With the NHL holiday roster freeze right around the corner now is the time when general managers around the league are putting in their work and looking to make a deal whether it is to buy or sell. There have been plenty of rumors circling in recent weeks and we came up with the top players that could potentially be on the move. Here is a look at the top four NHL players on the trade block right now.
***
Bet On The NHL This Week At DSI Sportsbook!
***
W: Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres
Kane’s offensive talent hasn’t been questioned since he scored 30 goals as a 20-year-old with the Winnipeg Jets back in 2011-12 but he has had trouble staying healthy and has been in trouble off the ice as well. Kane is still just 25-years-old and with only one more season left on his current deal it wouldn’t be a surprise if Buffalo attempted to move him at some point this season. It’s hard to predict what the Sabres could get in return for Kane but he can certainly boost his stock with some production over the next couple of weeks. Kane has the potential to be a solid secondary scoring threat and power forward so there is a good chance that at least one NHL team will be willing to take a chance on him.
C: Martin Hanzal, Arizona Coyotes
Hanzal is another forward that has had trouble staying healthy throughout his NHL career but when he is on he can be a quality two-way forward capable of anchoring a second or third line on a Stanley Cup contender. The 6’6’’ Czech forward has registered just three goals and seven points in 16 games for the Coyotes this season but he had 41 points in 64 games a year ago despite playing for an offensively starved team that plays a more defensive system. Hanzal is 29-years-old right now and as a pending unrestricted free agent it might not be long before he is traded.
The other main factor here is that Arizona has been terrible to this point in the season. Their 19 points are tied for the fewest in the NHL, so they’d be wise to start unloading their assets for future prospects.
G: Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
The fact that NHL teams will only be allowed to protect one goalie in the expansion draft means that the market could be ripe for some major moves throughout this season with Fleury’s name near the top of the list of likely trade candidates. Matt Murray has surpassed Fleury as the No. 1 goalie on the Penguins’ depth chart and with two years left at $5.75 million per year Pittsburgh can’t afford to keep Fleury as a backup. That means that the Penguins will eventually have to decide on what to do with Fleury and if a team gives them a good enough offer, then Fleury would likely be on the move.
The Penguins have allowed 72 goals so far this season, which is the second-most in their division and the fourth-most in the Eastern Conference. They are still in second place in their division with 31 points through 24 games but they’ll need to play better between the pipes if they’re to be a serious Stanley Cup contender this season.
G: Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning
Bishop is another big name netminder that could be on the move after the Lightning committed to Andrei Vasilevskiy with a three-year, $10.5 million deal last summer. Tampa Bay had already agreed to a deal with the Calgary Flames but the trade fell through after Bishop failed to come to terns on an extension with the Flames. Now the Lightning are dealing with the loss of Steven Stamkos up front and could certainly use some help down the middle at the center position. Tampa Bay will eventually have to part ways with Bishop eventually so if the right deal is out there they will likely move him in an effort to upgrade at a greater position of need.
The Lightning have cooled off of late as they’ve lost four in a row and are just 5-5 in their last 10 games. However, they are still in fourth place in the Atlantic Division and just three points behind second-place Ottawa. But their 70 goals allowed are the second-most in the division so far this season.
