NHL Team Stock, Part II: Trade Deadline Sellers

On February 25, I wrote about trade deadline buyers. In order for there to be buyers, there must be sellers (although some of the buyers will buy from each other). A few of the below teams, ranked in order of how likely they are to sell away assets in pursuit of future success, have gotten a jump on that, but I still expect have more selling to do.

1. The Tampa Bay Lightning are going nowhere this season, even though convicted gambler Rick Tocchet (who shouldn't have been allowed back into the league) was a far less risky bet on the bench than Barry Melrose (who no one better ever put behind a bench again, either); the team has played close to .500 hockey since he took over. They also have nine players over 30 on their active roster, including three who will be 38+ by the start of the playoffs. They do not fit into the long-term plans, and teams often look to add veterans with playoff experience at this time of the year.
2. The Atlanta Thrashers are the second-worst team in the NHL and have seven players over 30, making them prime sellers. However, only three of those players are definitely not going to be part of this team once it has been rebuilt. All three have playoff experience and value, however: Victor Kozlov is the Thrashers third-leading scorer, Niklas Havelid is a decent two-way defenceman, and Johan Hedberg is a solid back-up goalie. At the same time, they also must show Ilya Kovalchuk that there is enough of a future to re-sign him or trade him, and make a decision on Kari Lehtonen's future with the team in net. Those factors could increase or decrease their prospects as a seller.
3. They are usually buyers, not sellers, but surely even the Colorado Avalanche can see that they no longer have a chance to get anywhere, and little chance to make the playoffs no matter who they acquire, even with the expected return of Joe Sakic and possible return of Peter Forsberg. They have an astounding 12 players over 30, and most have playoff experience. Adam Foote is a leader and great defensive blueliner who will be in demand, and Ruslan Salei is a poor-man's version of Foote who would come at a lower price. Ian Laperriere is just the kind of grinder some teams need (you may remember reading that I would love for the Sharks to trade for him), and Darcy Tucker is a gritty player who may be able to recapture a bit of a scoring touch. Probably two of them and maybe one or two other guys will be traded for picks, prospects, or younger talent.
4. Things have gone south for the Phoenix Coyotes on the ice as well as in the ledger. They now hold the second-worst record in the West, and even though things are tight, they are four games out with just 20 to play. However, they have a young roster, and not a lot of players will be on the block. Rumours are that centre Olli Jokinen is on the block, and defencemen Ed Jovanovski, Derek Morris, and Ken Klee are players who could be sent packing.
5. Even having already made a trade, the New York Islanders would be much higher on this list, as the worst team in the NHL and having a whopping ten players left who are over 30. But unfortunately for them, three of those players are on injured reserve and one is suspended. However, I still would think that if the return is there, they would be looking to sell off Bill Guerin and Brendan Witt; teams won't mind the suspension going a couple games past the deadline if they decide they need a rough, stay-at-home defenceman.
6. The Toronto Maple Leafs look like another sure seller, but some things are going to make that harder. They have eight players over 30, but no one is likely to want their goalies, Tomas Kaberle is on injured reserve, Pavel Kubina and Jason Blake are generally viewed as having too cumbersome a contract, and Boyd Devereaux is not exactly an impact player. That pretty much leaves Brad May and Jamal Mayers, too "sandpaper" players teams may want; expect at least one to be shipped off.
7. The Nashville Predators are just a game and a half out of the chase, but if they are being honest, their chances are slim of making it. This is a team that is very budget conscious, meaning they will want the little bit of extra television and gate revenue coming from making the post-season, but not to take on much additional salary. They have eight players over 30, including four who will be 35 or older next season: Greg DeVries, Steve Sullivan, Jason Arnott, and Scott Nichol. Any of the first three will be in relatively high demand, so if the Preds can get good young talent; being at the salary floor, they cannot dump these guys without taking on new contracts.
8. The Los Angeles Kings have been very impressive this year, and their marketing tag is "Don't Stop Believing." But they are currently 13th in the West and two and a half games back, so making the playoffs is not likely. They have seven players over 30, but only two over 32, and one of them (Derek Armstrong) does not seem to be a player in demand. However, Sean O'Donnell is the kind of stay-at-home defenceman teams seek: experienced in the post-season, hard-hitting, low cost.
9. The Ottawa Senators are a team near the bottom, but they do not have a lot of assets to sell off after the trade they recently made. Only six players are over 30, and only two are 35-plus. Having signed Jason Smith in the off-season, their second-oldest player and possibly most sought for his leadership, grit, and experience—the three buzzwords you hear regarding trades—may not be traded. Their oldest, Daniel Alfredsson, is the captain and face of the franchise. Plus, Ottawa is a good goaltender away from competing, and will not need a long rebuilding process. Nevertheless, they will probably trade someone (perhaps Filip Kuba or Jarku Ruutu) for something to help the future.

Those teams that are not part of either article fall into the category of "wait and see." They will be covered before the deadline with the expectation that their direction will be clearer by then.