Ranking the Best Potential Landing Spots for Arizona Coyotes' Antoine Vermette

While plenty of big names have entered the trade rumour mill lately, most notably Phil Kessel of Toronto, the reality is that the NHL's biggest trades typically happen in the summer when all 30 teams are on relatively even footing and the constraints of the salary cap are relaxed.

That means that the most significant players who are moved prior to the trade deadline are those on expiring contracts—rentals sold at a steep discount to a team that is loading up for a Stanley Cup run in the here and now.

Of those rental players, few have more value than Arizona's Antoine Vermette, a stellar two-way centre.

Here's how Coyotes centre Dave Tippett described Vermette in an availability broadcast on the team website:  

"

I look at a player like [Patrice Bergeron], what he does for Boston: Faceoffs, penalty kill, power play. He can play against other teams’ top players. That’s the role we use [Vermette] in, and he’s been very good for us in that role... He's a good player, plays in all situations, he's a good teammate, he's fit in very well with our group.

"

Which teams might have both the circumstances and the desire to potentially add Vermette? Read on for our evaluation of possible trading partners with Arizona.  

6. Colorado Avalanche

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Current centre depth chart: Ryan O'Reilly, Matt Duchene, John Mitchell, Marc-Andre Cliche, sometimes Nathan MacKinnon

Where Vermette fits: The obvious answer is as a long-term replacement for O'Reilly, who has a troubled history of negotiations with Colorado and whose contract is up in the not-too-distant future. The Avs are not a contending team, so this would not be a rental situation; he'd instead be playing the role of veteran two-way centre to the youth movement going on in Denver.

Why it makes sense: It doesn't; there's no sense paying a crazy-high price for a guy who is likely to be available on July 1 anyway. The Avalanche wouldn't even be on this list except for the fact that they were specifically mentioned by TSN's Bob McKenzie as having interest. 

5. Montreal Canadiens

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Current centre depth chart: Tomas Plekanec, David Desharnais, Lars Eller, Manny Malhotra/Jacob De La Rose

Where Vermette fits: Vermette would inject some size into the Montreal forward ranks and allow the team to bump Eller over to the wing, where he would displace one of the weaker links in the top nine. It would also give the team two really solid two-way pivots, which might allow Desharnais' unit to get away from top opponents with a little more regularity.  

Why it makes sense: I'm not convinced it does. Montreal could use a forward like Vermette, but the team is at a point in its build where it may not be wise to splurge on a rental. However, it would give the Habs significant depth at centre, with Eller joining pivot Alex Galchenyuk on the wing. 

4. Nashville Predators

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Current centre depth chart: Mike Ribeiro, Mike Fisher, Calle Jarnkrok, Paul Gaustad, potentially Michael Santorelli

Where Vermette fits: The obvious answer is in place of Jarnkrok, which would give Nashville three experienced centres, with two of them being highly regarded as two-way threats. The Predators have had a good one-two setup with Ribeiro and Fisher, but with Gaustad being a purely defensive player and Jarnkrok's scoring tepid, adding a third pivot capable of generating offence on his own isn't a bad idea in the brutal Central division. 

Why it makes sense: I'm not sure that it does. The Predators have decent depth at centre, with Matt Cullen and Colin Wilson currently playing the wing; they've also spent significant futures in their recent trade for pending free agents Cody Franson and Michael Santorelli. The team has a finite number of assets, is good already and just bolstered itself, so this makes much less sense than it did a few weeks ago. 

3. New York Rangers

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Current centre depth chart: Derick Brassard, Derek Stepan, Dominic Moore, Kevin Hayes

Where Vermette fits: Hayes has done a reasonable job up the middle, but he's also been carefully sheltered by coach Alain Vigneault in a way that Vermette would not need to be. Adding Vermette would allow the Rangers to bump Hayes to right wing; in a single stroke, that would improve the team's strength down the middle while simultaneously adding another valuable contributor on the starboard side. 

Why it makes sense: The Rangers have gone on several deep playoff runs over the last few seasons, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, and in the wide-open East, now is the time to strike. 

2. Anaheim Ducks

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Current centre depth chart: Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Nate Thompson, Rickard Rakell

Where Vermette fits: The great thing about Vermette from the Ducks' perspective is that he would give them three absolutely killer pivots, guys that lines can be built around. They already have two two-way lines that can be trusted in any situation; building a third unit around Vermette would dramatically improve their depth. 

Why it makes sense: Anaheim has had an interesting season; the goal differential doesn't support its win/loss count, but the team has also been hit reasonably hard by injuries. The Ducks have an awfully favourable playoff seeding in a (relatively) weak division and believe themselves to be contenders. 

1. Chicago Blackhawks

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Current centre depth chart: Jonathan Toews, Andrew Shaw, Brad Richards, Marcus Kruger/Ben Smith

Where Vermette fits: The Blackhawks attempted to remedy a key weakness on their depth chart by signing Richards this summer, and while he's been OK, he's also getting less ice time than in-house option Shaw. Vermette could slot in behind Toews and give the team a legitimate No. 2 pivot. 

Why it makes sense: The Blackhawks are looking at some serious cap-induced suffering this summer, which may entail a small step backward for the team. Now is the time to strike, and Vermette will go a long way toward bolstering an already terrifying forward corps.