Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois rockets to No. 1 on latest Trade Targets board

Credit: Pierre-Luc Dubois (© James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports)

The NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that a player can enjoy the freedom of Unrestricted Free Agency at the age of 27, or after seven accrued seasons in the league.

A few high-profile players have flipped that timeline on its head in back-to-back summers now, essentially forcing their way into UFA and the ability to choose their next destination by hitting RFA status one year prior to their scheduled UFA summer. Last year, it was Matthew Tkachuk, who told the Flames he would not re-sign in Calgary.

This year, it is Pierre-Luc Dubois who has done the same in Winnipeg, and Alex DeBrincat, who is considering something similar in Ottawa. It’s a nightmare scenario for the Jets and Sens, who paid handsomely to acquire those players, only to see them want to walk even earlier than they might have imagined.

It’s a reminder of the new reality for NHL teams: Plan accordingly and don’t allow yourself to be backed into a corner. It used to be that teams wouldn’t want to walk a player to UFA on contract term length; the new normal is that teams don’t want to walk a star player to one-year ahead of UFA, for fear the same might happen. Beware of that as teams begin to negotiate second contracts for players out of their entry-level deals.

We had two big trades this week: Damon Severson, Daily Faceoff’s No. 1 Free Agent, went off the board to Columbus in a sign-and-trade. And the Blue Jackets also acquired Ivan Provorov in a three-team trade, wiping four pieces off of our Top 25 Trade Targets.

No worry there. We’re back with 10 new names on the latest Trade Targets board, which always seeks to blend a player’s prominence with his likelihood of a trade:

Trade Targets 🎯

All contractual data courtesy of CapFriendly.com

1. Pierre-Luc Dubois
Center, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 24
Stats: 73 GP, 27 G, 36 A, 63 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $6 million qualifying offer
Scoop: Dubois has rocketed to the top of the list by virtue of his formal trade request. He’s informed the Jets he will not be signing a new contract. The Jets could force him to return next season with a qualifying offer and club-elected arbitration award. That doesn’t appear to be the path Winnipeg will travel down. Instead, the most likely outcome is very similar to what the Flames did last year with Matthew Tkachuk: find a willing party, negotiate an eight-year extension, and then complete the sign and trade. With size, youth and production, Dubois is a power forward in demand.

2. Connor Hellebuyck
Goaltender, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 30
Stats: 64 GP, 2.49 GAA, .920 Sv%
Contract: 1 more season, $6.17 million AAV
Scoop: Hellebuyck is one of the most consistently excellent netminders playing one of the most fickle positions in pro sports. Hellebuyck is coming off a season that rivaled only his 2019-20 campaign that garnered him the Vezina Trophy, and he was voted a finalist again this season for the third time in six years. He’s in his prime, under a manageable cap hit for one more year, and could vault a roster into serious contender contention. Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa, Toronto, Carolina, Pittsburgh and Vegas all have openings based on play or contractual status.

3. Kevin Hayes
Center, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 30
Stats: 81 GP, 18 G, 36 A, 54 Pts
Contract: 3 more seasons, $7.14 million AAV
Scoop: Interim Flyers GM Danny Briere acknowledged in a recent interview on Frankly Speaking that some players simply aren’t fits for the Flyers – either through timeline or with John Tortorella or both. Hayes seems to check a lot of those boxes. Previous Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher made Hayes available prior to the deadline, but it was too complicated of a transaction to pull off in a short period of time. There was definitely interest though. The Hurricanes, Stars, Wild, Red Wings and Blue Jackets were among those to kick tires. He’d be an ideal fit with his hometown Bruins. The Flyers seemed willing to retain salary if need be. Expect them to help facilitate a deal for Hayes.

4. Mark Scheifele
Center, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 30
Stats: 81 GP, 42 G, 26 A, 68 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $6.13 million AAV
Scoop: Scheifele and Blake Wheeler and Co. have had plenty of kicks at the can in Winnipeg, and it seems as if massive changes are coming on the Canadian prairie. Scheifele is coming off a career-high in goals (42) and his Hockey IQ is off the charts. Coupled with a paltry $6 million cap hit, there should be no shortage of suitors lining up to pry him out of Winnipeg. So many teams in the NHL are starved for center depth and a pivot like Scheifele could significantly change one of their outlooks heading into next season.

5. Alex DeBrincat
Left Wing, Ottawa Senators
Age: 25
Stats: 82 GP, 27 G, 39 A, 66 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $9 million qualifying offer
Scoop: The Sens’ preference is still to ink DeBrincat to a long-term contract. But DeBrincat is seeking clarity on ownership, management and head coach – with so much hanging in the air at the moment. This also isn’t a shock for the Senators, who have begun to explore the trade market just in case it doesn’t work out. They knew this was the risk last summer when they traded the No. 7 overall pick, plus a second and third, in order to get an American-born player with one hefty year left on his deal that would give him the bulk of the leverage.

6. Evgeny Kuznetsov
Center, Washington Capitals
Age: 30
Stats: 81 GP, 12 G, 43 A, 55 Pts
Contract: 2 more seasons, $7.8 million AAV
Scoop: Kuznetsov is among the most intriguing players on the board. His off-ice conduct and suspension for cocaine are well documented. His consistency and compete have been question. But he’s flat out one of the most talented players in the league. No one would blink if Kuznetsov bounced back with another point-per-game type season next year. His name circulated in trade rumors in 2021 and he netted 78 points in 79 games that next season. Because he may also be slowing down, as evidenced by his drop in production, his contract likely will not be easy to move. Trading Kuznetsov would remove most of the veteran Russians in Alex Ovechkin’s lineup and leave him without a primary feeder on the power play. The Caps are expected to explore a multitude of options.

7. Erik Karlsson
Right Defense, San Jose Sharks
Age: 32
Stats: 82 GP, 25 G, 76 A, 101 Pts
Contract: 4 more seasons, $11.5 million AAV
Scoop: Only once in NHL history has a reigning Norris Trophy winner been traded in the same summer he’s taken home the award for top defenseman: Doug Harvey (1961) going from Montreal to New York. That goes to show you how rare of a transaction this might be. It’s also incredibly complicated. Karlsson put together one of the best offensive seasons of any defenseman ever, yet his contract makes him difficult to move. Sharks GM Mike Grier acknowledged at locker cleanout day he’s ready to listen again on a Karlsson deal. He’ll have to adjust his asking price and be willing to retain salary. If one is to materialize, this trade always felt like an offseason deal. It may also be now or never, because Karlsson’s value to the Sharks is never going to be higher than it is at this exact moment in time, as the first 100-point defenseman since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.

8. Conor Garland
Right Wing, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 27
Stats: 81 GP, 17 G, 29 A, 46 Pts
Contract: 3 more seasons, $4.95 million AAV
Scoop: The Canucks are in salary cap jail and they know it. The rest of their summer plans cannot be enacted until they free up salary cap space, and they’ve been actively checking prices on Garland as their preference to move to alleviate their cap concerns. Garland, who played for Rick Tocchet in Arizona, is a scrappy but undersized winger who has struggled to find a comfortable fit in the Lower Mainland. With three years left at nearly $5 million, will a team take a flier? He’s essentially a free asset, as the Canucks have found teams that are asking for assets in return to take him off their hands.

9. John Gibson
Goaltender, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 29
Stats: 53 GP, 3.99 GAA, .899 Sv%
Contract: 4 more seasons, $6.4 million AAV
Scoop: Gibson has let the Ducks know that after 10 seasons, he is ready for a change of scenery. With little defensive support, Gibson was tagged with the worst statistical season of his career. Amazingly, Gibson’s save percentage was still exactly league average (.899), which is an indication of how much game he has left. How much better would those numbers look on a properly constructed (read: not rebuilding) team? That’s what has teams wondering. Gibson was available last summer, but at a high price. Considering the term remaining on his deal, even if his cap hit is fine, it’s still a large commitment. Would the Ducks be willing to retain a chunk to get Gibson in line closer to $5 million to make a move more palatable? He makes sense as a replacement for Tristan Jarry in Pittsburgh, which happens to be Gibson’s hometown.

10. Carter Hart
Goaltender, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 24
Stats: 55 GP, 2.94 GAA, .907 Sv%
Contract: 1 more season, $3.979 million AAV
Scoop: Hart’s name has surfaced in trade rumors and the Flyers certainly haven’t poured cold water on the idea that they’re listening to offers on the player once believed to be the cure to their cursed crease. Just because they are listening also does not mean a trade is imminent. Hart is immensely talented. There is no debating that. And his season last year might have been even better than his numbers would indicate. However, sources say teams are also leery of any player connected to the 2018 Team Canada World Junior championship sexual assault, especially with the league’s investigation due to wrap later this summer.

11. J.T. Miller
Center/Wing, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 30
Stats: 81 GP, 30 G, 52 A, 82 Pts
Contract: 7 more seasons, $8 million AAV
Scoop: The way Miller closed out the season under new coach Rick Tocchet, it’s easy to envision him in the Canucks’ opening night lineup in October. He posted 41 points in 35 games under Tocchet, who will have no problem managing Miller’s challenging locker room presence. Yet, we know that the Canucks were deep in talks with the Penguins to move Miller before the deadline. Those fizzled and now Pittsburgh’s regime has changed. Has that trade partner evaporated? How much will the Canucks push to move him before his “no-trade” clause kicks in on July 1? They could desperately use the cap flexibility. You have to allow for the possibility in a depressed free agent market that a team will covet Miller enough to make a play.

12. Tony DeAngelo
Right Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 27
Stats: 70 GP, 11 G, 31 A, 42 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $5 million AAV
Scoop: It was a bumpy homecoming season for DeAngelo under John Tortorella. He was sat as a healthy scratch for a stretch of time, which begged the question: Why was DeAngelo good enough to play every night in one of the best defense corps in Carolina, but not good enough for the lowly Flyers? Through it all, DeAngelo still piled up 42 points on one of the bottom feeders. You can pencil him in for 50-plus points on a more talented team next season. It seems to be a question of when and where, not if, DeAngelo will be on the move – this summer, or at the trade deadline?

13. One St. Louis Blues Defenseman
Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, Nick Leddy, Marco Scandella
Scoop: Pick one, anyone, but GM Doug Armstrong is looking to create flexibility on his salary cap by moving one of his higher-priced defensemen. We know Torey Krug isn’t going anywhere, but the rest are up for grabs. Interest seemed to percolate on Parayko around the deadline, but he still has nearly $45 million remaining on his massive contract over the next seven seasons. That’s a big commitment for a big man. Faulk and Leddy have both seen declines in their games. The tough part for Armstrong is all of his top five defensemen have “no-trade” clauses that can be tricky to navigate.

14. Ross Colton
Left Wing, Tampa Bay Lightning
Age: 26
Stats: 81 GP, 16 G, 16 A, 32 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $1.125 million AAV
Scoop: Colton is due a massive raise and it doesn’t appear that the Lightning have room to pay him. They’re going to try to take a run at him. The late-blooming, fourth-round pick who made a dent during Tampa’s 2021 Stanley Cup run also has to cash in. His career earnings total $2.9 million. This is his prime earning time, so a hometown discount likely isn’t in order. Colton has arbitration rights and has established himself as an 18-to-20-goal scorer who can be a consistent contributor on a contending team’s third line. That will make him in-demand for teams who think he can elevate in their lineup. Even if Alex Killorn walks in free agency, Tampa will have less than $10 million to spend to fill out eight roster spots, and will also have to pay Tanner Jeannot.

15. Taylor Hall
Left Wing, Boston Bruins
Age: 31
Stats: 61 GP, 16 G, 20 A, 36 Pts
Contract: 2 more seasons, $6 million AAV
Scoop: The Bruins’ cap picture would indicate Hall’s cap hit is a luxury Boston cannot afford. The complicating factor for Boston is a $4.5 million salary cap overage that will be placed on next year’s books by virtue of the Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci earned performance bonuses. So whatever next year’s cap ends up being, take $4.5 million off the top. Then factor in that they’ll need to sign nearly half of their roster – and might try to keep a trade acquisition like Tyler Bertuzzi – and the dollars get stretched thin in a hurry. Hall was strong in Round 1, but his regular season production at that cap hit is less than ideal. He has a 10-team “no-trade” list.

16. Dan Vladar
Goaltender, Calgary Flames
Age: 25
Stats: 27 GP, 2.91 GAA, .895 Sv%
Contract: 2 more seasons, $2.2 million AAV
Scoop: New Flames GM Craig Conroy acknowledged on Frankly Speaking that Dustin Wolf has earned an NHL opportunity after putting up monster numbers in the AHL. It would stand to reason then that opportunity would come at the cost of Vladar, who many saw as a future No. 1 in the NHL. He’s locked up for two more seasons at a very cost effective $2.2 million, which makes him a highly tradable commodity if the belief is shared that he can take on a bigger load than the third of a season he played last year. And he might be more attractive, especially for cap teams, than one of the free agents available.

17. Adam Henrique
Center, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 33
Stats: 62 GP, 22 G, 16 A, 38 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $5.825 million AAV
Scoop: If not for an untimely injury before the trade deadline, it’s likely Henrique’s tenure with the Ducks would have ended in February. Even with the injury, there were a couple teams hovering around Henrique on Deadline Day to see if they could pry him out of Anaheim. Outside of Cam Fowler, Henrique is Pat Verbeek’s easiest or most valuable veteran to move. He plays a responsible game, rarely gets himself in trouble on the ice, and can reliably post a 20-goal season. If he doesn’t get moved this summer, he will be another top trade deadline chip in 2024.

18. Matt Grzelcyk
Left Defense, Boston Bruins
Age: 29
Stats: 75 GP, 4 G, 22 A, 26 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $3.69 million AAV
Scoop: Tough decisions are ahead for the Bruins. The piper needs paying. And the local boy’s time may be running low in Beantown. Grzelcyk was scratched twice already in this first-round series against Florida. Brandon Carlo would also seem to be in the crosshairs this summer as a $4.1 million defenseman, but his term may make him a little more difficult to move. Grzelcyk’s game is respected around the league and he could be a salary cap casualty on Causeway Street.

19. Andrew Peeke
Right Defense, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 25
Stats: 80 GP, 6 G, 7 A, 13 Pts
Contract: 3 more seasons, $2.75 million AAV
Scoop: Do the math. Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson and David Jiricek make up Columbus’ new-look Top 4. Erik Gudbranson isn’t going anywhere with that contract. Denton Mateychuk is knocking on the door. Jake Bean is coming off injury but has Columbus excited. Adam Boqvist is still just 22. And Nick Blankenburg is the perfect insurance piece. That makes Peeke the odd-man out, at least from afar, to move somewhere else with three most seasons at a cost controlled number.

20. Anthony Mantha
Left Wing, Washington Capitals
Age: 28
Stats: 67 GP, 11 G, 16 A, 27 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $5.7 million AAV
Scoop: The Capitals have openly engaged teams about the availability of both Kuznetsov and Mantha, looking to shake things up and create some salary cap flexibility in the process. Mantha is a big man (6-foot-5) who has high-end skill, as evidenced by his 24 and 25-goal seasons with the Red Wings. But those were five years ago now, and Mantha has struggled mightily in Washington. And that cap hit is onerous now relative to production. The Caps are looking to have someone take Mantha off their hands, but he may cost an asset as a sweetener to achieve.

21. Kailer Yamamoto
Right Wing, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 24
Stats: 58 GP, 10 G, 15 A, 25 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $3.1 million AAV
Scoop: Like Mantha, Yamamoto is a buyout candidate. Just about every part of this season was a little bit “off” for Yamamoto. He didn’t seem quite right. He’s been dealing with a vestibular system issue, symptoms not all that different than a concussion, for a large chunk of the year, which also kept him out of the lineup in the early part of 2023. When he’s been healthy, Yamamoto can be an impact contributor. He collected 20 goals last season. It’s just that the Oilers will have other players to pay (see: Evan Bouchard) and limited room to make deals, making him expendable.

22. Blake Wheeler
Right Wing, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 36
Stats: 72 GP, 16 G, 39 A, 55 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $8.25 million AAV
Scoop: It’s difficult to envision a path back for Wheeler in Winnipeg, particularly after he was openly critical of coach Rick Bowness’ post-mortem playoff interview when he said that Bowness was too hard publicly on the team. Despite having the ‘C’ ripped off his jersey last September, Wheeler still wielded a significant (read: too big) influence on the Jets’ dressing room. It’s time for the Jets to cut bait. Last summer, they touted Wheeler as the missing link to a contending team, and were unwilling to retain salary to move him. That has to happen this time around for the Jets to finally turn over control to Josh Morrissey, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers.

23. Tyler Myers
Right Defense, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 33
Stats: 78 GP, 1 G, 16 A, 17 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $6 million AAV
Scoop: Myers is a trade that might not materialize right at the beginning of the summer – if at all. Keep an eye on the $5 million signing bonus due. The belief is Myers’ bonus is due to be paid in September, shortly before training camp, which would leave him with just $1 million in salary to be paid after that during the course of the regular season. For any team interested acquiring team, there’s little incentive to pick up that tab when you know the Canucks are on the hook for it. That means a trade could come together shortly after it’s paid, though it also makes him a heck of deadline commodity.

24. Kaapo Kahkonen
Goaltender, San Jose Sharks
Age: 26
Stats: 37 GP, 3.85 GAA, .883 Sv%
Contract: 1 more season, $2.75 million AAV
Scoop: This may surprise, but there are a few teams that view Kahkonen as a worthy rehab project and think he can bounce back into being a quality NHL netminder next season and beyond. They think he has the tools to be an immediate No. 1 again. Goaltending is voodoo, so don’t bet against it. This will not surprise: the Sharks are open to anything and everything to improve. If that means someone comes calling on Kahkonen, then so be it. The Sharks acquired him at the deadline last season along with a fifth-round pick in exchange for Jacob Middleton.

25. Blues’ First Round Picks
St. Louis (25th and 29th Overall) | Draft Board
Scoop: We’ve reported on the availability of these picks, as it will be shocking if Blues GM Doug Armstrong is walking to the podium all three times in the first round on June 28 in Nashville. The Blues are looking to move the picks they got for Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko in exchange for 25-year-old and younger players who can make an impact on their team with cost control.

26. Mikael Granlund
Center/Wing, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 31
Stats: 79 GP, 10 G, 31 A, 41 Pts
Contract: 2 more seasons, $5 million AAV
Scoop: Granlund’s status in Pittsburgh has become fascinating. The Kyle Dubas-led Maple Leafs nearly acquired him a couple years’ prior at the deadline before Nashville kept him. In Pittsburgh, the Granlund trade was one of the moves that put the nail in the coffin of GM Ron Hextall’s tenure. One word to describe his stay in the Steel City: Disastrous. Granlund scored a grand total of one goal in 21 games as the Pens missed the playoffs. To be fair, that wasn’t all on him, but he certainly didn’t hold up to his end of the bargain. Now, with two more years left on his deal, his contract is either a problem for Dubas to clean up – or one for Dubas and Co. to rehab.

27. Kevin Labanc
Right Wing, San Jose Sharks
Age: 27
Stats: 72 GP, 15 G, 18 A, 33 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $4.725 million AAV
Scoop: Labanc finished the season on a bit of a high note, posting five goals in an 11-game stretch in March and early April after what has been a mostly miserable couple seasons. He seems pretty far removed from the 17-goal, 56-point campaign that put him on the radar back in 2018-19. There have been injuries and probably a loss of confidence, but there is probably something worth trading for if the Sharks are willing to get creative.

28. Alec Martinez
Left Defense, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 35
Stats: 77 GP, 3 G, 11 A, 14 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $5.25 million AAV
Scoop: Martinez has more than earned his paycheck as an integral member of Vegas’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. He eats pucks like nobody’s business. But from jump street, there was always the likelihood that the third year of Martinez’s extension was going to be painful for the Golden Knights. There’s no doubt Martinez has veteran savvy and hockey intelligence in spades, but his game has also slowed in a significant way that will force Vegas to ask some tough questions this summer. His “no-trade” list drops down to eight teams this summer.

29. Samuel Girard
Left Defense, Colorado Avalanche
Age: 24
Stats: 76 GP, 6 G, 31 A, 37 Pts
Contract: 4 more seasons, $5 million AAV
Scoop: Before the announcement that Gabriel Landeskog will miss the entirety of next season, the math was not in Girard’s favor to stay in Denver. Now they can move all $7 million of Landeskog’s money to LTIR to clear a path to keep Girard and still try and acquire another center for much-needed depth. You still have to allow for a possibility that they pivot and move Girard for better balance, as they have somewhere around $20 million in space to sign upwards of nine players. Girard would appear to be the odd-man out on the back end. Devon Toews makes a bigger overall impact; Bowen Byram is three years younger and has higher upside. Girard is a clear fourth among Avs defensemen in minutes played. All of that might mean for another team that he could do more with more opportunity. His contract is also a reminder you can never go wrong buying all of the prime years of a player’s career on a long-term deal.

30. Mackenzie Blackwood
Goaltender, New Jersey Devils
Age: 26
Stats: 22 GP, 3.20 GAA, .893 Sv%
Contract: Pending RFA, $3.36 million qualifying offer
Scoop: Does a team want to get a jump on Blackwood on the UFA market by sending a pick the Devils’ way? That’s where he is heading, as he’s due a hefty qualifying offer that won’t be offered by New Jersey. He’s one of 10 RFAs with a fascinating contractual situation. The Devils are likely to go with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid next season. Blackwood was once seen as their goaltender of the future, talked about in the same conversation as Carter Hart and Thatcher Demko as the bright young goalies, and he’s been beset by significant injuries and inconsistent play.

Traded: No. 13 Sean Walker; No. 18 Ivan Provorov; No. 22 Columbus 1st Round Pick; No. 25 Cal Petersen.

Next up: Rights to Dmitry Orlov.

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Jets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois rockets to No. 1 on latest Trade Targets board

Trade Targets 🎯

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