Dec 4, 2021; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Alexander Georgiev (40) looks for the puck after a shot on goal attempt by Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) in the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Training Camps will open in the next few weeks as teams get set to start preseason action.
The latest NHL Trade Bait Tracker which is maintained at The Daily Goal Horn gets a big shakeup. With JT Miller and the Vancouver Canucks coming to terms on a massive 7-year deal, he’s no longer the top candidate. That honor moves to Jakob Chychrun as he climbs up to number one on the list.
Some new names are added including Nils Lundkvist of the New York Rangers, whose request for a trade dating back to last season is now public. The Canucks are over the cap at this moment, but will need to make more room for when Miller’s contract extension kicks in. This puts Bo Horvat in the crosshairs of rumors this upcoming season.
Let’s take a closer look at who could be moved between now and the next trade deadline.
NHL Trade Bait Tracker
| Rank | Player (Team) | POS | AGE | TERM – AAV |
| 1 | Jakob Chychrun (ARI) | D | 24 | 3 YEARS – $4.6M |
| 2 | Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) | F | 30 | 1 YEAR – $7.5M |
| 3 | Patrick Kane (CHI) | F | 33 | 1 YEAR – $10.5M |
| 4 | Nils Lundkvist (NYR) | D | 22 | 2 YEARS – $925K |
| 5 | Bo Horvat (VAN) | C | 27 | 1 YEAR – $5.5M |
| 6 | Torey Krug (STL) | D | 31 | 5 YEARS – $6.5M |
| 7 | Josh Anderson (MTL) | F | 28 | 5 YEARS – $5.5M |
| 8 | Jonathan Toews (CHI) | C | 34 | 1 YEAR – $10.5M |
| 9 | Jake DeBrusk (BOS) | F | 25 | 2 YEARS – $4M |
| 10 | Blake Wheeler (WPG) | F | 36 | 2 YEARS – $8.25M |
A look at the top trade candidates
Jakob Chychrun: The Coyotes were asking for a package that started with a first round pick, a young player, and a prospect. Chychrun registered 21 points in 47 games last season and indicated he’s like to be moved. One team that appears to be aggressively in pursuit are the Ottawa Senators, so keep an eye on Ontario.
Vladimir Tarasenko: Latest reports indicate that Tarasenko has not rescinded his trade request and is very open to a move. He’s entering the final year of his contract which comes with an AAV of $7.5 million. Tarasenko is also coming off a great season where he recorded 34 goals and 82 points in 75 games. If he isn’t willing to extend, the Blues will most certainly deal him at the deadline.
Patrick Kane: With one year left on a deal that hits the cap at $10.5 million and a full no-move clause, it’s really up to him if he wants to go. He registered 92 points in 76 games last season and would return a haul of picks and prospects for Chicago. A recent report by David Pagnotta indicates that Kane is ready to move on, but Hawks GM Kyle Davidson dismissed that notion.
Nils Lundkvist: His agent Claude Lemieux revealed to Forever Blueshirts that they asked for a trade last season when he was sent down in favor of Braden Schneider in January. “We did request a trade when Nils was sent down last year,” Lemieux said. “We hope something can get done in the next few weeks.” The 2018 first-round pick has 4 points in 25 NHL games.
Bo Horvat: With Miller signed and Horvat possibly becoming a UFA in July of 2023, he pole-vaults into the top 5. The captain of the Canucks scored a career high 31 goals last season and finished with 52 points in 70 games. You can expect to start hearing rumors regarding his future soon.
Torey Krug: He’s been in and out of the rumor mill since last season. He still has a lot of term left on his deal but will generate interest. In 2021-22, he scored 43 points in 64 games. The St. Louis Blues have a few key players they need to sign for 2023-24 including Ryan O’Reilly. They will like to try and shed some salary to make sure they can.
Josh Anderson: The Canadiens are looking for cap flexibility as they continue their rebuilding efforts. One player teams will find attractive is Josh Anderson as they hope they can get him at a reasonable price. Last season, he registered 19 goals and 32 points in 69 games. He’s a John Tortorella type player, who coached him in Columbus, so look for the Flyers to be in on him if they can work something out.
Jonathan Toews: He is no fan of the rebuild Chicago is planning and will likely be looking to waive his no-move clause come the next trade deadline. So what’s the market for an aging center on a clear decline after scoring just 37 points in 71 games? The Hawks will have to eat half of his $10.5M contract in order to entice a team to take the pending UFA. I’m not so sure that will be enough unless Toews can find that old scoring touch this season.
Jake DeBrusk: After publicly requesting a trade, he’s now publicly rescinded it. Although GM Don Sweeney did not dismiss the notion of possibly moving the young forward on. DeBrusk had a nice second half last season and finished with 42 points in 77 games. He will have teams interested if he’s shopped.
Blake Wheeler: He had a solid season with 16 goals and 65 points in 60 contests. However, the Jets are going to have to eat a chunk of his cap hit in order to facilitate a trade. He has two years remaining with a whopping $8.25M AAV and very few playoff contenders can afford him at that cost. This is more likely a trade deadline deal if he gets moved at all.
– The Daily Goal Horn