NHL trade rumors: Top 3 players teams should avoid
Every season, teams make big mistakes at the NHL trade deadline by giving up too much for overpriced players. Here are the three players involved in NHL trade rumors that teams should be wary of.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That time of the year NHL general managers love to overpay for players. There’s no better time for it than the trade deadline, except maybe free agency. This season, there are some very interesting options being thrown around in NHL trade rumors. That said, a lot of the options just aren’t that good.
Sure, there are players like Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Chris Kreider. But for every one of those guys, there’s an overrated, overpaid player just waiting for a contender to believe too hard in them. Now, these players aren’t even bad. You have to be good just to play in the NHL. However, the price for them is going to be a bit high and probably not worth it.
Which players should teams avoid? Here’s a look at my top three.
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Wayne Simmonds
There was a time when Wayne Simmonds was an underrated forward. He could do just about everything. Simmonds delivered momentum-shifting hits, defended his teammates, scored goals, planted his posterior around the crease, and was a pain in the butt to move.
Those days are beyond him. Simmonds is still a decent player, but his production has been sharply declining. He never was a great player at five-on-five, but he was still above average and he produced more than enough on the power play to mask that deficiency.
Simmonds has regressed and is no longer useful at 5v5. While he could still be a contributor on the power play, he’s essentially a special teams specialist at this point. If there was a DH in the NHL who could just play on the power play or special teams, Simmonds would still have some value. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
His off the ice value is worth mentioning, but if you have to start talking about someone’s intangibles to build up their value, that’s not a good sign.
Alexandar Georgiev
Alexandar Georgiev is one of the better young goalies in the NHL. At first glance, his save percentage of .912% looks a tad bit pedestrian. However, save percentage requires context. Georgiev is playing behind a dreadful New York Rangers defense that allows an eye-popping 2.62 expected goals against per hour at 5v5 and 3.23 per hour during all situations this season.
That said, I’d be wary of trading a huge haul for him for several reasons. First of all, he’s a goalie. Goalies are voodoo, and we still don’t have that much of a sample size to judge Georgiev by. He’s only played in 71 games, though he’s been quite solid in those 71 games.
Secondly, Georgiev is a backup goalie, which lessens his value to the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin is clearly the future. The Rangers have relied on Henrik Lundqvist to save their butts for most of the past decade and he’s been up to the task. Shesterkin’s sample size is tiny, but he’s been outstanding and he’s no stranger to professional hockey, as he’s played in the KHL.
Lastly, goalies are like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. This especially applies for goalies acquired during the season. It usually doesn’t work out too well. James Reimer fit in well with the San Jose Sharks back in 2016 but he is the exception, not the rule.
Personally, I’d be patient if I wanted Georgiev. The Rangers have three goalies on their NHL roster right now. This means they have no leverage in a goalie trade. I’d wait until the offseason with Georgiev, but personally, I think there’s a good chance the Rangers will part ways with Henrik Lundqvist rather than Georgiev.
For the right price, Georgiev would be a nice addition for a team like the Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, or New Jersey Devils. But I’m pretty sure that the “right price” does not exist.
Matt Dumba
The Minnesota Wild are open for business. It shouldn’t be surprising that they’re willing to trade just about anyone. This includes defenseman Matt Dumba. Dumba is an offensive defenseman who can do a lot of special things with the puck, so it’s not surprising teams have expressed interest in him.
However, the prices mentioned for him are outrageous. Dumba’s offense has dried up this season. Both his boxcar stats and his underlying numbers support this theory. In the past, Dumba has been a valuable defenseman in transition, but this year, he’s taken a significant step backward. It’s worth noting he’s barely 12 months removed from a significant injury, so maybe it’s still bothering him.
Another issue is Dumba has never been too good defensively. Usually, he does enough good things with the puck to help people overlook that. This year, it’s not happening.
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If I had to trade for a Wild defenseman, I’d look at Jonas Brodin, who is quite underrated. His offense is nothing to write home about, but defensively, he’s outstanding. Dumba’s rough year is alarming and teams should be concerned if his days as a very good offensive defenseman are over. I could see him as a buy-low candidate, but the Wild probably aren’t setting a low price for him.