There are two basic ways for teams to reconfigure their rosters during the NHL offseason. The first is the time-honored tradition of overcompensating veteran players through unrestricted free agency while refusing -- through a gentlemen's agreement among general managers or outright fear of repercussions -- to dabble in restricted free agency for younger talent via offer sheets.
The other way is through the trade market.
In theory, a combination of both is the right recipe. Look no further than the Stanley Cup champions. The St. Louis Blues signed Tyler Bozak, David Perron and Patrick Maroon to free-agent deals prior to last season, and then they swung for the fences with a multiplayer deal for Ryan O'Reilly, whom you may remember from winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. (We don't speak about that Chad Johnson signing from last summer. Hey, they can't all be home runs.)
With Jacob Trouba off the board after a trade to the New York Rangers as of Monday, here's a look at the trade asset tiers for the coming week and beyond.
Note: Players are sorted alphabetically within each tier.
Jump ahead: C: Game-changer | C: Other targets
W: Game-changers | W: Other targets
D: Game-changer | D: Other targets
G: Game-changer | G: Other targets
Problem contracts | Wild cards
Centers: Game-changer
Nazem Kadri, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Stats: 16 G | 28 A | 31 Pts | 44 games
Contract: $4.5 million AAV (average annual value) through 2022; submits 10-team trade list
Kadri isn't that far removed from back-to-back 30-goal seasons, which puts him in rarefied company for a 200-foot center. There are teams that are going to covet that, and there's no question they'll sense an opportunity this summer because the Leafs are facing cap headaches and because Kadri can't stop getting himself suspended in first-round playoff series against the Bruins. Toronto is probably a better team with him as their third-line center, but if a chance to improve the blue line arises, could they consider it?
Centers: Other targets
Patrick Marleau, C/LW Toronto Maple Leafs
Stats: 16 G | 21 A | 37 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $6.25 million AAV through 2020; full no-move clause
'Twas a time when Marleau would be a game-changer, but he turns 40 in September and is coming off his meekest offensive season since he was a rookie. (So I guess it all comes full circle.) It's clear that his time with the Leafs is at an end due to their salary-cap considerations -- Marleau's family has moved back to California, and he sold his Toronto home. But that no-move clause severely limits an already limited market for the longtime Shark.
J.T. Miller, C, Tampa Bay Lightning
Stats: 13 G | 34 A | 47 Pts | 75 games
Contract: $5.25 million AAV through 2023; no-trade clause kicks in on July 1
Even with three veteran defensemen going to be unrestricted free agents, the Lightning are facing a cap crunch: about $8.5 million open, with restricted free-agent center Brayden Point ready to gobble up most of it. Trading Miller, 26, would seem an obvious option ahead of his no-trade protection kicking in. He's a versatile player who can slot in at all three forward spots.
Vladislav Namestnikov, C, New York Rangers
Stats: 11 G | 20 A | 31 Pts | 78 games
Contract: $4 million AAV through 2020; no trade protection
This is an interesting one. There's the perception that anyone over the age of 25 on the Rangers not named Henrik Lundqvist is available, which sounds dystopian but is the natural progression of this rebuild. There's likely interest in him, as he showed during his Tampa days that he can excel when playing with high-end talent. But Rangers coach David Quinn sung his praises last season as Namestnikov played in every forward spot and on special teams. There's a ticking clock to UFA status that can't be ignored, however.
Kyle Turris, C, Nashville Predators
Stats: 27 G | 55 A | 31 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $6 million AAV through 2024; no trade protection
If the Predators land Matt Duchene as a free agent, it likely costs Turris his spot in Nashville. But they might look to make a change anyway. Turris has 65 points in 120 games with the Predators, well off his production averages while with Ottawa. But the most damning stat is his one goal and four assists in 19 playoff games -- an invisible man for Nashville despite being the anchor of their second line. With a "cost certainty" contract and no trade protection, there could be a market for him.
Wingers: Game-changers
Phil Kessel, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Stats: 27 G | 55 A | 31 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $6.8 million AAV through 2022; submits eight-team trade list
Listing Kessel here is basically obligatory, because GM Jim Rutherford already revealed that Kessel wielded his no-trade clause to block a deal, presumably to Minnesota. But we'll list him here anyway because the Penguins were trying to move him -- even if Rutherford says he's not "at this point in time" -- and because maybe the right deal comes along that convinces Phil to leave the Penguins, although we're not holding our breath. How's your breath anyway, Phil?
Mike Hoffman, LW/RW, Florida Panthers
Stats: 36 G | 34 A | 70 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $5,187,500 AAV through 2020; submits a 10-team no-trade list
What ... again? Hoffman could be looking at his fourth team in three seasons (if you count that layover in San Jose) if the Panthers decide that moving him one year ahead of free agency to fill some of their roster needs is the right move, and especially if Artemi Panarin arrives to add elite scoring on the wing. After a 36-goal season, they won't be selling cheap. One assumes help on defense would be the target.
Jason Zucker, LW/RW, Minnesota Wild
Stats: 21 G | 21 A | 42 Pts | 81 games
Contract: $5.5 million AAV through 2023; trade protection kicks in on July 1
We might be stretching the definition of "game-changer" here, as it's looking increasingly like Zucker's 33-goal outburst in 2018-19 was a "singing for your supper" outburst. But he's only 27 and does things beyond the stat sheet, which is good, because that salary ($6,250,000 next season) is for a 33-goal guy.
Wingers: Other targets
Connor Brown, LW/RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Stats: 8 G |21 A | 29 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $2.1 million AAV through 2020; no trade protection
Conventional wisdom is that Brown could be mobile if the Leafs have a chance to upgrade their defense corps. He's an RFA next summer. He hasn't missed a game over the past three seasons.
Loui Eriksson, LW/RW, Vancouver Canucks
Stats: 11 G | 18 A | 29 Pts | 81 games
Contract: $6 million AAV through 2022; no-trade clause
We thought about putting Eriksson in the "problem contracts to move" section, but considering the Canucks are far from a cap crunch and there might be a case made that Eriksson just needs a change of scenery, we'll leave him here. There's an obvious desire on both sides of the equation to move on, so that no-trade clause might not be a sticky wicket.
Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, Edmonton Oilers
Stats: 4 G | 5 A | 9 Pts | 46 games
Contract: $925,000 AAV last season; current RFA
What to make of this young winger? He was drafted fourth overall in 2016 -- behind Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois -- and were it not for No. 5 overall Olli Juolevi having yet to appear in the NHL, he'd be considered that lottery's biggest bust. There's no question his development wasn't helped by the previous regime in Edmonton and that new GM Ken Holland might have a different approach. But with Puljujarvi a restricted free agent, is it time for the Oilers to move on? Or would doing so pretty much guarantee he scores 30 goals for someone else next season?
Brandon Saad, LW/RW, Chicago Blackhawks
Stats: 23 G | 24 A | 47 Pts | 80 games
Contract: $6 million AAV through 2021; no trade protection
It's pretty amazing when you consider Saad ended last season with 23 goals and 24 assists, which isn't too far off his numbers from his most productive seasons. It's just that the stink from that 35-point reunion season with the Blackhawks remains pungent. The Hawks finally have some breathing room under the cap, so trading Saad isn't a necessity. But if a hockey trade presents itself, one assumes they'll listen.
Jimmy Vesey, LW, New York Rangers
Stats: 23 G | 24 A | 47 Pts | 80 games
Contract: $2.275 million AAV through 2020; no trade protection
Vesey, 26, is in the last year of his deal with the Rangers and topped out at 17 goals and 18 assists last season. There's chatter the Sabres might be after him, a few years after they acquired the rights to negotiate with him ... only to see him sign with New York.
Defensemen: Game-changer
P.K. Subban, D, Nashville Predators
Stats: 9 G | 22 A | 31 Pts | 63 games
Contract: $9 million AAV through 2022; no trade protection
Speculation that the Predators will move Subban, 30, could be a case of long-term memory loss, as he's one year removed from 59 points in 82 games, finishing third for the Norris Trophy and having nine points in 13 playoff games. But last season's injury and a first-round ouster for Nashville, combined with the cap space required to potentially make a Matt Duchene signing happen, has put Subban's name back into circulation, much to the joy of the Montreal media. Would the Predators have to gobble up some of that cap hit to make it happen? And does a fit with Vegas just seem too perfect, given the alignment of goals for the team (needing an elite defenseman to win a Stanley Cup) and the player (growing the P.K. Subban brand)?
Defensemen: Other targets
T.J. Brodie, D, Calgary Flames
Stats: 9 G | 25 A | 34 Pts | 79 games
Contract: $4,650,400 AAV through 2020; eight-team no-trade list
Brodie can be a nice complementary defenseman, as was evident by his effective season riding shotgun with Mark Giordano (and as was made glaring by his numbers in 2017-18 when he wasn't). The key here is the pending free agency in 2020. Both he and Travis Hamonic are free agents next summer, and conventional wisdom is that GM Brad Treliving would like to re-sign the latter, which could mean moving the former this summer.
Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Stats: 9 G | 28 A | 37 Pts | 78 games
Contract: $4.5 million AAV; UFA in 2023; no trade protection
Will the Flyers actually trade the Ghost Bear? The possibility is there, and not just because GM Chuck Fletcher is expected to be aggressive in reshaping the roster this summer. His name has been in the rumor mill since April, and his contract makes him very portable. If Gostisbehere, 26, is the player who scored 65 points in 78 games with a plus-10 in 2017-18, this might be a different conversation; but until proved otherwise, he's the player who struggled to 37 points with a minus-20 last season. That said, this feels like one of those "only if the real deal presents itself" type of situations, and one might, considering how coveted power-play quarterbacks are in the NHL. Provided, of course, potential suitors weren't scared off by his special-teams numbers cratering last season, from 33 power-play points to 14 year-over-year.
Nick Leddy, D, New York Islanders
Stats: 4 G | 22 A | 26 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $5.5 million AAV; UFA in 2022; no trade protection
The Islanders know better than anyone if Leddy's dramatic decline in production -- scoring half the points (26) he did in the previous season (42) -- was a symptom of Barry Trotz's new system, or if it's time to shop the veteran defenseman. The latter appears to be happening, according to reports, as the Islanders could flip the 28-year-old defenseman for financial flexibility and/or to hasten a search for offensive help.
Josh Manson, D, Anaheim Ducks
Stats: 3 G | 13 A | 16 Pts | 74 games
Contract: $4.1 million AAV; UFA in 2022; no trade protection until July 1, when a 12-team no-trade list kicks in
If the Ducks are trying to get their rebuild on, it would make sense that they're trying to move Manson, as has been rumored since the trade deadline. He turns 28 on Oct. 7, and he has a contract that runs through 2022. But most important, he has a 12-team no-trade list that kicks in on July 1. If GM Bob Murray is going to move him, it'll be before he can veto over a third of the league. Too bad it'll also be after a steep decline in production last season.
Colin Miller, D, Vegas Golden Knights
Stats: 4 G | 22 A | 26 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $3,875,000 AAV; UFA in 2022; no trade protection
Even after the Golden Knights move David Clarkson's cap hit to LTIR (long-term injured reserve), this is still a team perilously close to the salary ceiling. Miller, 26, has a very cap-friendly deal and could help someone on the right side. Vegas likes him, but it probably also likes having the cap flexibility to sign William Karlsson and pursue an elite defenseman.
Chris Tanev, D, Vancouver Canucks
Stats: 2 G | 10 A | 12 Pts | 55 games
Contract: $4.45 million AAV; UFA in 2020; has eight-team no-trade list.
Tanev, 29, and Alexander Edler have been the sources for much speculation about the future of the Vancouver defense corps. In Tanev's case, he's younger and has one year left on his contract. He also has limited trade protection and specious value, given he can't stay healthy.
Nikita Zaitsev, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Stats: 3 G | 11 A | 14 Pts | 81 games
Contract: $4.5 million AAV; UFA in 2024; has no trade protection until July 1, when a 10-team no-trade clause kicks in
Zaitsev has asked for a trade, and the timing of a deal matters. His no-trade clause kicks in after July 1, as does a $3 million signing bonus that the Leafs would then pay. But the real issue here is the contract for the right-handed-shooting defenseman, both in dollars and term for a player who was a 46.48 in unblocked shot attempt percentage at 5-on-5 over the past two seasons.
Goalies: Game-changer
Jonathan Quick, G, Los Angeles Kings
Stats: 16-23-7 | 3.38 GAA | .888 SV% | 46 games
Contract: $5.8 million AAV; UFA in 2023; has no trade protection
Quick was mediocre last season when he wasn't injured, but it's not like the team in front of him was the mid-'70s Canadiens, or even the version of the Kings from earlier this decade. He's one year removed from a season in which he had a .921 save percentage and a plus-16.86 goals saved above average. He's 33, and logic dictates the Kings will move him. It's hard to figure out if the Kings are rebuilding or reloading; in either case, it would likely be hastened by not having a goalie taking up $5.8 million in cap space.
Goalies: Other targets
Craig Anderson, G, Ottawa Senators
Stats: 17-27-4 | 3.51 GAA | .903 SV% | 50 games
Contract: $4.75 million AAV; UFA in 2020; has a 10-team no-trade list
It's more likely Anderson gets traded in season to a team looking to bolster its goaltending position. But with Anders Nilsson signed and Filip Gustavsson (hopefully) in the plans for the future, Anderson's not long for rebuilding Ottawa.
Jake Allen, G, St. Louis Blues
Stats: 19-17-8 | 2.83 GAA | .905 SV% | 46 games
Contract: $4.75 million AAV; UFA in 2021; has no trade protection
We'll go ahead and assume that Jordan Binnington has the crease for the Blues after, you know, leading the team to its first Stanley Cup in franchise history as a rookie. Allen's a fascinating case. He turns 29 in August. He's been a starter for the past three seasons, before the rise of Binnington. In the right system, with the right coach ... maybe you have something with him? GM Doug Armstrong likely will give him a fresh start somewhere if possible, not only because of the presence of rookie Ville Husso -- an RFA whose injury gave Binnington a chance with the Blues -- but because the Blues aren't spending $10 million on their goalie spot after Binnington signs his new deal.
Problem contracts to move
Ryan Callahan, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Stats: 7 G | 10 A | 17 Pts | 52 games
Contract: $5.8 million AAV; UFA in 2020; modified no-trade clause with a list of 15 teams
The oft-injured 34-year-old grinder is likely headed for a buyout if there isn't a trade to be made, considering the Lightning's cap situation. He's an asset to the Lightning when he's in the lineup, but not at that freight.
Jeff Carter, C/RW, Los Angeles Kings
Stats: 13 G | 20 A | 33 Pts | 76 games
Contract: $5,272,727 AAV; UFA in 2022; no trade protection
The good news is that Carter played 76 games last season. The bad news is that he scored only 13 goals and 20 assists in those 76 games, the lowest points-per-game average of his career. If the Kings are selling on him, they're selling low. Perhaps they see what Carter has left under a new coach in Todd McLellan first?
Milan Lucic, LW, Edmonton Oilers
Stats: 6 G | 14 A | 20 Pts | 79 games
Contract: $6 million AAV; UFA in 2023; no-move clause
The poster boy for toxic contracts in 2019, Lucic's massive overpayment has been inherited by GM Ken Holland. The Edmonton media have been fantasy-casting ways to get him off the cap for a while, but that no-move clause only complicates matters. A one-for-one for Loui Eriksson of the Canucks could be the most likely option, but not without some pot-sweetening from the Oilers. A total mess.
James Neal, RW, Calgary Flames
Stats: 7 G | 12 A | 19 Pts | 63 games
Contract: $5.75 million AAV; UFA in 2023; no trade protection
Well, that could have gone better. After 10 straight seasons with more than 20 goals, Neal was a disaster in Calgary after signing there as a free agent from the Golden Knights. He's signed through 2023 and clearly needs a change in scenery. The trick for Calgary is that a bad-for-bad contract swap won't help it out of its salary-cap conundrum.
Corey Perry, LW, Anaheim Ducks
Stats: 6 G | 4 A |10 Pts | 31 games
Contract: $8.625 million AAV; UFA in 2021; no-move clause
His offensive production had fallen off a cliff well before last season's injury-shortened campaign; that, combined with his cap hit and his no-move clause, could make him untradeable, unless there's salary retention and another toxic contract coming back the other way.
Kevin Shattenkirk, D, New York Rangers
Stats: 2 G | 26 A |28 Pts | 73 games
Contract: $6.65 million AAV; UFA in 2021; 10-team no-trade list
The ultimate "be careful what you wish for" lesson, Shattenkirk signed to go home and play for his childhood team ... only to spend Year 1 injured and Year 2 middling. The Rangers have tried to move him, retaining upward of 50 percent of his salary in those offers, but to no avail thus far.
The wild cards
Justin Faulk, D, Carolina Hurricanes
Stats: 11 G | 24 A | 35 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $4,833,333 AAV; UFA in 2020; 15-team trade list
Once again, the assumption is that the Hurricanes are going to deal from their position of strength for help up front, and once again, Faulk would logically be the player to move given his contract status. He's 27 and a workhorse, but the Canes aren't giving him away. Maybe they can finally trick Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas into sending them William Nylander for him?
Taylor Hall, LW, New Jersey Devils
Stats: 11 G | 26 A | 37 Pts | 33 games
Contract: $6 million AAV; UFA in 2020; no trade protection
Hall's declaration that he's taking a wait-and-see approach with the Devils, and taking his time to mull over options, has been widely misinterpreted as a harbinger of doom for the Devils. But if Hall opts not to ink an extension this summer, he rockets to the top of the trade assets list: a Hart Trophy winner who could easily elevate a team to Stanley Cup contender status, even as a rental.
Chris Kreider, LW, New York Rangers
Stats: 30 G | 20 A | 50 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $4.625 million AAV through 2020; 11-team no-trade list
We're at the point where the Rangers are either going to make Kreider a veteran piece of their rebuild or someone's going to trade for a 28-year-old wrecking ball for their top six.
Torey Krug, D, Boston Bruins
Stats: 6 G | 47 A | 53 Pts | 64 games
Contract: $5.25 million AAV through 2020; eight-team no-trade list
Krug is that rarest of commodities: the power-play quarterback who actually quarterbacks a successful power play. He was at the top of the key for the best postseason man-advantage unit since 1981. He also goes UFA next summer and will command a rather lofty pay raise. GM Don Sweeney said Krug is "a big part of the fabric of our group" and in "that next wave of leaders" for the Bruins. He said "it would take a pretty unique opportunity" to trade him.
So, bottom line as always in these situations: Never say never!
Patrik Laine, LW, Winnipeg Jets
Stats: 30 G | 20 A | 50 Pts | 82 games
Contract: $925,000 AAV last season; RFA
Speaking of never say never ... with 110 goals in his first 237 games, Laine could be angling for a $10 million AAV long-term deal with the Jets. Or he could be in for a heck of a battle with Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff if the Jets don't want to meet his price. It's hard to imagine Winnipeg not finding a way for this to work, but it's easy to picture Jets fans burning his visage in effigy if he skips town after three seasons.