Three Western Conference teams in need of major trades this offseason
Is it the eve of the NHL Draft or Trade Deadline season? If you’ve been keeping track of the last 10 days or so, you may have been duped into thinking it is the latter. With the free-agent crop as thin as ever and so many teams dealing with an abundance of cap space with the soaring financial environment of the NHL, a lot of general managers are getting their business done ahead of July. 1 via trades.
Last week we dived into three Eastern Conference teams who needed to get in on the action trade wise; thus far, only the Ottawa Senators of the three-pack mentioned have made major transactions. We now get to part 2 of teams who need to get in on the trade activity, with the focus shifting to the Western Conference.
Disclaimer: the Calgary Flames originally made this list, but GM Craig Conroy has already been fairly active; he’s also looking to move 2020 first-round pick Connor Zary. So they have now been taken off the list
Edmonton Oilers (Need: taker for Darnell Nurse, goaltending (again?)
The Mike Babcock era is officially underway in Edmonton, but GM Stan Bowman still has work that needs to be done. The Oilers locked in their main Trade Deadline acquisitions, forward Jason Dickinson and defenseman Connor Murphy, to five-year contracts, shoring up some depth at two positions. They have just 11 forwards signed, so we could see them add on the margins, but that is something that can be done in Free Agency.
Nurse and the Oilers both want a fresh start, and by all accounts he wants to head to the Eastern U.S. to play next. Could it be the Pittsburgh Penguins? Perhaps the Philadelphia Flyers? Both seem to be possibilities, but Bowman will need to find a way to get a fair return and also, according to team sources, is trying to avoid retaining any salary on Nurse’s $9.25 million AAV, which is on the books until 2030.
The ongoing issues in net persist, as the Tristan Jarry experiment has not been a success to this point, and Connor Ingram is set to hit the open market next Wednesday. Could the Oil look to target St Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington? Perhaps check in on the availability of Anthony Stolarz of the Toronto Maple Leafs? Unclear at this point, but Bowman will have to do something.
Minnesota Wild (Need: scoring-line center)
Wild GM Bill Guerin has earned the reputation as one of the most aggressive managers for a reason: when he wants to get something done, he doesn’t hesitate. Maybe it’s due to him being under the learning tree of Jim Rutherford during their time together in Pittsburgh, but they are both considered as two of the more aggressive GMs of the last decade-plus.
We know the Wild are on the short list of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin; whether Minnesota has what Detroit is looking for is another story. But if Guerin can swing it you can be sure he will explore every possible avenue. If not Larkin, could the Wild revisit talks with the New York Rangers regarding Vincent Trocheck? We know they got close at the deadline but eventually couldn’t get it over the finish line. As Daily Faceoff was told earlier in the week, the Wild aren’t in on Anaheim Ducks’ forward Mason McTavish, so scratch that name off any prospective list.
Young centers Danila Yurov and Charlie Stramel along with goaltender Jesper Wallstedt will (presumably) be the biggest pieces the Wild use to try and get something done; the question now is whether or not they will be able to pull off a Quinn Hughes trade part two.
Winnipeg Jets (Need: 2C, middle-six winger, Connor Hellebuyck decision?)
There is nothing to envy about the job of Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. In arguably the least desired market across the entire league among players, it is never an easy task to get them to sign in Winnipeg or stay put in central Canada.
The Jets need a second-line pivot to play between Mark Scheifele and captain Adam Lowry. The Jonathan Toews experiment didn’t work and, like a lot of other teams, the Jets now must find a middle-six center to help support their top guns. They also never authentically replaced Nikolaj Ehlers on their second line, leaving a void on the wing and in the secondary scoring department.
Above all else, what to do with their prized goaltender is atop the list for Cheveldayoff. Hellebuyck is open to a change of scenery, by all accounts, and in a league desperate for goaltenders, having arguably the best one available is certainly polarizing. Locked in at a very digestible AAV of $8.5 million until 2031, the cost certainty on the 2025 Hart Trophy winner may make him more valuable than a goaltender typically would be via trade.
The Florida Panthers have been pegged by many as a landing spot for Hellebuyck, but after unloading three first-rounders for Brady Tkachuk it’s a wonder if they have enough assets to get it done. It doesn’t sound like GM Bill Zito no interest in moving center Anton Lundell but, without the 2020 first-round pick included, it’s hard to see a deal getting done. Hypothetically, a deal centered around Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe could make a lot of sense for the Jets – but it takes two to tango.
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