piece here is Rene Bourque, who last played and excelled in the postseason four years ago with Montreal, but has only five points in 37 games as a fourth-line player this season. Moving him will require expert salesmanship.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets have lost contact with the pack in the Western Conference playoff race in recent weeks and have to turn their attention to planning for next year, with at least one tough call.
The Jets resolved one of their pending UFA situations when they extended Dustin Byfuglien a lucrative long-term deal. His veteran teammate Andrew Ladd is still a pending UFA ($4.4 million), and it seems the Jets are leaning toward shopping their captain, who would become one of the biggest names in play at the deadline. He just turned 30 years old, and while his productivity is down from recent years, with only 30 points in 56 games, Ladd could be energized with another opportunity to add a third Stanley Cup to his resume.
The return of Ondrej Pavelec resulted in Connor Hellebuyck being sent down to AHL Manitoba. The rookie has posted the best numbers of the Jets' three goalies this season, and coach Paul Maurice hinted strongly that he will be back soon. If that is correct, we should expect to see plenty of game action for Pavelec to determine whether he is completely recovered from his lengthy absence due to a leg injury. Pavelec had been the unchallenged No. 1 guy here for much of the last four years and performed heroically behind some poor rosters in that time. He has one more year and a $3.9 million cap hit on his current contract. The Jets also have Michael Hutchinson on the active roster with a very cap-friendly $575K hit. Something has to give in a crowded Winnipeg goalie situation.
Those are the likely players of expected non-playoff teams that will be in play at the deadline, but the following names could join them if their teams throw in the towel:
Eric Staal, Carolina – He's already being hotly pursued by prospective teams because of his high profile as a dependable high-end scorer, a leader, and his size and skills. Staal is 31 and on an expiring $8.25 million cap hit, and should be considered one of the bigger prizes in the upcoming trading frenzy. However, the Hurricanes are still well within range of a playoff spot and might opt to keep him for a much-needed postseason appearance.
Cam Ward, Carolina – Like his captain, Ward is headed to free agency this summer and appears expendable in Carolina, considering he shares the net with Eddie Lack, who earlier this season signed a two-year extension with a relatively modest $2.75 million average cap hit that kicks in next year. Ward's trade value will spike if a playoff-bound team develops any goalie issues in the next two weeks.
Radim Vrbata, Vancouver – The Canucks' recent slide has pushed them to the fringe of playoff contention, trailing the final wild-card spot by six points with three other teams to catch at the moment. Vrbata is no longer a fixture with the Sedins on the top unit, but this pending UFA still has a pedigree as a top-six sniper who could be an upgrade for a number of teams.
Jiri Hudler, Calgary – The veteran winger has reclaimed his first-line role with a strong scoring surge in recent weeks, but remains unsigned and is a UFA this summer. At 32, he has proven that there's still a lot of gas left in his tank. The Flames are very likely to raise the white flag in this season and could ship this skilled player for a nice return unless they decide to sign him.
Yevgeni Medvedev, Philadelphia – The Flyers signed Medvedev to a one-year deal last offseason, and the Russian import has had a nice debut season in the NHL. He's another veteran rearguard in a thin market for quality defensemen, which could drive up his value if the Flyers choose to move him.
