Previewing the trade market
Over the last few weeks, we've started to see the trade market heat up a bit and with the holiday roster freeze set to kick in on Dec. 19, there might be a couple significant moves announced over the next week and a half. With that in mind, this seems like a good time to offer a preliminary look at some of the players and teams that should be factors in this season's trade market.
Damien Brunner - Let's start with an obvious one. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello has already admitted that he's interested in trading Brunner. It's a bit unusual to see a general manager speak openly about a player being on the market unless his hand is tipped by the player in question, but in this case it makes perfect sense.
It's no secret that Brunner hasn't worked out in New Jersey and the Devils have already resorted to waiving him and storing him in the minors. So clearly no one is interested in Brunner at a $2.6 million annual cap hit, but if the Devils are willing to retain part of that cap hit or take a less than favorable contract, they might be able to work something out. Whether or not they're willing to go that far remains to be seen, but if they do then Brunner would be worth another look. Despite his struggles over the last couple of years, he's capable of serving as a top-six forward under the right circumstances.
Boston Bruins - Shifting gears from a player on the block to a team likely motivated to make a move, the Bruins are likely in the market for a top-six forward. Boston has gone from averaging 3.15 goals per game in 2013-14 to just 2.50 this season. A big part of that stems from the loss of Jarome Iginla, who scored 30 goals and 61 points with the Bruins last season. Boston was in a difficult cap position over the summer though and that likely contributed to Iginla jumping ship. The Bruins aren't exactly swimming in cap space now, but they do have some breathing room after trading Johnny Boychuk to the New York Islanders in early October.
As for who they might go after, Jordan Eberle is a popular choice. It's believed that the Bruins might even send goaltending prospect Malcolm Subban the other way as part of the deal, per CSN New England. Is Edmonton interested in such a move though? After year after year of failure, shaking up the Oilers' core might be warranted, but Oilers GM Craig MacTavish has been publicly defiant in the face of calls to make paradigm shifting moves. Still, even if the Eberle rumors don't prove to be true, it wouldn't be surprising to see Boston get its top-six forward either now or near the trade deadline.
Vincent Lecavalier - It's likely that the Philadelphia Flyers would like to trade Lecavalier, but the five-year, $22.5 million contract he signed in 2013 is scaring off potential suitors. This isn't just about the fact that he has spent Philadelphia's last three games in the press box. That's troublesome, but the fundamental issue is that Lecavalier and coach Craig Berube don't seem able to see eye-to-eye.
Lecavalier only averaged 15:11 minutes per game in 2013-14 and this season he's down to 13:27 minutes. That's why his time in the press box is merely a new low rather than a fundamentally new problem. Still, it might serve as further motivation for the Flyers to part ways with him if at all possible.
Detroit Red Wings - They barely made the playoffs in 2013-14 as they attempted to rebuild on the fly while enduring far more than their fair share of injuries, but they've taken a big step forward this season. Although the Red Wings didn't enter the campaign as a serious Stanley Cup contender, with a 17-6-5 record, they're starting to look like a team that's capable of doing some damage in the playoffs.
The stage seems to be set for general manager Ken Holland to be a buyer in the weeks and months to come and the top item on his shopping list should be a right-handed defenseman. Buffalo Sabres blueliner Tyler Myers has been linked to the Red Wings from time-to-time, but perhaps Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green is a more realistic option. Green's in the last season of his contract and isn't a great bet to re-sign with Washington after the team added Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen over the summer. As the Detroit Free Press noted, Green would probably be the cheaper option too.
Antoine Vermette - He's not likely to be traded soon, but he is someone worth keeping a close eye on in the coming months. The Coyotes have been relying on him heavily this season and Vermette's rewarded them with six goals and 18 points in 28 contests. Those obviously aren't big numbers, but it puts him on pace to surpass his 45-point 2013-14 campaign and it's better than any other Coyotes forward has done.
That being said, the Coyotes are slipping out of the playoff picture and Vermette is in the final season of his contract. Arizona would probably rather re-sign him, but if the two sides don't see eye-to-eye during the negotiating process, then it would make more sense for the Coyotes to trade him rather than risk losing him for nothing. After all, the upcoming free agent market is pretty weak and that means the rental market will be similarly thin. That gives the edge to the sellers during the trade season and puts Arizona in a position to potentially get a solid return out of Vermette.
Pittsburgh Penguins - They're one of the top teams in the league right now with a 18-6-3 record but, as has often been the case in the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin-era, they could use another top-six winger. That was true going into the season, but it's a more urgent need now that Pascal Dupuis is expected to miss the next six months because of a blood clot.
Penguins GM Jim Rutherford acknowledged that they're in the market for top-six forwards, but he'd like to acquire someone that can help them in the long-run rather than a rental. The rental market for wingers is likely going to be pretty thin anyways, so if the Penguins are in the market for someone who won't look out of place on one of the top-two lines, they're likely going to have to acquire someone with more than a season left on his contract.
