One Player Each Team Should Look to Move After NHL Holiday Trade Freeze Ends

With the NHL’s holiday trade freeze officially over as of December 28^th, teams are getting ready to wheel and deal right up until the February 27^th trade deadline.

Well, that’s not entirely accurate—trade deadlines since the lockout have been fairly tame. If only they could be like they were in the past, when we’ve seen many huge trades happen on one day that drastically alter the NHL landscape and clearly show which teams are serious about adding the players needed for the playoffs.

However, there have been a few big deals in the period between the holiday trade freeze and the trade deadline. At this point, a blockbuster trade may well end up happening this year since there are a few big-name players in the last year of their contracts.

Whether it be a superstar or a fourth-line winger, here’s a list of one player that each team should try to move before the trade deadline.

Anaheim Ducks – Bobby Ryan

According to Pierre LeBrun on TSN’s Insider Trading panel, the Anaheim Ducks might be looking to deal Bobby Ryan in order to shake up the team.

Trading Ryan also provides them with the cap room to lock Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry into long-term deals.

After the horribly one-sided Francois Beauchemin trade last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ducks GM Bob Murray better get this one right or he might be the next to be moved.

Boston Bruins – Chris Kelly

In truth, the Boston Bruins don’t really have anyone that they absolutely need to deal, nor does this team need any major tinkering.

However, Chris Kelly might be a bargaining chip that the Bruins could use in trade negotiations with teams since he is an unrestricted free agent after this season and would be an option for any team wanting to increase their cap space in anticipation of free agency in the summer.

Then again, Kelly is having the best offensive year statistically of his career and provides much needed grit. The Bruins are better off keeping him.

Buffalo Sabres – Ville Leino

The Buffalo Sabres are likely feeling buyers’ remorse when it comes to Ville Leino.

After a breakout season last year with the Flyers, Leino signed a six-year, $25 million deal with Buffalo in the summer as part of their free-agent frenzy. 

With only 10 points in 29 games and a minus-seven rating, the Sabres might be wise to hit the reset button and deal Leino before his trade value declines further.

Unfortunately, Leino is out for “weeks” after sustaining a lower-body injury (which is probably the vaguest injury report ever) so it is not clear if he’ll be healed before the trade deadline.

Calgary Flames – Lee Stempniak

Many sportswriters (including some of my colleagues here at Bleacher Report) have written much about why the Calgary Flames should trade Jarome Iginla and what they could potentially get in return.

I am not of that opinion. So long as he wants to, Iginla should be left to finish his career in Calgary. He deserves loyalty from the Flames organization after all that he’s done for them over the years.

Instead, the Flames might want to try to trade Lee Stempniak if they fall out of the playoff race before the trade deadline. Stempniak would probably fetch a mid-to-low-round draft pick and is in a contract year anyways, so the Flames can sign a suitable replacement in the summer or attempt to bring him back.

Carolina Hurricanes – Tuomo Ruutu

The Carolina Hurricanes are currently tied for last place in the Eastern Conference and look like they badly need some changes to their roster.

With a team-leading 14 goals so far this year, Tuomo Ruutu would probably get the Canes a third-fifth- round draft pick along with a lower-end prospect. That’s a decent return, especially if Ruutu already has decided that he wants to sign elsewhere after he becomes a free agent in the summer. 

Aside from Jeff Skinner, Eric Staal and Cam Ward, everyone on this roster should be made available so that they can begin to stockpile draft picks and prepare for free agency. Trading Ruutu could be the first domino in the rebuilding process.

Chicago Blackhawks – Michael Frolik

The Chicago Blackhawks are sitting pretty at the top of the Western Conference right now and probably won’t be looking to make any major deals.

They might want to look for some more sandpaper for their playoff run though, and should try to find a team that is willing to take Michael Frolik as part of the return package. 

Overall, Frolik has not played very well for the Blackhawks since being traded to them last year. He is currently on pace to score 23 points this year which would be the worst total of his career. Chicago might want to cut their losses at this point.

Colorado Avalanche – Paul Stastny

So long as the price is right, the Colorado Avalanche might want to look into shipping out centre Paul Stastny.

It’s a controversial move, but it makes sense. 

The Avs have 18 players currently on their roster that will become free agents after this season, including Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly, arguably their top-two centres. This makes Stastny expendable, especially since he has had a drop off in offensive production this year and is currently making more in salary than he deserves ($6.6 million per year).

Getting defensive help might be a good thing for the third worst team defensively in the Western Conference. Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators might be a good fit here, though the Preds will likely wait until Shea Weber gets healthy again to consider a deal, and the Avs would need to agree with Suter on a contract for next year beforehand.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Derick Brassard

Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch presents some very compelling reasons as to why Derick Brassard will be traded, including a statement from Allan Walsh, Brassard’s agent, that criticizes the Columbus Blue Jackets’ use of his client.

The situation in Columbus is bad enough with all of the losing. Adding a toxic player/coach situation makes things worse, especially since Brassard was scratched from the lineup in a game against the Montreal Canadiens in Brassard’s home province in early December.

Finding a suitable return for Brassard is important, but trying to get some positive vibes around this franchise is even more key. The fans of the Blue Jackets deserve better. 

Dallas Stars – Brenden Morrow

After a great start to the 2011-2012 season, the Dallas Stars have cooled off a little bit and might need to make some adjustments at this point.

Kari Lehtonen’s injury had much to do with it, but at least the Stars eventually found a plan B goalie in Richard Bachman. Unfortunately, they have not yet been able to do that with their defensive corps with both Sheldon Souray and Stephane Robidas currently out of the lineup, allowing 11 goals in their past three games.

Dealing their captain for a top-line defenseman might help with that.

The Stars have other players to provide offence and grit like Jamie Benn, Michael Ryder and Steve Ott. Brenden Morrow is currently producing less than those players but commands a higher salary. He should be the one to go, though a defenseman with similar leadership qualities would need to be traded to Dallas in return.

Detroit Red Wings – Ian White

The Detroit Red Wings are another one of those teams that really don’t need to make any trades right now, but for the sake of this slideshow the one player they might want to move is Ian White.

Here’s why: Ian White is currently on pace for 45 points playing with Nicklas Lidstrom this year which would be a career high. His previous high is 26 points, which he achieved three times while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Brian Rafalski, Lidstrom’s old partner, produced similar but slightly higher totals in his years with Detroit, but was more consistent throughout his entire career. Can the Red Wings count on consistency from White? 

If not, they might want to trade him while his value is at an all-time high.

Edmonton Oilers – Sam Gagner

After getting only six points in the first two months of the season, Sam Gagner’s game picked up a little bit in December with nine points in 12 games.

It might be a good time for the Edmonton Oilers to trade Gagner, especially with Ryan Whitney’s less-than-smooth return from injury. 

The Oilers only have 12 goals scored by a defenseman this year, which is way too low. Dealing Gagner either alone or as part of a package for an offensive defenseman should be high on their list.

Florida Panthers – Marco Sturm

Marco Sturm is currently out with a concussion right now, which means he can’t be traded. However, the Florida Panthers might want to part ways with Sturm when he returns.

With only 19 points in the past two years, both of which were shortened by injuries, Sturm looks to be in the twilight of his career.

$2.25 million is too much for a player that hasn’t broken the 40-point mark in five years. If Sturm can’t be traded, the Panthers might want to release him outright. That is, of course, assuming that Sturm doesn’t stay on the IR list until the end of the year as his contract is up at that point.

Los Angeles Kings – Dustin Penner

Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi will be doing cartwheels this summer when Dustin Penner’s brutal $4.25 million cap hit finally comes off the books.

If he can though, Lombardi should try to see if there is a team that is willing to take him on for the remaining months of his contract so that there is another roster spot available. 

Penner will be looking at a serious pay decrease after this year so it might be in his interest to find another team to audition with, preferably a team lower in the standings where he’ll get more playing time. Then again, his stock has fallen so far that it probably won’t happen.

Minnesota Wild – Niklas Backstrom

Trading Niklas Backstrom would be a ballsy move with Josh Harding’s relative inexperience, as he only has started 79 games in his career compared to Backstrom’s 298 starts. 

It might be the right one, though.

Harding is only 27 years old, compared to Backstrom, who is 33. Harding also has the better save percentage and goals against average. With Harding reaching free agency at the end of the year, the Wild might want to deal Backstrom in order to get help for their playoff run. 

Then again, Backstrom has been pretty consistent over his career. It might be Harding who goes instead, but this is a situation that will eventually need to be resolved before the trade deadline.

Montreal Canadiens – Mike Cammalleri

The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of brutal contracts plaguing their roster right now. Whether it is Pierre Gauthier that gets the chance to or not as GM of the club, they’ve got to try to unload one of those contracts. 

Mike Cammalleri is one of the only ones that still has some value, since he has 22 points in 35 games this year. 

There are plenty of other playoff-bound teams that might be interested in a winger known for his playoff performance. The Habs might not get that much in terms of actual players and prospects, but the $6 million in cap space they would save would be huge.

Nashville Predators – Ryan Suter

The Predators should probably wait to see how Shea Weber’s return from a concussion goes before entertaining the idea of dealing Ryan Suter, but if Weber looks good, then they should highly consider it. 

The Predators have already committed $7 million a year to Pekka Rinne and would likely need to pay Weber and Suter around $8-10 million each, based on the current market. That would mean that almost a third of their salary would go towards three players. 

Both Weber and Suter will be free agents after this year, but only Suter will be unrestricted and is probably the lesser of the two players. He should be the one to go.

However, it is also possible that the Predators might wait until after negotiations for the new collective bargaining agreement are completed before making a decision. It would be a risky move though, since they could lose Suter for nothing.

New Jersey Devils – David Clarkson

The New Jersey Devils currently have about $3.175 million in cap space to use to re-sign Zach Parise. That may be enough, but if the Devils decide that they want some cap flexibility the player to move would logically be David Clarkson.

Clarkson is young enough at 27 years old that he could attract a strong enough package of draft picks and prospects in return and moving him would give the Devils a little bit of wiggle room to work with for the offseason. 

In a perfect world, the Devils would be able to trade Dainius Zubrus as he is older and makes a higher salary, but unfortunately the return would probably not be enough to justify the move.

New York Islanders – Evgeni Nabokov

I could have put Rick DiPietro here instead, but no team is ever going to touch that contract with a ten-foot pole and unless the new collective bargaining agreement includes an amnesty clause similar to the NBA's that allows each team to get rid of one unwanted contract, DiPietro will probably retire as an Islander. 

Instead, the New York Islanders should try to deal Evgeni Nabokov before the trade deadline in order to ensure that they get something for the netminder before he jumps ship for another team in the summer. 

When he was first claimed off waivers by the Isles last January, Nabokov said he would not report to the team. He eventually did, but considering how the team is still in the basement of the Eastern Conference he’ll probably leave in July. 

Right now, GM Garth Snow will have to play the waiting game since Al Montoya is out with a concussion, but he may look to make that deal if Montoya returns soon.

New York Rangers – Ruslan Fedotenko

The New York Rangers are another team that don’t really need to retool right now since their solid play this year sees them as the current kings of the Eastern Conference. 

However, if they actually cared about cutting costs (they probably don’t), they should consider moving Ruslan Fedotenko. 

His offensive production has been slowly declining over the last few years to the point where he’s pretty much still there just for his playoff experience and ability as a grinder. 

Ottawa Senators – Milan Michalek

The Ottawa Senators surprisingly have found themselves in the middle of the playoff race this year and will likely not be sellers at the trade deadline if they continue to win games at the same pace. 

Milan Michalek has been a big reason for this success, scoring a team-high 19 goals so far and earning a spot in the starting lineup in this year's All-Star game, his first ever selection. 

Has Michalek’s trade value reached an all-time high? Can he maintain this level of play beyond this season? These are two important questions that GM Bryan Murray needs to ask himself. If this is as good as it gets for Michalek, it might also be a good time for a move.

Philadelphia Flyers – Ilya Bryzgalov

Unless they are willing to part with one of their core players or a player on a reasonable contract like Max Talbot, the Flyers probably won’t be doing anything major before this year's trade deadline. 

However, their perpetual search for a goalie might be continuing, especially with Sergei Bobrovsky taking over the starting goalie reins in this year’s Winter Classic, announced by none other than Ilya Bryzgalov. 

Bryzgalov’s contract means that he won’t be going anywhere soon, but if the Flyers look elsewhere for goaltending help he could be on rocky ground.

Phoenix Coyotes – Raffi Torres

With only three points between them and a playoff spot, the Phoenix Coyotes may be looking to make a little addition in the next few weeks. Nothing major, though.

If they’re going to make a move, someone like Raffi Torres is a possible candidate. The Coyotes have plenty of youth and plenty of veterans nearing the end of their careers with no trade clauses in their contracts. Torres falls somewhere in between. 

The Coyotes might hang on to Torres simply because of his playoff experience with Edmonton and Vancouver and his usefulness as a grinder. If the Coyotes do decide to make a deal, it’ll probably be Torres or someone like him that goes the other way.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Tyler Kennedy

Tyler Kennedy is on pace to nearly equal his career high of 45 points from last year and has played well for a very good Pittsburgh Penguins team that has been able to withstand injuries to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and still contend for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, James Neal becomes a restricted free agent after this season and the Pens have about $500,000 in cap space, which means that someone else has to go. 

With most of their players signed to smart, cost-effective deals, Kennedy’s is the least cost-effective based on his production for the team even though he still does quite a bit.

San Jose Sharks – Antero Niittymaki

Of the three goalies that the San Jose Sharks currently have at their disposal, Antero Niittymaki is the odd man out. 

The market for goalies seems to be higher with teams like Toronto, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia having goaltending issues.

San Jose might want to inquire about what they could get for Niittymaki in return, ideally for a decent role player and a lower-end prospect/draft pick.

St. Louis Blues – Chris Stewart

After getting 53 points in games with Colorado and St. Louis last year, Chris Stewart’s offensive production has dropped as he only has 15 points in 36 games so far this year. 

It may be a bit too soon to give up on him and trade him, or it might be a good time to trade him while people still remember what he did in the past two years. 

Either way, the St. Louis Blues have been playing well since Ken Hitchcock took over on November 6^th. They might just keep the team together for the rest of the year and see how things go in the playoffs before making any adjustments.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Dwayne Roloson

Teams might be circling the Tampa Bay Lighting as this season has not gone the way they envisioned, especially after making the Eastern Conference Finals in last year’s playoffs. 

Dwayne Roloson has been abysmal for the Bolts this year, with a 3.80 goals against average and a .800 save percentage. 

It might be time for "Rolly the Goalie" to head off into the sunset. In this case, the Tampa Bay Lightning wouldn’t have to move him, but they would be moving on.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Luke Schenn

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been involved in lots of trade talk this year, including discussions with the Anaheim Ducks about Bobby Ryan and, more recently, Ryan Getzlaf. 

Most of those deals involve Nazem Kadri, who has played well enough for the Leafs and has enough upside to deserve staying with the team. 

Luke Schenn, however, has been erratic for the team this year after playing well last year. The Leafs might want to cut him loose while he still has enough trade value.

Vancouver Canucks – Cory Schneider

Now that the Vancouver Canucks are first in the Western Conference, most of the talk about a goalie controversy between starting goalie Roberto Luongo and backup Cory Schneider has gone away. 

However, if another losing skid occurs, GM Mike Gillis might be forced to choose which goalie to keep. 

Many people complain about Luongo’s ability to perform in high-pressure situations, but I think that he’s been treated a bit unfairly, especially when you consider that he almost won both an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup in the same year. If someone has to leave Vancouver, it should be Schneider.

Washington Capitals – Alexander Semin

The contract situation for the Washington Capitals’ star players may result in Alexander Semin being shipped out before the trade deadline. 

Teammate Nicklas Backstrom currently leads the team in overall scoring with 42 points and earns $6.7 million a year, the same amount as Alexander Semin, who only has 20 points and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. 

Semin’s agent may have a hard time justifying why Semin deserves a pay increase with Backstrom on the same team, so a trade might be necessary in order for Semin to get what he wants and for Washington to get something for him before he leaves anyways.

Winnipeg Jets – Kyle Wellwood

If he keeps producing offensively at the same pace, Kyle Wellwood will beat his previous career high of 45 points from the 2005-2006 season while playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs in his second season in the NHL. 

Wellwood is a bit of an enigma, having bounced around to Vancouver and San Jose before ending up in Winnipeg this year. It’s unclear whether Wellwood can consistently produce at the same level, whether he has reached his ceiling in terms of potential or whether his game will decline again as it did while he was with the Leafs. 

He only makes $700,000 a year and becomes an unrestricted free agent in July. He is a relative bargain, but only if he continues to do what he’s doing. If he can, great. If not, the Jets might want to explore other options.