NHL Trades That Teams Should Be Considering ASAP | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors


NHL Trades That Teams Should Be Considering ASAP

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    SAINT PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 15: Gabriel Vilardi #13 of the Los Angeles Kings scores a goal against Matt Dumba #24 and Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Minnesota Wild during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on October 15, 2022 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)

    Los Angles Kings’ Gabriel Vilardi scores against the Minnesota Wild (Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images).

    It’s barely been a week since the puck
    dropped on the 2022-23 NHL season, but the rumor mill is already churning out trade speculation. While it’s still early for such
    conjecture, a handful of clubs appear to need some help.

    The Boston Bruins might have to
    consider moving one of their left-shot defensemen to free up salary-cap space when key players return from injuries.
    Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild’s porous goaltending could force them
    into the market for help if it doesn’t improve soon.

    It could take some time for teams with
    early-season roster problems to address them. Available players could prove costly in terms of the contract or the team’s asking price.

    A number of teams have little or no cap space, which further complicates matters. According to Cap Friendly, 13 teams
    are either pressed against the $82.5 million salary cap or have
    placed players on long-term injury reserve to exceed it.
    Six teams possess less than $550,000 in cap room, while three
    others have less than $1.8 million available.

    Nevertheless, these four NHL trade
    scenarios should be under consideration as soon as possible.
    Weigh in with your thoughts in the
    comments section below.

Mike Reilly to the Chicago Blackhawks

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    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 15: Mike Reilly #6 of the Boston Bruins skates against the Arizona Coyotes  during the second period at TD Garden on October 15, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    Boston Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    The Boston Bruins have a logjam of
    left-side defensemen, while the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks could
    use some experienced depth on their blue line. The Bruins should thus consider sending Mike Reilly to the
    Blackhawks.

    The Hockey NewsMike
    Stephens
    recently noted that Reilly was among several players to clear waivers
    before the start of the season. He suggested the Chicago native could
    be a good fit with the Blackhawks given his puck-moving skills and
    affordable $3 million salary-cap hit through 2023-24.

    According to Boston Hockey Now’s
    Jimmy Murphy, the Bruins had been shopping Reilly before he went on waivers. The Bruins will need to clear cap
    space when sidelined stars Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy return to
    the lineup later this season. They’ll probably only want a draft pick
    in return for Reilly.

    The Blackhawks
    could’ve claimed Reilly off waivers. However, it could still prove worthwhile for them to acquire him
    from the Bruins.

    Chicago could shop Reilly near the trade deadline for
    draft picks. He could also perhaps be a decent
    short-term fit to take some pressure off the Blackhawks’ developing young
    defensemen.

The Minnesota Wild Should Shop For A Goaltender

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    ST PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 13: Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers scores a goal against Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Minnesota Wild in the second period of the game at Xcel Energy Center on October 13, 2022 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

    The New York Rangers score against the Minnesota Wild’s Marc-Andre Fleury (David Berding/Getty Images)

    Poor goaltending is among the reasons
    why the Minnesota Wild are off to a shaky start this season. Their 6.67 goals-against
    per game
    was the league’s worst as of Oct. 19.

    This is a troubling development for
    the Wild as they attempt to build on last season’s franchise-best
    113-point performance.

    The Wild brought back 37-year-old
    Marc-Andre Fleury on a two-year contract and acquired Filip
    Gustavsson from the Ottawa Senators in last summer’s Cam Talbot deal.
    Given that duo’s difficulties thus far, general manager Bill Guerin should monitor the trade market for a potential upgrade between the
    pipes.

    With $3.3 million in cap space, Guerin
    has some wiggle room to add an affordable netminder to back up Fleury
    and perhaps challenge him for the starter’s job. He could also try to
    move some salary in the deal to give himself more cap
    flexibility as the season progresses. Gustavsson and his $787,500 cap hit could be part of the
    deal or demoted in the minors.

    Goalie options appear limited at this
    stage in the season, but the San Jose Sharks’ James Reimer might be
    worth watching. Sharks general manager Mike Grier could decide to peddle the
    34-year-old pending free agent if his struggling club’s losses
    continue to mount. Reimer lost his first three games but sported a
    respectable .919 save percentage.

Montreal Canadiens Trade Jonathan Drouin For A Puck-Moving Defenseman

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    MONTREAL, CANADA - OCTOBER 17:  Jonathan Drouin #27 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at Centre Bell on October 17, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime.  (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

    Montreal Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

    Leading up to last season’s trade
    deadline, the rebuilding Montreal Canadiens shopped several veterans
    on expiring contracts for draft picks and prospects. They could do
    the same thing this season with Jonathan Drouin, as the 27-year-old
    winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

    The Montreal Gazette‘s Stu
    Cowan
    believes Drouin no longer fits into the Canadiens’ plans and speculated that general manager Kent Hughes could attempt to trade
    him. However, his colleague Pat Hickey felt the oft-injured
    winger needs more playing time to bolster his trade value both as a
    potential playoff rental and as a free agent next summer.

    Hughes could try moving Drouin by the
    March 3 trade deadline for a draft pick and a prospect. However, it
    might not be a bad idea to see if he can use the winger to acquire a
    puck-moving defenseman on a longer contract to bolster his club’s punchless power play.

    Finding such a defenseman won’t be easy
    unless Drouin can stay healthy over the next few weeks and regain his
    offensive form. With the Canadiens carrying only $1.8 million in cap
    space
    , it might have to be a dollar-for-dollar swap. Still, it’s
    something worth considering should the opportunity arise to give
    this team more of a competitive edge.

Ottawa Senators Should Acquire Jakob Chychrun

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    TORONTO, ON - MARCH 10: Arizona Coyotes Defenceman Jakob Chychrun (6) tracks the play in the second period during the NHL regular season game between the Arizona Coyotes and the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 10, 2022, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Gavin Napier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

    Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (Gavin Napier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

    Jakob Chychrun has been a regular
    fixture in the NHL rumor mill for several months.

    In late September, the
    24-year-old Arizona Coyotes defenseman told reporters that he and
    management agreed it would be best if he was traded. However, general
    manager Bill Armstrong is seeking a return of future assets to use as part
    of his roster rebuild.

    The Ottawa Senators have been among the
    clubs linked to Chychrun, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in mid-October that there currently isn’t a path for that deal to happen.
    Nevertheless, The Hockey NewsAdam Proteau included the Senators with
    the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild as possible trade destinations for Chychrun.

    Chychrun is still
    recovering from offseason wrist surgery and has no firm date for his
    return, according to Friedman. However, Proteau noted that those three clubs could
    benefit from the blueliner’s skills and size. He felt the Senators
    have the cap room to absorb most of his $4.6 million cap hit as well
    as the depth in young players and draft picks to tempt the Coyotes

    The Senators must improve their defense to reach the playoffs this season. Armstrong understandably
    wants a solid return for Chychrun, but he also can’t risk his trade request
    becoming an unnecessary distraction for his players. Both sides
    should be able to work out a deal to
    their mutual benefit.


    Stats (as of Oct. 19, 2022) via NHL.com with additional information via Hockey Reference. Salary info via Cap Friendly.





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