Chris Johnston’s NHL trade board 6.0: New names and the latest buzz heading into the final sprint

Guentzel may ultimately yield the best return of any player at this deadline. The Penguins still have five suitors for the pending unrestricted free agent and are looking for a package similar to what top forwards have fetched in previous years — built around a first-round pick, roster player and prospect(s), plus an added premium for salary retention.

Pittsburgh was fortunate that an upper-body injury suffered by Guentzel on Feb. 14 only ended up coming with a four-week recovery period. The initial fears were that it was much worse. While that will keep Guentzel from playing another game before the trade deadline, it’s allowed him to continue to skate while recovering. He’ll be ready to play shortly after joining his new team.

Guentzel was scoring at a 36-goal, 85-point pace prior to his injury. He’s an undersized winger who performs much bigger than his stature, especially when the stakes are highest, with an eye-popping 34 goals in 58 career Stanley Cup playoff games.

One of the bright spots during what has been a disappointing season in New Jersey, Toffoli is an attractive rental option who could net the Devils a first-round pick back in return. He’s on pace for a second straight 30-plus goal campaign.

The 31-year-old sniper has put the puck in the net everywhere he’s played. A strong skater with a wicked release, he is playing out the final year of a contract paying him $4.25 million. He’d slide into the top six on most contending teams.

The fit hasn’t been quite right in Pittsburgh since Smith arrived in a trade shortly after celebrating a Stanley Cup win with the Golden Knights last summer. He’s well off the pace of last season’s 26-goal, 56-point campaign.

Still, Smith is an intriguing player because of a strong two-way game. He can contribute on both special-teams units and be trusted with a role on a line that handles tough matchups at even strength.

The 32-year-old is signed through the 2024-25 season at a $5 million cap hit, which may bring added appeal since he could be added for multiple playoff runs.

Although he is a fourth-line center with good defensive potential, Dowd is not the most well-known player available at this deadline. He could, however, end up being a valuable, under-the-radar purchase.

When it comes to five-on-five, the Capitals dominate Dowd with defensive zone starts, and even when he is not in the game, they more than hold their own. He can be relied upon to kill penalties and performs admirably in faceoffs. Even when he has the chance to score, he is in capable hands.

Additionally, Dowd has a cap charge of $1.3 million, which is easily squeezed under the salary cap maximum.

At the moment, Vatrano is scoring 40 goals and 66 points per game, easily his greatest in any NHL season. He was invited to the NHL All-Star Game as the Ducks’ representative as a result of that.

He’s always had a nose for the net but has made some defensive improvements despite playing on one of the league’s weakest teams.

At $3.65 million, Vatrano is a competitive player with a contract that expires at the end of the following season. He can be used as a second line player or as a pinch-hitter for the bottom six.

He can also score a short-handed goal if he is involved in the penalty kill.

Zucker is an explosive skater who scored 27 goals in his final season with Pittsburgh. Although he has struggled with consistency at times in his career, he is a low-risk deadline acquisition who is in the last year of his deal.

Zucker can strengthen a middle-six group at even strength and assist with a power play.

For “trade-related considerations,” the Coyotes decided not to include him in Tuesday night’s game against Chicago. Florida, Vegas, and Nashville are a some of the teams reportedly interested in this.

Two years removed from a 31-goal season, Duclair has understandably been slowed by the torn Achilles tendon he had surgically repaired last year in Florida.

Nevertheless, he appears to be a solid buy-low option from a Sharks team that is desperate to acquire future talent and is playing on an expiring contract with a fair cap burden.

Duclair can play either wing and has decent hands. With 11 points in 20 playoff games, he contributed to the Panthers’ march to the Cup Final in the previous spring.

After undergoing a second surgery to heal a damaged Achilles tendon, he has returned to play for the Caps and has been quite productive, scoring 15 points in 25 games.

Pacioretty is appealing in part because Washington will bear the cost of all of his game-played bonuses, resulting in a pro-rated cap impact of just $2 million.

At this point in his career, he is more of a supplementary scoring option despite being a high-end scorer and powerful shooter in his heyday. He can go as far as he wants with a no-movement clause.

After being sold from Calgary to Vancouver on January 31, Lindholm makes an unexpected comeback to the Big Board, but the Canucks have not been the ideal match for him. Being used as a third-line center, he has struggled to highlight his offensive prowess from that position lower in the lineup.

According to league sources, Vancouver has brought up his name in trade talks with Boston as a result. Lindholm’s contract carries a modest $4.85 million cap charge and no trade protection. He also had a career-high 42 goals and 82 points two seasons ago.

Though there is no assurance he will move again, any team trying to fill a center position at No. 2 should find him appealing.

The Bruins have to take something away in order to make any meaningful roster additions. DeBrusk might also be the outcast. The future unrestricted free agent’s output has significantly decreased from his career-best 27-goal, 50-point record from the previous season, and negotiations for an extension have come to a standstill.

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old has appealing offensive tools, including as excellent handles and a strong skating stride. Rather than being a guy that Boston is seeking to discard, he is a commodity that other clubs want.

Over his three years with the Blues, Buchnevich has nearly played a point a game. He is a large, muscular winger with good skating ability and a high-end shot. He is therefore the exceptional top-line talent that might be traded in the last days before this deadline.

Buchnevich’s contract expires at the end of the following season, so St. Louis can afford to hold the line on its request. To deal him now, the Blues will need to make a significant offer that surpasses what Calgary received from Vancouver in exchange for Elias Lindholm: a first-round pick, two prospects, and winger Andrei Kuzmenko.

Some teams may find it difficult to pay Buchnevich’s $5.8 million salary cap charge, but at least he is scoring at a rate that fits that amount and is on track to record 33 goals and 66 points this season.

The veteran winger is ready to embrace the opportunity to chase a Stanley Cup elsewhere after eight seasons in Buffalo. Okposo is a high-character teammate who is currently wearing the C for the Sabres and should be an easy locker-room fit.

At this stage of his career, he’s a bottom-six option that can still produce a bit of offense. His shot remains a weapon. But more important than that is his ability to help set the tone for a team through his high level of preparation and attention to detail.

He is the starting center for the Sharks right now, but on a more formidable team, he would be positioned further down the roster.

Granlund has moved teams a few times in the previous 12 months, but in San Jose, he has produced respectably. He is an all-around player with excellent vision who is a versatile forward with over 50 postseason games played.

He’s also not a pure rental with a $5 million contract running through the end of next season.

After a chilly start to the season, Eberle’s goals have returned, making him a somewhat valuable asset.

He performs best when used on a talented line that is relied upon to score points. In every NHL season, he has scored more than 20 goals per 82 games, and it looks likely that he will continue this trend.

A consolation prize for contenders will come from Eberle’s track record of huge goal scoring. He also played two lengthy playoff campaigns with the New York Islanders, where he picked up invaluable experience. In this case, going back to Edmonton might make sense on all fronts.

The largest obstacle in this situation is that Eller’s deal has a $2.425 million cap hit for a season after this one. If not, he would be a great depth addition for a rival team.

at five-on-five circumstances, the 34-year-old can be relied upon to play defense. He is also good at the faceoff dot. He also eliminates penalties. Eller has also played in more over 100 postseason games, winning a Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018.

The man who sports a playoff beard all year long has made 150 appearances in postseason competition and has won the Stanley Cup three times. There is a very small pool of current NHL players whose resumes align with that.

Maroon is on his sixth NHL franchise, so he also knows a thing or two about how to fit in with a new team, which should give anyone considering adding him as a rental some peace of mind.

Ultimately, Maroon is a culture guy whose impact is best measured by more than goals, points or minutes played.

Moving him might be complicated by the fact that Maroon’s back problem will prevent him from playing before the trade deadline. According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, he has started to skate gingerly.

Blackwell is an affordable, high-energy checking-line forward who makes $1.2 million under the cap and is expected to earn Chicago a late-round draft pick.

Blackwell has the ability to kill penalties and will embrace a depth role. He also has some playoff experience after being acquired by Toronto at the 2022 trade deadline and playing all seven games in their first-round loss to Tampa that spring.

Kubalik, a historically inconsistent scorer whose scoring totals have decreased this season mostly as a result of a decline in power-play production, is a rental on a fair contract who has not quite fit in in Ottawa. For a team seeking for assistance with the man advantage, he might be a cheap signing with upside potential.

During the 2020 -20 bubble, Kubalik made just one postseason appearance with Chicago and put up impressive stats.

With the Oilers on the hunt for a top-six winger, Foegele could be the odd man out with his $2.75 million in cap space potentially needed for the upgrade.

He’s a big, competitive winger who is producing at the best rate of his NHL career. But he’s also a pending unrestricted free agent.

Foegele is versatile and can be slotted across the lineup and used on both specialty teams.

Kuznetsov cleared waivers on Sunday and is now headed to the AHL for the first time in his career. As such, there will be a substantial financial component to any transaction involving him. With a $7.8 million budget charge until the end of the following season, the 31-year-old center witnessed a significant decline in his play before departing the Capitals in early February to enroll in the NHL/NHLPA player aid program.

He is, nevertheless, hoping for a second opportunity and a chance to start over. Kuznetsov had a season with 78 points just two years ago. In his best moments, he was a superb playmaker. Seeing someone take a bet on his skill set would not be shocking.

Kaliyev, who is still only 22 years old, has endured a dismal season in which both his playing time and attacking output have decreased.

He lives on the fourth line in Los Angeles and is an outstanding shooter. The Kings will need to find a way to part with the potentially valuable 2019 second-round pick, even though he might benefit from a new beginning.

This season, the well-traveled forward has already made one change, from Colorado to Seattle, where he found his production again in a system that was more fitting for his style of play with the Kraken.

Tatar is an offensive one-dimensional player with respectable handles and pace. Teams looking to add some backup scoring should give him a look.

Despite being a steadily falling scorer over his NHL career, Hoffman is not as appealing as he once was for two key reasons. 1) His contract is about to expire, and acquiring him will not come with a huge price tag. And 2) It is not unreasonable to assume that, with the Sharks devoid of elite offensive players, he is currently in a position where it is challenging for him to maximize his potential.

Put it together, and he might be worth rolling the dice on. There’s not much to lose.

During his three seasons in San Jose, Barabanov has proven to be a dependable NHL player. He is a winger with the offensive instincts to support a line that is relied upon for goals. However, Barabanov will be available on the trade market because the Sharks are more interested in future assets than in players who can contribute right now, and he is scheduled to become a free agent this summer.

Barabanov’s start to this season was interrupted by a broken finger, and the production was slow to return once he got back in the lineup. Still, with an expiring contract, there isn’t a whole lot of risk here.

Dewar is a bottom-six forward with a fierce work ethic that makes up for his modest stature.

Although the 24-year-old’s offensive potential is limited, he can kill penalties and is a reliable player when playing away from the puck. In addition, as a future restricted free agent with arbitration rights who is expected to get a qualifying offer of $892,500 this summer, he carries team control.

With 116 playoff games under his belt, Johnson has intangibles to go along with his two Stanley Cup championships with Tampa Bay. He has been a starter with a rebuilding Chicago team this season when healthy, but on a deeper roster, he will more easily fall into the bottom six.

Throughout his NHL career, Johnson has used his speed and intelligence to make up for his lack of stature.

He is one of the few unclaimed free agents the Blackhawks need to trade by the deadline this year.

The Flyers are not obligated to deal Laughton because he has a two-year contract remaining. However, it makes sense why potential suitors would be interested in a glue guy who kills penalties and plays with a competitive edge.

The 11-year NHL veteran has had a difficult season; Flyers coach John Tortorella called it “inconsistent.” As a result, his goals, points, and ice time all decreased. Nevertheless, Laughton only costs $3 million above the cap and is a bottom-six boost for the majority of teams.

The Flyers are willing to listen to offers on just about any of their players.

Even though his offensive production has stagnated in recent years, Kapanen is still a top-tier skater with a strong toolkit. In addition, the 27-year-old is in the last year of a deal that pays him $3.2 million and poses no risk as a rental addition.

A winger with a 20-goal season under his belt may benefit from a fresh start, and the purchase cost should not be too costly in this case.

After beginning the season in the AHL, the big winger has found his footing again in the NHL. He is renowned for his defensive prowess and strong 200-foot play, but this season he could eclipse his previous best of 16 goals.

One thing is that he’s not a rental, with a $3.4 million cap hit that extends through the end of next season.