The Athletic’s top NHL trade candidates heading into the offseason
Craig Custance of The Athletic: Looking at the top 22 NHL players who could get traded this offseason.
1 Patrik Laine – Winnipeg Jets – The Jets need a second-line center and a top-four defenseman.
2. Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Arizona Coyotes – Seven years left at $8.25 million may not be easy to move.
3. Matt Dumba – Minnesota Wild – Can the Wild get the centerman they need?
4. Matt Murray – Pittsburgh Penguins – The Edmonton Oilers make some sense, but cost to sign the RFA is a question.
5. Frederik Andersen – Toronto Maple Leafs – Only carries a $1 million in salary next season.
6. Kyle Palmieri – New Jersey Devils – Acquiring price could be high.
7. Max Domi – Montreal Canadiens – His trade value isn’t at it’s highest. Domi wants to stay and the sides are talking.
8. Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights – Looks like the Golden Knights are going to sign Robin Lehner. If the Golden Knights retain salary, Fleury might be a fit with the Colorado Avalanche.
9. Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins – Hard to see them trading Letang, but Letang expects to be traded.
10. Nikolaj Ehlers – Winnipeg Jets – Teams might have more interest in Ehlers than Laine.
11. Andreas Johnsson – Toronto Maple Leafs – Could have Alexander Kerfoot here. Sources say the Maple Leafs may prefer to move Johnsson over Kerfoot. Would be selling low on Johnsson.
12. Brady Skjei – Carolina Hurricanes – Teams have called the Hurricanes to see if they’d be interested in trading him.
13. Darcy Kuemper – Arizona Coyotes – The Coyotes would get a bigger return for Kuemper than they would for Antti Raanta. A source said that asking price is a first-round pick.
14. Josh Anderson – Columbus Blue Jackets – The sides are talking about a new deal for the RFA. Would need to trade for and then give him a big extension as he’s a year away from being a UFA.
15. Nikita Zadorov – Colorado Avalanche – He could look for a trade if he doesn’t get the role he expects.
16. Taylor Hall‘s negotiating rights – Arizona Coyotes – No negotiating window this year.
17. Erik Johnson – Colorado Avalanche – Owed $6 million for two more years. Has a modified no-trade clause – 19 teams he can be traded to.
18. Noah Hanifin – Calgary Flames – May depend on if they re-sign some of their pending UFAs, mainly T.J. Brodie.
19. Brandon Carlo – Boston Bruins – A longshot but the Bruins are getting calls. If moved it would be in a big trade that brings back a top-six forward.
20. James Reimer – Carolina Hurricanes – Getting interest especially at an $850,000 salary.
21. Justin Faulk – St. Louis Blues – Will need to make salary cap room if they re-sign Alex Pietrangelo. Tyler Bozak is another option, and Colton Parayko if they get desperate.
22. Andreas Athanasiou – Edmonton Oilers – Owed a $3 million qualifying offer. Teams may wait to see if the Oilers pass on the QO and look to sign him as a UFA.