The fluidity of this list has been quite interesting. In 2015, we polled NHL agents for the first time to get a sense as to which teams are most consistently listed on the no-trade lists of their clients.
It was a fascinating exercise that revealed the insights of players and what they thought of cities. It also angered everyone in Winnipeg and Edmonton.
So we did it again in 2016. And the lists evolved slightly. A team like Toronto was mentioned often in 2015 as a destination players consistently wanted to avoid.
“Toronto is a difficult place to play. … Way too many people trying to cover the same thing and trying to find a different edge,” said one agent two years ago.
Then he added the caveat: If the Maple Leafs ever got good, they would be like the New York Yankees. Toronto would become a destination city for players.
You can already see it happening. The Maple Leafs were only mentioned on one ballot this year, and chances are that after the season they’ve turned in, they’ll be off completely the list for next year's edition.
We also have a new No. 1 overall! For the first time since this poll began, the Oilers are not the most cited team on no-trade lists.
How it works: We asked nine agents to list the top three teams most often listed on no-trade clauses. It’s an inexact science, since players often have no-trade lists much longer and other players have a list of teams to which they can be traded. So in some cases, it’s an estimate of teams listed most frequently or mentioned most frequently in no-trade conversations.
We awarded teams listed first three points, second two points and third one point to get the point total.
Here are the results:
1. Winnipeg Jets (22 points)
2016: Second place
2015: Second place
After two years of playing second fiddle, the Jets have now moved into the top spot. It’s not like it’s getting worse in Winnipeg, the biggest difference has been the improvement in Edmonton, the team that has occupied the top spot the previous two years.
The Oilers have a new rink, a superstar in Connor McDavid and are now a playoff team. That tends to soften the view from players.
The Jets? They’re going to miss the playoffs again. And while they have a young superstar of their own in Patrik Laine, he may not be the draw McDavid is.
“I don’t think Laine is going to be a magnet for people to be like, ‘Wow, I really want to play with him,'” said one agent.
But this agent, and others, acknowledged all the young talent being accumulated in Winnipeg, providing the hope that it could change their status as a non-destination.
“If you look at their roster, they have some good young players -- Laine, Mark Scheifele, Nik Ehlers. I love Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien,” he said. “For some reason, it just hasn’t happened there yet.”
The Jets were the first-place team on six of nine ballots.
2. Edmonton Oilers (7 points)
2016: First place
2015: First place
The Oilers are a great example of how winning, or even the opportunity to win, can change everything. When this poll was started two years ago, they were in an outdated arena, and drafting first every year. That has its impact. In 2015, the Oilers received five first-place votes among agents.
“Edmonton is a complete nightmare,” said one in 2015.
This year, the Oilers didn’t receive a single first-place vote. If they go on a run this spring, they may fall off this list completely.
“You have a chance to win,” said one agent. “They’re redoing the entire downtown area. It’s pretty cool there now. You’re still living in Edmonton, it’s hard to get in and out, but now you have the rink, a good team, a chance to win. There’s nothing worse than being in a city that’s freezing cold and you can’t win any games.”
3. New York Islanders (6 points)
2016: Third place
2015: Not listed
The Islanders are your horse charging down the stretch. They could work their way up the list next year if the arena situation isn’t solved and the team continues to miss the playoffs. The Islanders are a virtual lock to replace Edmonton at No. 2 if John Tavares isn’t signed to a contact extension.
“The idea that John Tavares could potentially leave makes them very undesirable until they get their [stuff] together,” said an agent. “Part of the problem is the setup. The players hate the setup there.”
Another agent echoed that thought via e-mail: “I don’t think the setup in Brooklyn/Long Island has anyone excited.”
This appears to be a turning point for the Islanders. It’s quite possible they get a new arena deal done and sign Tavares to a long-term deal. They could bring in a new high-profile team president to run things. There appears to be a strong commitment from ownership. If those things happen, the Islanders will disappear from this list.
If Tavares leaves, the arena remains in limbo and it’s status quo in management, it could get ugly.
4. Arizona Coyotes (5 points)
2016: Others receiving votes
2015: Others receiving votes
The Coyotes are creeping up this list after flirting on the fringes of it the past couple years. There’s an easy reason why. The arena situation is once again up in the air. Players like stability. They want to know where they can set up shop in an area, especially guys with families. They don’t want to have to worry at all about relocation.
“A lot of it comes down to lifestyle,” said an agent.
The Coyotes would actually become a destination if they could ever get their arena in the right spot and start winning consistently. Players like it there. Players like Radim Vrbata and Antoine Vermette have left and returned. It’s just the instability that is unattractive to those outside of Arizona.
One agent said he’s starting to make the rounds with his clients to see how they feel about another team in the desert: Las Vegas. The no-trade lists for next year on many players are due in June or July, so Vegas is a team that could end up on this list if there’s resistance to joining an expansion team.
“I think there are some guys who would love to play there and some guys who would never want to play there,” said an agent.
5. Florida Panthers (3.5 points)
2016: Not listed
2015: Others receiving votes
The Panthers should have no issues dropping off this list. It’s a great place to live. It’s tax-friendly. There’s an owner with money. Florida was able to sign prominent free agents.
And yet, here they are.
The biggest concern? Florida is developing a reputation as a franchise too often operating in chaos. Dale Tallon loses power. He gains it back. Gerard Gallant is fired after leading the team to one of its best seasons in franchise history. Players notice this kind of stuff.
“Florida has confused everyone with some of the on- and off-ice moves,” wrote one agent in an e-mail.
That was the nice way to put it. Then there was this opinion from an agent: “The weather is nice in Florida, but what a f---ing gong show.”
Others receiving votes:
Buffalo Sabres (3 points)
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Calgary Flames