NHL Trade Deadline: Determining Buyers/Sellers in 2017

NHL Trade Deadline: Only two teams have declared themselves sellers, and while many clubs are still in the mix, deciphering the contenders vs. pretenders might help give us a clearer picture.

For hockey fans alike, the annual NHL trade deadline is one of the most captivating and exciting events, almost like a second Christmas. This year’s deadline is on March 1st, 2017, just a month and a half away. Usually, around this time, we’re hearing a lot of trade chatter and rumors, but it’s been surprisingly quiet thus far. That’s because parity is alive and well in the NHL, with only two teams having declared themselves sellers (out of the mix).

It comes as little surprise to see 30th placed Colorado (27 points) and 29th placed Arizona (30 points) fielding offers. The next worst team in overall NHL standings is the New York Islanders (38 points), and beyond that, the other 27 clubs have at least 40 or more points. You can obviously understand why the trade chatter is eerily quiet at the moment. But just because a team is still in the hunt mathematically doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot. If you’re destined for a first round playoff exit anyways, and the experience doesn’t mean anything for your group, sometimes the best thing a GM can do is cut his losses to attain future assets.

That brings us today’s topic. I’d to like to try to separate some of these teams and determine which clubs are contenders, and which are pretenders.

Now, given the landscape of things moving forward, this year’s trade deadline almost promises to be much more active from past seasons. With an impending expansion draft on the horizon, the deadline could be the last time GMs get fair value for their players. Those desperate GMs looking to make last-minute moves after the playoffs before losing a guy for nothing may be surprised at how little is offered in return.

NHL Trade Deadline: Contenders vs. Pretenders – Determining Buyers/Sellers

Contender (buyer): Minnesota Wild

With 57 points in 40 games, the Wild are ready to be taken seriously. They’ll still need to make a few moves/adjustments ahead of the NHL trade deadline if they hope to make a deep playoff push.

Some fans won’t like to hear this, but Minnesota needs to move a defenseman. Christian Folin can fill the void and you’ve got Mike Reilly and Gustav Olofsson at the ready down in Iowa. If they get another impact forward for a guy like Marco Scandella, it might be exactly what they need come April.

Pretender (seller): Vancouver Canucks

Don’t let the 6-2-2 record over their last 10 fool you, the Canucks are anything but a playoff team. Even if they managed to squeeze in somehow, they’d be looking at a quick 4-5 game exit. The theme should be fairly simple in Vancouver; out with the old, in with the new. No, they won’t be able to move all of their veterans, but if they can move even a few guys, then mission accomplished.

Lead candidates that come to mind are D Alexander Edler and F Alex Burrows. If Jim Benning was smart, he’d find a way to move the Sedin twins to give them a chance to win a Stanley Cup, because it’s not gonna happen in Vancouver. The time is now to add future assets to a solid core that includes Bo Horvat, Thatcher Demko, Brock Boeser, Ben Hutton, and many others.

Contender (buyer): Florida Panthers

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The Panthers have taken a lot of criticism this year, from this writer included. Still, they’ve managed to put together a 19-16-8 (46 points) record while facing adversity. From a coaching change to a mountain of injuries, one could argue that Florida has exceeded expectations. Most won’t see it that way though after their head scratching offseason. They were coming off a franchise-best season and followed it by making a number of questionable moves based on what seemed to be a new analytical approach.

Now, I don’t expect the Panthers to be overly active at the deadline, or leading into it. But it would make sense to add a few depth pieces. They’ve got Jonathan Huberdeau expected to make his debut sooner rather than later, which is a major boost, but the depth may continue to be tested by other injuries.

Pretender (seller): Toronto Maple Leafs

Just because I’ve declared Toronto a seller doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t make the playoffs. Truth be told, the Maple Leafs played a whole lot better in 2015-16 once the NHL trade deadline passed and the kids got an extended look. That could happen again in 2016-17 with Kasperi Kapanen and Brendan Leipsic tearing up the AHL in scoring.

Toronto is still very much in the early stages of this rebuild. Sure, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Frederik Andersen (among others) have helped speed up the process, but the blue line is still a serious concern. And we don’t even know what Andersen will look like beyond the 55-game mark (his highest start total in a single season). Whose to say he doesn’t revert to the Andersen we saw at the beginning of the year?

Long story short, the playoff experience would be great. But it shouldn’t have any influence when it comes to decisions. If you’re holding onto someone or adding an extra piece for that reason, it could ultimately hurt the long-term process. I would expect Lou and Shanny to go about business as usual and look to patch that hole on the right side of the back end. If I had to guess, I’d say there’s a decent chance that James van Riemsdyk is dealt.