NHL Trades: One Player from Each Team Guaranteed Not to Be Traded

The recent retirement of career-long Detroit Red Wing Nicklas Lidstrom and the new (and likely final) contract for New Jersey Devils franchise face Martin Brodeur elicits a simple question.

Will the NHL continue to see the likes of this? Will teams continue to harbor legendary lifers without letting them go to another franchise at any point over a span of 10, 15 or 20 years?

If some of the following selections for this slideshow are any indication, the concept of an untouchable is anything but prone to extinction.

A few of the following 30 players have already come via trade from another NHL team, but they are too crucial to their current employers to realistically envision in a future swap.

Some NHL teams may have multiple key players who are impossible to envision in a trade, but for the sake of selectiveness, one for each tenant is presented as follows.

Anaheim: Ryan Getzlaf

Ducks general manager Bob Murray has recently addressed his urgent desire to retain both Getzlaf and Corey Perry, who have common threads in terms of age, size, production and ability to play in all situations.

In choosing between the two of them, Perry has more of a finishing touch in the production department. Getzlaf, on the other hand, is decisively more physical and already wears the captain’s “C.”

With his leadership and more all-around game, Getzlaf wins this debate, if only by a few ice chips.

Boston: Patrice Bergeron

Bergeron is a perennial leader among Bruins forwards in even-strength, power-play and shorthanded ice time. He is a primal playmaker whose selflessness is certified by the “A” over his heart, which very well could morph into a “C” at or near the end of Zdeno Chara’s career.

Buffalo: Ryan Miller

A member of the Sabres organization for a decade, Miller has easily posted a winning record in each of seven full NHL seasons since the end of the lockout. This despite playing on a team that has missed three of the last five playoffs.

With 2012-13 being the last full NHL campaign before the 2014 Olympics, and assuming professionals are going to participate again, this could be a year where Miller thrives on motivation and reinforces his status as a Buffalo nucleus.

Calgary: Mark Giordano

Giordano is a solid, physical, minute-munching defenseman who in the last two seasons has been second on the Flames in terms of nightly ice time behind the overrated, overpaid, overused Jay Bouwmeester.

If rampant rumors surrounding Bouwmeester turn out to presage his departure from Calgary, it will be clear that the Flames are shrewdly banking on the likes of Giordano as the face of a tougher blue-line brigade.

And Giordano himself, in a recent interview with the Calgary Sun, has said he is content with playing for Calgary, where he has four years remaining on his contract.

Carolina: Eric Staal

The Hurricanes did not acquire Jordan Staal just so he could be a temporary ally of his brother and the career-long Carolina striker. This figures to be a long-term arrangement.

Chicago: Jonathan Toews

Given the choice between the dynamic rookie duo of 2007-08, Toews would have to win out if the Blackhawks were told they could only keep him or Patrick Kane.

Colorado: Milan Hejduk

The captain is one of only two forwards, four skaters and five rostered Avs altogether age 30 or older. He is the sole holdover from Colorado’s last championship in 2001 and re-signed for one more season after initially hinting at retirement after 2011-12.

With their youth movement highlighted by Calder Trophy winner Gabriel Landeskog, the 2012-13 Avalanche ought to make the most of Hejduk’s seasoning while he grinds out what could be one more NHL campaign.

Columbus: R.J. Umberger

When and if the Rick Nash trade occurs, Umberger could be next in succession as the Columbus captain and can certainly be banked on as the Blue Jackets’ new offensive catalyst.

He was No. 2 in goals on the team each of the last two seasons and three of his four in Columbus, in which time he has never placed lower than fourth on the point-getting chart.

Dallas: Loui Eriksson

Eriksson took the torch from Brad Richards after four straight seasons as the Stars’ No. 2 point producer, this time topping Dallas’ chart with 71 points. His two-way proficiency has also radiated in the form of a team-best plus-18 rating last year and plus-10 the year prior.

Eriksson’s contract is the longest among Stars forwards, running through 2015-16 with a no-trade clause slated to kick in at the start of 2013-14. With the help of a host of new acquisitions, he should be in a position to pilot or copilot Dallas back into the playoffs next spring and later to Cup contention.

Detroit: Pavel Datsyuk

Datsyuk’s versatility, which garnered him another nomination for the Selke Trophy this past season, is needed all the more as the Red Wings face the specter of a depleted blue-line brigade.

Edmonton: Ryan Smyth

Although he spent four-plus years with the Islanders, Kings and Avalanche before coming back to Edmonton last summer, the Oilers could not trade Smyth again if they wanted. Nor should they if they want a key piece of veteran presence to help their youth movement come along.

Stephen Weiss

The Panthers have consistently been offensively challenged in recent memory, finishing 27th in the league in goals per game each of the last two seasons and 28th in 2009-10.

Dealing the decade-long Florida forward who has finished second or first on each of the last four team scoring charts would only stall the Southeast Division champions’ hope for progression.

Weiss might as well be deemed the Panthers’ 1A in this department ,with soon-to-be second-year linemate Tomas Fleischmann, who is seeking to build on a team-best 27 goals and 61 points, their 1B.

Los Angeles: Jonathan Quick

The Conn Smythe-winning goaltender’s value is too great to relinquish, and his team-leading contract, not set to expire until 2023, is too long for any other team to conceivably consider trading for him.

Minnesota: Mikko Koivu

The recently obtained Zach Parise and Ryan Suter may sound like the obvious choices, but 13 years is plenty of time for things to change.

The 29-year-old Koivu is locked in with the Wild through the 2017-18 season with a $6.75 million cap hit and a no-trade clause. Even if he looks like an enticing commodity down the road, either near the end of his current contract or during his next contract, the financial and personnel price could complicate any proposed moves.

There is technically a chance he could go elsewhere via free agency on or after July 1, 2018, but that’s the only realistic way to envision Koivu sporting another NHL crest.

Montreal: Carey Price

The fifth overall pick in the 2005 draft has been passable, at worst, in his first five NHL seasons, the last of which had him going to the All-Star Game.

Price is now locked in for another six seasons and should be elevating his value to a new height over the course of his new contract. The trick for the Canadiens is to build a stable stock of skaters around him, which they are already endeavoring to do in general manager Marc Bergevin’s first summer on the job.

Nashville: Pekka Rinne

Rinne is a cornerstone in the Predators’ endeavor to elevate their status as contenders and is now officially the priciest goaltender in the league. He will cost Nashville a $7 million cap hit over the next seven seasons and has a no-trade clause on his lengthy contract.

Even if that no-movement clause could be waived, odds are the Predators would impose too great an asking price, and the cap hit would be too overwhelming for any other team to consider pursuing Rinne.

New Jersey: Martin Brodeur

The ageless, future Hall of Famer made it clear that, as long as he is still playing, he would prefer to remain with the team that has employed him from the beginning.

The Devils just granted Brodeur’s wish in the form of a two-year extension. They will need those two years to let him keep the crease warm for either Scott Wedgewood, Maxime Clermont or Jeff Frazee as those prospects continue to refine their game.

NY Islanders: John Tavares

Tavares is the only active Islander with a no-movement clause on his deal, which is just as well for the perennial basement-dwellers who are continuing to patiently build around the top draft pick from 2009.

NY Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist

Lundqvist is second only to Rinne in terms of top salary and cap hit in his position. Furthermore, he is a living testament to the adage of a team’s ascension starting from the goal out.

Although he is only under contract for another two years, the safest bet would be the Rangers continuing to contend, if not garnering the Cup before the time comes to decide on Lundqvist’s future.

Ottawa: Jason Spezza

Captain Daniel Alfredsson, approaching age 40 this December, cannot last much longer. Spezza, his fellow prolific forward and alternate leader, has three years yet to come on his contract, which includes a no-trade clause.

Certainly no later than 2015, when the time comes to renew that contract, there ought to be a vacancy for Spezza to supplement by nearly second nature.

Philadelphia: Luke Schenn

The hit-happy Schenn, obtained from Toronto over the weekend of the draft last month, is critical to revamping the Flyers' defense and peddling their physical reputation.

Phoenix: Martin Hanzal

With or without Shane Doan, the sizeable center will be important to the Coyotes’ efforts to build on their Pacific Division title and first-ever run to the second, let alone third round of the playoffs.

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby

Anyone who asserts that anyone can be traded because Wayne Gretzky was traded should be more careful.

The Pens are not about to let any circumstances force them to deal their captain and arguably the face of the NHL. Especially after they just locked him in through 2024-25 with an $8.7 million cap hit.

In the press release on the team’s website, Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, even used the phrase “a Penguin forever.”

San Jose: Brent Burns

In his first season as a Shark, Burns produced at a rate that puts him on a par with fellow point patroller Dan Boyle.

All Burns needs to do is re-up his physicality, the kind that had him throwing 133 hits with Minnesota in 2010-11, more than any Shark from last year other than the traded Jamie McGinn. If he can do that, he will justify his five-year deal all the more and be a key cog in San Jose’s ongoing search for fulfillment.

St. Louis: David Backes

Backes is blossoming as he enters his seventh NHL season at age 28. He is coming off back-to-back years as the Blues’ top scorer and has emerged as a special teams’ connoisseur, plus/minus leader and Selke Trophy candidate.

Continuing to acquire and foster a sound supporting cast for Backes is one of St. Louis’ keys to establishing itself as a certifiable contender.

Tampa Bay: Vincent Lecavalier

The captain’s pact that has him imposing a $7,727,273 cap hit for the next eight years should be fine for the Lightning, provided he turns his health and his scoring touch around.

By the same token, the length and weight of Lecavalier’s contract, in tandem with the doubt spawned by back-to-back seasons of decreased output and 17 or 18 missed games, ought to deliver a two-handed cross-check to any other team’s desire to pursue him.

Simply put, if Lecavalier’s best years are behind him, then he is undesirable. If he somehow returns to his form from the pre-Steven Stamkos era, the Bolts would be shrewd to jealously guard him for themselves.

Toronto: James Reimer

Toronto Sun writer Terry Koshan is one Leafs insider who is ready to dump all speculation regarding Roberto Luongo and assume that Reimer will replenish his goalie-of-the-future outlook, if not turn the future into the present.

Elsewhere, in a report by Lance Hornby of the QMI Agency, Toronto general manager Brian Burke gave Reimer nothing short of a vote of confidence.

Vancouver: The Sedin Twins

Odds are Daniel and Henrik Sedin will only play on separate teams if Vancouver is awarded the All-Star Game and they are chosen as opposing captains for the fantasy draft.

Double scoring touch aside, would anyone willingly pursue their combined cap hit of $12.2 million along with a hefty asking price from the Canucks front office? Would anyone pursue the Sedins at a point near the end of this decade, when their salary and stock value have decreased?

Washington: Alexander Ovechkin

As recently as 2009-10, the Capitals boasted the NHL’s most explosive strike force. In the two years since, they have been middle men in that category, but they would likely rank much lower without Ovechkin’s output.

It is hard to place too much blame on an offense that loses to the aforementioned Lundqvist and the Rangers in the playoffs. Nonetheless, the Caps need to add scoring prowess rather than subtract it if they are to surmount the second round.

Winnipeg: Ondrej Pavelec

Pavelec refuted all thoughts that he might convert to a new NHL uniform or even a KHL club upon signing a new five-year contract with Winnipeg on June 26.

The mere action spoke to a keen, mutual desire for the Jets and their starting stopper to stay in alliance. In the subsequent press release on the team’s website, both Pavelec and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke verbally to the same effect.