NHL Trade Rumors: Hypothetical Rival Deals That Make Sense
NHL Trade Rumors: 2 Captains Were Traded to a Division Rival in 2015-16, Proving That Unlikely Foes Can Do Business With One Another. We’ve Got 5 Potential Deals Between Rival Clubs That Could Make Sense With Free Agency/Expansion in the Distance.
Instead of taking the usual approach of tackling the latest NHL trade rumors, I’ve decided to introduce a slight twist. Remember early in 2016 when the Toronto Maple Leafs shipped their captain down the 401 east to their rival Ottawa Senators? Closer to the deadline, the Winnipeg Jets also sent their captain Andrew Ladd as a rental to the Chicago Blackhawks.
These are classic examples of unlikely teams putting their differences aside when a fit makes sense and both clubs can benefit. Given the current landscape that includes a trade deadline, expansion draft, and free agency, more rival deals could be on the horizon in 2016-17.
Let’s take a look at five potential deals that could make sense for divisional teams given the current state of their roster:
NHL Trade Rumors: 5 Rival Deals That Could Make Sense
Fleury to the Flyers
On that list of NHL teams that don’t engage in deals, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are right up there near the top. Still, you’ve got to wonder how long the Flyers can insist on mediocre goaltending. Truth be told, it’s a position they’ve failed to address since the 80s/90s – names like Roman Cechmanek and Ilya Bryzgalov come to mind in the years since.
No offence to Steve Mason, who has admittedly looked sharp early on, but you’d be fooling yourself if you think he can be the long-term solution. They’ve got a ton of promising netminders in the pipelines, including Carter Hart, Alex Lyon, Anthony Stolarz, Felix Sandstrom, and Matej Tomek (among others). For the time being, Philly might be wise to invest in a proven elite number one who can serve as a stop-gap option until a young guy emerges.
I realize Flyers fans might have a difficult time imagining themselves cheering for Marc-Andre Fleury – but that could change in a hurry the moment Philly faces off against Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The final look of this deal would be interesting. Pittsburgh could add an additional piece or more, while the Flyers would likely be sacrificing a nice package that could include prospects and/or draft picks.
Hypothetical Deal:
Pittsburgh trades G Marc Andre-Fleury and D Justin Schultz to Philadelphia in exchange for G Steve Mason, D Michael Del Zotto, F Pascal Laberge, and 2017 1st round draft pick
Avs-Wild Blockbuster
From an Avs point of view, this team is struggling and no matter what Joe Sakic says, this team core simply doesn’t work. I’ve been saying it over and over for more than a year now, but this two number one center system isn’t working for Colorado. It works for a team like Pittsburgh because they have a pair of legitimate superstars. Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon are quality players, but not on the same level whatsoever. To start to fix the problem, the Avs need to trade Matt Duchene before his value starts to dip.
On the Wild end of things, Minnesota faces a serious conundrum on the blue line with expansion around the corner. As much as they’d love to save four defensemen in expansion, it might not be possible with the abundance of forwards on the roster. So, once the Wild protect Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, and Matt Dumba, it leaves both Jonas Brodin and Marco Scandella on the outside looking in.
Minnesota fans are starting to believe they can compete for a Cup on goaltending/defense alone. That’s just not possible. Devan Dubnyk has been unbelievable between the pipes and Ryan Suter should be in the mix for a Norris Trophy at this point. But there’s not enough offensive pop in this lineup. When push comes to shove in mid-April and beyond, Minnesota could see another early exit.
They might not be able to stop Las Vegas from plucking a quality d-man in the expansion draft, but they can always trade the better blueliner and force George McPhee‘s hand on a guy like Scandella.
Hypothetical Deal:
Colorado trades F Matt Duchene and D Duncan Siemens to Minnesota in exchange for D Jonas Brodin, F Erik Haula, F Mario Lucia, and 2017 1st round draft pick
Edler to California
It’s time for Jim Benning and Trevor Linden to cut out the lunacy behind this boggling philosophy in Vancouver. Aside from the Sedin twins, the Canucks don’t exactly have a ton of guys that other teams are dying to get their hands on. Seeing as there’d be no point in moving someone like Ben Hutton, Erik Gudbranson, or Chris Tanev, that leaves us with the 31-year-old veteran. Alexander Edler’s name has come up in trade rumors before and he could be a decent fit for a contending team.
The only catch here: Edler is currently on the IR and isn’t expected to return until January. So, while teams can still deal injured bodies, other GMs may want to see him play a few games first. He also has a no-trade clause in his contract.
If any California team could use a defenseman like Edler, it’s the San Jose Sharks. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve got enough depth at the moment. But it lacks top talent beyond Burns and Vlasic. Who knows how many more kicks at the can this team will have with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau – mid as well go for it.
Hypothetical Deal:
Vancouver trades D Alex Edler to San Jose in exchange for F Melker Karlsson, D Brenden Dillon, and 2017 3rd round draft pick
Blue Jackets-Capitals Swap
It’s no secret that GM Jarmo Kekalainen needs to find a way to rid himself of Scott Hartnell’s contract. By no means is it a reflection on Hartnell himself, as it’s more about the no-move clause than anything. If Columbus if forced to protect Hartnell next June, they’ll certainly leave unwanted players exposed. That one extra spot could be the difference in saving William Karlsson or Lukas Sedlak for example.
So what makes Washington a good fit for a 34-year-old on a $4.75 million dollar contract for three more seasons? Well for one, the Caps are still in that Stanley Cup window looking to get over the elusive hump. Two, they essentially have an extra forward spot if the 7-3-1 protection scheme is used. At this point, players such as Brett Connolly and Lars Eller are vying for it. So here’s a situation that doesn’t hurt the Capitals in expansion and gives them a solid veteran presence at a very important time.
Seeing that Washington is doing Columbus a bit of a favor in the deal, it should bring the overall value down slightly. Columbus might even retain 25 percent salary for the remainder of the contract. This would give Hartnell a $3.5625 million dollar cap hit with Washington.
Hypothetical Deal:
Columbus Blue Jackets trade F Scott Hartnell (25 percent retained) and a prospect/or draft pick to Washington in exchange for F Lars Eller (and a draft pick/or prospect?)
Bishop Can Stay in the Sunshine State
Safe to say the analytical approach has not worked thus far down in Florida. Give them some credit, they’ve been without a star player in Jonathan Huberdeau. Nick Bjugstad also spent a significant amount of time on the IR. Still, the Panthers have some problems. A year after sitting atop the Atlantic Division, it’s already beginning to look like Florida may struggle to win a Wild-Card spot.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
Now, none of that fault falls on the shoulders of 37-year-old Roberto Luongo. In fact, he’s been one of the few bright spots on the Panthers in 2016-17. He has a record of 9-8-2 with a 2.25GAA and .923 save percentage.
This proposal isn’t exactly ideal on the surface with the prospect of Luongo and Bishop in competition with one another, but you need to look at the bigger picture here. This could Lu’s final year, and if not, at some point his play will decline. James Reimer was signed to be the guy to fill that role, but it was a farfetched idea from the beginning.
Florida would be wise to invest a little more now to solidify the position for the foreseeable future. With guys like Huberdeau, Barkov, Reilly, and Trocheck coming into their own, the next few years will be absolutely vital.
Next: 4 Hypothetical Blockbuster Trades
Hypothetical Deal:
Tampa Bay trades G Ben Bishop to Florida in exchange for G James Reimer, D Ian McCoshen, and 2017 1st round draft pick