Quoting: rangersandislesfan
Today, i am making a list of the top 15 most likely NHL players to be traded IN THE OFFSEASON. And no, i'm not talking about what the biggest trades will be, i'm talking about which players are MORE LIKELY than others to be traded. I'll see how many points i get. If #1 gets traded, i get 15 points, 14 for #2, etc. All the way to if #15 gets moved, i get 1 point. If my math is correct, the most possible points i can get is 120 (I may be wrong about this). But i probably won't get all 15 correct. Anyway, here is the list:
15 - Matt Martin, Toronto Maple Leafs
I could see the Islanders trading for Matt Martin to bring him back. Any team though who wants him could probably get him for a pick, and he's a decent 4th liner. Mainly the Isles though i see as a team that would want him.
14 - Ben Lovejoy, New Jersey Devils
Lovejoy is a decent d-man, but isn't too important to the Devils. He could add some experience to a team looking for some, and could get the Devils a pick.
13 - Brandon Saad, Chicago Blackhawks
Saad struggled with the Blackhawks this year, but if they can get another top young player for him (maybe the Hawks will need to add a pick or prospect), that might make sense for the Blackhawks.
12 - Boone Jenner, Columbus Blue Jackets
Jenner has struggled the last few years in Columbus, but could get them a very good return. Trading him may make the most sense if they can get a 1st round pick plus.
11 - Nick Bonino, Nashvillle Predators
This depends how he does in the rest of the playoffs, but even though he played great in round 1, doesn't mean he'll continue in the rest of the playoffs. If he doesn't keep playing like this, he'll still have some value even with his 4 million dollar per year contract. They could get a pretty good return for him, and they have quite a few forwards to fit into the lineup.
10 - Artem Anisimov, Chicago Blackhawks
It is time to rebuild in Chicago. Artem Anisimov is one of the players who may be on his way out, to a team looking for a 3rd line centre.
9 - Victor Rask, Carolina Hurricanes
Rask struggled this year, and as much as it's just one year, he has never put up any more than 48 points in a season. He may get a lot more on a new team, and if a team is willing to give up what he's worth, the Hurricanes should consider it.
8 - Chris Kreider, New York Rangers
This is the surprise trade in my opinion. I think Chris Kreider may get moved for future pieces, to help them for a few years from now. Kreider is one of their key guys, but they're rebuilding. He's a guy they should probably move.
7 - Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
Brock Nelson, every year, has been expected to finally have his best season of his career, but each year, he plays like a 3rd liner. He has potential, but he may need a new team.
6 - Cody Ceci, Ottawa Senators
Cody Ceci has a lot of potential, but has been kind of off-and-on in Ottawa. Trading him makes sense if they can get a good return, and they could, because he could be a very good player on the right team.
5 - Philipp Grubauer, Washington Capitals
The Capitals have a goalie for now and for the future. Holtby is their goalie now, and Samsonov is their future goalie. Trading Grubauer makes sense if the Caps can get a good return for him.
4 - Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens
Max Pacioretty struggled this season in Montreal, but his value is really high. The Habs could get a lot for him. Maybe they could get a top defenseman. He would get them a great return.
3 - Niklas Hjalmarsson, Arizona Coyotes
There are a lot of teams looking for defence, and the Coyotes have Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jakob Chychrun, Jason Demers, and Alex Goligoski still. Hjalmarsson struggled this season in Arizona when he was playing. He was injured for almost half of the season, but still struggled when in the lineup.
2 - Ben Hutton, Vancouver Canucks
Ben Hutton, like Cody Ceci (mentioned earlier on the list), has a ton of potential, but he hasn't played great in Vancouver. Well, he's been a good d-man, but not as good as he could be. They could get a pretty good return for him if they move him, and they have some young d-men like Juolevi that could replace him in the lineup.
1 - Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens
Galchenyuk has struggled in Montreal for a while now, and it seems like it's time to trade him. They could get a lot for him, and way more than he's worth to them. They need to rebuild their forwards, and get what they can for Galchenyuk, because it could give them some pieces that really help them.