Every NHL team’s biggest 'get this guy out of here' candidate

Buffalo Sabres – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G

Goaltending has often earned the finger-pointing when it comes to the Buffalo Sabres’ sluggish start, and the 27-year-old Finn gets the lion’s share of the blame. He’s picked up his play of late, but his 3.40 goals-against average and .874 save percentage have many wishing he had been shipped to the Winnipeg Jets for Connor Hellebuyck.

Calgary Flames – Jonathan Huberdeau, W

Sure, he hasn’t played this season because of hip resurfacing surgery, but it’s safe to say most Calgarians want Jonathan Huberdeau gone as soon as possible. Being paid $10.5 million per season while only topping 20 goals and 60 points once in four years will do that.

Carolina Hurricanes – The Dundon Family, Owners

It’s hard to pick someone on the ice for the defending Stanley Cup champions, but Carolina Hurricanes fans will be quick to look upwards to the owner’s suite. Engraving the names of family members on the Cup might have felt like the right idea, but no one outside the ownership group agrees.

Chicago Blackhawks – Jeff Blashill, Coach

The rebuild enters season seven (depending on who you ask), and there are plenty of uncertainties to contend with. One of the clear certainties, however, is that the Jeff Blashill experiment behind the bench needs to end. The Chicago Blackhawks are off to a miserable start, and his .410 winning percentage just isn’t cutting it.

Colorado Avalanche – Brent Burns, D

This one isn’t a whole-hearted “get him out of here,” but somebody had to be chosen. The 41-year-old Brent Burns is naturally a step slower, and sometimes it causes him to be a bit of a liability. That said, fans would much rather have him around to win his first Stanley Cup as a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Conor Garland, W

The Columbus Blue Jackets brought in Conor Garland last season to provide secondary scoring, and he has been virtually non-existent. Through 12 games so far this season, he’s laid a goose egg in the statistical column and generally looks listless for 13 minutes per night on a Blue Jackets outfit that desperately needs a pop of life.

Dallas Stars – Jamie Benn, W

This isn’t so much a choice of ire as it is pity. The 37-year-old has spent all 18 seasons in Dallas, but Jamie Benn’s best days are far behind him. He looked out of place on a stacked Dallas Stars team last season when his 15 goals and 36 points became his lowest totals ever when playing at least 60 games. This is a “put him out to pasture” move, but the Stars hope it can at least end with a championship.

Detroit Red Wings – Michael Rasmussen, C

While the obvious answer is He Who Shall Not Be Named, the other name that comes up often from Detroit Red Wings fans is Michael Rasmussen. The ninth overall pick in 2017, he has just never lived up to his lofty draft status. His lack of offense and middling defensive game have helped earn him the ire of a fan base starving for quality hockey.

Edmonton Oilers – Alex Formenton, W

Regardless of how you feel about the accusations leveled at him, signing a 27-year-old winger who hadn’t played in five seasons and has the kind of off-ice baggage teams avoid is certainly a move. Plenty of Edmonton Oilers fans have sworn off the team until Alex Formenton is no longer in the blue and orange.

Florida Panthers – Radko Gudas, D

Most fans probably wouldn’t want Radko Gudas on their team because of his penchant for dirty plays, but that’s probably not something Florida Panthers fans really think about. It has more to do with the fact that he’s a pilon who can barely defend and is prone to taking bad penalties. The other stuff is just fine in Florida.

Los Angeles Kings – Cody Ceci, D

Cody Ceci is one of the most intriguing players in the NHL. He’s really not even that bad of a defenseman, but almost everyone agrees that he’s overpaid and overused relative to his skill. A recent healthy scratch may be the writing on the wall. Los Angeles Kings fans were unhappy with the signing at the time and are even more so after having to watch him for 89 games.

Minnesota Wild – Zach Bogosian, D

Bogo is a beloved teammate and seemingly wonderful guy, but the Minnesota Wild are going all-in as they attempt to bring home the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. The 36-year-old Zach Bogosian should be a seventh defenseman, at best, yet plays nearly 17 minutes per night. Wild fans would like to see him a bit less, to say the least.

Montreal Canadiens – Kirby Dach, C/W

The Montreal Canadiens gave up the draft pick that would be Frank Nazar to land Kirby Dach, the third overall pick in 2019. Initially, it looked like a good play as Dach racked up 38 points in 58 games. Since then, it’s been disappointment and a reduction in his role. This season, he has just three assists while averaging 10:45 per game, and Habs fans would rather just move on.

Nashville Predators – Brady Skjei, D

Brady Skjei is a victim of the lucrative contract he signed two summers ago, a seven-year, $49 million pact following a career-high 47 points with the Hurricanes. It felt like an overpayment then and has proven to be exactly that as Skjei struggles to have anywhere close to the impact he once did. But hey, only four more seasons to go on his contract after this one!

New Jersey Devils – Timo Meier, C/W

The New Jersey Devils gave up a boatload to acquire Timo Meier at the 2023 Trade Deadline, landing him in the midst of his career-high 40-goal season. He’s been solid – 25ish goals, 50ish points – but nowhere near what was hoped for. This season, he has one goal in 14 games and looks even less like the diminished player he has been in recent seasons, leading to Devils fans wanting him out the door.

New York Islanders – Tony DeAngelo, D

Tony DeAngelo has the skill and production of a guy who should be earning a big paycheck, not someone who can only stick with a team for a bit. He’s in year three with the New York Islanders, but his off-ice opinions have made him, without a doubt, the most unpopular guy on the Island.

New York Rangers – Chris Drury, General Manager

The New York Rangers are falling in the wake of the Igor Shesterkin injury, and Chris Drury’s track record as Rangers general manager (GM) leaves many in the Big Apple concerned, to say the least. He supplemented the team with some big additions this offseason, but this largely feels like a group stuck in the mushy middle of the league for the foreseeable future.

Ottawa Senators – Andre Burakovsky, W

This could also be Samuel Ersson, who has continued his sieve-like tendencies as an ugly contrast to the fantastic play of Linus Ullmark. Andre Burakovsky wins the nomination here, thanks to zero goals, zero points, and a $5.5 million cap hit. The one silver lining is that he’s in the final year of his contract and will almost certainly be gone when the season ends.

Philadelphia Flyers – Rick Tocchet, Coach

Any time a head coach goes at it with the franchise’s brightest young star, you know things aren’t going well for your club. Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone are two of the brightest young talents in the league but seem to be struggling under Rick Tocchet’s defense-first system. When it ultimately comes to a head, we all know who is going to be ushered out of town.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Declan Carlile, D

Declan Carlile looked like a solid addition after 42 games playing sheltered minutes on a very good Tampa Bay Lightning team. In a larger role for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, the results aren’t great. His offense is up – three goals, five points in 14 games – but he is an ugly minus-9 and looks lost more often than not in more than 19 minutes of ice time per night.

San Jose Sharks – Ty Dellandrea, C

The young, talented San Jose Sharks could use a bit more from their bottom six, and Ty Dellandrea isn’t it. He plays middling defense, contributes no offense (one assist in eight games), and mostly just exists for 13 minutes per night. Others would say Darnell Nurse, but that contract was hard enough to move the first time.

Seattle Kraken – Ryan Lindgren, D

This would have easily been Shane Wright prior to his trade, so the title goes to Ryan Lindgren. He’s currently hurt and had been playing decently before moving to the injured list, but he’s done a whole lot of nothing since coming to Seattle.

St. Louis Blues – Dillon Dube, C

For the same reason Formenton finds himself on this list, Dillon Dube becomes the choice of most St. Louis Blues fans. He hadn’t played since the 2023-24 season and had just one goal in three games before going on the injured reserve with a neck injury. Blues fans would just as soon see him never return.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Julien BriseBois, General Manager

Kind of cut and dry when the greatest player in franchise history says he wants to be dealt, no? Julien BriseBois now has to figure out a way to either get his superstar winger to re-sign or get the most out of him in what would be one of the most memorable in-season trades in NHL history.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Morgan Rielly, D

Morgan Rielly has been with the franchise for 14 seasons, but it is clear the luster has worn off. He has been in decline the past few seasons, though he is off to a nice start with 11 assists in 16 games. His $7.5 million contract is aging better in a growing cap world, but many would prefer to move on from the 32-year-old defenseman.

Vancouver Canucks – Jake DeBrusk, W

Jake DeBrusk is one of many the Vancouver Canucks faithful hope ends up as trade fodder in the early stages of a full franchise tear-down. His streaky play probably doesn’t earn him many fans, either, though he can be fun when he’s hot. Unfortunately, that is few and far between these days.

Utah Mammoth – Sebastian Cossa, G

This one is similar to the situation for the Avalanche. No one on the Utah Mammoth are really on the hot seat right now, but it has to sting a bit to have given up a first-round pick for a guy with a 3.20 GAA and a ghastly .855 SV%. He’s still young and is in a good spot to figure it out, but the early returns have to be frustrating.

Vegas Golden Knights – Rasmus Andersson, D

The Vegas Golden Knights, as is their yearly tradition, swung for the fences by acquiring Rasmus Andersson from the Flames back in January. He was merely okay down the stretch and in the playoffs, but now the scrutiny level is much higher with an $8.5 million price tag attached each season. He continues to not look worth the cost and could become a problem contract before long.

Washington Capitals – Alex Ovechkin, W

Alex Ovechkin is one of the most beloved players in NHL history, and no one wants to see him retire. But at 41 years old, it’s clear he can’t really hang anymore. He has just one goal and four points in 13 games, and Caps fans no doubt want to just get him through his final season so he can ride off into the sunset.

Winnipeg Jets – Hayden Fleury, D

The Winnipeg Jets are in a weird middle ground between rebuild and contention, but one thing is clear: Jets fans want Hayden Fleury out. He has been a fringe defenseman since arriving in Winnipeg, and his minus-5 rating in 10 games is right on par with his substandard performances of the past two seasons. The only consolation is that he will undoubtedly miss time because of injuries at some point.