NHL trade rumors: Top 5 trade candidates this offseason
According to the latest NHL trade rumors, here are 5 players who are likely on the move.
This offseason will be one of the weirdest in NHL history. And not just because the offseason won’t start until potentially as late as early October. There has already been quite a bit of action and even during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL trade rumors market is buzzing.
On the same day the Colorado Avalanche forced Game 7 against the Dallas Stars, the biggest news of the day was a trade. That says a lot about this offseason. There are going to be trades, even though teams are dealing with an unexpected flat salary cap ceiling of $81.5 million.
Yes, trades will require a bit more work than usual. However, with the uncertainty of the free agent market and teams not wanting to wait to fill holes, the trade market could be significant this offseason. Even more so than usual.
Which players could be on the move? Why are they on the move? Who would be good fits for them? I hope to answer all of those questions in this piece. Without further ado, here are the top five trade candidates. These candidates are ranked based on both how good they are and how likely it is they’ll be traded.
All contract information is courtesy of Cap Friendly.
5. Shayne Gostisbehere
Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Position: Defense
Cap hit: $4.5 million
Term: 3 more years
No-trade clauses: None
When he’s at his best, Shayne Gostisbehere is an impactful defenseman who can take over games. But at his worst, he’s frustratingly inconsistent. The Philadelphia Flyers have seen more of the latter lately.
Though he’s just two years removed from putting up 65 points in 73 games, Gostisbehere has 49 points in 120 games since then. He has been a fairly regular healthy scratch in the Flyers lineup.
This offseason, the Flyers would probably like to add a top-six forward. On top of that, they have to re-sign some key restricted free agents, such as Robert Hagg and Philippe Myers. The Flyers probably can’t afford to keep Gostisbehere if he’s not going to one of their top four defensemen.
Potential Suitors
Gostisbehere has been tied to the Montreal Canadiens in the past. They need a left-handed defenseman and they have some forwards the Flyers might be interested in. Even after the Jake Allen trade, the Canadiens have enough cap space to add Gostisbehere.
Much like the Canadiens, the Winnipeg Jets match up well with the Flyers as far as trades are concerned. They need defense and the Flyers want offense. Each side has exactly what the other side wants.
The Flyers would have to add more to the trade, but Gostisbehere would be a good starting point if they’re interested in New Jersey Devils forward Kyle Palmieri. New Jersey could certainly stand to improve their defense as well.