Seravalli: 15 Trade Targets as market heats up in December

Frank Seravalli
Frank Seravalli(frank_seravalli)
Seravalli: 15 Trade Targets as market heats up in December

The calendar has turned to December and the NHL’s trade market is heating up. Multiple trade requests are pending – some formal, some informal. Managers have had enough sample size to adequately analyze holes, weaknesses and potentially other roster and market inefficiencies throughout the league.

Daily Faceoff‘s Steve Greeley, former assistant GM of the Buffalo Sabres, has kept close tabs on 10 young players who are candidates for a “change of scenery.” His two lists are important to monitor.

Our Trade Targets list goes beyond just young players. We’ve gathered intelligence from around the NHL to determine which players have landed on the early season trade radar.

The March 21 trade deadline may be a long way off, but we’ve been all over the list. Last July, 18 of the 30 players who appeared on Daily Faceoff’s Trade Target board were ultimately traded. Some others have been hot topics of conversation in the months since, including a couple carryovers to now.

Here are 15 names in play, or will be in the months leading up to March:

1. Joonas Korpisalo
Goaltender, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 27
Contract: Pending UFA, $2.8 million AAV
Scoop: It’s the Elvis Merzlikins Show in Columbus, now and for the foreseeable future. Merzlikins has carried the Blue Jackets – and next year begins a fresh five-year, $27 million deal. Plus, the Blue Jackets have Daniil Tarasov eventually waiting in the wings. Korpisalo has not put in a formal trade request, but GM Jarmo Kekalainen is aware that Korpisalo would be open to an opportunity to play elsewhere. Teams have engaged with Columbus on Korpisalo as recently as the last couple weeks. He’s struggled these last two seasons – but made a believer of many with his play in the ‘bubble’ in 2019-20.

2. Jake DeBrusk
Left Wing, Boston Bruins
Age: 25
Contract: Pending RFA, $3.675 million AAV ($4.41 mil. minimum qualifying offer)
Scoop: DeBrusk’s trade request has been well publicized, grabbing headlines and generating interest. As many as 12 teams have reportedly inquired about DeBrusk – and though he’s been needed in the lineup, Bruins GM Don Sweeney has been active in attempting to facilitate a deal and diffuse the situation. There have been questions about DeBrusk’s attention to detail and effort level (publicly via coach Bruce Cassidy). The difficulty is other teams have seen that, too, leaving Sweeney in a position of weakness, trying to trade a talented young scorer while his value is seemingly at an all-time low.



3. Vladimir Tarasenko
Right Wing, St. Louis Blues
Age: 29
Contract: 1 more season at $7.5 million AAV
Scoop: Tarasenko has played the role of the good soldier in St. Louis – and he’s still hoping that the Blues will in turn honor his desire to be moved. His trade request from the summer has not been rescinded. In the meantime, what Tarasenko has done is remove any lingering questions about his health. The Yaroslavl Sniper has 19 points in 22 games this season and is on pace for 26 goals, despite his shooting percentage (8.3) being down one-third from his career average (12.4).

4. Justin Holl
Right Defense, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 29
Contract: 1 more season at $2 million AAV
Scoop: Goaltender Petr Mrazek is inching closer to a return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup, having recently returned to practice with the team. That means the Leafs will need to clear some cap space in order to activate Mrazek off LTIR. Kyle Clifford is one easy transaction. But the Leafs will need to shed more than that. There are other ways, including waiving Wayne Simmonds or trading Nick Ritchie. Since Timothy Liljegren has played himself into an everyday role, the Leafs have had interest in both Holl and Travis Dermott, but Holl is older and earns more – in a role that’s not commensurate with his pay.

5. Vitali Kravtsov
Right Wing, New York Rangers
Age: 21
Contract: Pending RFA, $925,000 AAV
Scoop: The No. 9 overall pick from the 2018 NHL Draft has been on loan with KHL Chelyabinsk after refusing an assignment to the AHL in October. Kravtsov has five goals and one assist for six points in eight games since returning to Russia. New agent Dan Milstein has permission to find a new home for Kravtsov, but it hasn’t been easy. We’re told Ottawa and Montreal were among the teams interested. Now that Jeff Gorton, the man who drafted Kravtsov, is in control in Montreal – could a reunion be in order? The Canadiens have three third-round picks, or perhaps an NHL roster player who might help New York’s middle six with Sammy Blais out.

6. Patric Hornqvist
Right Wing, Florida Panthers
Age: 34
Contract: 1 more season at $5.3 million AAV
Scoop: It feels odd to have the third-highest paid forward on one of the best teams as a Trade Target. But that’s actually why Hornqvist made the list. He was a great pick up for GM Bill Zito last year. This year, Hornqvist has fallen back to the least productive season (0.50 points per game) of his career. His minutes have been significantly reduced, down nearly four minutes per game from last season, whittled down to a fourth line even-strength role with power-play time. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Zito, it’s that he finds a way to move out salary (Brett Connolly, Anton Stralman) to make room – and the ‘Cats are going to need it with their dead cap buyout money doubling next season.

7. J.T. Miller
Left Wing, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 28
Contract: 1 more season at $5.25 million AAV
Scoop: A number of teams have been circling around Miller (including one of his old teams, the New York Rangers) amid the Canucks’ disastrous season, although it seems as if GM Jim Benning does not have the full autonomy to make a core-altering trade at the moment. The truth is, the Canucks could use six more Millers, not have zero of them. He’s done just about everything Vancouver could’ve asked of him since his trade from Tampa Bay, with 141 points in 146 games in a Canucks uniform. It seemingly will be up to Benning’s successor to analyze Miller’s future fit – whether with one more year left, now is the time to maximize value, or keep him as a key building block.

8. Dylan Strome
Center, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 24
Contract: Pending RFA, $3 million AAV ($3.6 mil. minimum qualifying offer)
Scoop: It’s been a tough haul for Strome this season, who has been trying to find his game after a season-opening healthy scratch. We reported then the Blackhawks, under GM Stan Bowman at the time, was working to try and find Strome a new home. Interim GM Kyle Davidson has continued the effort, but there has not been a fit. Strome has three points in 12 games, understandably lacking confidence, just two seasons removed from a 38-point campaign in 58 games during the Covid-19 shortened 2019-20 season.

9. Reilly Smith
Right Wing, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 30
Contract: Pending UFA, $5 million AAV
Scoop: Hours after the trade, when asked how he would find the room to activate Jack Eichel, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said: “Sometimes you never return to full health … if and when that poses a challenge for us, we’ll address it at that time.” While it’s true the Golden Knights may never return to full health, Smith is at the top of the list of the options Vegas has to deal. His contract is expiring. If Nick Foligno fetched one first and two fourth-round picks, Smith should net a better return. A reunion with coach Gerard Gallant on a Rangers team that needs help on the right side would make a lot of sense.

10. Bryan Rust
Right Wing, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 29
Contract: Pending UFA, $3.5 million AAV
Scoop: There’s been so much focus on the decisions around Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin as Pittsburgh’s big-name pending free agents that not as much attention has been paid to Rust. He’s currently injured – and working through his injury – but picked up nine points in 12 games to start this season. The Penguins engaged in talks with Rust on parameters of a new deal before the season started, but it’s gone quiet since, and he remains a strong candidate to be on the move should Pittsburgh’s playoff charge fall short. Rust has scored at a 36-goal clip over each of the last two shortened seasons when adjusted to an 82-game slate.

11. Rickard Rakell
Right Wing, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 28
Contract: Pending UFA, $3.789 million AAV
Scoop: The Ducks are taking a methodical approach to replacing GM Bob Murray, who was ousted last month for verbally abusing staff. So it may be interim GM Jeff Solomon (and assistant GMs Dave Nonis and Martin Madden Jr.) at the controls when making important deadline decisions on Rakell and pending free agent defensemen Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm. Of those three potentially on the move, the smart money is on Rakell, who has eight points in 13 games to start this season.

12. Tomas Hertl
Center, San Jose Sharks
Age: 28
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.625 million AAV
Scoop: Hertl represents a delicate dance for GM Doug Wilson. The Sharks have bounced back this season and exceeded (meager) expectations. They’re hanging tough in the playoff race. They have an aging core which may not have many more kicks at the can. Hertl is also unsigned and would provide a significant return for the future. Should Wilson move him? It’s seems a longshot Wilson would let him walk for nothing. It’s not an easy explanation to the core, either. Stay tuned as we get closer to March. Perhaps the decision will be made for Wilson.

13. Phil Kessel
Right Wing, Arizona Coyotes
Age: 34
Contract: Pending UFA, $6.8 million AAV
Scoop: Kessel has received praise from GM Bill Armstrong for his work ethic, but it’s been a grind in the desert. He’s on pace for the lowest goal output of his career (12). Could a trade potentially rekindle some of the Kessel playoff magic that nearly netted him a Conn Smythe Trophy? Arizona is stockpiling picks. There’s no way they’ll hang onto him. And he’ll cost mere pennies in actual dollars, since his salary this season due by the Coyotes is just $850,000 ($150,000 paid by Leafs) – it could cost somewhere around $250,000 in cash plus acquisition cost to roll the dice on Phil the Thrill, depending on when the trigger is pulled.

14. Henrik Borgstrom
Center/Left Wing, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 24
Contract: 1 more season at $1 million AAV
Scoop: Like Strome and Adam Gaudette (since waived), the Blackhawks are open to moving Borgstrom, whom then-GM Bowman took on Brett Connolly’s contract from Florida just to get in a Blackhawks uniform. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Borgstrom, who was in the COVID-19 protocol and then missed time with a non-COVID illness this season. He’s played mostly a third line role with some second unit power-play time – but has collected just one goal and one assist for two points in 12 games.

15. Evander Kane
Left Wing, San Jose Barracuda (AHL)
Age: 30
Contract: 3 more seasons at $7 million AAV
Scoop: No shortage of ink has been spilled on Kane, who cleared waivers and was sent to the AHL by the Sharks on Monday after serving his 21-game suspension for submitting a fake vaccination card. Kane said in a Santa Clara County family court hearing on Tuesday that he won’t be traveling to play in Canada with the Barracuda and has a “a very unique plan with my team and my agent.” We’ll see how that unfolds. Even with the Sharks being willing to engage a third party broker to reduce his cap hit to one quarter of what it is now, there is a toxic stench following Kane as he tries to resurrect his NHL career, with the feeling his contract is destined for a summer buyout if a deal does not materialize.

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