With a little over 20 games left in the regular season, the push toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs is starting to heat up. To begin the week nine of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference are fighting for playoff positioning, while 13 of the 16 teams in the West have postseason aspirations. That means the trade deadline should be active, with teams trying to find that extra piece to the puzzle.
With the Feb. 25 deadline looming, here are some of the most notable names who could be on the move within the next week:
Sergei Bobrovsky:
A team currently in a playoff position trading a two-time Vezina winner? It seems odd, but the relationship between the Blue Jackets and Bobrovsky is a bit rocky and with the goaltender a pending free agent on July 1, Columbus risks losing him for nothing if they don’t make a deal. Bobrovsky has refused to discuss a new contract with the team, but with the Blue Jackets fighting for a top-three finish in the Metro, you’d have to imagine he gives Columbus the best chance to get to the playoffs. But that’s not the only issue with the Jackets…
Artemi Panarin:
Like Bobrovsky, Columbus’s leading goal scorer Panarin is set to be a free agent in July, and won’t talk with the team during the season about a new deal. That means a 27-year-old in his prime who’s on pace for a career-high in points (he has 67 through 57 games) could be on the move, and though it would certainly dent the Jackets’ 2019 postseason hopes, the return could be pretty good.
Wayne Simmonds:
Another team in the hunt for a playoff spot, a midseason coaching change and the promotion of Carter Hart to the NHL level has placed Philadelphia within five points of a wild-card spot. That’s still a lot to ask, but it lowers the possibility that the 30-year-old Simmonds moves. A two-time 30-goal scorer, he’s not fully back to his 2017 ways after offseason surgery, but he’s going to score 20 goals and is a noted veteran locker room leader.
Matt Duchene:
Another pending free agent, he could be on the move at Ottawa continues its rebuild and will try to stockpile prospects and draft picks. With 56 points in 49 games played, Duchene is the ideal short-term rental for a team in need of an offensive boost for the postseason push. With the Senators owning the worst record in hockey, Duchene headlines what could be mass exodus of impending UFAs over the next week, as Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel could also both be on the move.
Duncan Keith:
A staple on three Blackhawks Stanley Cup teams, Keith is in the twilight of his career at age 35, but still has a little gas left in the tank. Currently averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time with a positive plus/minus for a bad Chicago team, Keith has value, but he also has a bad contract. The two-time Norris winner has four years left in his deal after this season, with a cap hit of $5.5 million. Someone really looking to win it all in 2019 might have to deal with the consequences through 2023.
Kevin Hayes & Mats Zuccarello:
The Rangers are in midst of a kind-of rebuild – they aren’t entirely blowing things up, but the organization certainly has eyes on the future. That means two of their top-four scorers and impending free agents Hayes and Zuccarello could be on the move. Hayes is 26 and is in the middle of a career year with 42 points in 49 games. Zuccarello is a bit older at 31, but is a consistent 50- to- 60-point player.
Gustav Nyquist:
A proven playmaker, Nyquist has recorded between 40 and 54 points every year since 2013-14, and is one pace for a new career high with 48 points already with the Red Wings. Detroit, however, is in full-on rebuild mode, so it’s likely that Nyquist goes to a team who may not want to dish out a ton of pieces for a Duchene type, but still needs an offensive spark.
