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NHL Trade Rumors: 5 blockbuster moves we’d like to see this offseason

By Alex Hoegler

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - APRIL 12: Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the New York Islanders in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on April 12, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. New York Islanders defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1. (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - APRIL 12: Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the New York Islanders in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on April 12, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. New York Islanders defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1. (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images /

5. Jason Zucker To Calgary Flames

Minnesota Wild general manager Paul Fenton wasted no time retooling a club that didn’t have the right pieces in place to compete for a championship. He dealt away key roster players such as Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, and Nino Niederreiter.

As it turns out, Fenton was also awfully close to sending stud forward Jason Zucker to the Calgary Flames at the deadline, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported back in February. The two sides weren’t able to finalize it, however, and the Flames missed out on the chance to add a four-time 20-goal scorer to their lineup amid a Pacific Division-winning season.

Must Read. 5 Teams Who Should Trade For Zucker. light

Well, Calgary general manager Brad Treliving has every incentive to circle back and try to land Zucker this offseason. The team’s lack of secondary scoring was exposed during a humiliating first-round defeat at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zucker would slot in nicely in Calgary’s first or second line.

It’s unclear what the Wild are seeking in return for Zucker. He’s signed for four more years at a cap hit of $5.5 million in each, per CapFriendly. That’s a fairly reasonable deal for a consistent 20-goal scorer, so the Flames can afford to part with up to three assets in a trade for Zucker.

Trade idea:

Chances are, Fenton will want a young roster player in return, rather than one of Calgary’s expensive veteran players. Sam Bennett might do the trick.

The Flames are devoid of top-tier prospects, so there aren’t many young players they can offer otherwise. To date, Bennett hasn’t topped 18 goals or 36 points in a season. But maybe he’d shine in a bigger role on the Wild, led by head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Throw in the No. 26 selection in this year’s draft plus a third rounder, and the Wild are getting a nice haul for Zucker, all while clearing out cap space. Calgary gets its man after a failed trade several months earlier. It’s a great deal for both clubs.

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