2016 NHL trade deadline targets

For any team looking to add some firepower from the wing, Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker could be nice option. The Danish forward has 38 points thus far on the season.

The third overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft, forward Jonathan Drouin and the Tampa Bay Lightning have been heading toward a divorce for a while now. The Lightning have made the 20-year-old available, but the price to acquire the talented winger is hefty.

A quality two-way center, the Canadiens have made forward Lars Eller available. He won’t come cheap, but if a team out there wants him badly enough, it’ll be able to acquire Eller before the deadline.

Set to become a free agent at the end of the season, the Boston Bruins have been entertaining trade offers for winger Loui Eriksson. With the Bruins looking more and like a contender of late, however, it seems unlikely at this point that Erickson is dealt.

With the Vancouver Canucks falling out of the playoff race, an obvious trade target on the team becomes veteran defenseman Dan Hamhuis. Hamhuis is a tough, solid, stay-at-home blue-liner who could add some much-needed depth to a playoff contender. The only problem is that he has a no trade clause and reportedly loves Vancouver.

New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic has been available to be had for quite a while now. The 25-year-old has come into his own this season, and the Islanders are looking to cash in on him following his request to be traded closer to home for personal reasons.

Blue Jackets forward Scott Hartnell would be a welcome addition to any Stanley Cup contender. The 33-year-old forward knows how to win in the playoffs, and with 19 goals thus far this season, he can still find the back of the net.

After making the playoffs last season, the Calgary Flames look like a lost cause this year. Veteran forward Jiri Hudler is a near certainty to be traded before the deadline.

Having just re-signed Dustin Byfuglien long term, the Winnipeg Jets will likely not have the cap space needed to re-sign forward Andrew Ladd in the offseason. With the Jets out of the playoff race, expect Ladd to be moved to a contender.

It’s no secret the Maple Leafs want to trade forward Joffrey Lupul by the deadline. But with Lupul’s sizable contract, the Leafs are going to need to take some salary back in any deal for the 32-year-old.

The Buffalo Sabres won’t be making the playoffs this season, and thus, they’ll be looking to add draft picks and younger players for next season. Veteran forward Jamie McGinn has a friendly contract and would add depth on the attack to any contender in the postseason.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2011 NHL Draft, Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t developed into the star Edmonton thought he would become. Granted, injuries have slowed his development, but with Connor McDavid, Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl the future of this Oilers team, trading Nugent-Hopkins isn’t out of the question.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are open for a fire sale at this point. No one on the roster is safe, in particular winger P.A. Parenteau. Parenteau is a quality forward who could fetch the Leafs a few nice assets for the future.

Although he’s only 23 years old and loaded with talent, Kings forward Tanner Pearson has recently found himself in head coach Darryl Sutter’s dog house. If the Kings are looking to add a quality veteran for a Cup run, dangling a player of Pearson’s caliber could certainly fetch them a nice coup.

In rebuild mode once again, the time has likely come for Maples Leafs goaltender James Reimer to move on to another team. The market for goalies is thin at the moment, so Toronto would have no shortage of suitors if it makes the 27-year-old available.

Similar to Hudler, defenseman Kris Russell could be dealt to acquire prospects or draft picks to help Calgary build for the future.

Justin Schultz was expected to grow into a top defender along the blue line for the Edmonton Oilers. It hasn’t happened. Oilers management has made it clear it wants to move Schultz, so expect him to be traded by the deadline.

Rumors have been swirling all season that the St. Louis Blues have been shopping defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. Although it feels like if he was going to be traded it would have happened already, Shattenkirk could still be dealt before the deadline.

Having played his entire 11-year career with Carolina Hurricanes, the time might be coming for Eric Staal to find a change of scenery. The Hurricanes will more likely than not miss the postseason, and Staal could slip seamlessly into the roll of a top six forward for just about any true contender. If Staal is willing to leave Carolina, he’ll be one top trade targets out on the market.

Although the Lightning has indicated it won’t trade him, you can be sure that as the trade deadline comes closer, rumors regarding star center Steven Stamkos will heat up. One of the best goal scorers in the NHL, Stamkos is set to become a free agent this offseason, and Tampa Bay would be foolish to lose him for nothing.

Would the Montreal Canadiens actually be willing to trade star defenseman P.K. Subban? Well, the team is reportedly gauging the market. Still, a player of Subban’s caliber would come at a steep cost for any team attempting to acquire him. Also, he is under contract until 2022, which makes any possible deal more complicated.

Veteran winger Kris Versteeg is expected to be traded by the Hurricanes before the deadline. His former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, are thought to be the front-runners for his services.

There won’t be too many goaltenders available this deadline, but one could be Carolina netminder Cam Ward. The Hurricanes could be looking to rebuild their roster (or at least should be), and the veteran goalie could nab them a slew of assets for the future.

In the midst of what appears to be a lost season, Canadiens forward Dale Weise has publicly stated that he expects to be traded. Weise, who seems to play his best hockey in the postseason, would be a welcome addition to many teams.

Although he has been the subject of trade rumors for well over a month now, with captain Ryan McDonagh out with an injury, it seems less likely Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle will be traded. Still, Yandle is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so a move is still possible.