6 Trade Dominoes That Could Fall Following the Jack Eichel Deal

The trade that NHL fans had been waiting for finally happened Thursday. Jack Eichel is no longer a member of the Buffalo Sabres, as the Vegas Golden Knights were willing and able to meet the asking cost of a top-10-protected first-round pick, a second-round pick, two young players and his full salary.

It creates one of the NHL's most top-heavy teams, and we're curious to see how general manager Kelly McCrimmon will get his squad under the salary cap once Eichel is ready to play following artificial disk replacement surgery.

Star power wins Stanley Cups, though, which is why this likely won't be the last big name we see moved before the March 21 trade deadline. 

The league wasn't at a standstill waiting for the situation in Buffalo to resolve itself, but the move certainly could force the hands of rival general managers who are watching the Golden Knights load up on skill.

John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks

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John Gibson's situation has also been developing since the offseason. In August, Eric Stephens of The Athletic wondered whether it would make sense for the Anaheim Ducks to move their No. 1 goalie as they continue to rebuild. That chatter hasn't stopped, even as the team has begun a bit better than expected at 5-4-3.

It's unlikely the Ducks will continue to hang around the top of the Pacific Division given their talent level, though. If and when they start to slide down the standings, it's fair to wonder whether they would examine the possibility of trading Gibson.

One team he's recently been connected to is the red-hot Edmonton Oilers, who could use an upgrade in goal if they want to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

Daniel Nugent-Bowman, also of The Athletic, recently wrote the following in his mailbag column: "What I've heard is the asking price could be as high as four assets for Gibson: [Mikko] Koskinen (as a positional/salary dump), a good roster player (someone like Kailer Yamamoto), a first-round pick and a top organizational prospect."

If Edmonton believes it is only a goalie away from a championship, that's the kind of deal the team would have to take a long, hard look at.

Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks

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With Eichel off the market, Tomas Hertl becomes the best trade target for teams looking for help at center. The soon-to-be 28-year-old pivot is off to a fantastic start, scoring almost a point per game for the surprising San Jose Sharks, who are lingering in the middle of the Pacific Division.

Like the Ducks, however, this team is in the early stages of a rebuild. With Hertl's contract expiring at the end of the season, it would be a huge blow to the Sharks to lose him for nothing. He sounds more positive about the prospect of re-signing than he did even a month ago, telling Kevin Kurz of the Athletic the following toward the end of October:

"I say many times [San Jose] is my home, and I love to play here. … End of the day, we have to find a way [for] me and Doug to talk [about] the deal, too, because I don't know what he's thinking. I know he wants me to stay, but you want to be always fair for both sides."

That doesn't change the fact that he's still headed for free agency.

If the Sharks continue to surprise, then it will be tough to imagine general manager Doug Wilson dealing Hertl. What happens if a team like the Calgary Flames comes knocking after missing out on Eichel, though?

That could put San Jose in a tricky situation, and it's one of the more intriguing storylines to watch out for as the season rolls on.

Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets

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If the ask for Gibson is too high for teams looking for help in goal, then their next call could be to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The franchise signed Elvis Merzlikins to a five-year extension worth $27 million in late September, all but anointing him the starter for the next half-decade.

That means Joonas Korpisalo will likely be on the outside looking in as the Blue Jackets continue to reload after a flurry of moves over the past 18 months. He's 27, so he has plenty left to offer.

However, he's been involved in trade rumors for the better part of two years, and Columbus has hung on to the Finn. At the end of October, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic wrote that trade talk surrounding the netminder has picked up recently.

From Portzline: "We poked around with three NHL front-office types. Arizona, Buffalo and Montreal were seen as the most likely destinations for Korpisalo, who has one year remaining on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent."

With Karel Vejmelka playing well for the Arizona Coyotes, the Buffalo Sabres getting solid performances from Dustin Tokarski and Craig Anderson and Carey Price reportedly returning to the Montreal Canadiens next week, that market may be drying up.

Things happen quickly in the NHL, though, and if a team needs a ringer in goal for a middle-range draft pick or prospect, Korpisalo could be the target.

Dylan Strome, Chicago Blackhawks

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Just as Korpisalo could be a budget option for playoff teams looking to beef up in goal, Dylan Strome is an intriguing potential target at forward. He was a healthy scratch for the Chicago Blackhawks' first four games, which didn't help his trade value.

That led Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times to wonder why the Hawks continue to hang on to him.

As far as Strome's possible landing spots go, Pope wrote the following in mid-October:

"The Ducks have long been interested in him as a young playmaker who could aid their rebuild. The Senators were previously connected to him. The Canadiens, Wild and Rangers need center help and would all make sense; going to the Rangers, for example, would unite him with his older brother, Ryan."

While he's fallen out of favor in Chicago for mysterious reasons—the team side-stepped questions about his healthy scratches—there's no denying that when he's been allowed to play, Strome has been effective in the offensive zone. Over his past three combined seasons, he's scored 41 goals and added 71 assists in 176 games. 

He's probably never going to evolve into a two-way force, but at 24, but he still has a lot of upside. And because of his youth, he might fit in with teams that aren't contending but are on the lookout to add talent.

Phil Kessel, Arizona Coyotes

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It doesn't sound like Phil Kessel will be a member of the Arizona Coyotes for much longer.

A few weeks ago, Craig Morgan of PHNX wrote that it was "no secret that Kessel wants to be traded," adding that "it has been a storyline since the summer, and the Coyotes are working feverishly to grant his wish."

The veteran forward is in the final season of an eight-year pact and will be an attractive option for any organization that is looking to add offensive zip for a playoff push. Kessel has been heavily scouted this season, per Morgan, and as contending teams wade through injuries to top players, we could see these rumors heat up even more.

He rediscovered his scoring touch in Arizona a year ago, leading the team in both goals (20) and points (43) over 56 games. Kessel also has a pair of Stanley Cup rings from his time as a Pittsburgh Penguin, and general managers and coaches always like to add skaters with title experience.

The hang-up could be his $6.8 million cap hit, but as we saw with the Eichel trade, all it takes is a few injuries to clear up enough room for a contender to take on a player such as Kessel.

Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues

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Vladimir Tarasenko's situation with the St. Louis Blues isn't entirely dissimilar to what Eichel was dealing with in Buffalo. Both forwards were upset about how their respective teams handled their injuries. And both players could be viewed as damaged goods, with fair questions surrounding whether they can reach their ceiling again following surgeries.

Or, in Tarasenko's case, three shoulder surgeries that limited him to 34 games and seven goals over the past two seasons.

We haven't seen Eichel take the ice for Vegas, but Tarasenko has been outstanding for the Blues in 2021-22. Over the summer, The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reported the winger's surgeon said his shoulder was back to 100 percent. That appears to be the case.

With the 29-year-old forward playing well and St. Louis hanging around the top of the Western Conference, it's fair to wonder whether Tarasenko still wants out of Missouri. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet recently spoke to Rutherford, and as it turns out, the hot start hasn't changed the winger's mind.

Teams weren't lining up to acquire him over the summer when it was unclear what kind of player he would return as. Tarasenko is scoring at more than a point-per-game clip, though, and the Eichel trade might have set the market for what it would take to land his services.

Scorers of his caliber aren't made available often. Will there be a team willing to take on his $7.5 million cap hit before the trade deadline?

Statistics courtesy of NHL.com and Hockey Reference unless otherwise noted. Salary-cap info via CapFriendly.