After the Vancouver Canucks pulled off a shocking Quinn Hughes trade, which other NHL teams at the bottom of the league – and the top of our Sour Rankings – should make trades?
The NHL world is still recovering from the shock of the Quinn Hughes blockbuster trade.
The Vancouver Canucks sent their Norris-winning defensemen to the Minnesota Wild for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick last Friday.
The Canucks' losing stretches seemed to wear on Hughes and others in Vancouver. With the rampant speculation that Hughes wanted to join his brothers in New Jersey eventually, Vancouver made the best of a bad situation.
All of that losing has the Canucks sitting dead-last in the league and first in our latest edition of the NHL Sour Rankings.
It's not even Christmas, and the fan base is already thinking about what the NHL draft looks like.
The debate of whether Gavin McKenna is the top prospect or whether Ivar Stenberg or Keaton Verhoeff deserves the honor has become the conversation in Vancouver, not whether the team has a shot at winning its next game.
The NHL Sour Rankings look at the teams at the bottom of the standings and how they project as we inch closer to the NHL draft lottery and eventually the draft. For anyone looking to get a peek at the future (Vancouver fans), my first rankings for the 2026 NHL draft went live last week.
In honor of Hughes' departure from Vancouver, this month's NHL Sour Rankings will highlight a player from each bottom-dwelling team who could be traded next.
Vancouver Canucks, 12-17-3, 27 Points (.422 Points Percentage)
There isn't much to say about the Canucks at this point.
Last year, the drama between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller divided the dressing room and created a bad environment. They traded Miller and hoped the group would come together and rebound this season.
After whispers of Hughes wanting to go play with his brothers throughout the summer became louder early this season, when the Canucks weren't winning much, it made sense to get what they could for their captain. They managed to get a very good package, but this team seems destined to be at or near the bottom of the standings.
They could be looking to welcome a player like Stenberg, Verhoeff or McKenna, but for now, they say goodbye to their captain.
Goodbye, Quinn Hughes.
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 4.20/+320
It's Time For The Canucks To Commit To A Rebuild In The Post-Quinn Hughes Era
The Vancouver Canucks are turning the page on a failed era, and now, following the Quinn Hughes trade, they can fully embrace a rebuild, one that they desperately need.
Calgary Flames, 13-16-4, 30 PTS (.455 P%)
Not many teams are consistently at the bottom of the standings like the Flames this season.
They have been on a bit of a hot streak, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, but this team is undoubtedly a contender for the top spot on the NHL Sour Rankings when the season ends.
They're the second-lowest scoring team in the NHL, and they don't really have an offensive stud in the minors, so they aren't going to fix things anytime soon. McKenna would certainly help.
Trading one of your top defenders, Rasmus Andersson, or your top center, Nazem Kadri, would certainly help secure a spot high in the draft lottery. While there has been discussion about keeping Kadri around, Andersson hasn't been discussed in the same way.
Goodbye, Rasmus Andersson.
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 10.00/+900
St. Louis Blues, 12-15-7, 31 PTS (.456 P%)
The Blues are starting to embrace some of their young players with recent call-ups, which is a great sign. Their goaltending hasn't kept them in the playoff race, so they should look toward the future.
The biggest name that didn't get moved at last year's trade deadline was Brayden Schenn because the perceived value on a solid two-way center who has won a Cup is incredibly high. They could circle back on those conversations because teams will be desperate for a good center, and Schenn looks like one of the more attractive despite his underwhelming start to the season.
Goodbye, Brayden Schenn.
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 10.00/+900
Nashville Predators, 13-15-4, 30 PTS (.469 P%)
After a disaster season last year, the Preds ran it back, thinking everything that could go wrong went wrong, and this season would be different.
Right now, the team is still very much struggling to stay relevant.
There isn't anyone coming to save them. They need to shake up this squad and look toward a rebuild because their retooling on the fly has not worked.
There are plenty of names the Predators could trade, from Steven Stamkos to Michael Bunting, but the name that has consistently been rumored is Ryan O'Reilly. The team's top-line center would be an attractive piece for any team, and the Preds could get a good haul for him as well. It might be time to hit the eject button and say goodbye to O'Reilly, among others.
Goodbye, Ryan O’Reilly.
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 8.50/+750
2026 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Top 50 Before The World Juniors
Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg headline a group of four top-tier NHL draft prospects. But only one can be ranked No. 1. Expert Tony Ferrari shares his top 50 with in-depth analysis of the top 32.
Winnipeg Jets, 15-15-2, 32 PTS (.500 P%)
The injury to goaltender Connor Hellebuyck nearly derailed the Jets' season, but the return of their all-world goalie should help get them out of the basement.
With such a massive pileup of teams in front of them, it might be hard to get back into the running, especially with such a heavy reliance on their top line and power play to provide offense.
They might have a great opportunity to step back, reload and get right for next season. Trading some of their peripheral pieces, such as Logan Stanley or Luke Schenn, could be intriguing. Some team out there will want a 6-foot-7, 231-pound defender who is still just 27, so they could get a haul for Stanley that is a bit more impressive than you'd expect.
Goodbye, Logan Stanley.
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 61.00/+6000
Chicago Blackhawks, 13-13-6, 32 PTS (.500 P%)
The Hawks might not really need to say goodbye to anyone.
If the floor falls out under them, trading pending UFA defenseman Connor Murphy could net them some solid futures. But the Hawks have a great pipeline, so it's not as if they need more prospects or picks.
The Hawks are in the building part of the rebuild, which means they need some cagey vets to help guide the young guys. It wouldn't even be a surprise to see them re-sign Murphy or other expiring vets to keep some experience around for the young stars coming into the NHL.
Goodbye, Connor Murphy, maybe?
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 5.50/+450
Buffalo Sabres, 14-14-4, 32 PTS (.500 P%)
With a new GM at the helm, it will be interesting to see what the Sabres do.
They don't have many impact UFAs this summer outside of Alex Tuch. Tuch seems to want to stay in Buffalo, so keeping him around might not be a bad idea, since the culture there needs guys like him.
With that said, a hard reset or truly culture-shifting move might be the more effective move for new GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Does that mean something bold, such as moving on from a high-end young piece or a player in their prime? The summer is likely the time to do any of that. For now though, getting something for a player like Tuch might make some sense.
Goodbye, Alex Tuch.
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 23.00/+2200
Kekalainen Emphasizing Character As Main Focus As Sabres GM
Sabres are at .500 (14-14-4) after returning from a six-game Western road swing.
Columbus Blue Jackets, 13-13-6, 32 PTS (.500 P%)
With a solid young team and some solid veterans, the Blue Jackets still haven't broken out.
They don't need to trade anyone or make any big moves, but adding some futures to bolster their lineup down the road could be the move if the team is out of it still at the deadline. Only the Seattle Kraken have had a worse run of games as of late, but the Jackets are a fun, young team.
With Charlie Coyle's contract expiring at the end of the year, although he has a modified no-trade clause, he could be open to moving to a contender.
Goodbye, Charlie Coyle.
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 23.00/+2200
Seattle Kraken, 12-12-6, 30 PTS (.500 P%)
The Kraken have a few games in hand on some of the other teams in this range, but they are still at .500, and they've been the worst team in the NHL over their last 10 games.
The Kraken have dealt with injuries and inconsistency, but they don't have a single player over 20 points. This team lacks offensive punch and star power, so committing to a rebuild and trading some of their veterans might be the way to go.
Whether it's a new guy like Mason Marchment or the franchise all-time leading scorer, Jared McCann, it might be time to commit to the future because they haven't been able to build the way the Vegas Golden Knights did when they came into the league.
Goodbye, Mason Marchment.
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 7.00/+600
Utah Mammoth, 16-15-3, 35 PTS (.515 P%)
Just outside of a wild-card spot in the West, the Mammoth probably don't need to move off their veterans or become a seller.
They have a young, promising squad, and despite a recent injury to Logan Cooley, they have the punch to get back into the playoffs. They should be in the mix, but if they do fall out, they could opt to put Nick Schmaltz on the market, making him arguably the top scorer available and getting a big return for the veteran. It would be good asset management if they fall out of the race, but we have plenty of time to see if that happens.
Goodbye, Nick Schmaltz, maybe?
BetMGM odds for fewest regular-season points: 67.00/+6600
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