Well, the frenzy has started, at least in the media.
Now we just have to wait and see if it turns into anything.
As always, the lead up to the NHL's trade deadline has been filled with rumours and speculation, but other than the Ryan Miller to St. Louis blockbuster on Friday, there have been very few actual moves to speak of.
Will there be by Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET?
What we know for sure is there are a lot of names in play, including several marquee players and a whole bunch of quality goaltenders. The problem is that most teams are so tight against the cap that deals will have to be salary in and salary out, not pure rentals, and that complicates getting trades done.
What's interesting is that the NHL waiver wire was flooded with useful NHL players on Tuesday afternoon, one sign that clubs are anxious to clear roster spots and cap room in order to make deals.
Keeping that in mind, here's a look at 40 players that are in currently in conversations around the league and that could be moved by the deadline.
Goaltenders | GP | SV% | 5YRSV% | Salary | Status | |
1 | Anton Khudobin, CAR | 22 | 0.927 | 0.930 | 0.800 | UFA |
2 | Tim Thomas, FLA | 39 | 0.908 | 0.922 | 3.750 | UFA |
3 | Jaroslav Halak, BUF | 40 | 0.917 | 0.918 | 3.750 | UFA |
4 | James Reimer, TOR | 25 | 0.913 | 0.915 | 1.800 | RFA |
5 | Cam Ward, CAR | 21 | 0.891 | 0.915 | 6.300 | 2016 |
6 | Viktor Fasth, ANA | 5 | 0.885 | 0.915 | 2.900 | 2015 |
7 | Ilya Bryzgalov, EDM | 20 | 0.908 | 0.914 | 2.266 | UFA |
8 | Martin Brodeur, NJ | 29 | 0.900 | 0.908 | 4.500 | UFA |
As has been the case all season, teams are flush with goalies they'd like to move.
Carolina and Anaheim, in particular, have been carrying three netminders all season, but the fact is there just haven't been a ton of suitors (or much of a market) for all these goalies.
That's why it was so impressive new Sabres GM Tim Murray was able to get what he did for Miller.
One team definitely looking for insurance in goal is the Wild, who could go with either Halak or Brodeur as some experience with 23-year-old rookie Darcy Kuemper, who has played very well in 18 games so far. Indications on Tuesday afternoon were that Minnesota was close to getting something done with the Sabres on Halak, who Buffalo acquired in the Miller deal.
Khudobin and Thomas, two former Bruins, are also very intriguing options as rentals, as they both have the potential to carry a team on an unexpected playoff run.
With so few homes, however, expect only one or two of these goalies to actually change teams.
Defencemen | GP | Pts | Mins | Salary | Status | |
1 | Andrew MacDonald, NYI | 63 | 24 | 25.4 | 0.550 | UFA |
2 | Christian Ehrhoff, BUF | 59 | 29 | 24.0 | 4.000 | 2021 |
3 | Alex Edler, VAN | 44 | 15 | 23.4 | 5.000 | 2019 |
4 | Tyler Myers, BUF | 56 | 20 | 21.8 | 5.500 | 2019 |
5 | Tom Gilbert, FLA | 61 | 27 | 21.1 | 0.900 | UFA |
6 | Jake Gardiner, TOR | 61 | 17 | 21.0 | 0.875 | RFA |
7 | Lubomir Visnovsky, NYI | 17 | 7 | 20.3 | 4.750 | 2015 |
8 | Trevor Daley, DAL | 47 | 11 | 20.1 | 3.300 | 2017 |
9 | Stephane Robidas, DAL | 24 | 5 | 19.9 | 3.300 | UFA |
10 | Chris Phillips, OTT | 51 | 13 | 19.8 | 3.083 | UFA |
11 | Chris Butler, CGY | 61 | 2 | 19.7 | 1.700 | UFA |
12 | Henrik Tallinder, BUF | 47 | 7 | 19.1 | 3.375 | UFA |
13 | Mike Weaver, FLA | 55 | 6 | 18.8 | 1.100 | UFA |
14 | Nick Schultz, EDM | 59 | 4 | 17.0 | 3.500 | UFA |
The curious thing about the market for defencemen is that so many of these players are under contract and not rentals, which means any deal would obviously be more substantial.
Teams will, for example, have to give up a lot to get an Ehrhoff, Edler or Myers.
The top candidates on the rental market, meanwhile, are MacDonald – who's asking for big money on a new contract and the Isles have balked at the asking price – and Phillips.
It's not a sexy group overall, but there are some nice complimentary players mixed in, including Robidas, whose remarkable recovery from a broken leg means he could be back sooner than expected.
(UPDATE: Weaver was traded to the Canadiens just after this list was finalized.)
Forwards | GP | Pts | Mins | Salary | Status | |
1 | Ryan Kesler, VAN | 62 | 39 | 22.3 | 5.000 | 2016 |
2 | Thomas Vanek, NYI | 60 | 53 | 19.7 | 7.143 | UFA |
3 | Marty St. Louis, TB | 61 | 60 | 22.7 | 5.625 | 2015 |
4 | Marian Gaborik, CLB | 21 | 13 | 16.5 | 7.500 | UFA |
5 | Mike Cammalleri, CGY | 44 | 22 | 20.8 | 6.000 | UFA |
6 | Matt Moulson, BUF | 55 | 38 | 19.5 | 3.133 | UFA |
7 | Nikolai Kulemin, TOR | 51 | 18 | 16.4 | 2.800 | UFA |
8 | Sam Gagner, EDM | 49 | 25 | 18.2 | 4.800 | 2016 |
9 | Brayden Schenn, PHI | 62 | 34 | 17.0 | 0.870 | RFA |
10 | Mason Raymond, TOR | 63 | 36 | 17.5 | 1.000 | UFA |
11 | Ryan Callahan, NYR | 45 | 25 | 19.0 | 4.275 | UFA |
12 | Dave Bolland, TOR | 15 | 10 | 16.3 | 3.375 | UFA |
13 | Ales Hemsky, EDM | 54 | 24 | 16.0 | 5.000 | UFA |
14 | Ryan Smyth, EDM | 52 | 20 | 16.5 | 2.250 | UFA |
15 | Chris Stewart, BUF | 59 | 26 | 14.8 | 4.150 | 2015 |
16 | Tuomo Ruutu, CAR | 56 | 16 | 14.3 | 4.750 | 2016 |
17 | Lee Stempniak, CGY | 52 | 23 | 19.4 | 2.500 | UFA |
18 | Martin Erat, WSH | 53 | 24 | 15.7 | 4.500 | 2015 |
Unlike the defencemen, most of the forwards available this year are true rentals, with quite a few of them offering some nice secondary offensive punch.
If you take one look at those cap hits, however, you'll notice there's some significant term there to absorb, which will be a stumbling block for anyone taking on a Vanek or Gaborik. (Vanek's number is a bit misleading as the Sabres are paying nearly 20 per cent of his deal.)
Kesler is considered by most teams to be the most intriguing player available of anyone at the deadline, and there's going to be a logjam of teams waiting to see what happens with him before moving onto other candidates.
How many of these forwards are dealt will likely determine if the 2014 deadline is one to remember. There's the potential for a few blockbusters in here if Gagner, Schenn and others are put in play.