5 Game-Changing Trades We'd Love to See Before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline
This year's NHL trade deadline is Friday, March 3 at 3 pm ET. The weeks leading up to deadline day tend to be the busiest for player movement during the regular season. Teams that are out of playoff contention shop the pending free agents they can't or won't re-sign. Meanwhile, contenders attempt to acquire the best available talent to bolster their rosters for the postseason.
The New York Islanders could be hoping for the same sort of boost with their recent acquisition of Bo Horvat. They acquired the 27-year-old center from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 30 to bolster their sagging offense as they attempt to nail down a playoff berth.
Sometimes a contender makes a trade that helps to propel them into the Stanley Cup Final. Recent notable examples include the Los Angeles Kings' acquisition of Jeff Carter in 2012 and the New York Rangers bringing in Martin St. Louis in 2014.
Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane and St. Louis Blues center Ryan O'Reilly have become the subjects of frequent trade speculation among the media this season. They are the type of players who could lift a contender into a champion.
Here are five game-changing trades we'd love to see before the March 3 NHL trade deadline. You can give us your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.
Jakob Chychrun to the Los Angeles Kings
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Locked in a tight race in the Pacific Division, the Los Angeles Kings could use a trade that gives them a lift to secure first place in the division and home-ice advantage for the playoffs. Acquiring Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun could be just the game-changer they need.
A skillful puck-moving defenseman, Chychrun is signed through 2024-25 with an affordable $4.6 million average annual value and lacks no-trade protection this season. Since returning from offseason wrist surgery on Nov. 21, the 24-year-old blueliner has 27 points in 35 games with a plus-minus of plus-6.
The Kings lack sufficient depth in left-shot defensemen on their blue line. They're using right-shot rearguard Sean Durzi on the left side of their second defense pairing. Adding Chychrun would address that need, providing a big boost to their blue-line production while allowing Durzi to move back to the right side of their defense corps.
Adding Chychrun could cost the Kings a first-round pick, a top prospect and a good young player. They have the depth within their system to meet that asking price. It could be worth it as they'd have Chychrun for the remainder of this season and the next two.
Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers
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Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Thus far, there's no indication the 34-year-old star intends to waive his no-movement clause and accept a trade to a playoff contender. That decision could come later this month.
Trade rumors this season have linked Kane to the New York Rangers. They could be among the few clubs that he might consider an acceptable trade destination. The Rangers were Eastern Conference Finalists last season. Adding Kane could push them into this year's Stanley Cup Final.
The Rangers aren't as strong a performance as they were last season when they finished fourth overall in the Eastern Conference. The lack of an experienced scoring right winger is an ongoing issue. Having Kane skate alongside Mika Zibanejad and former Chicago teammate Artemi Panarin would give the Rangers a dominant first line.
With $5.2 million in projected deadline cap space, the Rangers could afford to take on the remaining $3.7 million of Kane's $10.5 million cap hit. However, they could convince the Blackhawks to retain a portion of it for the right offer. It could cost them one of their two first-rounders plus a young winger such as Kaapo Kakko or Alexis Lafreniere.
Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils
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The New Jersey Devils are in second place in the Metropolitan Division. For the first time since becoming general manager, Tom Fitzgerald could become a buyer rather than a seller at the NHL trade deadline.
On Jan. 27, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Fitzgerald would like to add a top-six winger to his forward lines if possible who could be part of the roster beyond this season. Fitzgerald didn't indicate who he had in mind but LeBrun believes San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier would be a perfect fit.
Meier, 26, is a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights who's a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. It will cost the Sharks $10 million to qualify his rights, which could force them to peddle the skillful winger by the March 3 trade deadline.
On pace to exceed 70 points for the second straight season, Meier could provide an already potent Devils offense with an additional level of scoring punch to make them a serious Stanley Cup contender. The Sharks' asking price could be a first-round pick, a prospect such as Shakir Mukhamadullin and a promising roster player like Alexander Holtz.
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Ryan O'Reilly to the Colorado Avalanche
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The Denver Post's Mark Kiszla recently made the case for the Colorado Avalanche to bring back Ryan O'Reilly. He believes having the 31-year-old St. Louis Blues captain centering the Avalanche's second line could help them win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
O'Reilly spent his first six NHL seasons with the Avalanche until they traded him to the Buffalo Sabres in 2015 following a contract dispute. Eight years later, it could be water under the bridge if the Avs brought him back to where his career began.
O'Reilly, who is currently sidelined with a broken foot, is due to become an unrestricted free agent in July. He carries a $7.5 million cap hit but lacks no-trade protection. If the Avalanche can make a suitable offer—perhaps a first-round pick and a prospect?—and if the Blues retain half of O'Reilly's cap hit, Kiszla's dream might come true.
Injuries have left the Avalanche battling for a Western Conference wild-card berth. Getting sidelined players like Gabriel Landeskog back in the lineup will help, but they don't have anyone to fill their second-line center role. O'Reilly would provide them with the two-way skills, leadership and Stanley Cup experience necessary to get the job done in the playoffs.
Jonathan Toews to the Carolina Hurricanes
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The Carolina Hurricanes are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season. However, they remain in the shadow of the Boston Bruins, who sit atop the league's overall standings by a wide margin. The Bruins could be the biggest obstacle in the Hurricanes' quest to win the Stanley Cup this spring.
To get closer to the Bruins, the Hurricanes need a reliable second-line center. They've used Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Paul Statsny in that role at various points this season, but neither player has the type of two-way skills necessary to fill that spot. Finding the right center could turn them into a serious Cup contender.
Having placed Max Pacioretty on long-term injured reserve, the Hurricanes have a projected $10.1 million in trade deadline cap space. They could use it to acquire Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews, who is slated to become a free agent on July 1. His leadership and playoff experience could be the missing piece of the championship puzzle for Carolina.
The Hurricanes could ask Chicago to retain up to half of the remainder of Toews' $10.5 million cap hit, but it might cost them their 2023 first-round pick. The Hawks could also seek a young player such as Kotkaniemi or a high-end prospect in return. Nevertheless, it could prove worthwhile if Toews helps the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup.
Stats (as of Feb. 6, 2023) via NHL.com., salary info and line combinations via Cap Friendly, and prospect info via The Athletic.
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