NHL Trade Scenarios 2011: One Mid-Level Player Each Team Would Love to Bring In

Free Agency. Everyone has an opinion regarding who will sign where. This is the speculation that makes free agency so much fun.

This year, many would-be unrestricted free agents have been re-signed before the deadline, and with each signing, free agent after free agent gets is taken off the available list. 

This list will examine potential mid-level free agents (ignoring top-level free agents like Brad Richards and Tomas Vokoun) that all 30 teams could use to maxmize their dollars and help fill needs on their NHL rosters.

Credits: 

Salary information from www.capgeek.com

Statistics from NHL.com, wikipedia.org 

Lets kick it off with: 

Anaheim Ducks: Teemu Selanne

Make no mistake, even at age 40 Teemu Selanne is doing things that can make your jaw drop. He seems to have a liking for the Anaheim Ducks, and getting another one-year deal done should not be a huge problem unless he is to be swayed by a two-year offer from a team looking for offense. 

Selanne scored a remarkable 31 goals and 80 points this season and obviously can still play at a night level. The only thing that makes him "mid-level" is his age.

What will it take to get him? One year, $5 million.

Boston Bruins: Teemu Selanne

Yes, I know that I just said Anaheim would like to keep him.

However, if you don't think that there are other teams that would want a relatively inexpensive 30-goal, 80-point winger, then you are crazy.

Given that Boston just won the Cup, any player they pursue would have to at least think about it.

Mark Recchi just retired, thus opening up a spot for Selanne to slide on in.

What will it take to get him? One year, $5 million. 

Buffalo Sabres: Chris Drury

Chris Drury is back on the market and it is safe to say he will not touch the value of the last contract he signed.

It's no secret that things have not exactly worked out like the Rangers predicted when they shelled out monster dollars for Drury and Scott Gomez in the wild summer of 2007.  

Drury has not found much success in New York and will look to go back to the team he should never have left in the first place: the Buffalo Sabres. 

The Sabres are looking to be aggressive in the free agent market and could target Brad Richards. They just traded with Calgary to acquire Robyn Regehr and the around $8 million and 2 years he has left on his contract.

If he can do anything like he did four years ago, it is be a leader, and that is exactly what the Sabres could use.

What will it take to get him? Two years and $8 million. 

Calgary Flames: Paul Mara

Calgary just got rid of a big piece of their blue line in Robyn Regehr. 

One thing you can assume going into free agency is that they will try to replace him with a veteran presence with a similar game at a cheaper price. 

Mara is that man.

What will it take to get him? One year and $2.5 million.  

Carolina Hurricanes: Mike Grier

The Hurricanes have three forwards about to hit the market in Eric Cole, Cory Stillman and Jussi Jokinen. 

If they lose one or all of them, which looks like a foregone conclusion at this point, they are going to have to replace the minutes with some veterans. Grier is a very useful player, even at the age of 37. 

Grier is a guy every team would like to have, as he knows what to do in all situations and can eat up minutes without embarrassing himself out there. 

Consider him a stop gap until some of the younger players in the organization are ready for larger roles.

What will it take to get him? One year, $1.5 million.  

Chicago Blackhawks: Eric Cole

Following the long-term mega-free agent contracts that ushered Dustin Byfugllien, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg, Tomas Kopecky, Anti Niemi, Troy Brouwer and Brian Campbell out of Chicago, maybe the Blackhawks can reverse the disturbing trend that has seen player after player out the door from their championship team.

The Hawks managed to get someone to take Brian Campbell off their hands, which shows that in the salary cap era, teams will take even awful contracts in order to reach the salary cap floor.

The Panthers took on Campbell and his ridiculous SEVEN-plus million dollar cap hit for the next five years to put a dent in the massive amount they need to spend to reach the salary floor.

This has left Chicago with something they have not had in a little while, and that's a small amount of cap flexibility.

With that little flexibility, the Hawks can afford to bring in a gritty veteran winger with plenty of skill to boot.

Cole has not had much of any success away from Carolina, but playing with the highly skilled forward corp that Chicago has, he can flourish and perhaps reach the 30-goal plateau again.

What will it take to get him? Two years, $6 million.    

Colorado Avalanche: Alexander Frolov

Frolov will most certainly want to go back to the Western Conference. 

He has enjoyed very limited success with the New York Rangers since leaving the Kings, and Colorado needs to do two things: 

First, they need to add payroll to meet the salary cap floor, and second, they need a little help up front to play with star centers Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene. 

Colorado could also use a defenseman, but we will go with Frolov, here. 

If the rumors are true that Paul Stastny is on his way out of Colorado, watch the suitors line up for him. He would land a bounty that would dwarf what the Flyers got for Carter and Richards.

What will it take to get him? Three years, $9 million.  

Columbus Blue Jackets: Andy Greene

Andy Greene could be a late bloomer, and he could also be that extra defenseman the Blue Jackets need. 

They are set up front after acquiring Jeff Carter from the Flyers in an excellent trade. 

Greene had developed into a solid defender and can move the puck well. He will have plenty of suitors, including the Devils. 

The list of defensemen available through unrestricted free agency is dwindling, and if he remains a UFA, then someone will give him multiple years.

What will it take to get him? Four years, $14 million.  

Dallas Stars: Tim Connoly

Tim Connolly may stay with Buffalo, but that doesn't mean that other teams will not try to sign him. 

Connolly is a slick playmaker who can score goals, and with the Dallas Stars set to lose their franchise player Brad Richards to free agency, they could bring in Connolly to soften the blow of losing such a player. 

He is no Brad Richards, but this is at least a start towards replacing the numbers Richards put up. 

What will it take to get him? Three years, $14 million. 

Detroit Red Wings: Bryan McCabe

Caber can fill the void left by the retired Brian Rafalski and help the Red Wings greatly. 

McCabe has a great shot and is good in his own zone. Even though he is still capable of taking dumb penalties, he still is a valuable asset. 

His offensive numbers have declined in recent years, but considering the bad teams he has played for, that does not come as a surprise. 

On the Red Wings, look for his numbers to take a nice jump. 

What will it take to get him? Two years, $11 million. 

Edmonton Oilers: Andy Greene

Yes, I know Andy Greene was a part of this list already. 

However, the Oilers need a defenseman and they also need to spend money. 

Greene is a solid two-way defenseman and would go a long way in solidifying the Oilers' blue line. 

What will it take to get him? Four years, $16 million. 

Florida Panthers: Alex Auld

The Panthers are about to lose the most underrated player in the NHL in Tomas Vokoun to free agency, and are going to need help. 

The question is, who is going to want to play goal for this team?

Auld has been there before, and the Panthers' hopefully improved blue line would cut down quality scoring chances. 

What will it take to get him? Two years, $8 million. 

Los Angeles Kings: Eric Godard

The Kings are that rare team who will be just about set at every position once they re-sign their restricted free agents. 

Adding Mike Richards and signing Drew Doughty would complete the picture, except for one small thing.

What happens if someone wants to take liberties with their skilled players?

You cannot underestimate the importance of enforcers in the NHL, which is why big Eric would be a good fit.

What will it take to get him? Two years, $3 million.  

Minnesota Wild: Steve Montador

Want a veteran guy who can eat up minutes with solid play in his own end?

Sign this guy. 

The Wild can use a defenseman since they traded Brent Burns to the Sharks for scoring winger Devon Setoguchi.

Montador can be that guy.

What will it take to get him? Three years, $9 million.  

Montreal Canadiens: Roman Hamrlik

Montreal is going to need a defenseman, so why not sign Hamrlik? He has been a good soldier for the Habs since arriving in 2007. 

Is it cheating to say that Montreal would like to sign their own player? No, I don't think so, because the article simply centers around which NHL player each team would like to sign. 

He is getting older and his days of making huge money are over. But Roman can still go; there is no doubt about that.

What will it take to get him? One year, $3.5 million.  

Nashville Predators: Chris Osgood

There is no doubt who the number one goaltender is in Music City. 

Pekka Rinne is that guy. 

That being said a cup winning goaltender could be just what the doctor ordered for the Predators and Chris Osgood would look really good backup up Rinne and enable him to be well rested for the playoffs.  

New Jersey Devils: Scott Hannan

After winning the draft lottery, the Devils lucked out in 2011 like they usually do when Adam Larsson fell into their lap at fourth overall. 

So why do they need another defenseman?

Because everyone could use one, and to say the Devils struggled in their own end at times this season is an understatement.

Hannan could provide some stability in the Devils' end.

Is he worth the $4.5 million he was making last season? No, and he will not reach that figure again.

What will it take to get him? Three years, $11 million.  

New York Rangers: Ruslan Salei

The Rangers have an awful lot of work to do this offseason. They have to re-sign their young core of players in Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Brandon Dubinksy and Mike Sauer. 

They have already bought out Chris Drury, and the worst kept secret in the NHL is that the full might of the Dolan dollars will be used to bring Brad Richards to the Big Apple. 

That being said, the Rangers could use some veteran help on the blue line, and Salei is a decent depth guy. 

What will it take to get him? One year, $1.5 million. 

New York Islanders: Steve Eminger

Garth Snow did his best to improve the Islanders' defense again this offseason, trading for the negotiating rights to Christian Ehrhoff and then shipping those rights off to Buffalo for a fourth round pick—exactly what he traded to the Canucks—when he could not complete a deal. 

It was a slick move by the Islanders' GM, but it is still obvious that the Islanders have more to prove to the NHL players before they will consider Long Island a viable destination. 

Who knows; maybe Ehrhoff will make it to the free agent deadline and come back to the Islanders when he can't get a Brian Campell-type contract from anyone else.  

The Islanders really do not need much in the way of middle-of-the-road free agents, but if last year was any indication of how things are going to go as far as injuries, then a guy like Eminger could be a good fit. 

Ottawa Senators: Marty Turco

The Senators need a decent backup goaltender, and that is what Turco can provide. 

He is a former elite goaltender and if he can regain his form at age 33 then he can most certainly help the rebuilding Senators.

Turco may be looking for a multi-year deal but is not likely to get one.  

What will it take to get him? One year, $2 million. 

Philadelphia Flyers: Donald Brashear

The Flyers lineup is pretty well set for this season and it will be very interesting to see how the major shake-up in the make up of the team works out.

The Flyers could use an enforcer, and who better to pursue than veteran heavyweight Brashear?

What will it take to get him? One year, $1.5 million.  

Phoenix Coyotes: Andrew Brunette

Phoenix is an interesting scenario, as no one even knows if the franchise will be in Arizona any longer after the team was within a whisker of heading back in Winnipeg. 

If the city of Glendale had not bailed the team out with $25 million, then they would be back in Winnipeg. 

As it stands, every Phoenix forward is set to be either a restricted or unrestricted free agent after next season. 

That, and they have to sign breakout star Kieth Yandle this offseason. They have the cap space to do that and add plenty of help on the forward line. 

Brunette has had spurts of scoring goals and would help out on the offensive side of the puck. 

What will it take to get him? One year, $2 million. 

Pittsburgh Penguins: Vaclav Prospal

The Penguins are very top-heavy in talent. They have arguably the top two forwards in the game with Crosby and Malkin.

They have made an offer for Jaromir Jagr to return to the NHL and one has to shudder at the prospect of a Crosby-Jagr-Malkin power play staring at you.

Still, the Penguins need offensive help, which feels funny to say that with all of the talent there.

They are set in goal and on defense, and a player like Prospal would fit in very nicely.

What will it take to get him? Two years, $4 million.  

St. Louis Blues: Mike Smith

Mike Smith was supposed to be the centerpiece in the trade that sent Brad Richards to the Dallas Stars. My, how things have changed. 

The Lightning have re-signed 41-year-old ageless Dwayne Roloson to a contract, and Mike Smith is on his way out of Tampa. 

The Blues could use a goaltender who can eat minutes if Ben Bishop is not ready. 

What will it take to get him? One year, $2 million. 

San Jose Sharks: Jamie Langenbrunner

The Sharks could use a depth forward or two, and Langenbrunner is still a great skater and can provide some real experience to the Sharks. 

Dallas is in full rebuilding mode and should be going with a youth movement. 

San Jose is looking to rebound from another disappointing run at the Stanley Cup and have added another big player in Brent Burns while sending out Devon Setoguchi. 

Langenbrunner would be a good fit to replace Setoguchi. 

What will it take to get him? One year, $2.5 million. 

Tampa Bay Lightning: Mike Knuble

First things first: the Lightning must sign star center Steven Stamkos to a long-term contract. He is going to get huge money and as many years as he wants, and may very well top the $8 million per year mark.

Then, the Lightning can look for some talented depth forwards, such as Mike Knuble, with whatever money they have left under the cap.

What will it take to get him? One year, $3 million.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Sergei Samsonov

The Maple Leafs are like the Canadian version of the New York Rangers. 

They have all the resources in the world to build a hockey superpower and for whatever reason have not been able to do it. 

They have a super passionate fan base that is hungry for a winner, and every year they keep flailing around like a ship without a rudder. Gross mismanagement is the main reason why.

Sergei Samsonov will not fix all of the Leafs' issues, but he could be a nice fit to play with burgeoning star Mikhail Grabovski.

What will it take to get him? Two years, $5 million.  

Vancouver Canucks: Steve Staios

What should a team do that came within one win of the Stanley Cup? 

Not much; you bring back as many pieces of the puzzle as you possibly can and make another run at the Cup. 

That is exactly what the Canucks are doing, and they scored a major win when they got Kevin Bieska to re-sign. 

They tried with Christian Ehrhoff as well, but he was not as receptive to giving the Canucks a hometown discount and rejected their offer to return. 

Staios can provide a solid presence in front of Roberto Luongo and can log some of the Ehrhoff minutes. 

What will it take to get him? One year, $3 million. 

Washington Capitals: Jussi Jokinen

The Capitals also scored a major victory when they got Brooks Laich to re-sign before the deadline. 

That being said, they will look to add a depth forward or two, and Jokinen would be a good fit for the team.

What will it take to get him? Two years, $5 million.  

Winnipeg Jets: Sami Salo

Hockey is back in Winnipeg, and the organization has remade itself over by shedding all of the Atlanta Thrashers' coaches and executives. 

New GM Kevin Chevydayoff has his work cut out for him with seven restricted free agents to sign. 

Once he is done with his housekeeping, he can look to a veteran presence on the blue line that the Jets could use. 

Salo could be that guy to bring some experience to the blue line. 

What will it take to get him? One year, $3 million.

What mid level player would you like your team to sign? Place your comments below and thanks for reading.