NHL Trade Bait List for 2024 Trade Deadline

If general manager Craig Conroy decides to sell, he’ll have a few players who should be highly sought after on the trade market. The Flames have three pending unrestricted free agents in defensemen Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin and center Elias Lindholm who could dominate trade talks. 

Let’s start with Lindholm, who may be the most popular trade target from the Flames if they decide to sell. He’s a first-line center on the Flames, but he’s likely better suited for a second-line role on a Cup contender. It’ll probably cost quite a bit to acquire him, but it may be worth it for a Cup run. 

Hanifin and Tanev should also have their fair share of suitors since defense is always a priority for Cup contenders. Hanifin is more of a puck-mover than Tanev, but he can play a top-four role on just about any playoff team. Tanev is one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL and is a right-handed shot, so expect him to be in demand, too. If the Flames do things right, they could be in a position to retool quickly. 

Trade Market Doesn’t Have Star Power…Yet

One thing that’s evident from current trade boards is that there isn’t much star power available for trade right now. Lindholm would count as one, but it appears that this year’s trade market leans toward complementary players that will round out a team’s top-nine or second/third defense pairs. 

That doesn’t mean there won’t be valuable players, though. Sean Monahan has stayed healthy for the Montreal Canadiens this season and could be an underrated trade-deadline addition for a team in need of center depth. The same is true of Adam Henrique, who’s been productive for the Anaheim Ducks this season. 

There’s still some defensive depth after Hanifin and Tanev, too. The Philadelphia Flyers have been better than expected and currently sit in a playoff spot. But if GM Danny Briere decides to sell, Nick Seeler and Sean Walker could be valuable depth additions on defense. 

There are also plenty of teams looking for goaltenders. The problem is that there aren’t many marquee goalies available. Some names that could be on the move are Jake Allen, Cayden Primeau, and Kaapo Kahkonen. Teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils are teams to watch for goaltending help, as Pierre LeBrun mentioned recently in The Athletic (From ‘LeBrun: Earlier-than-usual rumblings on NHL’s defense, goalie trade markets’ – The Athletic, 12/8/2023). 

The following list will change in the coming weeks once insiders update their trade boards. There are unlikely to be any significant trades until the calendar flips to 2024, which is when the most prominent deals begin to occur in the NHL. Until then, here are 20 names to keep an eye on over the coming weeks via Daily Faceoff, TSN and The Athletic (from ‘NHL trade board 2023-24: The latest on all the top targets from Chris Johnston’ – The Athletic, 12/1/2023). 

Top 20 Trade Bait for 2024 NHL Trade Deadline – Dec. 19