In a time when trade talk is a challenge and teams are still deciding what they want to do, the Western Conference is interesting for one reason. It has actual sellers -- two, even!
With the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche distancing themselves from the rest of the jammed-up standings, that makes Coyotes GM John Chayka and Colorado GM Joe Sakic two of the most popular guys around, because they are ready to deal.
They’re popular, it seems, until they name their asking price.
“Arizona is asking for stupid returns because they know they can,” said one Eastern Conference executive.
It’s simple supply and demand. It’s a seller's market right now, and it may be right up until the deadline.
“Everybody is the same,” said a Western Conference GM on Thursday. “There’s going to be 15 of us fighting for playoff spots.”
As we continue our Trade Season Preview with the Western Conference -- our East preview can be found here -- here’s a look at the early game plans for each team in the West:
Note: Teams are listed in order of place in the standings as of Jan. 6. Cap and draft pick info via capfriendly.com.
Deadline cap space (including long-term injured reserve relief): $1.9 million
2017 draft picks: 10, including three fifth-rounders
Game plan: GM Stan Bowman has been public in his stance that he wants to have draft picks in place as the host city for the 2017 draft. But I’m sure the fans in Chicago would forgive him if he boosted his team for a Stanley Cup run instead. The Blackhawks could use a veteran forward, and Colorado’s Jarome Iginla has been mentioned in connection with the Blackhawks, but cap space is a real issue. If a trade isn’t made by the deadline, it may have more to do with the lack of cap flexibility than retaining draft picks. When cap space opened up two seasons ago with the Patrick Kane injury, Bowman aggressively took advantage. It might take a similar situation for Chicago to do the same this season.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $4.1 million
2017 draft picks: Six picks, minus a second-rounder from the 2015 Chris Stewart trade.
Game plan: Eric Staal has helped alleviate the need for another center in Minnesota, but if a good young center becomes available, you can never count out the Wild as an option, considering the long-term needs and the depth on defense this organization can use as currency. If there’s not a big deal to be done for a center, look for the Wild to add forward depth to bolster this group for a playoff drive, assuming they maintain their lofty place in the standings. GM Chuck Fletcher has historically been aggressive in filling holes through mid-season trades, and if this team keeps winning, there will probably be another forward in Minnesota by the deadline.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $1.86 million
2017 draft picks: Eight
Game plan: The Sharks view the eventual return of Tomas Hertl from his knee injury as an addition as good as any they could get on the trade market. There’s also no real urgency to do anything thanks in part to the depth that GM Doug Wilson has been collecting the past few years through the draft. Young wingers like Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc have played well when given opportunity during the season, and there’s more to get out of free agent addition Mikkel Boedker. The Sharks want to give players in their organization every opportunity to seize ice time, and that includes backup goalie Aaron Dell, who has been good in spot duty with a .936 save percentage in six games. Wilson’s history suggests he’ll be quick to fill holes at the deadline if injuries creep up or play drops off, but right now there’s not a lot of trade action in San Jose.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $1.13 million
2017 draft picks: Five picks depending on complicated conditions in the Jonathan Bernier trade.
Game plan: As one of GM Bob Murray’s colleagues put it, the Ducks are capped out and "expansioned" out. There’s not a lot of flexibility because of the salary cap and because decisions Murray will have to make regarding the expansion draft. Right now, Murray is just monitoring the standings and is still in full evaluation mode, but if the Ducks are going to be active, the expectation from other general managers is that it’ll be more of a hockey trade rather than a deal where futures (picks and/or prospects) are dealt away. The Ducks are loaded on defense and could use a good, young, skilled winger. There’s no shortage of teams looking for defensemen, so Murray will have options if that’s the path he wants to take.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $23.6 million
2017 draft picks: Eight draft picks currently, but their 2017 third-rounder from St. Louis becomes a 2018 second-rounder if Nail Yakupov scores 15 or more goals this season. He currently has three.
Game plan: The Oilers have cap space and draft picks and all kinds of options moving towards the deadline. If they look like a playoff team and are playing well as the deadline closes in, it would make sense for GM Peter Chiarelli to be aggressive, partly because Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl playing on their entry-level deals gives the Oilers financial flexibility they won’t have much longer. Chiarelli aggressively pursued Jarome Iginla once as a rental while running the Bruins, and he might be a good complement to the Oilers' youth and speed. Teams looking for forward help could definitely land Benoit Pouliot, but he still has two years left at $4 million per season. That might be a player the Oilers try to entice Vegas to take in the expansion draft with a little added incentive. The Oilers can add rentals at the deadline, and there’s also a hockey trade to be made using Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to bring in a defenseman.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $5.9 million
2017 draft picks: Six picks, no third-round pick (Yakupov trade).
Game plan: This is a fascinating team to watch at the deadline, mostly because of the Kevin Shattenkirk situation. There’s been no movement on a new contract, so it looks like GM Doug Armstrong has to make the call -- let another player walk for nothing in the offseason, or use him as an asset to improve the team at the deadline. Opposing teams have certainly noticed his usage under Ken Hitchcock and Mike Yeo, with Shattenkirk’s minutes down around 2:20 per game from last season's average, with an even greater reduction when the Blues are protecting a lead. The challenge in doing a deal is finding a team that has a player to send back who helps the Blues win a Stanley Cup now. The Blues need another center, and a player like Arizona’s Martin Hanzal would be a nice fit there.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $3.2 million
2017 draft picks: Seven
Game plan: There’s a belief among GM Brad Treliving’s colleagues that he’d like to do something to help his team make a playoff push, although he’s not going to do anything to deviate from the long-term framework he’s building in Calgary. The Flames could use a veteran winger to give coach Glen Gulutzan another option on the top line. Treliving’s level of aggression in making it happen will be dictated by the Flames' spot in the standings when the deadline gets closer.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $12.5 million
2017 draft picks: Seven
Game plan: The Kings have done an admirable job treading water without starting goalie Jonathan Quick, with the Kings currently sitting at No. 15 in even-strength save percentage at .923; they finished No. 9 (.930) in that category last season. GM Dean Lombardi will look at Quick’s return as the big boost down the stretch for the Kings. He’s been aggressive at the deadline in the past -- at the cost of draft picks and prospects they need now to pump in young talent -- and the Kings don’t believe that their window to win is shrinking with Drew Doughty still just 27 years old. In order to preserve some of those picks, this deadline might be a relatively quiet one for the Kings.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $19.8 million
2017 draft picks: Eight
Game plan: The health of P.K. Subban could impact GM David Poile’s approach to the deadline. Ideally, he returns to the lineup quickly and Poile can focus on adding secondary scoring on the wing or another center. But if it looks like this injury is going to linger, maybe the focus is on defense. If we’ve learned anything about Poile in the past year, it’s that we’re not ruling the Predators out for a blockbuster; as a result, they’re a sleeper in the Avalanche sweepstakes since they have the kind of defensemen it would take to lure one of the Avalanche’s top forwards away. The Predators also have a decision to make with Ryan Johansen, whose contract expires after this season, making him a restricted free agent. His actual salary is $6 million, which makes for a healthy qualifying offer, and his next deal is going to be a big one. They’ve had a full year now to decide if he’s the No. 1 center they believed they were getting in trading Seth Jones to Columbus. If so, the focus should be on an extension. If not, the Predators have to explore other options.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $2.2 million
2017 draft picks: Five
Game plan: Just when it started to look like the Canucks might join the world of the sellers, they rattle off five consecutive wins and move right into wild-card contention. Even so, Canucks GM Jim Benning should still focus on the big picture in the transition rebuild of this team, and move veterans if the opportunity presents itself. There should be a market, even if it’s a third-round pick, for Alex Burrows, who is having a good season for the Canucks. Goaltender Ryan Miller is a little harder to move because of his $6 million cap hit. The Canucks haven’t gotten any trade calls on him yet in large part because teams are tight against the cap.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $29.4 million
2017 draft picks: Eight
Game plan: The sense is that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will let this roster continue to grow and jell together as the season progresses. He’s known for his patience to begin with, and now isn’t the time to do anything drastic with any of the Jets' young players. Defenseman Jacob Trouba, no stranger to the rumor mill, has started playing his best hockey of the season and was singled out by coach Paul Maurice for his strong play after recent games. The Jets' young goalies have been inconsistent, as young goalies tend to be, with Winnipeg No. 26 in the NHL with a .916 save percentage. Perhaps there’s a smaller deal to be made for a veteran goalie to take some of the pressure off Connor Hellebuyck.
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $10.8 million
2017 draft picks: Seven
Game plan: Injuries have crushed the Stars this season from just about day one, slowing down a team that looked poised to join the Stanley Cup contenders in the West. GM Jim Nill would likely be content with a healthy team at the deadline rather than any splashy deal. If the Stars fall out of contention, they become an interesting seller option with Patrick Sharp, Jiri Hudler, Patrick Eaves and Johnny Oduya all in the final years of their contracts. There are a lot of Stanley Cup rings in that group, just the kind of players teams love to add at the deadline. Goaltending is another area to watch, although the Stars believe the concern over their goalies is overblown, and the numbers back that up: The Stars are currently No. 7 in the league in even-strength save percentage (.933). If Dallas makes a move in goal, it has to be a significant upgrade over the current goalies and a long-term solution, which doesn’t qualify many of the goalies who are available.
Arizona Coyotes
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $4 million
2017 draft picks: Six
Game plan: The Coyotes are a seller, and the best candidates to be traded are center Martin Hanzal and defenseman Michael Stone. Hanzal’s play this season has raised some red flags among teams watching, with his point production down and his plus/minus at minus-17. But his body of work suggests he’ll be just fine, especially on a Western Conference team looking for a big center to match up with the others in the conference. He’s used to tough assignments and has been competing against Joe Thornton, Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Toews and Ryan Getzlaf his entire career. Stone is a right-handed defenseman who put up 36 points last season. Both are unrestricted free agents.
Colorado Avalanche
Deadline cap space (including LTIR relief): $2.87 million
2017 draft picks: Seven
Game plan: Last but certainly not least is the most fascinating team at this trade deadline. The Avalanche are open for business, with Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene the prized pieces available for trade. The Bruins have been connected to Landeskog, but don’t rule them out on Duchene, either. Boston likes them both. The Bruins have restocked their organization with good, young defensemen that the Avalanche need. Forward Danton Heinen, a University of Denver product, could be a deal sweetener. But there will be no shortage of teams interested and the asking price is high, as it should be. Jarome Iginla is also expected to be moved, although he has a no-movement clause and will call the shots. To max out the return, Colorado would likely have to retain some of Iginla’s salary.