NHL offseason trade board 2.0: The latest on the Jets, Leafs, Flyers and more — and how it impacts the market

Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alex DeBrincat have given their clubs marching orders.

Dubois, a Jets forward and restricted free agent, won’t sign in Winnipeg and wants to be traded. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who in all likelihood will also move franchise center Mark Scheifele.

DeBrincat, a Senators winger and also an RFA, won’t sign an extension with so many unknowns surrounding Ottawa’s sale process. As reported on The Athletic this past week, his agent, Jeff Jackson, has delivered a list of preferred destinations to Senators GM Pierre Dorion. DeBrincat doesn’t have no-trade protection, but the idea is that if he’s willing to re-sign long-term with a new team, Ottawa would get more value.

◻️ How Gavrikov's deal sets trade market
◻️ Is Konecny next to go in Philly?
◻️ Alex DeBrincat sets his list
◻️ Devils make offer to Jesper Bratt
◻️ Pierre-Luc Dubois won't sign with the Jets long-term

What @PierreVLeBrun is hearing: https://t.co/z2dSbTJvu8

— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) June 7, 2023

This is only the tip of the iceberg of what’s changed since The Athletic’s initial iteration of the NHL offseason trade board. Toronto and Calgary have new GMs. The Penguins have a new boss. The Blue Jackets have already pulled off two big trades, adding top-four defensemen Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson.

The Leafs change could mean fireworks with the Core Four. But the early sense is that new GM Brad Treliving will try to keep his top core players if possible.

What about elsewhere? Before we get to the 2.0 version of our trade board, here’s the latest The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Eric Duhatschek and Michael Russo are hearing from around the league:

Pressure for Jets to trade Dubois, Scheifele, Hellebuyck

Cheveldayoff is the man to watch in the NHL right now.

The Jets GM was informed this past week by agent Pat Brisson that Dubois won’t sign in Winnipeg and that Brisson wants to help the Jets find a good trade out of this. Montreal has engaged, unsurprisingly, but the Habs aren’t likely to overpay — either in a trade or with the contract itself. It has to make sense for them. There are other teams in play, too, for Dubois, who moves up to No. 1 on our new trade board.

Pierre-Luc Dubois' camp will work with the Jets to arrange partners for a sign and trade — a process which I believe has already begun.

So who might be on Dubois' wishlist? What might Winnipeg get back?

Plus, why Montreal is a tough, tough ask:https://t.co/uyLwkdOHP4

— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) June 9, 2023

Then there’s Connor Hellebuyck (No. 2 on the trade board 2.0) and Mark Scheifele (No. 3), both entering the last year of their deals. Odds are both are traded this summer. And there should be no confusion about whether Hellebuyck has interest in signing an extension in Winnipeg. That ship has sailed. His next contract will be with a new team.

Maple Leafs looking to keep Core 4 intact

We are still early in the Treliving era, but indications so far are that there’s a desire to keep the Core Four together if contract extensions can be figured out — especially for Auston Matthews, but also for William Nylander.

On Matthews, it’s pretty straightforward. Getting him signed is the top priority, and there’s no doubt that bringing No. 34’s old Arizona hockey idol into the fold was a nice bonus in hiring Shane Doan to the front office.

The Maple Leafs hired Shane Doan to their front office, the team announced Friday.

Doan was most recently the Arizona Coyotes’ chief hockey development officer before agreeing to become a special adviser to Leafs general manager Brad Treliving.https://t.co/C76hit0WU9

— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) June 9, 2023

All things being equal, Treliving would prefer to keep Mitch Marner, too. As he said in his introductory news conference, it’s hard to replace elite talent. You can never predict if another team will pick up the phone and make the kind of offer a GM never saw coming, but let’s put it this way: Treliving isn’t bringing Marner’s name up with teams.

As we said, Treliving wants to re-sign Nylander, an unrestricted free agent in 2024, as well. But of interest here is some agent history. Nylander’s rep, Lewis Gross, also represents Johnny Gaudreau, whose exit from Calgary left tire tracks on Treliving when he was GM there. So suffice it to say: Treliving isn’t going to allow a song and dance to play out all season with Nylander, who we now have at No. 10 on the trade board. It’s “extension or else” in all probability.

Hurricanes hoping to re-up Skjei, Pesce

Carolina has two top-four defensemen entering the last years of their contracts, Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, and the Hurricanes can’t risk losing both for nothing to free agency in a year. The hope is to sign both to extensions.

For @TheAthletic:
The Hurricanes don’t mind making a splash in the offseason. If they do so again this summer, which players could be on the move and who is most likely to stay?https://t.co/rbDz92830G

— Cory Lavalette (@corylav) June 8, 2023

In the case of Pesce, who enters the trade board at No. 9, he recently changed representation to Judd Moldover. Often when a player changes agents, he’s been promised by his new agent a pretty good contract is coming his way. And Moldover has signed some nice deals for his clients elsewhere. So the current understanding of the situation is this: If Pesce’s demands aren’t realistic to what Carolina had in mind, the Canes may very well trade him this summer.

A Senators-DeBrincat split makes sense

DeBrincat’s agent has delivered a list of preferred destinations to the Senators. They’re under no obligation to trade him, but it probably makes the most sense to do so and ensure he’s signed with his new team to get max trade value in return. It’s believed Detroit, Dallas, Vegas and Nashville are among the teams on DeBrincat’s list.

Devils could ship out Graves, Wood next

Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald did well to recoup a third-round pick for the pending UFA Severson, and he may venture down that road again in potential sign-and-trade scenarios with Ryan Graves (No. 22 on the trade board) and Miles Wood. The Devils don’t seem close in extension talks with either, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Fitzgerald moves them before July 1 for a pick if a trade partner emerges wanting to get ahead of free agency.

Flyers listening on Hart, Konecny, Laughton

GM Danny Briere is open for business and listening on almost anyone who would help the organization get younger and fit into his long-term vision.

So yes, he’s listening on the likes of Carter Hart (No. 5 on the trade board), Travis Konecny (6) and Scott Laughton (21). Konecny would be a great, top-six pickup for a contender. Edmonton and Carolina make sense as suitors.

Yes, it was important for the Flyers to get a good return for Ivan Provorov to jumpstart their rebuild.

But today's trade meant more for what it said about new GM Daniel Briere, & his ability to negotiate smart deals & creatively execute said rebuild:https://t.co/tzlGLgZPLo

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) June 7, 2023

Add Duhaime to the Wild’s potential trade list

Wild GM Bill Guerin recently met with veteran defenseman Alex Goligoski, a consistent scratch last season. Goligoski has to decide whether he’ll waive his no-move clause, and then it’s up in the air whether Minnesota is even able to move the 37-year-old.

The Wild will also be looking this offseason to trade young defenseman Calen Addison (who moves up to No. 15 on the trade board), and if things go haywire with negotiations with RFA Brandon Duhaime (26), he could be sent to a new area code soon, too.

Sabres in the market for a top-4 D, goaltending

The Sabres would like to upgrade in goal, but our understanding is that GM Kevyn Adams’ top priority is landing a top-four defenseman.

On goaltending, assuming they don’t want to rush the development of Devon Levi, the Sabres need to get an experienced NHL starter onto the roster before training camp begins. Hellebuyck has to top the list, but he’ll be pricey. The Jets will be looking for young team-controlled assets in exchange. The Sabres do have plenty of those — from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to Peyton Krebs to even Casey Mittelstadt.

If the Sabres balk at the Hellebuyck asking price, they could also get into the market for John Gibson, who will also be pricey and would likely prefer to play for his hometown team, the Penguins, but might see the upside in the Sabres’ lineup and consider that a better long-term fit.

Of course, surrendering zero assets and shopping on the UFA market for a goalie might be a better option. Even if the Sabres do extend Rasmus Dahlin on a monster contract after July 1 — probably eight years in the $10 million range — they will have cap flexibility.

Gibson headlines Ducks’ loaded trade class

The feeling is that the 29-year-old Gibson (No. 7 on the trade board) would be amenable to a move to a contender because the Ducks are not going to be a playoff team for years. His contract is reasonable — $6.4 million for four more years — especially if you believe he can still be a top-10 NHL goalie playing behind better defense.

Gibson has a 10-team no-trade list. The suspicion, though, is his preference would be one of three: Pittsburgh, Vegas or Los Angeles. He probably would be OK with New Jersey or Buffalo, as well, given their upward trajectories.

Could the goalie trade market get active this summer? If so, maybe John Gibson gets moved.

Looking at seven teams who could be interested in the netminder https://t.co/1ErCiCGnOg

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) June 9, 2023

The Ducks have two veteran forwards, Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg, heading into the final years of their contracts, but their value would likely be highest at the deadline, once dollars on their contracts tick off. The expectation is they’ll be back with the Ducks for the start of the year and then will be traded as rentals.

The Ducks have a glaring need to bolster their defense corps. After Cam Fowler and Jamie Drysdale, they have only Colin White and a collection of not-yet-ready youngsters like Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger. UFAs Scott Harrington and Kevin Shattenkirk could return, but they also need to acquire some stop-gap help.

Max Comtois almost certainly will be moved if they get a half-decent offer.

Coyotes’ Schmaltz in play? And Keller?

Nick Schmaltz (No. 13 on the trade board) has three years remaining on his contract with a reasonable average annual value of $5.85 million. The problem is, the contract is backloaded with actual dollar amounts of $7.5 million, $8.45 million and $8.5 million. Also: A limited no-trade clause kicks in July 1. Actual dollars matter for the Coyotes, and that might be too expensive.

Clayton Keller could be in play, as well. The Blues, who have three first-rounders in the 2023 draft, make sense for the 24-year-old from St. Louis. If he continues to be a point-per-game player, his $7.15 million AAV through 2028 could be a bargain.

Flames’ decision time on 2024 UFAs nearing

Craig Conroy is the new general manager, and the expectation is that Ryan Huska will be the new coach any day. That’s two internal promotions. Why does that matter? Well, if the Flames had gone outside the organization, it would have quieted trade speculation in the short-term, while the new GM and coach figured out exactly what they had. That won’t be an issue now.

Once Huska is confirmed, Conroy — who’s made it clear that he won’t let a player walk out the door as a UFA the way Johnny Gaudreau did last summer — can go to the seven players a year away from reaching UFA (including Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin) and bluntly ask what they have in mind.

If Elias Lindholm says he wants to say, how much would it cost the Flames?

.@hayyyshayyy and I identified 3 Lindholm contract comparables for @TheAthleticNHL.https://t.co/n8jbKopwCY

— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) June 6, 2023

None would have stayed if Sutter had remained as coach. Huska will be a popular choice. But will his presence be enough to change their minds?

Conroy does have one other useful trade chip to play. Before he left, Treliving signed backup goalie Dan Vladar to a two-year extension with a reasonable $2.2 million AAV. Ultimately, the Flames are committed to Jacob Markstrom as their starter and need to give Dustin Wolf, the top goalie in the AHL last season, a chance to get his NHL feet wet.

Kings’ options for a No. 1 goalie

As predicted in Trade Board 1.0, the Kings paid a premium to unload No. 3 goalie Cal Petersen (to the Flyers in the three-way Provorov trade) and also moved Sean Walker, clearing room for top prospect Brandt Clarke. If Clarke is deemed to still need development time, the belief is that Jordan Spence could step in as a third-pairing right-shot defenseman, playing protected minutes.

The Kings also got Vladislav Gavrikov re-signed, leaving just one gaping hole to fill: No. 1 goaltender. The problem is they don’t have a lot of cap space left ($7.33 million). So they would have to jump through cap hoops if they want to add, say, Gibson or Hellebuyck. It’s more likely that they’ll either try to land an inexpensive piece — someone like Vladar or wait to see how a UFA market plays out, with names like Freddie Andersen, Antti Raanta, Tristan Jarry, Semyon Varlamov and Joonas Korpisalo available. Maybe there’s a potential bargain there.

Some important offseason business was done this week but the @LAKings still need a goalie. There are a few options, including one that's already in place (for now). https://t.co/FyPBebv7Q5

— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) June 9, 2023

How they settle the goaltending question will have a bearing on what they do next in the trade market. If it gets too pricey to add help in goal, they may need to move on from a useful forward like Alex Iafallo or Viktor Arvidsson. That’s not ideal. They could afford to part with Sean Durzi (No. 29 on the trade board), because they need to open up a roster spot for former first-rounder Tobias Bjornfot. Durzi is 24 but is versatile enough to play both sides and makes a modest salary ($1.7 million).

NHL offseason trade board 2.0

Note: Players are ranked by the amount of buzz around them, a factor of the potential impact and the likelihood of a move.

Rank	Player	Team	Pos.	Age	Contract (AAV)
1	Pierre-Luc Dubois	Jets	C	24	2023 RFA ($6 million)
2	Connor Hellebuyck	Jets	G	30	2024 UFA ($6.167 million)
3	Mark Scheifele	Jets	C	30	2024 UFA ($6.125 million)
4	Alex DeBrincat	Senators	RW	25	2023 RFA ($6.4 million)
5	Carter Hart	Flyers	G	24	2024 RFA ($3.979 million)
6	Travis Konecny	Flyers	RW	26	2025 UFA ($5.5 million)
7	John Gibson	Ducks	G	29	2027 UFA ($6.4 million)
8	Erik Karlsson	Sharks	D	33	2027 UFA ($11.5 million)
9	Brett Pesce	Hurricanes	D	28	2024 UFA ($4.025 million)
10	William Nylander	Maple Leafs	RW	27	2024 UFA ($6.962 million)
11	Blake Wheeler	Jets	RW	36	2024 UFA ($8.25 million)
12	Kailer Yamamoto	Oilers	RW	24	2024 RFA ($3.1 million)
13	Nick Schmaltz	Coyotes	C	27	2026 UFA ($5.85 million)
14	Kevin Hayes	Flyers	C	31	2026 UFA ($7.143 million)
15	Calen Addison	Wild	D	23	2023 RFA ($910,833)
16	Anthony Duclair	Panthers	RW	27	2024 UFA ($3 million)
17	Conor Garland	Canucks	RW	27	2026 UFA ($4.95 million)
18	Mikael Backlund	Flames	C	34	2024 UFA ($5.35 million)
19	Anthony Mantha	Capitals	LW	28	2024 UFA ($5.7 million)
20	Brock Boeser	Canucks	RW	26	2025 UFA ($6.65 million)
21	Scott Laughton	Flyers	LW	29	2026 UFA ($3 million)
22	Ryan Graves	Devils	D	28	2023 UFA
23	Mike Hoffman	Canadiens	LW	33	2024 UFA ($4.5 million)
24	Brandon Duhaime	Wild	LW	26	2023 RFA ($750,000)
25	Colton Parayko	Blues	D	30	2030 UFA ($6.5 million)
26	Samuel Girard	Avalanche	D	25	2027 UFA ($5 million)
27	Matt Grzelcyk	Bruins	D	29	2024 UFA ($3.688 million)
28	Ross Colton	Lightning	C	26	2023 RFA ($1.125 million)
29	Sean Durzi	Kings	D	24	2024 RFA ($1.7 million)
30	Adam Henrique	Ducks	C	33	2024 UFA ($5.825 million)

Others we’re watching: Alec Martinez, Alex Goligoski, Alex Iafallo, Auston Matthews, Barclay Goodrow, Cal Petersen, Cody Ceci, Dan Vladar, Dante Fabbro, Devon Toews, Elias Lindholm, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Filip Zadina, J.T. Miller, Jack Rathbone, Jack Roslovic, Jake Guentzel, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Jeff Petry, Jeremy Swayman, Joel Edmundson, John Tavares, Josh Bailey, Kevin Labanc, Linus Ullmark, Logan Stanley, Mackenzie Blackwood, Marco Rossi, Marco Scandella, Matt Murray, Mikael Granlund, Mike Reilly, Mitch Marner, Nick Leddy, Nils Hoglander, Ryan Johansen, Taylor Hall, Torey Krug, Tyler Myers, Victor Olofsson

(Top photo of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Jack Eichel: Jason Halstead / Getty Images)