NHL Trade Talk: 7 Stars Who Should Be Dealt by Deadline

Each and every season in the NHL, without fail, we see a number of the league's top players get dealt at or before the trade deadline.

The reasons behind these deals tend to vary.

Often, a team that has no shot at making the playoffs will ship out one of their best players to a contender in return for a package of young players and high draft picks. Sometimes a player is moved simply because they are underachieving and need a change of scenery. There are also incidents where a player is unhappy with his current club and requests a trade.

Regardless of the reasons behind such transactions, the bottom line is that these moves are guaranteed to take place throughout the course of an NHL season. They are inevitable. 

They're also a lot of fun to talk about. Here are seven star players who will, or should, be dealt by the trade deadline. 

Ales Hemsky

After missing a huge chunk of games last season and the year before, Ales Hemsky has finally returned to the Edmonton Oilers lineup. He has registered three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 16 games so far this season.

Hemsky has spent his entire career with Edmonton and has been one of their top scorers during that time, but his injury history is a concern. That, coupled with the emergence of some of the team's talented youth, may result in the 28-year-old winger being shipped to a club in need of offense. 

The Oilers aren't lacking in the scoring department but could use some help on the back end. Moving Hemsky for a top-four defenseman would be a great move. 

Kyle Okposo

Kyle Okposo broke out as a high-end scorer two seasons ago, when he tallied a career-high 52 points for the New York Islanders. Unfortunately, the gritty forward missed 44 games last year with an injury and is off to a very slow start this season.

In 21 games, Okposo has just seven points and is a minus-eight. He has been a huge part of the Islanders' struggles in the offensive zone this year.

At 23 years old, Okposo has plenty of room to grow and loads of time to find his game again. The Islanders likely aren't looking to move him, but if the right offer came along, perhaps one that addressed their problems on defense, they would listen.  

Shane Doan

Among the NHL's oldest players and one of the greatest power forwards in league history, Shane Doan is approaching the end of his career and doesn't have many shots at the Stanley Cup left.

In fact, if he stays in Phoenix, he has precisely zero shots at a Cup ring. 

Doan has stated that he doesn't want to be moved and he's very proud to be the captain of the Phoenix Coyotes. Still, one can't help but imagine that there are going to be several teams dialing general manager Don Maloney's number come deadline day. 

After all, Doan is an ideal midseason addition to a playoff-bound club looking for grit, leadership and experience. 

The Coyotes aren't contenders and probably won't be anytime soon. It might be a good idea to sell high on one of their top assets and use the return to add depth and young talent to their team. 

Cory Schneider

OK, so he's not a star yet, but Cory Schneider is quickly becoming one and this will give the Vancouver Canucks an extremely tough decision to make.

Their starter, Roberto Luongo, has been one of the NHL's top netminders for several years. He's also signed to a lucrative long-term deal. 

Schneider, on the other hand, has much less experience and is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of this season. He has proven himself capable of holding down a starting job, but he won't get that chance with Vancouver if Luongo is still around.

The Canucks will need to choose between the two, as it's highly unlikely that Schneider would be willing to re-sign with the team in a backup role again next year.

Given that Luongo's huge contract may make him very hard to move, and the fact that he is the better of the two goalies, I expect Schneider to get dealt. Plenty of clubs, particularly the Columbus Blue Jackets, are in need of a legitimate starting goaltender. Vancouver could fetch a hefty return for the young netminder.  

Bobby Ryan

The subject of all sorts of trade speculation over the last two weeks, Bobby Ryan is off the market for now until new head coach Bruce Boudreau settles in behind the bench. 

The 24-year-old forward broke out in a big way in 2008-09 with an impressive 57 points in 64 games. He built on that production the following season with a 64-point campaign and registered a career-high 71 points last year.

This season, however, Ryan has just 12 points and is a minus-eight. The entire team is struggling, but he has been the biggest disappointment among the forwards so far.

Unless Boudreau can completely turn the Anaheim Ducks around, Ryan will be shopped again later in the season. The Ducks have already fielded a number of offers for him and have made it clear that he's the first guy they are looking to move. Don't be shocked if Ryan is wearing a different sweater in the spring.  

Jarome Iginla

Of all the players on this list, Jarome Iginla is the least likely to be moved. He is the long-time captain of the Calgary Flames and has made it clear that he has no desire to be traded. 

With that said, he's beginning to show signs of decline and, at 34 years of age, he doesn't have many years left in his distinguished career.

This tells us that the Flames may be wise to consider dealing him when his value is still very high, as his gradual decline will undoubtedly lower his trade value. It also tells us that Iginla won't have too many chances to win a Stanley Cup before he retires, especially if he remains a Flame. 

Iginla being dealt to a contender for a package of young talent and high draft picks makes a ton of sense for both sides. It probably won't happen, though. 

Alexander Semin

After a promising 84-point season in 2009-10, Alexander Semin has regressed dramatically. He managed only 54 points last season and has five goals and five assists in 23 games so far this year.

For such a talented scorer who sees consistent top-six minutes, 10 points simply won't cut it. His lazy play and disinterested attitude also raise serious concern. 

The Washington Capitals are still in the midst of making a transition from an offensive, run-and-gun type of team to a more defensively responsible one. Bringing in a new head coach in Dale Hunter is a huge step in the right direction. Getting rid of the inconsistent Alexander Semin, who is a huge part of the negative culture the Capitals are trying to rid themselves of, would be an even bigger step.

The Russian winger has loads of talent and could be a great addition to a team in need of a top-six scorer, despite the baggage that comes with him. He just doesn't belong in Washington anymore.