NHL Trade Deadline: Mikael Granlund and Top Prospects Who Could Be Dealt

Prospects are what drive trade talks in all sports. The NHL is loaded with a number of talented young players who are waiting to get their chance, but it might not come with the team they are expecting it to be. 

We are still waiting for a team to decide that it is time to start wheeling and dealing with only 10 days to go before the trade deadline. There has been a lot of speculation about a certain winger for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but to this point no deals. 

While Rick Nash is the most talked about player potentially being moved, there are a number of great prospects who could be dealt before February 27. 

Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild

The 19-year-old Finnish star has been lighting up the lights in the SM-liiga and is not far from making his debut in the NHL. 

While the Wild do not have a lot of incentive to move the young stud, they do have a talented forward in Mikko Koivu. He doesn't have the goal-scoring ability of Granlund, but he knows how to handle the offense and is a much better passer. 

Giving Granlund a new home would fetch the Wild quite a hefty return if they wanted to take a win-now approach. 

Jonathan Bernier, Los Angeles Kings

Despite playing in the league for four years, Bernier has started just 38 games and is only 23 years old. He is still very much a raw prospect that needs to be given a chance to succeed, and that will not happen in Los Angeles. 

The Kings have a huge hole on the offensive side of the puck. They were shutout for the seventh time this season on Thursday night and have the lowest goals per game average in the league. 

This team needs offense desperately if they want to hang on to their slim playoff hopes right now. Bernier is the kind of high-upside goaltender that they can build a package around to find the right player. 

Ben Smith, Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have been in a tailspin lately, losing eight of their last 10 games and falling to the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference. They need to make a big move before the deadline to salvage their season. 

Smith has been one of the best players in the Blackhawks system for the last four years, but the team doesn't seem to know what to do with him. 

Considering their problems in the net, the team needs to make a splash by dealing one of their top prospects to find a capable goaltender. 

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