With the trade deadline just around the corner, many general managers are laying the groundwork for potential trades to try and improve their team’s chances of a) qualifying for the playoffs and; b) making some noise once they get there.
As is always the case, most of the trades at and leading up to the deadline will involve rentals (aka players on expiring contracts).
I recently took a closer look at a few rentals worth targeting so today I’ll share a few names I would avoid at the deadline.
C – Martin Hanzal – Arizona
Hanzal seems to be the talk of the town leading up to March 1st. He is 6’6′, defensively responsible, has a mean streak to him and is the kind of player many old school types dream about having on their team come playoff time.
As a result, he is seeing his value overinflated. While Hanzal is not without talent, he has put up respectable offensive totals because he’s been spoonfed ice time, not because he’s an efficient offensive player.
Dating back to the beginning of 2015-16, Hanzal is averaging 1.47 points per 60 minutes played at 5v5. That puts him 180th among 301 eligible forwards (minimum 1,000 minutes) and behind the likes of Andrew Copp, Melker Karlsson, Cal Clutterbuck, David Desharnais and Brian Gionta to name but a few.
That’s not to say Hanzal isn’t a useful player — he is — but his offensive game leaves a lot to be desired. He is a solid defensive player but his value in that aspect of the game is probably overstated, too, considering over the last 1.5 seasons the Coyotes have allowed ~1.3 fewer shot attempts per 60 minutes with Hanzal on the ice as opposed to without him. That’s not a big difference.
Given the asking price for Hanzal could be as high as a 1st round pick *and* a quality young player/prospect, I think general managers would be smart to look elsewhere for help.
RW – Jarome Iginla – Colorado
I’ve always enjoyed watching Iginla play, and he seems like a fantastic person, but father time has definitely caught up with him.
He struggles to get around the ice and, though he can still post-up and shoot, his numbers have taken a big hit as a result.
The 39-year-old is producing at a 10-goal, 22-point pace over an 82-game schedule despite logging almost 15 minutes of ice on a nightly basis.
Iginla’s production has been snowballing for a while now as he has been hitting new lows annually. His goal, point, and shot rates have dropped in three consecutive seasons and, overall, he really is a shell of the player he once was.
Iginla might be a useful piece for a low-event, muck-and-grind team (a la Los Angeles) but I don’t think he’s a fit on most rosters. If the asking price is a prospect or draft pick of worth, general managers should stay away.
C – Brian Boyle – Tampa Bay
At 6’7′, he has the size teams covet and he gets around the ice fairly well for a player of his stature. He is usually good for 10+ goals, 20-25 points, he can kill penalties and, simply put, is a solid player.
The reason I’d stay away from Boyle has more to do with asking price. There’s been talk Boyle could fetch as much as a 1st round pick, which I believe is a ridiculous ask.
Over the last year and change, Boyle has averaged fewer 5v5 points per 60 than Nail Yakupov, Jordan Martinook, Daniel Winnik and Brad Richardson to name but a few. Yes, Boyle is a better defensive player than those listed but, Winnik aside, that’s a low bar.
I just can’t get behind the idea of trading a 1st round pick for, say, 30 games of Boyle. By re-signing him a team would get the most out of that pick, or whatever asset is parted with, but Boyle figures to command a hefty contract and paying prime dollars for depth players often gets teams into trouble. In other words, they’d be better suited letting him go.
Stay away from Boyle and find a less coveted defensive specialist at a much cheaper price.
Written by Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell)
