Who is likely to be traded at the 2020 NHL trade deadline?
Sportsnet: Mike Johnston reports that there are some big name that could/will be traded by the 2020 NHL trade deadline. Most trades are likely to occur closer to the trade deadline, but last season there were a handful of notable deals made before the turn of the calendar. The same could ring true this season.
Here are the potential trade candidates for the 2019-2020 NHL season.
- Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo Sabres: Ristolainen is 24 with three years remaining on his $5.4-million AAV deal. He’s also a damn good blueliner, especially when he has the puck, who could slide into pretty much any team’s top-four seamlessly, so he would demand a significant return.
- Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues: The Blues won’t be able to retain all the talent they boast moving forward thanks to the salary cap.
GM Doug Armstrong’s top priority is to sign Alex Pietrangelo, which would make it rather difficult to keep Schenn — especially considering pending RFAs Vince Dunn, Robby Fabbri and Samuel Blais will need new deals.
It would hurt losing a talent like Schenn, 28, without getting anything back in return, and in order to balance the budget he might be the easiest body to move. - Jonathan Drouin, Montreal Canadiens: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Canadiens are looking to move a forward and one Eastern Conference executive told Eric Engels that Drouin’s “name is definitely out there.”
Drouin has yet to take his game to that next level and become an undeniable first-line talent. He also hasn’t blown people away during camp. - Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators: If the Predators want to part ways with Turris and his remaining four years, they might have to make some concessions in the form of salary retention or tossing in a pick or prospect.
- Mike Hoffman, Florida Panthers: Like with so many pending UFAs, Hoffman fits the bill as an ideal rental player should the Panthers not feel great about their playoff chances early in 2020. The Panthers already have more than $64 million in cap commitments through 2021-22, so it won’t be easy to re-sign him long-term. Hoffman has a modified no-trade clause that limits the number of teams with whom the Panthers could potentially do business.