Believe it or not, we’re actually very quickly approaching the NHL trade deadline, with just about two months to go until we get there. This year’s deadline should have a ton of big moves, with so many teams having a chance at winning the Stanley Cup this year and so many big names out there, it should be fun to watch. Here’s where I think some of the big names will be heading.
Bo Horvat – Carolina Hurricanes
I honestly anticipate about a dozen teams pursuing Bo Horvat at the deadline, I wouldn’t be surprised if he went to basically any contender, but the one that catches my eye the most is definitely Carolina.
Carolina’s management and ownership both have shown that they are all in to bring a championship to Raleigh, picking up Max Pacioretty and Brent Burns this past offseason, I think they’d definitely want to add Horvat, who possesses leadership ability, is a great fundamentalist, and has been scoring at one of the best paces in the league this season.
Patrick Kane – New York Rangers
Kane will have a lot of interest as well, but in reality, it’ll be another Claude Giroux situation, where there are only 3-4 realistic options, and it’ll ultimately come down to Kane’s choice.
I think in the end, it’ll be too tempting for Kane to not choose the Rangers. It’s the biggest sports market in the United States, he is from the state, and he’d get to join his former linemate in Artemi Panarin on the quest to the Stanley Cup through the Eastern Conference. You have to remember how close New York was last season.
Jakob Chychrun – Los Angeles Kings
I know many are tired of hearing Chychrun’s name circulate, but it’s not a surprise. He’s on one of the best contracts in the league, is a very talented and capable defenseman and has expressed his interest of leaving Arizona.
I think ultimately, Los Angeles will win the bidding for him. They have a plethora of prospects and picks that they don’t need, and they have expressed interest in adding a top-talent defenseman for some time now.
Brock Boeser – Montreal Canadiens
This was a hard one to pick because Boeser’s contract doesn’t exactly make a mid-season move easy for many teams.
I really wanted to put Minnesota, but I don’t think they can get it done with their buyout issues from Parise and Suter still affecting them.
In the end, I think Montreal will get it done, especially since reports have come out that Vancouver is prepared to get a low return for Boeser.
Ryan O’Reilly – Toronto Maple Leafs
I can already predict the comments here, but listen. O’Reilly is a Toronto boy, and I think he’s prepared to take a lesser role to chase a cup for the remainder of this season, as it’s obvious that St. Louis is not a contender this year.
Toronto has the prospects, they have the picks to make this work. They would add a player who is constantly in Selke discussions, a great leader, and a Stanley Cup champion as they try to make it over the first round for the first time since 2004.
Jonathan Toews – Winnipeg Jets
This is more just a gut pick than anything, but I’ve always just imagined Toews playing for the Jets one day. They’ve always wanted to get stronger down the middle for as long as I can remember, and now that it’s looking like they could potentially contend for a championship, Toews wouldn’t be a terrible add.