It is never too early to talk about a trade in the NHL. After all, last season’s blockbuster trade that sent Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois going to the Winnipeg Jets happened just 10 days into the season.
We’ve been waiting all offseason for Jack Eichel and Vladimir Tarasenko to be traded, but the Buffalo Sabres and St. Louis Blues aren’t the only teams expected to make moves before the NHL trade deadline on March 21, 2022.
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We asked The Athletic’s NHL writers to name one player on all 32 teams who will not end the season on their current roster.
Here are their answers:
2021-22 NHL team previews: Projections and ranking of every club
Anaheim Ducks: Rickard Rakell
Rakell is 28 and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. While his scoring touch has deserted him more often than not (he has just 42 goals in his past 186 games), he still possesses good offensive ability and can boost a lineup that needs another scorer. If he bounces back into the 20-goal territory, the Ducks could fetch a nice asset or two at the deadline. -Eric Stephens
Arizona Coyotes: Phil Kessel
Kessel has a limited no-trade clause but he is in the last year of his deal on a team that will likely be winning only a third of its games. I presume he will want out by mid-season and, if he shows he can still score, there will likely be an appetite for the two-time champion. -Corey Pronman
Boston Bruins: Jakub Zboril
The 2015 first-rounder is running out of time to develop into a full-time NHL defenseman. He’ll be restricted at year’s end. If he doesn’t take another step toward becoming a trusted three-zone defenseman, the Bruins could have other options on the left side. -Fluto Shinzawa
Buffalo Sabres: Jack Eichel
It’s amazing that he’s on the roster now. The debate about the herniated disk in Eichel’s neck — he wants artificial disk replacement, the Sabres want fusion — became increasingly personal throughout the summer. There’s no path to reconciliation. One of these days, the Sabres will hear a trade offer to their liking. -John Vogl
Calgary Flames: Nikita Zadorov
The Flames traded for Zadorov from Chicago this summer, but only signed him to a one-year contract — likely due to his camp asking for too much money or term. So, he’ll be a UFA come next summer and a likely rental candidate by the trade deadline. -Hailey Salvian
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Carolina Hurricanes: Jake Gardiner
Gardiner will start the season on long term injury reserve after undergoing back and hip surgeries, and will likely miss the entire season. Even before this, though, Gardiner seemed to have fallen out of favor with the Hurricanes with a few healthy scratches and trade rumors buzzing. It’s hard to imagine we’ll see him in a Hurricanes jersey again. Gardiner signed a four-year, $4.05 million AAV contract ahead of the 2019-20 season. -Sara Civian
Chicago Blackhawks: Marc-Andre Fleury
If the Blackhawks aren’t a playoff contender, I could see Fleury and the Blackhawks trying to work out something that tries to get him to a contender. -Scott Powers
Dylan Strome: I don’t necessarily believe or agree with this, because I don’t expect the Blackhawks to be in a firesale at the trade deadline, but if things go sideways, Strome — a talented and productive player coming off a middling season who has never really earned Jeremy Colliton’s trust and who is heading into restricted free agency — could be an interesting trade chip. -Mark Lazerus
Colorado Avalanche: Martin Kaut
If Kaut doesn’t establish himself this season, his days with the team could be numbered. He’s a former first-round pick who could have trade value, and if he’s not able to consistently break into the lineup, the Avalanche could move him for more immediate help. -Peter Baugh
Columbus Blue Jackets: Max Domi
The Blue Jackets tried to trade Domi during the offseason, but shoulder surgery threw a wrench into those plans. They left him exposed in the expansion draft, but Seattle wouldn’t bite. Once he’s healthy, expect the Blue Jackets to start shopping him again. -Aaron Portzline
Dallas Stars: Braden Holtby
The Stars have an excess of goaltenders with Jake Oettinger waiting in the wings. Even if Oettinger begins the season in the AHL, he should be ready to make the jump back into the NHL at some point this season, meaning the Stars will need to deal either Anton Khudobin or Holtby. -Saad Yousuf
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Detroit Red Wings: Nick Leddy
Leddy will serve a valuable role as a mentor to Detroit’s young defensemen and likely QB the top power play, but come the trade deadline, I expect Detroit will look to recoup some of the draft capital it gave up to acquire him this past summer. -Max Bultman
Edmonton Oilers: Mikko Koskinen
The veteran goaltender is in the final year of his contract and the Oilers will need an upgrade in goal to go on a long playoff run. Koskinen’s $4.5 million salary won’t be as gargantuan by the trade deadline – whether for an acquiring or for the Oilers if they’re retaining money. One obstacle, however, is Koskinen’s modified no-trade clause, which allows him to block a deal to half the league. -Daniel Nugent-Bowman
Florida Panthers: Maxim Mamin
I never saw a legit full-time NHL player when I watched Mamin in CSKA. He would be the bet on this roster to not stick and be looking for an opportunity elsewhere by midseason. -Corey Pronman
Los Angeles Kings: Blake Lizotte
Lizotte could be a victim of the surplus of centers in the organization. He is valued for his tenacity and grit, which means it is conceivable he could be part of a larger trade package before the trade deadline. -Lisa Dillman
Minnesota Wild: Victor Rask
If the Wild are on the outside looking in come trade deadline time, Rask might be a point-producing center a playoff team would have interest in as a rental. -Michael Russo
Montreal Canadiens: Ben Chiarot
If the Canadiens are not a clear-cut playoff team by the trade deadline – and I don’t think they will be – the potential return on Chiarot as a rental with his contract expiring might be too great to ignore. His playoff performances the past two seasons would likely create considerable demand for his services. -Arpon Basu
Nashville Predators: Filip Forsberg
Forsberg will need a new contract after this season. The Predators want to re-sign him, but if the season goes off the rails, would they consider trading him as a rental at the trade deadline? -Adam Vingan
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New Jersey Devils: Jesper Boqvist
The Devils have one pending unrestricted free agent: defenseman P.K. Subban. They expect to hang around the playoff race all season, which could mean skipping the annual yard sale with UFAs before the trade deadline. If New Jersey instead tries to be a buyer, Boqvist is young and has shown flashes of NHL potential. It could make him an ideal candidate off the current roster to be part of a package to land a veteran to make a final playoff push. It’s more likely to be a draft pick or prospect not close to NHL ready in such a deal. -Corey Masisak
New York Islanders: Leo Komarov
Uncle Leo has been chugging along, filling in where needed, but his $3 million cap hit might need to go to allow the Islanders to make a significant move during the season. -Arthur Staple
New York Rangers: Mika Zibanejad
I don’t think this is certain by any means, but if Chris Drury can’t get him re-signed by the trade deadline, he likely must be traded. -Rick Carpiniello
Ottawa Senators: Chris Tierney
This feels like a pretty safe bet, considering Tierney is entering the final season of his contract before becoming a free agent next summer. It doesn’t feel like he fits into the Senators’ long-term plans, even though he’s only 27 years old and brings a young veteran presence to their lineup. The expectation is that Tierney will be traded at some point before the deadline — likely to a team that needs some depth at the center ice position. -Ian Mendes
Philadelphia Flyers: Keith Yandle
Assuming the Flyers remain in playoff contention, they won’t be looking to sell. But it’s not difficult to envision a scenario where Keith Yandle ends up playing for another team. He’s chasing down Doug Jarvis’ consecutive games record, but top prospect Cam York is coming for his presumptive spot in the Philadelphia lineup. If the Flyers are ready to give York the full-time third-pair LHD job but don’t want to bench Yandle so close to his shot at the record, perhaps they facilitate a trade to a team that will give him that chance. -Charlie O’Connor
Pittsburgh Penguins: Marcus Pettersson
The Penguins need to make room for Pierre-Olivier Joseph at some point. Pettersson has long been the logical person to ship out. -Josh Yohe
There is a logjam at left defense in Pittsburgh, and Pettersson is the odd-fitting log. -Rob Rossi
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San Jose Sharks: Tomas Hertl
Get ready to start hearing Hertl’s name frequently in trade rumors because the Sharks’ top-line center and pending unrestricted free agent is not anywhere close to signing an extension. While the Sharks might want to keep him around, sources have indicated that Hertl might prefer to move on if the team doesn’t right the ship in the dressing room and on the ice. A Hertl trade could bring the Sharks some much-needed assets for the future. -Kevin Kurz
Seattle Kraken: One of the surplus defensemen
The Kraken have so much third-pairing caliber depth that one of them will likely be traded. -Ryan S. Clark
St. Louis Blues: Vladimir Tarasenko
It’s well known now that Tarasenko requested a trade from the Blues this offseason, but it hasn’t happened yet. GM Doug Armstrong has found it hard to move a player who turns 30 in December, had three surgeries on the same shoulder and has a $7.5 million salary cap hit each of the next two seasons. Unless there’s a complete change of heart from Tarasenko’s perspective, he’ll be dealt at some point this season. -Jeremy Rutherford
Tampa Bay Lightning: Alex Barre-Boulet
If the Lightning end up buyers at the trade deadline like they have been the past couple of years, they could potentially move one of their forward prospects like an Alex Barre-Boulet. It’s not a given, of course, but I don’t see any of the regulars in the lineup dealt as they go for another Cup. -Joe Smith
Toronto Maple Leafs: Pierre Engvall
He’s frustrated the Leafs with his inconsistency over the years, and he’s not so young anymore — having turned 25 in May. The fact that he’ll be an RFA next summer makes him attractive to the Leafs, especially with Ilya Mikheyev headed for unrestricted free agency. But maybe that’s also what makes him useful in a trade, maybe for a more viable top-six winger. With all the forwards the Leafs brought in this past offseason, Engvall feels less than essential. -Jonas Siegel
Ilya Mikheyev: There’s a big logjam at forward and he’s requested a trade already. Add in his pending UFA status and there’s enough there to say he may not last as a Leaf. -James Mirtle
Vancouver Canucks: Olli Juolevi
There’s a ton of competition on the left side of the Canucks defense corps, with Jack Rathbone, Brad Hunt and Juolevi all competing for minutes behind Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Quinn Hughes. Unless Juolevi’s skating stride has improved significantly this offseason, I suspect he’ll eventually end up the odd man out, even if he starts the year on the 23-man roster. -Thomas Drance
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Brad Hunt: Hunt is an NHL-caliber depth piece but the club’s competition for the last couple of jobs on the left side of the blueline will be fierce. Jack Rathbone seems to have an inside track on an everyday third-pair job and the team may not want to risk waiving Juolevi if it comes down to him versus Hunt for the final roster spot. -Harman Dayal
Vegas Golden Knights: Keegan Kolesar
I think Kolesar will still be within the Golden Knights organization, but I could see him being bumped down to the AHL when Alex Tuch eventually returns from injury. Vegas has a deep group of forwards, and if Nolan Patrick and Brett Howden are contributors, it could get real crowded, real quick. -Jesse Granger
Washington Capitals: Michal Kempny
Even if Kempny proves he’s healthy after suffering hamstring, Achilles and knee injuries over the past two years, he’s in a tough spot. He’s 31 years old on a team that’s looking to get younger. He’s in the final year of a four-year contract that averages $2.5 million per. Most notably, though, he’s a left-shot defenseman in an organization that’s got younger, less expensive prospects at the position (Martin Fehervary and Alex Alexeyev, to name a couple) who are awfully close to being ready for full-time roles with the big club. -Tarik El-Bashir
Winnipeg Jets: Eric Comrie
If we’re talking about next season, I think Andrew Copp is a strong candidate — not because he isn’t a great fit in Winnipeg but because his pending UFA status gives him the opportunity to shop his services. If we’re talking midseason, I think Comrie is the frontrunner. Winnipeg is making a calculated risk in promoting him to their backup goaltending gig. He hasn’t excelled (in extremely limited viewings) at the NHL level. This is a “win now” season, and if he struggles at any length, the Jets might look for a veteran to take his spot. -Murat Ates
(Top photo of Jack Eichel: Patrick McDermott / NHLI via Getty Images)