NHL Power Rankings: Each Team's Biggest Trade Bait

In last week's NHL power rankings, the question posed was when the next domino would fall – and we got our answer with Rasmus Andersson going to the Golden Knights and Kiefer Sherwood going to the Sharks.

The Olympic trade freeze is in just two weeks, and serving as the NHL's unofficial trade deadline, perhaps more deals will come.

The upside to making the deal now rather than after the break is that it allows players to settle in with their new teams for a few weeks before play resumes.

On the other hand, given the plethora of injuries this season, perhaps the Olympic break will give teams a better idea of which players are available and where their roster stands when everyone is healthy.

In this week's NHL power rankings, we take a look at one player from each team who could be on the move.

Victor Olofsson hasn't really delivered on the promise of scoring goals, and he seems the most obvious player to ship out as part of a package if the Avs load up at the deadline.

The Lightning will likely focus on acquiring players with plenty of experience to aid their Cup run, which means it might cost a younger player such as Jack Finley or Conor Geekie.

Steve Yzerman has spent years building this team, and the reality is that not all prospects will work out. Perhaps now is the moment to trade the prospects that haven't quite panned out, such as Elmer Soderblom, and give the opportunities to a younger prospect in the Red Wings' pipeline.

No doubt the Canes want to shed Jesperi Kotkaniemi's contract, but the issue is that nobody else wants to take it. The Canes may have to retain salary to elicit a trade, but they have a reputation for being cost-conscious. It was funny when they made the offer sheet to spite the Habs, but it's the Habs who are definitely laughing now.

Alex Tuch was a Sabres fan growing up, but a potentially massive raise may price him out of the Sabres' cap, and they have plenty of young forwards ready to step in. The Sabres might be better off keeping him around for the playoff run, though that also means they could lose him for nothing.

Patrik Laine hasn't really been given a chance to see if he fits – he's only played 57 games with them, including just five this season – but the Habs seem to be doing fine without him. The issue is Laine's onerous $8.7-million cap hit.

Unless the Wild are getting an excellent top-six center, trading Jesper Wallstedt seems like a huge risk, though Bill Guerin doesn't shy away from them. Could it be more prudent to dangle a prospect such as David Jiricek, who's been unable to find much ice time?

It's hard to see the Stars entering the playoffs without Jason Robertson on their roster. He's been a big piece of their offense, and the Stars need to get back someone who can at least replicate or better Robertson's impact. It seems more likely this gets resolved in the summer, and perhaps there will be more suitors at that time.

Being a first-round pick usually means the team envisions them being key pieces for years to come, but being a first-round pick of the Knights means you're going to get traded. Among them, only Trevor Connelly (19th overall in 2024) has yet to move.

The Isles are looking to add, but may not have enough quality assets to move the needle. There may not be a big trade market for Maxim Shabanov or Maxim Tsyplakov, both of whom have been unable to make much of an impact.

Andrew Peeke could be an excellent rental. He's a big, right-hand shot who's dependable in his own zone and could easily fit on any contender's third pairing.

Put aside those Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin trade fantasies because they're Penguins or die. That special status, however, doesn't apply to Erik Karlsson, or even Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.

The Oilers have made some very questionable moves, and that Trent Frederic contract is certainly regrettable. Even with a similar no-movement clause, Andrew Mangiapane figures the most likely to move considering his status as an impending UFA.

Matias Maccelli is trade bait, but it's unclear who will bite. The Leafs may need him now, but when William Nylander returns, he'll most certainly get pushed out of the top-six again.

It's going to be weird to see Nick Schmaltz not playing on the same team as Clayton Keller. There's a chance the Mammoth overhaul their center depth, too, if they choose to move on from Barrett Hayton, who remains under team control as an RFA.

Matvei Michkov? Just kidding, no way the Flyers move on from him now even if he's struggling under Rick Tocchet. With Dan Vladar having a strong season, Samuel Ersson and Alexei Kolosov could provide depth – look, I didn't say it was quality depth – for teams looking to acquire more goalies. Ersson and Kolosov are under team control as pending RFAs.

The Sharks are more likely to add than subtract in anticipation of a playoff berth, but pick any of their numerous pending UFA defensemen. It seems superfluous to have John Klingberg and Timothy Liljegren.

In the past, the Panthers have traded picks for players, but they may mix up the look of their bottom six. Luke Kunin has fallen out of favor lately.

Ryan Strome can't stay in the lineup, and he's been leapfrogged by the team's younger players. Pending UFA veteran defensemen Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas could also help any playoff team bolster their physical play.

The Caps are in a bit of a weird spot where they don't want to trade prospects because the Ovechkin Era is coming to a close, and they will need to plan for the future. However, should they want to acquire a significant impact player, Ivan Miroshnichenko or Andrew Cristall would likely be the ask.

David Perron is a respected veteran, which makes the Senator a solid addition for any team. He's still got some offensive pop and could be a solid addition for a playoff team looking to improve its bottom-six depth.

Dougie Hamilton is drawing in and out of the lineup, but clearly his days in the marsh are numbered. There's always a market for a right-handed defenseman who can skate and pass, but the Devils may need to wait until the off-season to extricate themselves from their cap hell before they can move forward. How they recover from missing out on Quinn Hughes will be interesting to see.

Shane Wright, really? For a team that eschewed Vegas' method of going after the big names via trade and instead choosing to build through the draft – I think that was the strategy – waving the white flag this early on Wright is not a good sign. Several seasons into their existence, it's still tough to say exactly what the Kraken's plan really is.

Can the Kings entice anyone to take either Cody Ceci or Brian Dumoulin, who are unsurprisingly horrible contracts?

There's a bit of malaise when it comes to the Jackets, and perhaps that's why Rick Bowness was brought in. But it may take trading captain Boone Jenner to really usher in a new chapter.

Steven Stamkos is the most obvious name, but he's turned it around and still remains a very productive offensive player. The Preds are likely more interested in moving on from Jonathan Marchessault, who's signed to a contract that's one year longer.

The next most in-demand veteran after Andersson has to be Nazem Kadri, a veteran center with a Cup ring. The problem is Kadri still has three more seasons left on his deal.

The Hawks are a little starved on offense, so there's little sense in trading Tyler Bertuzzi, which brings the focus to their blueline instead. Connor Murphy has ceded minutes to his younger teammates but remains a reliable third-pairing defenseman.

There are probably no takers for either Gustav Nyquist or Tanner Pearson, and Jonathan Toews seems unlikely to move unless he wants another run at the Cup. Could the Jets dangle Cole Perfetti, who hasn't capitalized on a contract year, or prospect Brad Lambert for immediate veteran help for next season?

It's a little curious the Rangers so blatantly revealed they weren't offering Artemi Panarin a contract, putting them into a position with even less leverage than before by making their intentions known.

It's believed the Blues have been trying to move Jordan Kyrou, and they'll likely do so again. Trade talk involving Robert Thomas seems incredulous because top-tier playmaking centers like him are the type of players you build around, not dangle as trade bait. Another name just to watch: Jordan Binnington, especially if he shows poorly at the Olympics.

Pick a name because the Canucks are listening – as they should – but the most intriguing is definitely Elias Pettersson. Can he still be a two-way, 100-point center? That's one of the questions the Canucks have to ask themselves, too.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.