As the NHL trade deadline approaches, fans wonder what will happen to some of the league’s biggest names. Will Jake Guentzel be traded? Will Jacob Markstrom get dealt? Has Vladimir Tarasenko’s time run-up in Ottawa? These are all reasonable questions. But let’s get unreasonable and consider some under-the-radar players who could be on the move before the March 8th deadline.
Ivan Provorov, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
One such player is Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov. The Blue Jackets are again struggling this season, and their former general manager, Jarmo Kekäläinen, has been replaced.
With the futures of players like Elvis Merzlikins and Andrew Peeke uncertain, it might be time to consider trading Provorov. Provorov is 27 years old and put up a 5-21-26 stat line through 59 games this year.
While he’s sometimes seen as a defensive liability, he can help an offense at the other end of the ice in multiple ways. He is on pace for his best season since 2019-20 with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Blue Jackets acquired Provorov in a three-team trade last July. At the time, former general manager Kekäläinen seemed to be in “win-now” mode. However, the Blue Jackets are now in a “sell-now” mode, and Provorov could be on the move again.
While Columbus may not get what they gave up for him (a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft and a future second-round pick), the team can still add some assets at the deadline.
The question is whether a team would be willing to take on Provorov’s $4.7 million cap hit through the 2024-25 season. If so, that team could ask the Blue Jackets to retain Provorov’s salary on the deal. President of hockey operations John Davidson has decisions to make, that is for sure.
Jeff Carter, F, Pittsburgh Penguins
You might be asking why any team would trade for 39-year-old Jeff Carter, who has eight points in 51 games. My response? Experience.
Carter can add a veteran presence in any locker room. More importantly, a young locker room. Carter has been through his fair share of playoff games, having skated in 133.
I do not anticipate him skating in any playoff games with the Pittsburgh Penguins this year, as the team sits eight points out of a wild card spot. The Penguins’ championship window is all but closed. Forward Jake Guentezel is on the trading block, as general manager Kyle Dubas is looking to the future.
Carter, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, would come with a $3.1 million cap hit. Would any general manager consider the bottom six forward a worthy addition to a young squad? And would Jeff Carter waive his no-movement clause? These are all hurdles that need to be jumped.
If the phone rings on Jeff Carter, look for Dubas to get anything he can for the veteran.
Mats Zuccarello, F, Minnesota Wild
It is fair to say that this season has not gone the Minnesota Wild’s way. The injury bug bitthe club, and they sit seven points out of a playoff spot. General manager Bill Guerin will have decisions to make this week. While the club won’t deal away stars such as Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, many others, including Mats Zuccarello, could be on the table.
Zuccarello is at the back end of a successful career, as the top six forward is currently 36 years old. Despite his age, Zuccarello has been about a point-per-game player this year, sitting at 50 points through 51 games.
Zuccarello still has two more years on his $6 million contract. Despite that hefty cap hit, he could be an under-the-radar addition for any playoff team that could fit him in the budget.
Zuccarello does have a no-movement clause in his contract, meaning that he would have to consent to any trade the team might make.
The biggest question is, what do the Wild see as their future? Will they chalk this season up as a fluke and run the same squad out next year, or will they focus on the youth? General manager Bill Guerin, like other general managers, will have decisions to make at the deadline.