Top 20 Players To Keep An Eye On At The 2021-22 NHL Trade Deadline
By Jim Lynch
9. Nick Leddy – Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings were once in a playoff spot this season, but they seem to have fallen off a little bit. If the team were to decide to go all-in on this playoff run then they would definitely keep Nick Leddy on their roster, but Steve Yzerman definitely has the future in mind over this year.
Leddy is signed through the end of this season at 5.5 million dollars. The defensemen could re-sign with the Wings, but considering they are in the midst of a rebuild one would imagine Leddy would look elsewhere to play out the remainder of his career.
The Red Wings would probably net a decent return for Leddy as he is a good left-side defenseman who can play top pairing minutes, or make a top-four blue line that much better. This being the final year of his contract, the Wings could hold back some salary to make the deal worthwhile to another team to add the defenseman.
10. Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are still not there yet. After another season with hopes going into October, they are out of the picture come January. For Philadelphia now is a time to take stock at what is not working and fix it for the future.
One of the most movable players the team has would be their captain in Claude Giroux. Giroux is in the final year of his contract and is due 8.275 through the end of the year. While that is a lot of money, holding back some salary could make things easier in a trade. Giroux is playing at almost a point-per-game pace and would be a nice addition to a team looking for a boost in their top six going into a playoff run. Plus he is really strong in the faceoff dot which is good for a team looking to add a center.