As the NHL’s Feb. 24 trade deadline draws ever nearer, several clubs have been considered sellers for some time.
For weeks, there’s been ongoing speculation over which players the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and San Jose Sharks will put on the trade block.
Several other clubs could soon join the ranks of the sellers as their postseason hopes fade. Here’s a look at the top trade candidates among this season’s playoff bubble clubs.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres, especially young captain Jack Eichel, are working hard to keep their flagging postseason dreams alive. For months, general manager Jason Botterill has tried to swing a deal to help his club, but there’s no miracle trade on the horizon to save their season.
After being the subject of trade chatter last summer, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen could once again become a trade candidate. Pending unrestricted free agents, like Conor Sheary and Michael Frolik, could also hit the trade block.
Chicago Blackhawks
A five-game winning streak in January powered the Blackhawks to within striking distance of a wild-card berth in the Western Conference. Since then, they since won only two of their last nine contests, sending them tumbling in the standings and leaving their postseason dreams hanging by a thread.
Unless the Hawks win their next three games, GM Stan Bowman could start selling. UFA defenseman Erik Gustafsson seems most likely to move. So could Corey Crawford or Robin Lehner, as both goaltenders are UFAs this summer. Winger Brandon Saad has also come up as a trade candidate.
Florida Panthers
Despite the additions of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and winger Brett Connolly last summer, the Panthers are still struggling to nail down a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. If they drop their three games leading up to deadline day, general manager Dale Tallon could move from buyer to seller.
The Ottawa Sun‘s Bruce Garrioch reports pending UFA winger Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov could be on the move. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said they’ve also received calls on center Vincent Trocheck and looked into the market for defenseman Mike Matheson.
Minnesota Wild
Wild GM Bill Guerin already made a significant move earlier this month, shipping winger Jason Zucker to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s warned his players that more moves could be coming if he feels they’ve quit on the season.
Guerin thinks his club still has a shot at a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but their odds are getting slimmer. If they don’t gain ground in the standings by this weekend, he could ship out other players as part of a long-overdue rebuild. Recent reports suggest defensemen Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin could be next.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are making brave statements about not giving up on their playoff hopes. A quick look at the Eastern Conference standings, however, reveals the reality of their situation. GM Marc Bergevin already made one move this week, trading Marco Scandella to the St. Louis Blues. More deal could be in the offing for deadline day.
Veteran winger Ilya Kovalchuk has resurrected his career with the Habs, but any talk of them getting a second-round pick for him seems far-fetched. Le Journal de Montreal‘s Marc de Foy is the latest Montreal pundit calling for Bergevin to peddle center Max Domi. Unless it’s a hockey trade bringing back a skilled player in return, that doesn’t seem likely.