Plan B Options for NHL Teams That Missed Out on Trading for Artemi Panarin

Arguably, the biggest star to be had at the NHL trade deadline came off the board on Wednesday when the New York Rangers traded Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings.

The 34-year-old has a history of putting up tons of points and has plenty of playoff experience (albeit with inconsistent results), but for teams in need, he was a big fish to land.

With Panarin now in L.A. on a two-year extension, the question now is: Who can fill the void for teams that remain in need?

Although Panarin ate up a lot of the attention as we headed toward the trade deadline, there are more than a few options to be had via trade. We'll discuss who could be next on the list for teams looking to add for their playoff runs down the stretch.

Our list comprises players in trade speculation and those identified through our own research on impending free agents this summer. Let's have a look at the best of the rest.

Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues

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It's been rather perplexing to see Robert Thomas's name out there in trade speculation given how young he is (26), how decent his season has been on a Blues team that's been going through it all year (33 points in 42 games), and how he has five more years left on his contract with a $8.125 million cap hit.

Thomas is also currently on injured reserve after undergoing a minor surgical procedure, but if the Blues, for some reason, took calls on him, GM Doug Armstrong would be on the phone all day. St. Louis is in a real odd spot, given their best players are few, and their younger crop of guys (Dalibor Dvorsky, Jake Neighbours, Jimmy Snuggerud) are going through classic growing pains.

Moving someone like Thomas would seem baffling, but guys like Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn might be more readily available to trade, but with hangups. Kyrou is having a rough season with a high cap hit, while Schenn's cap hit doesn't match his production anymore.

Makes sense why there'd be more attention on Thomas, right? The Blues would get a much bigger and better return if they dealt Thomas, but they might be setting themselves up for something resembling a soft rebuild if so.

Evander Kane, Vancouver Canucks

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It's been a brutal season in Vancouver, and after trading Quinn Hughes to Minnesota, it's only gotten worse.

The Canucks will know they've got to strip things down, and one player who should be easy to move is Evander Kane.

He is a free agent at the end of the season, and his $5.125 million cap hit isn't prohibitive to move at the deadline. He's got 25 points in 56 games, and after being part of the Edmonton Oilers on their runs to the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons, teams know what to expect from him.

A speedy winger who plays physically and can score around the net would be useful for a lot of teams. Kane dealt with injuries last season but has been fully involved for Vancouver this year.

At 34 years old, there are few secrets about his game, and a playoff team adding him would get someone highly motivated to win the Cup.

Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers

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The Rangers appear to have checked out for the season, and after moving Artemi Panarin, they're likely focused on the offseason and how to rebuild. With that being the focus, attention turns to Vincent Trocheck.

Trocheck has had a good season despite battling an injury and with everything else going wrong in New York. His record of 36 points in 42 games is superb, and the effort he brings at both ends of the ice makes him an ideal playoff performer for a team in need.

While Panarin drew the Kings' attention for his offensive game, Trocheck's two-way play will gain far more attention from teams looking to dramatically improve their center depth.

Trocheck's $5.625 million cap hit is doable at the deadline and easy to manage over the next three seasons, with the cap going up.

Although he's 32 years old, he's playing some of the best hockey in his career right now and should be a hot commodity if the Rangers decide to move him. If he goes off at the Olympics for Team USA, Chris Drury's phone will be busy.

Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames

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There's a lot of talk about veteran center Nazem Kadri and whether he could be traded, although that speculation lacks clarity.

His contract has three more years left after this one, and with a $7 million cap hit and a modified no-trade clause (he has a list of 13 teams he can nix), he could be difficult to move.

Kadri is also 35 years old, and with that many years left on his deal, it requires a massive commitment by the acquiring team as well.

That said, he is still a gamer, and after being part of the Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup-winning team in 2022, he's shown how valuable he can be in the right situation. He's played well in Calgary, too. He's the Flames' leading scorer with 39 points in 56 games, but on the downside, he has their second-lowest plus-minus rating of minus-24.

If not for the contract, it's possible Kadri would have been traded already, but with the right concessions to make a trade easier, he could still be on the move.

Shane Wright, Seattle Kraken

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It's wild that the Kraken are in the heat of the playoff race in the West, and yet they could be in position for a classic change-of-scenery trade for one of their young players, Shane Wright.

The 22-year-old has struggled to bloom in Seattle, and his 22 points in 56 games this season highlight that. While he had 44 points in 79 games last season, offense hasn't been emphasized under new coach Lane Lambert, and the team's defensive approach has led to struggles for Wright.

There's no doubt a new situation could go a long way for Wright, and the Kraken could use that to their benefit to get a player to help put them back into the playoffs in return.

It's risky, because Wright could still break out and seize on the potential he showed in junior hockey. But when speculation got tossed around about moving him to the Rangers for Alexis Lafrenière, it didn't seem like such a bad idea for both teams, or at least as the framework for the kind of deal that would make sense for the Kraken.

Blake Coleman, Calgary Flames

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Although moving Nazem Kadri sounds like a difficult proposition for the reasons we laid out, trading Blake Coleman would be much easier.

Coleman has one more year left on his contract, and his $4.9 million cap hit is a lot easier to trade without jumping through more hoops to make it happen.

What doesn't make it easy to move him is his injury status. He's been out since January 8 with an upper-body injury, and the Flames will hope he'll be ready to go after the Olympic break.

Coleman's two-way game and history as a two-time Stanley Cup winner make him valuable as a leader, but that kind of history and ability make him attractive to a team seeking those traits for their own purposes.

Should he come back healthy in time for the deadline, there will assuredly be calls made to GM Craig Conroy to get him.

Jonathan Marchessault, Nashville Predators

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It's strange to talk about the Nashville Predators making trades now they're heavily in the mix for the playoffs.

It's even stranger considering GM Barry Trotz will retire once they've found a successor for him, but business never stops in the NHL. If the Predators are going to be bold going into the deadline, would moving a star player like Jonathan Marchessault be part of that?

We talked earlier this season about Steven Stamkos or Ryan O'Reilly as potential trade targets, and while that made sense when they were out of the playoff picture, it doesn't anymore.

Marchessault, meanwhile, has struggled since he landed in Nashville, and his fit in what coach Andrew Brunette is doing hasn't been great.

Trading Marchessault to a contender that could make better use of his abilities makes sense, especially if it lands a player the Preds can use for their own playoff stretch run. That said, it would not be easy to do.

Marchessault has a no-movement clause, and his contract runs for three more years beyond this one, with a $5.5 million cap hit. He's 35 years old.

It was a wild contract when the Predators inked it, and his struggles there have only helped make it look tougher. That said, he's a Stanley Cup winner and Conn Smythe recipient, which means a contending team would have to kick the tires and find out if they've got the right mix of players and system for him.