Ranking the Biggest Trade Targets After the 2023 NHL Draft

The San Jose Sharks selected a player named Will Smith in the first round of the 2023 NHL draft Wednesday. As he walked up to the stage and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme started blasting, the lack of free-agency chatter that is usually buzzing at that point in the draft felt more like the iconic last scene from the show.

I mean, we got nothing. Nothing!

Granted, a few big deals happened in the days leading up to the event, like Taylor Hall and Tyler Toffoli, but usually, we get some draft-night trades. It was the first draft since 2007 there were no trades made in the first round. Lame. Day 2 had a little more action with Josh Bailey getting traded (and then bought out) and Corey Perry being traded as an unrestricted free agent to Chicago, but the biggest candidates to be dealt stayed put.

Whatever the reason, some of the most enticing trade targets are still very much on the board as free agency approaches. With free agency being less than stellar, the trade market is where the real excitement is and we're here to break it down.

5. The Calgary Flames Firesale

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TEMPE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Nikita Zadorov #16 of the Calgary Flames and Elias Lindholm #28 of the Calgary Flames before a faceoff against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena on February 22, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images)

The Flames' roster may look unrecognizable on the opening night of the 2023-24 season, which is pretty funny because that's a lot like what happened on the opening night of the 2022-23 season. Last year, though, that was fun and optimistic. This year, it is scary.

There have been rumblings around the Flames since their season went south and they missed the playoffs. Now, those rumblings include many pending free agents in a year's time wanting out. The first domino fell during the draft week with Tyler Toffoli to the Devils, and it looks like Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund are players that could follow him out.

Teams like Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Dallas and Florida are reportedly interested in Hanifin, who could yield a decent return as a 26-year-old middle-ish pairing defenseman with a $4.95 million cap hit. Even at 34, Backlund is still a solid two-way player, but the $5.35 million cap hit might be a tad too much of an ask for a contending team looking to add depth. Then you've got Lindholm who would be a fantastic second- (or first!-) line center on a contender with an agreeable $4.85 million cap hit.

Rebuilds are never pretty, but this is one that might get messy really quickly.

4. Mark Scheifele - Winnipeg Jets

AP Photo/Paul Vernon

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele skates against the Columbus Blue Jackets during an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023. The Blue Jackets won 3-1. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

Mark Scheifele is yet another big-name, long-time Jets player in the final year of his deal who may want out. The 30-year-old center put up 42 goals and 68 points in 82 games last season, and I could see him landing on a team eager for a center (potentially the Bruins if Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí retire).

You know what you're getting in the regular season with Scheifele. He's consistently scored at least 60 points throughout his career. I just worry about the combination of the $6.125 million cap hit and his playoff history. It could be mostly bad luck, but he's missed too many playoff games due to various reasons for me to feel comfortable signing him if I'm a GM looking to contend.

He could make sense on the top line of a team that is pretty good, but has less pressure to win a Stanley Cup right this second. The cap hit isn't extreme for a first-line center with his regular-season resume, and, if you're anticipating a modest-to-nonexistent playoff run, I don't hate the idea of using him as a placeholder while you spend a year building a team.

I also don't hate the idea of a GM sitting down with Scheifele and getting a real feel for what went down in Winnipeg and how eager he is to have a fresh start. As much as his playoff history worries me, I could also see him going on a revenge tour with a different team.

3. Alex DeBrincat - Ottawa Senators

André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 27: Alex DeBrincat #12 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Florida Panthers at Canadian Tire Centre on March 27, 2023 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)

For lack of a better term, Alex DeBrincat is an awesome player who would be absolutely electric to watch on a good team. Senators GM Pierre Dorion has been pretty transparent about moving DeBrincat, stating recently that he's heard offers but will not be trading the winger "for pennies."

DeBrincat has two 40-goal seasons under his belt already at 25 years old, although the dip in production last season is why Dorion feels the need to say they aren't selling him low. It's looking like a first-round pick -- especially because the Senators gave their 2022 first-rounder to Chicago to get him -- is a must. And the Senators' prospect pool is looking pretty thin as it is, so if they're going that way, maybe a haul of picks and a prospect is the ask.

But wait, didn't this team almost make the playoffs last season? Aren't the Senators trending up? Didn't they get Jakub Chychrun? They could be looking for a return featuring a roster player, maybe a goaltender. The smartest thing in this situation might be to just hear every offer out and be patient.

Then there's the contract to figure out -- DeBrincat is going to command something in the eight-by-eight range, and if Ottawa trades him, it's looking like a sign-and-trade or contract already in place situation. Which team that has a use for DeBrincat could afford to do this? The Red Wings immediately jump out as a team with enough cap space that is nearing the end of a rebuild and is starting to see the light. The Kraken is another team with cap space that might be fun, but they have enough scoring depth and could use more on the back end.

2. Connor Hellebuyck - Winnipeg Jets

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) defends against the New York Rangers in the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in New York. The Jets won 4-1. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

The future of career Jet Connor Hellebuyck could be the most interesting predicament in all of this year's free agency.

He informed the team he won't sign an extension when his $6 million AAV contract expires at the end of next season and now they have the opportunity to get a huge haul for the elite goaltender who still has some good years in him left at 30 years old.

Or will they get that huge haul?

The expectation is Hellebuyck will command a significant raise, potentially approaching the $9 million AAV range. If I'm an NHL GM with a contending team that is just missing one consistently elite goalie, I think I'm biting the bullet and offering the Jets whatever high draft picks and prospects I have, then sign Hellebuyck. There's a large possibility that the contract won't age well, but I'll take an elite goalie eager to win in my team's Cup window and suffer the consequences later.

On the other hand, you've got guys like Adin Hill coming out of seemingly nowhere to lift their teams to a Stanley Cup. If you're the Devils, do you hope the glimmers of brilliance we've seen from Akira Schmid develop into something like that?

It's not every day we get perennial Vezina contenders on the trade circuit and in search of extensions, so whatever happens with Hellebuyck will give us insight into what the standard value of goaltending is right now in an ever-changing league.

1. Erik Karlsson - San Jose Sharks

AP Photo/Darren Yamashita

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson warms up before an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)

Fresh off a 101-point season and his third Norris Trophy, Erik Karlsson wants out of San Jose, and who could blame him?

"I've played with too many guys throughout my career that are amazing players and should be winners and should have won that never did," Karlsson said at NHL awards media day. "I don't want to be that guy. I want to win. That's not to say that I'm going to win. I want an opportunity to win. If that opportunity is not in San Jose right now within my timeline, then that's just the unfortunate part of business. That's not to say that I don't like it there or they don't want me there or we don't want this to work. It's just that's just the way it is."

This goes both ways with the Sharks' rebuild not particularly conducive to having one of the best and highest-scoring defensemen in the league winning too many games.

There are also four more years of Karlsson's $11.5 million cap hit they'd love to get off the books, even if they have to eat a few million. According to Pierre LeBrun, teams including the Maple Leafs, Hurricanes and Kraken have inquired about Karlsson.

Much of where Karlsson ends up will come down to how much salary the Sharks are willing to retain. And remember, they aren't looking to contend right now, so they're looking for younger players, picks and prospects.

If they could figure it out financially and have the return the Sharks are seeking, the Leafs might benefit from Karlsson's talents the most. When you think about it, one of the few things the team is really missing right now is a bonafide No. 1 defenseman. They have contract talks with Auston Matthews and William Nylander coming up, but if they want to go all in and win this year, trading for Karlsson and figuring the rest out bodes well.

Then you've got the Hurricanes, who love nothing more than stockpiling as many elite defensemen as humanly possible. But as much as they love that, they also love inquiring about most available players and I just can't see them taking on this contract without an amount of retention. I doubt the Sharks are willing to budge on that front.

Meanwhile, the shrewd Kraken has plenty of cap space and suddenly finds themselves in a window of contention. Karlsson would be a great fit anywhere, but he'd slot in particularly well to the Kraken's blue line and financial abilities.