Written By: Ryan Humphrey
Edited By: Cameron Schoffro
As the halfway point of the season quickly approaches, teams are starting to hunt for talent. Trying to solidify your roster will be a difficult task for prospective GMs with limited salary cap space available for most Stanley Cup favourites. With the trade deadline almost a month away, teams have begun putting players on the trade block, while others are actively seeking to make a big splash or provide depth in their lineup. There have been multiple names thrown around in the trade rumours; whether they are realistic or valid is still up in the air, regardless we can break down these players' values and discuss what they bring to the table.
The Buffalo Sabres Roster Shakeup
Yet another season and another disappointing performance for the Buffalo Sabres. Last offseason, it seemed as though Buffalo made a couple of key acquisitions, such as the veteran presence of Eric Staal down the middle and the big-time signing of former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall. Once again, the team has not been able to piece the puzzle together and currently sits 8th in the East Division with just 15 points on the season. Due to this terrible start, rumours say the Sabres might be significant sellers coming up to the trade deadline, as they need a complete overhaul of their roster. Buffalo has found themselves in an area where they have large amounts of money tied up in players like Jeff Skinner at $9 million, who has already been a healthy scratch this year, and Kyle Okposo at $6 million. Both players are vastly overpaid for their production, and they are just one of the issues concerning the struggling Sabres lineup. Key pieces like Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Eric Staal keep coming up in news around the league, even though no reports have stated any of them have officially requested a trade out of Buffalo. Since 2012, the team has had the second overall pick twice, selecting Eichel and Reinhart, the first overall pick in Dahlin, and another top-tier talent, Dylan Cozens. Unfortunately, the results have not improved since, so it might be time to move on from some of these franchise cornerstones. We all know the presence Eichel brings to the team, scoring 139 goals, 355 points, and 127 powerplay points over 375 career games. Eichel’s contract brings a $10 million-dollar cap hit, and any team that wants to move ahead and acquire the big-time center will have to trade away an arm and a leg to get him. Due to his outrageous value, it is more likely to see Eichel stay put for the time being and for the Sabres to hope that he does not request a trade anytime soon. Sam Reinhart could be number one on the Sabres' trade block and would be a huge contributor on a team looking for elite point production. Reinhart only has a $5.2 million-dollar cap hit and has put up 17 points in 21 games this season. Reinhart can immediately bolster the offence of a potential suitor; he would easily slot in their top-six and first powerplay unit.
Nashville Trading Ekholm?
Sitting at 6th in the central division, the Predators are another disappointing team that may be potential shoppers at the deadline. The Preds have always possessed a strong defensive core, and Mattias Ekholm may be the odd man out. Ekholm brings consistency on both sides of the puck in the 93rd and 67th percentile for even-strength offence and defence. At just a $3.75 million-dollar cap hit for this season and next, he has become attractive to several contenders trying to bulk up their top-four pairings. A team in desperate need of help on the blueline, the Winnipeg Jets, who are 2nd in the contentious North division, are a likely suitor for the 30-year-old defensemen. After the blockbuster trade sending Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Jets, they might also be on the market for other roster upgrades as we approach the deadline. The Jets have now assessed their lack of centre depth in the Dubois trade but are still struggling on the back end. The Jets are 12th in goals against, which is better than the projected goals against of 29th, but they still need to make upgrades to their defence core if they want to make a legitimate push in the playoffs. Winnipeg was hit hard in the past couple of seasons when they lost some big-name defence: Byfuglien and Trouba; this is where Ekholm could be a potential fit. Ekholm could slide into the top pairing alongside Neal Pionk and provide some powerplay presence since he's in the 76th percentile. Although this may be a perfect fit for the Jets, there will also be large amounts of active competition in pursuing a trade for the two-way defensemen.
Columbus Looking to Fill Their Centre Void
On the other end of the spectrum, the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired a world-class sniper, Patrik Laine, but they had to give up their top-line centre, Dubois, in doing so. Jack Roslovic, one of the assets swapped in that trade, has outperformed his projections. He's had a serious impact on the Blue Jackets offence, but the team has been rumoured to still be on the market for the centre position. Two potential suitors that have come up in trade rumours are Sam Bennett and Dylan Strome. Bennett clearly needs a fresh start, as he had not lived up to his fourth overall potential. Whether this fresh start comes with a connection with his new head coach Daryl Sutter or through trade is yet to be seen. Bennett, contrary to his terrible point production this season, possesses offensive potential by being in the 84th percentile for goals for. Columbus could give Bennett the fresh start he has been needing, sliding into a middle-six role. This trade would require low-value assets and could provide centre youth for the Blue Jackets between him and Roslovic. A second potential acquisition could be the likes of Dylan Strome of the Chicago Blackhawks. In the offseason, the Blackhawks management informed the fans that their primary goal is to undergo a major rebuild of the roster. While this may have been the original plan, Chicago is currently fourth in the division, and they've competed against top teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning. This current standing may not deter the Blackhawks management from sticking to their primary course of action, and players like Strome are likely to be evaluated. With Toews and Dach being out of the lineup, Strome's role down the middle has grown, but he's recently been out with a concussion. His injury has not been released as long-term, but the Blackhawks are evaluating if he will be a part of their future. Strome would be a perfect fit for the Blue Jackets' second or third line, contributing a much-needed offensive presence being in the 91st percentile of even-strength offence and 76th percentile of expected goals for. At just a $3 million-dollar cap hit at 24 years old, once again, Strome would give Columbus the youth in the centre position and has the potential of playing up and down the lineup as needed.
Trade rumours have always found a way to excite hockey fans, but whether teams pursue these deals is yet to be determined. With the tradeline being just over a month away, it will be interesting to see what contenders will actively pursue roster upgrades and how much of their future assets they are willing to give up in the never-ending pursuit of Lord Stanley. Other key names to watch out for will be Jake Debrusk of the Boston Bruins, Jared McCann of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators, as teams are always on the hunt for forward depth and production.
References
- NHL. (n.d.). Dylan Strome stats and news. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from https://www.nhl.com/player/dylan-strome-8478440
- NHL. (n.d.). Jack Eichel stats and news. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from https://www.nhl.com/player/jack-eichel-8478403
- NHL. (n.d.). Sam Reinhart stats and news. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from https://www.nhl.com/player/sam-reinhart-8477933
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