2023 NHL Trade Deadline: The five buyer teams with the best prospect assets

Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Think you know sports? PointsBet Canada is live in Ontario!

_____

With less than a month to go until the deadline, we’ve got you covered every day at Daily Faceoff with one trade-focused story leading up to Deadline Day.

Today, we’re looking at five competitive clubs with prospect assets they can use to bring in someone notable at the deadline. Which prospects get moved is a complete mystery – they’re almost never in trade rumors, and who gets moved really depends on the specifics of a deal.

So we’re basing today’s list on the teams with prospects that they could be willing to move to get the pieces needed for a long playoff run. It doesn’t mean they’re being shopped, or that teams will consider moving them. But the opportunity to get the spicy target they need could be more accessible if one of the listed players gets moved.

2023 Trade Deadline Countdown: 26 days

1. Toronto Maple Leafs

Possibly available: Matthew Knies, Fraser Minten, Roni Hirvonen, Nick Abruzzese, 2023 1st-round pick

The Maple Leafs need to do whatever it takes to make it out of the first round this year, and no prospect in the system should be untouchable. That includes Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten, two of the team’s more notable forward prospects from the past two drafts. Knies would be the one that attracts the most attention. He had a point-per-game as a rookie at the University of Minnesota last year and has 30 points in 28 games as a sophomore. He’s surrounded by high-quality teammates like Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley, which helps, but he’s been the goal-scoring leader of the three. That potential to be a decent middle-six scorer could entice teams to part with a current roster player, and if it gives the Leafs some extra scoring depth right now, it’s worth it.

I was never high on Minten, who I didn’t even have as a second-rounder last year, let alone the 38th-best prospect. He has put up good numbers with Kamloops in the WHL, but he’s fifth in team scoring (mostly behind older players, mind you) and I don’t think he has a high ceiling in the NHL. His value is as a middle-six physical forward, and while that would be a nice fit with the current lineup, he’s definitely someone worth moving.

One intriguing name is Topi Niemela, who already has an entry-level contract. He’s having a bit of a down year with Karpat in Finland, but he’s still the team’s top defensive prospect – and, in my opinion, the one with the most upside in Toronto’s system. Teams love young, mobile puck-moving defenders, and he’d be a prime candidate to come over to North America next year.

Nick Robertson’s season-ending injury likely takes him out of the equation. But one name that could definitely garner attention is goaltender Joseph Woll. He’s one of the hottest goalies in the AHL right now and is playing well enough to earn a shot in the NHL. But with Ilya Samsonov playing well this season, and Matt Murray signed for another year, Woll could be 25 and still toiling around in the NHL. I don’t think he fixes any team’s immediate problems, but maybe he’s used as a sweetener to land a scoring forward they need. Who knows? Roni Hirvonen and Nick Abruzzese could also act as sweeteners, especially with Abruzzese playing some great hockey right now.

The Leafs earn the No. 1 ranking not simply because they have some intriguing assets but also because they’re positioned to make virtually any of their prospects available.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

Possibly available: Jackson Blake, Alexander Nikishin, Massimo Rizzo, Domenick Fensore, 2023 1st-round pick

With Max Pacioretty out and with no actual timeline, the Hurricanes could look to fill the gap with his lost scoring touch. After years of building one of the best prospect pools, the Hurricanes have jumped near the top of the NHL standings. And even after graduating players like Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis, the pool still looks strong.

They’re solid in the NCAA with forwards Massimo Rizzo, Jackson Blake and Cruz Lucius, as well as defensemen Scott Morrow and Domenick Fensore, among others. So they can afford to move a few pieces around to grab another high-impact player without too much hesitation from just one league alone.

The real wild card is 6-foot-4 blueliner Alexander Nikishin. The 21-year-old is one of the best defensemen in the KHL, playing around 23 minutes and about to hit 50 points while playing a huge role on SKA St. Petersburg, the top team in the KHL. But Nikishin signed a three-year deal in the KHL just before getting drafted 69th overall by the Hurricanes, which is why he hasn’t come over yet.

He’s so physically advanced for his age and the offense is showing up, too. He has legitimate top-four potential, so it’ll be interesting to see if his rights are used in a deal to add some extra depth in the immediate future.

3. Calgary Flames

Possibly available: Jeremie Poirier, Matthew Coronato, Jakob Pelletier, Connor Zary, Matthew Phillips, 2023 1st-round pick

The Flames have some decent prospects in the system, but it feels like coach Daryl Sutter wants nothing to do with them most nights. Forward Jakob Pelletier was called up in early January but only skated in four games, seeing under eight minutes in two of them. He immediately jumped back to the AHL and grabbed a pair of points, giving him 16 goals and 36 points in 32 games. Those are strong numbers for a 21-year-old, and it’s clear he deserves a better look in the NHL. With the Flames on the outside looking in, but with the skill to make some noise in the post-season, could they use him as a key bargaining chip?

Similar sentiments could be said about Connor Zary and Matthew Phillips. Both have been excellent with the Wranglers, and it’s been seven years since Phillips, in particular, was drafted by the Flames. Zary would hold more value being three years younger, but all deserve a real look with the Flames or elsewhere.

Two prospects I wouldn’t expect to be moved, but who could be intriguing depending on the asking price, are goaltender Dustin Wolf and forward Matt Coronato. Coronato is one of the best NHL-drafted prospects in the NCAA and could fetch a pretty penny as a sophomore that might be ready to turn pro sooner rather than later. Wolf is one of the best goalies outside the NHL right now, but Jacob Markstrom is signed until 2026 and Daniel Vladar has two more years on his deal. Wolf is good enough to be in the NHL next season, and while I think it would be easier to move someone like Vladar and his $750,000 hit this year at the deadline, it would be interesting to see what it takes to take Wolf out of Calgary. I can’t see it happening, but we’ve seen crazier things.

4. Los Angeles Kings

Possibly available: Alex Turcotte, Jordan Spence, Tyler Madden, Aidan Dudas, Kenny Connors, Francesco Pinelli, 2023 1st-round pick

The Kings desperately need a goalie if they’re going to make serious noise heading into the playoffs. And while the team’s prospect pool has cooled off over the past two years, they still have enough assets to bring in someone who can fill an immediate need.

Forwards Francesco Pinelli, Alex Laferriere, Quinton Byfield, Tyler Madden, Aidan Dudas and Kenny Connors are all still relatively young. They also have Brandt Clarke, Kirill Kirsanov and Jordan Spence as future blueliners, too. If the Kings are looking for a short-term answer – someone like Cam Talbot, James Reimer or Alex Stalock – it shouldn’t take a high-end prospect to make it happen.

The biggest thing holding back the Kings is their awful goaltending, which, right now, is being led by usual third-stringer Pheonix Copley. The club’s core still has enough talent up front and on the blueline. If they can move even a few of their younger assets, such as a Pinelli, a Connors or a Spence, they wouldn’t be hurting in the long run.

5. Seattle Kraken

Possibly available: 2023 second-round pick (x3)

Hear me out: I was fully on the “Seattle must absolutely suck those first few years to accumulate resources” train when they entered the league. The total opposite of Vegas, essentially. But they’ve accumulated an incredible treasure trove of draft pick assets over the past few seasons, and it might be worth trying to move a few to boost this group. Because, whether you could predict it or not, the Kraken have a legitimate shot to go all the way in the west.

I don’t think they’ll move any prospects, because they don’t have a huge pool to work with. They do have three second-rounders, two fourth-rounders and two sixth-rounders in 2023 and two third-round picks in 2024. If we’re working with just those assets, that’s not going to land a high-value player on the trade block, but it might get you a decent bottom-six forward or a bottom-four defender that can complement the team’s lineup. You don’t always need to make a big splash to get big results, and that’s exactly what the Kraken learned after picking up Eeli Tolvanen on waivers.

The Kraken need to stay forward-focused, and I can’t see them deviating from that fact. The 2023 NHL Draft is solid enough that even a 25th overall pick will be quite impressive. Moving a couple of second-rounders won’t hurt the team’s future much, and it could be precisely what it takes to give the group an exciting, long playoff run, too. It’s all about tinkering without mortgaging the future, and I think the Kraken can make it happen.

Honorable mentions: The Dallas Stars have no first- or third-rounder in the 2023 Draft but have built up an enviable prospect cupboard that includes intriguing forwards Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven…It’s tough to imagine the New Jersey Devils moving their defensive mega-prospects Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, but what if someone comes calling on Alexander Holtz? Maybe it’s too soon for New Jersey to take a big swing, however, as they’re only just breaking through as a playoff team.