2023 NHL Trade Deadline: Top Five Selling Teams Ranking

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The NHL trade deadline isn’t until March 3, but it’s been rumored for a few months now.

With just over a month to go before the deadline, we’ve got you covered every day at Daily face-to-face with a trade-focused story leading up to deadline day.

With the battle for Connor Bedard heating up, many of the league’s bottom players will be in hard sell mode this year – and a few of them also have coveted trade targets. Frank Seravalli has done a great job breaking down trade goals over the past month, so check out his chart here.

Today we are looking at five sellers with substantial assets available. Most players are waiting for UFA – potential rentals, or others who just need a change of scenery. Others are players on deals made this season who could provide the missing piece for suitors looking to solidify their core. So let’s go :

2023 trading deadline countdown: 33 days

1. Vancouver Canucks

Who’s available: Bo Horvat (F, 27), Luke Schenn (D, 33), Brock Boeser (F, 25)

The Canucks are expected to be the busiest seller at the deadline – and if the fans had any say in it, it would be a complete sellout. Bo Horvat is the best player on the market this year having already passed the 30-goal barrier and is in the final year of a contract that pays him $5 million. General manager Patrik Allvin’s goal will be to maximize his return for Horvat, and that won’t be easy with so many contenders so close to the salary cap.

Defenseman Luke Schenn has been excellent for the Canucks this year and has capped just $850,000. His physicality, leadership and Stanley Cup experience make him a valuable and inexpensive depth option for just about any team. He’ll be the easiest to move around, but, again, it’s all about maximizing the value of a fan favorite.

Brock Boeser is less likely to be moved but worth watching. Boeser’s $6.65 million cap reached through 2025 would be a good way to move into free cap space, but it’s a harder contract to offload due to the remaining term. Still, he’s on pace over 50 points, so a team with more space might be willing to take a look and hope he regains the potential he showed when he entered the league. league. KHL importer Andrei Kuzmenko was a UFA pending but signed a two-year contract on Thursday, so it’s likely he won’t go anywhere.

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Who’s available: Patrick Kane (F, 34), Jonathan Toews (F, 34), Max Domi (F, 27), Jake McCabe (D, 29) Andreas Athanasiou (F, 28), Jack Johnson (D, 36)

To trade Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews or not to trade Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews? Shakespeare’s age-old question will keep Chicago Blackhawks fans on their toes until the deadline is reached. It’s still unclear whether either will be moved on or if he’ll end up ending his career with the only team he’s ever played for. The two are 34, pending UFA, and just signed $10.5 million AAV deals. There’s no way either will come close to this no matter where they go. The Hawks would have to eat a big chunk of salary to move them, and they can certainly afford to do that, but it has to make sense if they’re going to say goodbye to two of the best players in franchise history.

Max Domi and Jake McCabe are two players who seem to be on the move. Domi was revitalized a bit in Chicago, keeping pace for just under 60 points – something he hasn’t done since scoring 72 in Montreal in 2018-19. He looks comfortable in Chicago, but his type of production — plus his $3 million AAV through the summer — makes him a great addition for teams that need some extra help. . And then there’s McCabe, with Seravalli saying several teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, are interested in McCabe’s services. He’s 29 and has three years left on his $4 million AAV contract, but he’s playing well and should maintain his value for the duration of his contract.

3. Arizona Coyotes

Who is available: Jakob Chychrun (D, 24), Shayne Gostisbehere (D, 29), Nick Bjugstad (F, 30)

The Coyotes have been rebuilding for as long as anyone can remember, and this could finally be the year they move 24-year-old defenseman Jakob Chychrun. He’s signed for two more seasons, so the Coyotes didn’t want to move him just for the sake of moving him, but they know they can make the most of a trade sooner rather than later, whether it’s a few first round or a remarkable prospect. The biggest issue is Chychrun’s injury history, including a wrist condition that caused him to miss a big game to start the season. When healthy, Chychrun can be an attacking leader from the start – but are teams willing to pay the price for someone who has never made it past the 70-game mark?

Shayne Gostisbehere and his $4.5 million cap could be great if you fancy puck-moving defensemen. He’s a talented defenseman who has proven he can put up 50 points a year, but he’s currently injured himself. After a tough few years in Philadelphia, he’s seemingly found his mojo with the Coyotes again, but would be a good pick-up for teams in the hunt for the Cup.

On a smaller scale, Nick Bjugstad might be helpful. He only earns $900.00 and can be a 30 point player. He’s got a massive frame at 6-foot-6 and 209 pounds, so he can be the tough, Nick Paul-esque player you can add for extra scoring and added toughness. I think he has the best chance of being moved of the three, but he’s not the top wrestler that teams are looking for. Anyway, suitors should not be missing here.

4. St. Louis Blues

Who’s available: Vladimir Tarasenko (F, 31), Ivan Barbashev (F, 27), Ryan O’Reilly (F, 31)

From a pure quality standpoint, the Blues have one of the most pending UFA groups. But the Blues are still in the hunt for the playoffs, and while they’ll need a second-half killer to make it work, they could opt to maintain the status quo or add instead of subtract if general manager Doug Armstrong thinks they still have a chance.

Vladimir Tarasenko’s name has been rumored for a few seasons now. He was on pace for around 70 points before getting injured on New Years Eve and, when healthy, is still one of the best wingers in the league. Staying healthy has been an incredible challenge, but you can’t get much better from a rental player right now.

Ryan O’Reilly is another notable hire, but he’s always been out with a broken foot. He’s having a miserable season and for many suitors he might just be a No.3 center at this point. There is a risk to be taken on a player returning from injury, especially when the previous workload has proven to be too heavy for him. You can do much worse at the bottom of your lineup though; a change of scenery could do wonders for the 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Ivan Barbashev is also struggling from his 60-point production a year ago, but that’s not entirely his fault. Barbashev could still hit 40 points this year, and given his $2.25 million cap, that’s a play you could add on top of something else. Barbashev may be one of the most underrated players this year due to his poor production, but if I’m a contending team that needs inexpensive scoring depth, I call Barbashev.

5. Montreal Canadiens

Who’s available: Sean Monahan (F, 28), Evgenii Dadonov (F, 33), Jonathan Drouin (F, 27), Joel Edmundson (D, 29)

With Cole Caufield out for a year and Juraj Slafkovsky out for three months, the Canadiens have every chance of landing the first overall pick. The Canadiens could have two top-10 picks after acquiring Florida’s pick in a trade last year.

So, with the Habs taking the obvious long-term approach here, the team managed to pick up two strong trade assets over the summer in Sean Monahan and Evgenii Dadonov. Monahan has missed considerable time through injury, but he has 17 points in 25 games and has been a bright spot for a team that clearly only has one thing on their minds. Monahan is on pace for his first 40-point season since 2019-20, a year after scoring 82 points. As a standby UFA, you can do much worse by adding an average forward who can win faceoffs and bring size and creativity.

As for Dadonov and Drouin, both have struggled this season, with Drouin failing to score in 28 games this year. He’s out until February, so he won’t have much of a lead before a trade. In Dadonov’s case, he won’t get much out of a comeback with a $5 million AAV and just 13 points to show for it. He was 43 a year ago with Vegas, but the days of scoring 65-70 points a year are long gone.

Joel Edmundson’s name has been the subject of trade rumors for some time, given his status as a great closed-in defender. He is day to day with a mysterious upper or lower body injury. It would be advantageous for the Canadiens to keep him to compensate for the young blue line the team currently has, but general manager Kent Hughes will have to listen to every offer.

Honorable mention: The San Jose Sharks have potentially high-impact assets in forward Timo Meier and defenseman Erik Karlsson, not to mention guard James Reimer as a piece of depth to dangle. But with a Karlsson trade too complicated to be likely, the Sharks narrowly miss out on the top five.

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