After months of speculation, the Colorado Avalanche finally pulled the trigger on a three-team trade that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators, Kyle Turris to the Nashville Predators and a handful of prospects to Denver. With Duchene off the market, the focus now shifts to the other big names on the market including Evander Kane of the Buffalo Sabres and Alex Galchenyuk of the Montreal Canadiens. Here is a look at four NHL trades that would actually make sense if they happened right now.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights Trade James Neal To Tampa Bay Lightning
Neal leads the Vegas Golden Knights with 11 goals and has 17 points in 20 games this season. The Golden Knights lead the Pacific division with a 13-6-1 record. However, it seems as though Vegas is focused more on the long-term future of the franchise then trying to win now from a management perspective. The Golden Knights could land a significant return for Neal if they aren’t able to sign him to an extension before the trade deadline. Considering their current position and the number of top prospects in their system, Tampa Bay could be the perfect trade partner. The Lightning are fairly loaded up front but the addition of Neal would make their top-six forward group that much more dangerous.
The Montreal Canadiens Trade Alex Galchenyuk To The Anaheim Ducks
Galchenyuk is a former 30-goal scorer that hasn’t been able to figure things out in Montreal this season. The pressure is mounting for the Canadiens so they could feel a sense of urgency when it comes to trading the young forward. Anaheim is dealing with injuries and could use some help with the addition of a versatile forward. Sami Vatenen is a name that has been in trade rumors for the Ducks so perhaps he is involved in some sort of package with Montreal. Time is running out for Galchenyuk to produce in Montreal. It won’t be a surprise to anybody if the Canadiens pulled the trigger on a deal involving the young sniper in the near future. They aren’t going anywhere right now and it looks more and more like they’ll be cleaning house. That should start with head coach Claude Julien and if the team doesn’t improve after that, they’ll be making big changes to the roster.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Mitch Marner To Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton acquired a veteran scorer with the addition of Michael Cammalleri from the Los Angeles Kings last week. However, the Oilers could still use more help up front and Marner could be an excellent fit. Toronto is loaded with talent up front and will have a tough time signing all of their young forwards to long-term deals in the near future. Their best approach might be to trade Marner to the Oilers in a deal that could land them a quality defenseman. Darnell Nurse is one name that has come up in trade rumors surrounding Edmonton. Marner has struggled to produce at the level he did a year ago so perhaps the Maple Leafs pull the trigger on a deal involving him to acquire a quality defenseman.
Buffalo Sabres Trade Evander Kane To The Carolina Hurricanes
Despite some decent talent on paper, the Sabres are once again primed to miss the playoffs in 2017-18. Buffalo’s roster is clearly in need of a major shakeup and Kane is an obvious piece that could be on the move. The veteran winger leads the Sabres with 12 goals and 21 points this season and he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year. If Buffalo isn’t able to sign Kane to a reasonable extension then they could decide to move him. Carolina is a talented team that needs some scoring help up front. If the Hurricanes feel they are ready to contend for a playoff spot then they could make a deal for Kane. Nobody will be shocked if the Sabres trade Kane before the trade deadline. It will be interesting to see if Carolina ends up being an option as a trade partner.
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