Though hockey fans have been spoiled these past two years by earth-shaking blockbusters like the Mikko Rantanen and Quinn Hughes deals, it\u2019s not terribly common for such excellent players to change hands via trade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unprecedented parity and a skyrocketing salary cap that has given GMs license to hold onto their guys long-term means there won\u2019t be as many deadline fire sales as we\u2019re accustomed to. With the LTIR loophole that helped Tampa<\/a>, Vegas<\/a>, and Florida<\/a> load up ahead of their Cup runs gone, the buyers (literally) can\u2019t afford to be as aggressive, either.\u00a0<\/p>\n The key players who move this deadline might look more like Josh Manson and Blake Coleman than Hughes or Rantanen, but they\u2019re still out there if contenders are willing to look hard enough. Read on for breakdowns of the strengths, availability, and potential fits for five under-the-radar players who could contribute for the stretch run.<\/p>\n Height: 6\u20193\u201d<\/p>\n Weight: 214 lbs<\/p>\n Age: 27<\/p>\n Contract: $2.75 million, pending UFA<\/p>\n Trade Clause: None<\/p>\n Why he could be available: The Bruins\u2019 mini-rebuild has shown far more promise in year one under Marco Sturm than most would have expected. Still, owing much of their success to star goalie Jeremy Swayman and a top-six power play, Boston can fall out of a crowded Eastern playoff race at any time. Piecing together another contender around Swayman, Charlie McAvoy, and David Pastrnak in the medium term will require cashing in on non-core players in the present, and Peeke could return strong value based on his position and handedness. After Jonathan Aspirot\u2019s recent extension<\/a>, the B\u2019s already have six other NHL defensemen under contract for 2026-27.<\/p>\n What he brings: Peeke\u2019s meat-and-potatoes game has earned him tough deployments and defensive zone starts throughout his career, which can have a devastating effect on a player\u2019s numbers (career -82) when he\u2019s only suited up for one playoff team in five full seasons. As such, you have to trust the eye test a bit with the former Blue Jacket<\/a>, a brave shot blocker and crease clearer whose 19 minutes of career ATOI have left him a bit overexposed. He would be more likely to thrive as a top-tier bottom-pair defender and penalty killer who can slide up the lineup under the right circumstances. As a bonus, Peeke, who doesn\u2019t turn 28 for another two months, will be auditioning for an extension should he find a new team.<\/p>\n Who might be interested: Given the steep dropoff of available blueline righties beyond Rasmus Andersson, Justin Faulk and Dougie Hamilton, Peeke will surely garner serious interest as a consolation prize; the native Floridian is a better bet for teams with minutes to burn than beat-up vets like Connor Murphy and Luke Schenn. One such club, the playoff-hopeful Detroit Red Wings<\/a>, will have noticed the Bruins\u2019 willingness to do business within the Atlantic Division last season. The Wings have long sought stability on their bottom pair and could stand to scale back talented but turnover-prone rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka\u2019s even-strength ice time.<\/p>\n Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Boston Bruins<\/p>\n Height: 5\u201910\u201d<\/p>\n Weight: 181 lbs<\/p>\n Age: 32<\/p>\n Contract: $4 million, pending UFA<\/p>\n Trade Clause: No-movement clause<\/p>\n Why he could be available: See above. The Bruins are more concerned with the future than the present, and Arvidsson, nearly 33, is only a part of the latter. With younger players Alex Steeves and Marat Khusnutdinov earning extended run in the top nine, the veteran Swede, though still effective, is expendable in Boston. Though Arvidsson\u2019s injury history and veto power will drive down his value somewhat, he could be amenable to doing the B\u2019s a solid after Bruins GM Don Sweeney rescued him from an ugly stint in Edmonton<\/a>.<\/p>\n What he brings: Arvidsson\u2019s game is well-known at this stage: he skates fast, shoots hard, and is always seeking the shortest path to the goal. His production has rebounded (9 G, 22 P in 34 GP) even though his ice time in Boston (14:22 ATOI) is actually down from his ill-fated Oilers\u2019 stint. Without playing across from David Pastrnak (they\u2019ve shared the ice for all of 84 seconds at 5-on-5), Arvidsson\u2019s contributed to nearly 74% of the Bruins\u2019 points during his minutes at even strength.\u00a0Shades of Arvidsson\u2019s dynamic prime (29 G, 58.6 P per 82 GP from 2017-24 for NSH, LAK<\/a>) have become more frequent (8 P in 9 GP) since he returned from his most recent injury absence.<\/p>\n Viktor Arvidsson with an absolute rip for his 400th NHL point! \ud83d\ude80 <\/p>\n Who might be interested:\u00a0Arvidsson hasn\u2019t needed favorable usage to pop up on the scoresheet, which would make him a desirable sparkplug for any team struggling to jolt its bottom six or a useful stopgap further up the lineup. The middling Utah Mammoth<\/a>, determined to win a lackluster Western Wildcard race and make their playoff debut, could use a shooter to place opposite captain Clayton Keller. If elite teams like Tampa Bay or Dallas<\/a> come calling for Arvidsson in a depth role, salary retention could become necessary.<\/p>\n Height: 6\u20190<\/p>\n Weight: 205 lbs<\/p>\n Age: 30<\/p>\n Contract: $2.5 million, pending UFA<\/p>\n Trade Clause: None<\/p>\n Why he could be available: The Sharks are A) in the thick of a feel-good playoff hunt behind the production of boy wonder Macklin Celebrini and B) fresh off extending veteran culture setter Alex Wennberg. Those factors might slow down hyperactive GM Mike Grier\u2019s tendency to trade everyone over the age of 25, but Grier will still be keen to maximize value where he can. If freshly acquired veteran shotstopper Laurent Brossoit continues to look sharp in AHL action after more than a year on the shelf, Grier could take calls on goalie-of-the-future Yaroslav Askarov\u2019s current backup, Nedeljkovic.<\/p>\n What he brings: In a word, competence. Nedeljkovic isn\u2019t going to transform into a worthy full-time starter at age 30. He\u2019s consistently shown an ability to battle behind overmatched teams since leaving the Carolina Hurricanes <\/a>during the 2021 offseason, nonetheless. Nedeljkovic has scraped together an .898 SV% and .503 QS% since then, respectable marks behind rosters that only once finished outside the bottom-eight in expected goals allowed at 5-on-5. He\u2019s an affable teammate who has started 33+ games during three different seasons, and his composure in netfront scrambles and elite puck playing (he has famously scored goals at the ECHL, AHL, and NHL levels) cover for an undersized frame.<\/p>\n Who might be interested: The NHL is critically low on capable goaltenders. The Mammoth and Flyers<\/a> have seen their backup play veer dangerously close to \u201cscheduled loss\u201d territory, the Ottawa Senators<\/a> are already there, and a half-dozen other teams with workhorse goalies are one ill-timed injury away from needing a steady hand in net. There\u2019s no shortage of potential destinations for Nedeljkovic, including a surprise reunion with Carolina. With Pyotr Kochetkov done for the year and Frederik Andersen just done (6-10-3, .863 SV%), AHL success story Brandon Bussi could use a reliable \u20181B.\u2019 The Canes were dismissive of \u2018Ned\u2019 the first time around, but he\u2019s had success against the low volume of shots their defensive system allows before.\u00a0<\/p>\n Height: 6\u20191\u201d<\/p>\n Weight: 192 lbs<\/p>\n Age: 32<\/p>\n Contract: $2.75 million, pending UFA<\/p>\n Trade Clause: None<\/p>\n Why he could be available: Improving the Penguins\u2019 future outlook without disrespecting Sidney Crosby\u2019s on-ice efforts to keep the team competitive in the present has at times been tricky for GM Kyle Dubas, who\u2019s done an admirable job under the circumstances. The team\u2019s success under first-year coach Dan Muse will complicate, if not outright halt, any trade discussions involving Crosby\u2019s linemates, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, let alone slam dunk Hall-of-Famer Evgeni Malkin. Want to pile up assets without running afoul of Sid the Kid? It doesn\u2019t get much easier than trading a playoff-proven, 32-year-old UFA whose readymade replacement (Ryan Shea) is already on the roster. Brett, we hardly knew ya<\/a>.<\/p>\n What he brings: Kulak\u2019s usual reliability as a low-maintenance No. 4 defenseman who can patrol either side made his uneven play at the end of his Edmonton tenure all the more bizarre. Though the Oil allowed just 2.39 expected goals per 60 minutes during Kulak\u2019s 5-on-5 minutes, they were hemmed in for nearly 60% of the scoring chances during that time. That the veteran is back on the front foot in Pittsburgh beside Kris Letang (55.17% expected-goal share as a pair) suggests Kulak\u2019s recovery speed and shot-blocking are still plenty useful beside a gifted puck mover. Kulak\u2019s 98 games of playoff experience, 17th-most among active defensemen, add a layer of value.<\/p>\n Who might be interested: Kulak notably partnered Darnell Nurse on his off right side during Edmonton\u2019s back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final, which makes him another option for teams that either whiff on Faulk and Andersson or can\u2019t stomach their respective cap hits. The Dallas Stars, who have plenty of firsthand scouting on Kulak from consecutive Western Conference Final losses to Edmonton, have had a miserable time finding a caddy for Thomas Harley on their second pair. They could become interested if they\u2019re priced out of the Andersson sweepstakes. Another ex-rival, the Florida Panthers, have never been shy about pursuing veteran help on \u2018D,\u2019 either. Detroit, once again, should be exploring all possible avenues to shore up its defensive depth.<\/p>\n Height: 5\u201911\u201d<\/p>\n Weight: 191 lbs<\/p>\n Age: 34<\/p>\n Contract: $3.15 million, pending UFA<\/p>\n Trade Clause: 6-team no-trade list<\/p>\n Why he could be available: Take a look at the most recent Daily Faceoff<\/a> trade board<\/a>. It\u2019s littered with Predators, including a 600-goal scorer (Stamkos) and a couple of Conn Smythe winners (O\u2019Reilly, Marchessault), for a reason. The Preds have done well to revive their season (13-7 since Dec. 1), but they\u2019re not fooling anyone; surrounding fading superstar Roman Josi with more 30-somethings than the cast of Friends was always a risky plan for building a contender, and it hasn\u2019t worked<\/a>. Haula doesn\u2019t have the name value of Stamkos, O\u2019Reilly, or even Michael Bunting. He can still return value for a franchise that\u2019s going to have to start worrying more about Brady Martin and Matthew Wood\u2019s futures than Josi\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n What he brings: Haula is back in Nashville, back at center, and playing better than a cap exile on the doorstep of his 35th birthday has any right to. The crafty Finn\u2019s respectable production (23 P in 45 GP) is a tick ahead of his career averages, and he isn\u2019t selling out for offense, either; Haula still controls the lion\u2019s share of scoring chances and expected goals during his minutes, if only by a hair. Haula is second in ice time among forwards on Nashville\u2019s respectable penalty kill, and his defensive metrics and matchup potential could improve in more specialized deployment. He\u2019s coped well with surprisingly high ice time (16:38 ATOI) for the shorthanded Preds, but he shouldn\u2019t expect top-six minutes on a playoff team.<\/p>\n WHAT. A. PASS. \ud83e\udd29 <\/p>\n Erik Haula feeds Steven Stamkos in @Energizer<\/a> OT and the @PredsNHL<\/a> win their third straight! <\/p>\n Who might be interested: If you need evidence of how scarce centers have become in the 32-team NHL, look no further than the second-round pick the Canadiens<\/a> forked over to get Phillip Danault back from Los Angeles amid a zero-goal season. Though he\u2019s older than Danault by two years, Haula has provided considerably more speed and danger down the middle this season and will have no shortage of suitors. The Capitals<\/a> will be virtually all-in as Alex Ovechkin nears retirement; they could use cover at center as Pierre-Luc Dubois convalesces and support in the bottom-six once he\u2019s back. The Wild<\/a>, Haula\u2019s former and \u201chometown\u201d (he played for the Golden Gophers in college) team, need both help in the faceoff dot and down-lineup scoring. Surprise playoff contenders like the Sharks and Kraken<\/a>, meanwhile, could ask about Haula as a low-cost, out-of-contract \u201creward\u201d for their team\u2019s efforts so far.<\/p>\n _____<\/p>\n POST SPONSORED BY bet365<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Though hockey fans have been spoiled these past two years by earth-shaking blockbusters like the Mikko Rantanen and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":406417,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[385,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-406416","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-nhl","9":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=406416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/406416\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/406417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=406416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=406416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=406416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}