Five Potential Trade Candidates in the NHL

Feb 25, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media prior to the game between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The off-season gives each general manager a chance to sit back and assess his club and make a reasonable determination on how to improve it now and in the future.  With the draft long completed and free agency essentially finished for most clubs, now is the time to look at potential trade candidates before the start of training camp in a few weeks.

Will any of the following potential trade candidates actually be moved before the season beings?  Probably not. No one is suggesting that these guys will be easy to move for a number of reasons, but that is why general managers get paid what they do and are tasked with making these difficult decisions.  Trading any of these guys won’t be popular, but this isn’t a contest to see who can be liked more; it’s a chance to better position the team for success.

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So on the subsequent pages I’ve compiled a number of potential trade candidates that on first glance may lead you to think I’m crazy (or stupid, that works too.)  But, after the initial “WTF is he thinking” wears off, may actually make some sense. As always, feel free to yell at me below in the comments section.

(Note: all salary information is from generalfanager.com)

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