B/R NHL Trade Block Big Board for July 2023
It's been nearly two weeks since the NHL's 2023 free-agent market opened and the pickings are lean with most of the best players in a thin talent pool already snapped up. Teams in search of skilled players to bolster their rosters for 2023-24 must turn to the trade market to address their needs.
A month ago, we published our NHL Trade Block Big Board for June entering a busy period with the 2023 NHL Draft and the start of free agency approaching. With those notable dates on the offseason calendar having passed, it's time to review and update the board for July.
There are a number of changes to our board since mid-June. Kevin Hayes was shipped to the St. Louis Blues, Taylor Hall was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks and Pierre-Luc Dubois was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.
The most recent deal removed one of the biggest names from our trade board. On Sunday, the Ottawa Senators traded winger Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Dominik Kubalik, defenseman Donavan Sebrango, a conditional first-round pick in 2024 and a fourth-round pick in 2024.
We've also removed Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele, Philadelphia's Carter Hart, Washington's Evgeny Kuznetsov, Arizona's Nick Schmaltz, Vancouver's Conor Garland, Nashville's Juuse Saros, Washington's Anthony Mantha and the New York Rangers' Alexis Lafrenière from our July board.
The subjects of trade speculation a month ago, they've since received little or no mention in the rumor mill. They could resurface in media trade chatter at some point later in the offseason. For now, they've been supplanted by other players.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson, and Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson still remain on our list. At least one of them could be on the move this summer.
Our updated Trade Block Big Board for July is made up of players who've frequently appeared in recent media trade chatter. Factors such as skill level, contracts and the potential for getting traded went into determining the rankings.
As always, you can express your views on this topic in the comments below.
9. Matt Murray - Toronto Maple Leafs
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Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer by the Ottawa Senators, Matt Murray struggled to remain healthy throughout the 2022-23 campaign. An adductor injury in October, an ankle injury in January followed by a head injury in April sidelined the 29-year-old goaltender for a total of 31 regular-season games and nine playoff contests.
The cap-strapped Maple Leafs appear to be focusing on Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll as their goaltending tandem for 2023-24. On July 4, The Score's Sean O'Leary cited TSN's Chris Johnston reporting the Leafs are trying to shed the final season of Murray's contract.
Murray carries a $6.25 million average annual value for 2023-24. The Leafs carry $4.7 million while the Senators retained the rest as a condition of last summer's trade. He also carries a 10-team no-trade clause.
According to Johnston, the Leafs would prefer trading Murray to shed their share of his cap hit. However, they could also buy him out. While the recent buyout period ended on June 30, the Leafs get a second buyout window now that Samsonov, a restricted free agent, filed for arbitration.
It's more likely that the Leafs buy out the oft-injured Murray as there's little indication any clubs are interested in him. Still, we cannot rule out the possibility they somehow find a trade partner.
8. Tyler Myers - Vancouver Canucks
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The Vancouver Canucks sit $4.3 million above this season's $83.5 million salary cap. They'll get $5.8 million in cap relief if winger Tanner Pearson and defenseman Tucker Poolman remain on long-term injury reserve for the regular season. Nevertheless, the more cap space they can free up, the easier it will be for them to manage their payroll.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin made one significant move last month to free up some cap room by buying out defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He could also look at perhaps peddling a blueliner in the trade market.
On July 3, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli appeared on the "Canucks Central" podcast where they discussed Tyler Myers. The 33-year-old defenseman is entering the final season of his five-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million.
Seravalli told Canucks Central that there was a deal that would send Myers to the San Jose Sharks straight up for winger Kevin Labanc. He added that the Canucks were exasperated over how long this has been sitting on the table for some time. However, Myers' agent J.P. Barry told CHEK TV's Rick Dhaliwal that he was unaware of such a deal.
Time will tell if the Canucks move Myers to the Sharks or another team. A potential stumbling block is the $5 million signing bonus owed to the defenseman on Sept. 1. Interested clubs could prefer waiting until after that date to acquire him. The cap hit would remain $6 million but they would only owe him $1 million in actual salary.
7. Jeff Petry - Pittsburgh Penguins
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On July 18, then-Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall acquired Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens. A year later, Kyle Dubas - the Penguins' new president of hockey operations - could be looking at trying to ship out the 36-year-old defenseman.
In his June 28 trade targets update, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported Dubas was working on trading Petry. He considered the San Jose Sharks as a potential landing spot, with the Penguins interested in Sharks goalie Kaapo Kähkönen. However, Dubas' signing of goaltender Tristan Jarry on July 1 should bring an end to the Kähkönen rumors.
On June 30, The Athletic's Joshe Yohe reported the Penguins were shopping Petry heavily in the trade market. He indicated they're not repulsed by the notion of bringing back the aging rearguard but aren't comfortable with his $6.3 million cap hit.
Petry is signed through 2024-25 with a 15-team no-trade list and a no-movement clause that prevents demotion to the minors. Yohe claimed there wasn't much interest in the veteran blueliner but felt that might change if the Penguins retained sufficient cap space to lower his AAV to $4.75 million.
Even if the Penguins retain part of Petry's cap hit, they could still find it difficult to move him. Most teams had limited salary-cap space entering the offseason and even less now that free agency is well underway. Nevertheless, it would be worthwhile to keep an eye on how they handle this situation over the course of the summer.
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6. William Nylander - Toronto Maple Leafs
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Now in the final season of his six-year, $45 million contract, William Nylander is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. The 27-year-old winger is currently in contract extension negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
According to TSN's Chris Johnston, those talks aren't going so well. On the July 3 episode of his eponymous podcast, he said there were discussions between Leafs management and Nylander's agent. He indicated that the winger sees himself as a $10-million player while the Leafs have a lower number in mind.
Nylander tallied a career-best 40 goals and 87 points last season playing second-line minutes. On July 4, the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby indicated Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was offering $9 million annually. Hornby noted that Nylander's previous contract talks as a restricted free agent went to the Dec. 1 deadline before a deal was reached.
On the July 4 "Real Kyper & Bourne" podcast, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos suggested the Leafs wouldn't have enough salary-cap space to re-sign Nylander, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. His producer and co-host Sam McKee felt Nylander would be the odd man out if he insisted on being paid $10 million annually.
With Nylander under contract for this season, the Leafs aren't in a rush to peddle him. However, Treliving endured a season of uncertainty as GM of the Calgary Flames only to lose Johnny Gaudreau to free agency last summer. He could be unlikely to repeat the experience with Nylander if an agreement on a new contract isn't reached at some point this summer.
5. Noah Hanifin - Calgary Flames
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The Calgary Flames spent most of June dealing with uncertainty over the futures of forwards Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund and Tyler Toffoli and defenseman Noah Hanifin. The foursome is slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer, with Toffoli and Hanifin informing Flames management that they weren't interested in contract extensions.
Toffoli, 28, wound up traded to the New Jersey Devils on June 28. While the Flames still await word from Lindholm and Backlund, the focus in the rumor mill shifted toward Hanifin.
On June 29, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported the Florida Panthers had an interest in Hanifin but doubted they had the best shot at landing him. He also mentioned the Boston Bruins had interest, but would have to clear cap space to acquire him.
Meanwhile, LeBrun's colleague Rob Rossi suggested Hanifin could be a trade option for the Pittsburgh Penguins. A source told Rossi that the Penguins were on the blueliner's list of preferred trade destinations. It's a fairly broad list as he carries an eight-team no-trade list.
The Hanifin rumors have quieted since the start of free agency. However, we can't rule out the possibility that they'll flash up again at some point this summer.
4. John Gibson - Anaheim Ducks
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Sitting sixth on our June NHL Trade Block Big Board, Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson reportedly met with management to discuss the possibility of moving to another club. Despite speculation linking him to other teams, a trade has yet to materialize. Nevertheless, he remains on our list of this summer's notable trade candidates.
One reason could be the decline in Gibson's stats over the past three seasons as the Ducks began to rebuild their roster. Another could be his contract. The 29-year-old netminder is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million and a 10-team no-trade clause. That's difficult for most teams to absorb under a flattened salary cap for 2023-24.
During his July 3 appearance on the "Nasty Knuckles" podcast, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli claimed Gibson told Ducks management he wanted a trade, adding that he'd never play another game for them again. The goalie's agent, however, quickly issued a statement dismissing Seravalli's comments as false.
Two days later, The Athletic's Eric Stephens reported Gibson hasn't made a formal trade request. While neither the goalie nor his agent would comment, Stephens noted that sources close to Gibson and the Ducks say he didn't ask to be traded. Nevertheless, it didn't mean he or the Ducks wouldn't be open to a trade if an opportunity materialized.
That hasn't kept Gibson's name out of the rumor mill. On July 7, The Score's John Matisz suggested the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils as obvious trade destinations with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings as dark horses. However, it remains to be seen if he'll end up with one of those clubs before the start of the regular season.
3. Connor Hellebuyck - Winnipeg Jets
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Sitting atop our June NHL Trade Block Big Board, Connor Hellebuyck seemed certain to be traded by the end of the month. On June 11, The Athletic reported the 29-year-old goaltender informed the Jets he wasn't interested in a contract extension. Winner of the 2019 Vezina Trophy, Hellebucyk was expected to draw plenty of interest in the trade market.
One month later, however, Hellebuyck remains with the Jets. Despite reports linking him to several clubs, an offseason trade no longer seems as certain as it once was back in June.
On June 29, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported the New Jersey Devils were interested in Hellebuyck. However, they weren't willing to pay a big price to land him.
LeBrun's colleague Murat Ates suggested the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers could use an upgrade in goal. However, he proposed the possibility of the Jets retaining Hellebuyck for the upcoming season and perhaps moving him at the March trade deadline.
Hellebuyck's contract could be the main sticking point. While he lacks no-trade protection, he carries a $6.2 million cap hit for 2023-24 while earning $7.5 million in actual salary. The Jets will also likely set a high asking price. This saga could drag on throughout the summer and perhaps into training camp.
2. Brett Pesce - Carolina Hurricanes
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Coming off his eighth season with the Carolina Hurricanes, Brett Pesce is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. The 28-year-old is a reliable all-around defenseman and a key part of their blue-line corps.
On June 15, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported the Hurricanes hope to sign Pesce to a contract extension this summer. Failing that, however, they could trade the blueliner for the best possible return. LeBrun mentioned the Buffalo Sabres could be interested while his colleague Darren Dreger suggested the Edmonton Oilers as a potential suitor.
Fast forward to July 7, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman mentioned Pesce's situation during an appearance on the NHL Network.
Discussing the Hurricanes' rumored interest in San Jose Shark defenseman Erik Karlsson, Friedman wonders if Pesce could be a trade chip for Karlsson or in a separate deal to add the pieces the Hurricanes need to complete a trade for the Sharks defender.
Pesce carries a $4.03 million cap hit for 2023-24 with a modified no-trade clause containing 15 preferred trade destinations. The status of his contract negotiations could be worth monitoring this summer in conjunction with any ongoing rumors linking the Hurricanes to Karlsson.
1. Erik Karlsson - San Jose Sharks
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Ranked at No. 7 on our June NHL Trade Block Big Board, Erik Karlsson's 101-point performance in 2022-23 earned him his third James Norris Memorial Trophy. It also bolstered the 33-year-old defenseman's value in the trade market as he jumps to No. 1 on our July board.
On June 15, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Sharks management had met with Karlsson's representatives with both sides agreeing to work on a trade. His contract remains a sticking point. He's signed through 2026-27 with an average annual cap hit of $11.5 million. He also has a full no-movement clause but could waive it for the right team.
Appearing on the NHL Network on July 6, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said he believed the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins are the front-runners. He thinks it will be harder for the Penguins to land Karlsson because the Hurricanes possess more salary-cap space.
Kyle Dubas, the Penguins' president of hockey operations, appeared undaunted. The Athletic's Josh Yohe cited numerous sources claiming Dubas continues to be intrigued by Karlsson and remains in talks with the Sharks. Given the money involved in such a move, Yohe believes a third team might have to take part to facilitate a trade.
Friedman thinks the sweet spot in a Karlsson trade is how much of his annual cap hit the Sharks will retain and what type of trade gets made. The more they retain, the better the potential return. He also felt that it is likely to happen at some point.
Salary and line combination info via Cap Friendly.
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