Now, it begins. It never is too early to speculate about what may happen at the trade deadline. For some unrestricted free agents to be, trades are in the offing. The NHL Trade Deadline is March 21st this season. That is still four months away.
Which goaltenders could be potentially dealt by then? Below, are a handful of netminders who could be on the move.
NHL Goaltenders Possibly on the Move By NHL Trade Deadline
Marc-Andre Fleury — Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks’ goaltender has been rumored to be moved throughout the early portion of this season. Fleury has a goals-against-average above 4 in the early going. Even from the beginning, there was some hesitation if he would report to Chicago. With the mess that is Chicago, sending Fleury out would be considered mercy.
Mikko Koskinen — Edmonton Oilers
This is a great debate. Mikko Koskinen was the subject of several trade rumors in 2020 and even earlier this year. Now with his latest hot start, Koskinen is seemingly off the market. Edmonton runs hot and cold with the goalie that has a faulty, high-glove side. The Oilers could sell high on him before the deadline.
Braden Holtby — Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars have been quite inconsistent but Braden Holtby has been back in his old Vezina-like form. An excellent start for Holtby combined with a dismal one for Dallas raises the chances of trade. He may wind up on a contender just after the Olympic break at this rate. After all, Holtby cannot score goals and two goals for Dallas seems like a Herculean task nightly.
Jaroslav Halak — Vancouver Canucks
Simply, Jaroslav Halak would make excellent insurance for a contending team. At 37, he can still carry the load for short stretches and has shown little signs of aging. Halak is cheap when it comes to the cap as well.
Joonas Korpisalo — Columbus Blue Jackets
The writing is on the wall with the Elvis Merzlikins start. For as good as Korpisalo has been, he has become expendable on Columbus. The goaltender will have to put up some better numbers to improve his trade value — which is currently limited.
The Lower Goaltending Tier — Trade Deadline
Craig Anderson — Buffalo Sabres
No one knows how long Craig Anderson can keep playing like this but he got off to a great start for the Buffalo Sabres. The four wins alone were shocking enough but the .921 save percentage turned a lot of heads. Mind you, Anderson is doing this at 41. For league-minimum salary, Buffalo is getting a heck of an investment. They certainly are not done after trading Jack Eichel.
Vitek Vanecek — Washington Capitals
It does not seem likely Vitek Vanecek (restricted free agent) will get moved. However, one never knows with goaltending in Washington. The Capitals’ management does seem to favor Ilya Samsonov so a move would not be a total surprise.
Thomas Greiss — Detroit Red Wings
Thomas Greiss could be an interesting trade for the Detroit Red Wings. It seems inevitable that he will get moved. This is more of a question of when and not if. Now, Greiss is a bit more expensive as his $3.6 million AAV would make him more of a close to the deadline type of move.