Sources: Montreal Canadiens weighing options to potentially move No. 5 overall pick

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Giddy Up. The intrigue surrounding the top five selections in Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft here on Wednesday night has been nothing short of fascinating. Where will Matvei Michkov land? Are the Anaheim Ducks really considering bypassing Adam Fantilli at No. 2?

Questions abound, including: Will the Montreal Canadiens move the No. 5 overall pick?

Sources tell Daily Faceoff that the Canadiens are spending Wednesday’s lead-up to the Draft deliberating as many as five separate offers for the pick from teams looking to make a significant move up the board.

It’s a potential move that may be board-dependent and wait until the San Jose Sharks select at No. 4.

Sources say the Canadiens have placed at least one call to the Sharks to inquire about swapping slots, but the belief is Sharks GM Mike Grier was unwavering in his desire to keep the pick. If the Habs have their sights set on one player in particular and he is taken, it’s possible to see the Canadiens pivot and slide a little further down to get their hands on another player while collecting some additional value in the meantime.

The Philadelphia Flyers are another team to watch. Aside from their crop of players still hovering on the Trade Targets board, including Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton and Travis Sanheim, the Flyers may also push to move up into the Top 5 from No. 7 overall so they can get their guy. As one of the teams to meet with Michkov in Nashville, they are definitely open and intrigued about the possibility of getting their hands on the best Russian-born prospect in years.

And while all of that is going on, the rest of the NHL will be focused on moving big pieces. There’s a lot floating out there on Wednesday.

Here is Daily Faceoff‘s Latest Trade Targets board, which always seeks to blend a player’s prominence with his likelihood of a trade:

Trade Targets 🎯

All contract data courtesy of CapFriendly.com

1. 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: One year ago on Draft night, the Sens acquired DeBrincat in exchange for the No. 7 overall pick, plus a second and a third, in order to pry him out of Chicago. They knew this was a possibility, that one year later if he did not want to re-sign in Canada’s capital, that they’d be in a similar situation now. Ottawa went in eyes wide-open. This time, they’ve lost a bit of leverage – both in DeBrincat’s ability to dictate his next destination, and also in the fact that the next team needs to pay big on his new contract. That’s a tough position to be in, leaving GM Pierre Dorion tried to recoup as many cents on the dollar as possible.

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. Noah Hanifin
Left Defense, Calgary Flames
Age: 26
Stats: 81 GP, 7 G, 31 A, 38 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $4.95 million AAV
Scoop: The early indication, at least for the time being, is that new GM Craig Conroy is gauging the market on Hanifin in the event that the Boston native chooses to not sign a contract extension in Calgary. To our knowledge, there’s been no firm or final decision made on that position just yet. But given Conroy’s edict at his initial press conference, the Flames will want proper “asset management” on any player heading into the last year of his deal, wanting to avoid that player walking for nothing as a free agent. Hanifin’s game has grown by leaps and bounds in Calgary, recognized as a defenseman whose value is significantly above his current cap hit.

4. 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: Karlsson reiterated his strong desire to go to a winner on Sunday in Nashville. 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 will have to adjust his asking price and be willing to retain salary. 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.

5. Canadiens’ No. 5 Overall Pick
The Canadiens are spending Wednesday’s lead-up to the Draft deliberating as many as five separate offers for the pick, mostly from teams looking to make a significant move up the board.

6. Elias Lindholm
Center, Calgary Flames
Age: 28
Stats: 80 GP, 22 G, 42 A, 64 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $4.85 million AAV
Scoop: The Flames are holding out hope they can convince Lindholm to stay. They met with him last week and rolled out the red carpet, tried to impress upon him just how big a part of their future he is, and have let him know in no uncertain terms exactly how valuable in terms of a contract extension. You don’t have to look further than Dylan Larkin or Bo Horvat’s new deals for comps. To this point, Lindholm hasn’t given Calgary an answer one way or the other. The longer this drags on, the less positive it would appear to look for the Flames. Speculation around the league is that Lindholm will choose to play elsewhere, but that hasn’t been communicated to Calgary.

7. 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.

8. Scott Laughton
Center, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 29
Stats: 78 GP, 18 G, 25 A, 43 Pts
Contract: 3 more seasons, $3 million AAV
Scoop: The Flyers very nearly traded Laughton at the deadline in 2021, but then-GM Chuck Fletcher re-signed him to a five-year, $15 million deal. It was a worthy bet that has now made Laughton a sought after commodity. He’s the ideal third line center on a contending team. He skates well, he doesn’t cheat for offense, and his work rate is excellent. After playing parts of three seasons in the NHL, the Flyers sent the 2012 first-rounder back to the AHL to find his game again. He came back a more complete player and solidified himself as a lineup staple, finding more point production as his game has grown.

9. Brett Pesce
Right Defense, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 28
Stats: 82 GP, 5 G, 25 A, 30 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $4.025 million AAV
Scoop: The Hurricanes have only just begun talking with Pesce about the framework of what an extension would look like since he recently changed agents. Carolina arrives at a crossroads this summer. They’ve been one of the most consistently excellent teams in the league, but they’ve hit a wall in the Conference Final twice. Do they need to shake up the core? We know they don’t love the idea of paying market value for players and Pesce and Brady Skjei are due real raises, at the same time Sebastian Aho is in need of a new deal. The Canes have some decisions to make on the backbone of their team in their defense corps.

10. Travis Konecny
Right Wing, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 26
Stats: 60 GP, 30 G, 31 A, 61 Pts
Contract: 2 more seasons, $5.5 million AAV
Scoop: Of all of the players on this board, the Flyers might have the most valuable trade chip in Konecny. He fits any team’s age scheme, he’s locked up for two more seasons at an insanely reasonable cap hit, and he plays with an edge that makes teams drool. When he’s on, Konecny is Brad Marchand Lite. So, why would the Flyers trade him? For one, his value may never be higher than at this moment in time, particularly with a weak free agent class and a flat cap. Second, the Flyers are embarking on a lengthy rebuild under Danny Briere. It might take five years for them to get where they’re going. Konecny will be 31 then, and more valuable to others in the meantime.

11. 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: The Oilers redoubled their effort to move Yamamoto over the weekend. In the worst case, Yamamoto is a buyout candidate. Just about every part of last 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.

12. Jeff Petry
Right Defense, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 35
Stats: 61 GP, 5 G, 26 A, 31 Pts
Contract: 2 more seasons, $6.25 million AAV
Scoop: The Penguins were working on Tuesday to find a new home for Petry, who was acquired by then-GM Ron Hextall last July. The goal for GM Kyle Dubas is to try to lower the Pens’ average age a touch. The view around the league is Petry has slowed down a bit and is no longer playing at a level commensurate to his cap hit. The term on his deal also makes him a little more difficult to move. It’s believed San Jose is a potential landing spot for Petry, while the Pens are also among the teams believed to be interested in Kaapo Kahkonen.

13. Filip Zadina
Right Wing, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 23
Stats: 30 GP, 3 G, 4 A, 7 Pts
Contract: 2 more seasons, $1.85 million AAV
Scoop: Zadina is no stranger to the Trade Targets board. He appeared on it last season as well. GM Steve Yzerman was efforting to find a new home for Zadina the last couple weeks. The 2018 No. 6 overall pick hasn’t lived up to the hype, billed then to be a sniper. Teams are concerned about his penchant to play around the perimeter, but wonder if he can still become the high-volume shooter and scorer that’s in his archetype. Zadina could be used in part of a package for the Red Wings to potentially go after DeBrincat.

14. 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.

15. Travis Sanheim
Left Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 27
Stats: 81 GP, 7 G, 16 A, 23 Pts
Contract: 8 more seasons, $6.25 million AAV
Scoop: Sanheim hasn’t yet begun an eight-year, $50 million pact signed by Chuck Fletcher last October on the eve of the regular season. Given where the Flyers are heading, it makes almost zero sense to pay a defenseman for eight years through his 35th birthday. The big question: Given the thin free agent crop, would a team sign Sanheim to that contract if he hit the free agent market? The answer is likely yes, as it will look more and more reasonable as the cap continues to increase. What could the Flyers get? The value may be in not having Sanheim on their books at all. The play would be to move Sanheim before his full ‘no-trade’ clause kicks in on July 1.

16. Torey Krug
Left Defense, St. Louis Blues
Age: 32
Stats: 63 GP, 7 G, 25 A, 32 Pts
Contract: 4 more seasons, $6.5 million AAV
Scoop: Well, that’s awkward. News trickled out over the weekend that Krug declined to waive his ‘no-trade’ clause to Philadelphia. It became apparent that Krug, an undersized guy who has missed a quarter of each of the last two seasons, was the odd-man out in St. Louis. On the one hand, it feels good to flex the muscle that you earned in negotiation. On the other, you’re left with the feeling that your current team no longer wants you, and that is difficult to shake. It’s pretty rare that guys who get pressed into that spot (let alone so publicly) end up remaining in that market for the long haul, but Krug also has almost $30 million remaining on his deal and it’s not an easy one to move.

17. Anthony Duclair
Left Wing, Florida Panthers
Age: 27
Stats: 20 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $3 million AAV
Scoop: Priority No. 1 for the Panthers is to improve their backend, and moving Duclair would provide GM Bill Zito with some salary cap flexibility. They’re going to need it with Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour potentially out for the first couple months of next season. They can’t spend that LTIR money from Ekblad and Montour because they’ll need to add them back to the cap when they’re ready to return. And Florida already wanted to add a Top 4 defenseman. It’s believed the Flames are one of the teams intrigued by Duclair to see if he can create some magic again with Jonathan Huberdeau.

18. 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: The Flyers and Hurricanes agreed to the parameters of a deal to send DeAngelo back to Carolina, only to be rebuffed by the NHL over the weekend. They were in violation of a CBA stipulation that says a player cannot be traded back to a team within one calendar year at a retained salary transaction. There are multiple reasons why that should not apply in this case: 1) The Flyers gave up 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks to get him last year. Now they’re sending him back with half retained and getting only a low-level prospect in return. 2) It pretty much has been a full year, given that the deal was done at the Draft in Montreal, if not for a weird pandemic-related calendar which pushed it back to July. Expect these two sides to re-visit the deal soon.

19. 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.

20. Will Borgen
Right Defense, Seattle Kraken
Age: 26
Stats: 82 GP, 3 G, 17 A, 20 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $945,000 qualifying offer due
Scoop: Borgen has generated some pretty significant interest as a blueliner who teams believe is capable of more. At the same time, Borgen is arbitration eligible coming off a season in which he played more than 16 minutes per night. Teams see him in the $2.75 million to $3.25 million range for next season, and maybe a bit higher if there are some UFA years purchased. He’s smart, mobile, has some size and is a right-shot. All of that adds up to a player the Kraken may ultimately not be willing to pay.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. Mikael Backlund
Center, Calgary Flames
Age: 34
Stats: 82 GP, 19 G, 37 A, 56 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $5.35 million AAV
Scoop: Backlund was perhaps the biggest surprise among the Flames’ players potentially on the move. He has indicated to Calgary that at the present time, does not envision re-signing with the team. He is also their longest-tenured player (by a wide margin) and the only remaining holdover to play from when now-GM Craig Conroy suited up for the team. The Flames had visions of Backlund wearing the ‘C’ as captain next season, and would like to still try to convince him to stay. But that would likely require a contract extension.

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. 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.

27. Brandon Duhaime
Winger, Minnesota Wild
Age: 26
Stats: 51 GP, 9 G, 1 A, 10 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $787,500 qualifying offer due
Scoop: Duhaime has caught the eye of teams because of one easily identifiable trait in his game: He has speed to burn. Duhaime was able to collect nine goals last season in bottom-six duty with the Wild in part because of that speed, and now he’s looking to cash in with a deal that the Wild might not be able to afford with their cap crunch. Minnesota is looking for a second-round pick in return for Duhaime.

28. Zach Bogosian
Right Defense, Tampa Bay Lightning
Age: 32
Stats: 46 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $850,000 AAV
Scoop: After moving Ross Colton, GM Julien BriseBois is trying to find a new home for Bogosian. The 2020 Stanley Cup champion wasn’t thrilled with his role last season playing sparingly. He is an inexpensive, reliable third-pair option – particularly for a cap-strapped team. Everyone can afford his $850,000 cap hit. And he is a right-shooting defenseman, which is always more valuable.

29. Barclay Goodrow
Center, New York Rangers
Age: 30
Stats: 82 GP, 11 G, 20 A, 31 Pts
Contract: 4 more seasons, $3.64 million AAV
Scoop: No guarantee he gets moved, but the Rangers are perusing prices for Goodrow on the market in an effort to find salary cap flexibility. Interestingly, buying out Goodrow represents the rare salary cap “credit” for each of the next two seasons, meaning the Rangers would clear all of his $3.64 million hit plus receive $200,000 in additional space next year. But the buyout doesn’t appear to be a path New York is willing to consider. The truth is, Goodrow’s six-year term was always going to potentially be problematic. The two-time Cup champ also hasn’t been a force in the playoffs.

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. Rights to Joonas Korpisalo
Goaltender, Los Angeles Kings
Age: 29
Stats: 39 GP, 2.87 GAA, .914 Sv%
Contract: Pending UFA
Scoop: Korpisalo signed a prove-it, one-year deal with the Blue Jackets last spring – then went out and backed it up with his best season since 2015-16 as a rookie. He got traded to the Kings at the deadline to replace Jonathan Quick and then started all six playoff games in Los Angeles’ first-round exit. But the Kings have had six-plus weeks to sign him and they haven’t to this point, which is a strong indication they don’t plan to do that. Of the netminders on the market, Korpisalo is well regarded, still under 30, and has a ton of talent. Look for someone to step up and grab the rights to sign him before free agency opens on Saturday.

33. 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.

34. 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: The heat is off Bruins GM 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.

35. Cody Ceci
Right Defense, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 29
Stats: 80 GP, 1 G, 14 A, 15 Pts
Contract: 2 more seasons, $3.25 million AAV
Scoop: It’s fair to say that the Oilers are weighing all of their options, and one of them is shipping out Ceci to gain a little additional cap flexibility elsewhere in the lineup. They’d like to improve at third line center and also on the right wing, but don’t appear to be willing to get worse defensively in order to do that. So everything must be viewed through that prism: is trading Ceci going to make the Oilers worse off in the long run? The immediate gratification of that change may not be worth it, especially with Ceci playing reasonably well for the Oilers to this point. He doesn’t have to be moved by any stretch of the imagination. He’s just a card for Holland to play.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. Matt Murray
Goaltender, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 29
Stats: 26 GP, 3.01 GAA, .903 Sv%
Contract: 1 more season, $4.687 million cap hit
Scoop: One of the biggest abilities for a goaltender is reliability, and it’s difficult to say that Murray has any in the eyes of an NHL GM. Over the last three seasons, Murray has played a grand total of 73 games, flip-flopping from the crease to the injury list. The sense is that Murray is an LTIR candidate for a Leafs, so there isn’t immense pressure to trade him. But teams like to avoid operating in LTIR if at all possible, and so both Murray and Jake Muzzin are candidates to be parked elsewhere. Murray’s contract is also believed to be insured, which is no small thing as he’s owed $8 million in real cash next season.

40. Warren Foegele
Left Wing, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 27
Stats: 67 GP, 13 G, 15 A, 28 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $2.75 million AAV
Scoop: It’s no secret that Oilers GM Ken Holland is ready to tinker with the bottom half of his lineup, and Foegele may end up being one of the odd guys out. His cap hit isn’t exactly commensurate with his production, but it also isn’t far off. To that end, the Oilers have gotten expressions of interest from teams who see what Edmonton might be looking to accomplish, so there is a path to move him that isn’t painful. If the Oilers are going to find the flexibility to improve, it’s going to have to come by moving players such as Fogele, Yamamoto and perhaps Cody Ceci to make something happen.

41. 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: Teams are led to believe that the Canucks think they have solved their salary cap issue by swallowing hard and executing the buyout of Oliver Ekman-Larsson. That may be true, but they’d also still likely want to move Garland if they can find a taker. They didn’t have an appetite to attach a real asset to Garland. Now the pressure is off. 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?

42. Morgan Geekie
Right Wing, Seattle Kraken
Age: 25
Stats: 69 GP, 9 G, 19 A, 28 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $1.4 million qualifying offer due
Scoop: The Kraken are gauging the market on Geekie, one of their original Expansion Draft picks via the Carolina Hurricanes. Geekie’s game has continued to grow. He posted a career highs in goals, assists and points last season – all while barely playing more than 10 minutes a night for Dave Hakstol. He has versatility as a center who can also play wing and slots in well as a middle-six player. That also means he’s due a raise from his $1.4 million salary, too.

43. 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.

44. 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.

45. Mike Hoffman
Left Wing, Montréal Canadiens
Age: 33
Stats: 67 GP, 14 G, 20 A, 34 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $4.5 million AAV
Scoop: Anyone want to take a flier on an inexpensive volume shooter? Inexpensive, as in, free. Just take him off our hands. That’s what the Canadiens are asking the rest of the league. They’d like to move Hoffman’s contract, a holdover from the Marc Bergevin days. But they aren’t willing to buy him out. Hoffman’s goal totals have dipped over the last three seasons, going from an average of 30 down to an average of 20. Yet, since the start of the 2015-16 season, he’s put more pucks on net than all but 27 other skaters in the NHL – who not surprisingly are the elite of the elite.

46. Joel Armia
Right Wing, Montréal Canadiens
Age: 30
Stats: 43 GP, 7 G, 7 A, 14 Pts
Contract: 2 more seasons, $3.4 million AAV
Scoop: It’s been a lean few years for Armia, the smart winger with size, whom outgoing GM Marc Bergevin bet on with a four-year deal in 2021. Armia has struggled to stay healthy. When he’s been in the lineup, he’s scored 20 total goals in his last 144 games, compared to 16 in just 58 games in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. He is readily available from the Habs, but a difficult contract to move, and they don’t have much (if any) interest in a buyout.

47. Derek Forbort
Left Defense, Boston Bruins
Age: 31
Stats: 54 GP, 5 G, 7 A, 12 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $3 million AAV
Scoop: The cap crunch is real for GM Don Sweeney and Forbort is unaffordable at his current role and production level. What is it with the Bruins and their inability to proper evaluate left-shooting defensemen on the free agent market? In a few years’ span, Sweeney spent nearly $23 million on Forbort, Mike Reilly and John Moore. Moore has been traded, Reilly is a buyout candidate this offseason, and now Forbort is on the block.

48. Another 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. If Torey Krug isn’t moving, 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.

49. Jake Muzzin’s Contract
Toronto Maple Leafs
1 more season, $5.25 million AAV
Scoop: Muzzin is unable to resume his career as a result of significant neck trauma. It isn’t a necessity, but in a perfect world, the Leafs would find a way to move Muzzin’s contract somewhere so they don’t have to operate next season in LTIR. The problem is there are fewer contract dumping grounds these days, with Chicago, Anaheim and potentially Philadelphia among the options.

50. Logan Stanley
Left Defense, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 25
Stats: 19 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $1 million qualifying offer due
Scoop: Sure feels like Stanley and the Jets have reached the end of their road together after a frustrating season. The 6-foot-6 behemoth played just 19 games, sitting out as a healthy scratch for the bulk of the year, including four of five playoff games. There’s no shortage of teams intrigued by Stanley – particularly those who subscribe to the “trees over shrubs” theory on the blueline that they believe leads to success in the playoffs. The Golden Knights are the latest proof of that.

Traded: No. 1 Pierre-Luc Dubois; No. 2 Kevin Hayes; No. 9 Tyler Toffoli; No. 13 Sean Walker; No. 14 Ross Colton; No. 15 Taylor Hall; No. 18 Ivan Provorov; No. 22 Columbus 1st Round Pick; No. 25 Cal Petersen; No. 50 Mackenzie Blackwood.

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Sources: Montreal Canadiens weighing options to potentially move No. 5 overall pick

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