I mean it when I say I want nothing more than to do an in-depth breakdown on Jason Robertson because Detroit traded for him. I don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings when I say, if Detroit was going to land one of the big fish, it’s likely they would have by now. Saying it bluntly, if the rumours are true and Yzerman has called Pittsburgh or Anaheim and no trade has happened, it’s likely both sides are far apart. All that being said, I don’t think that means there aren’t any trades that are worth looking into. If you look off the beaten path, so to speak, I think you start finding some really interesting names, and I’ll lay them out to you.
Teuvo Teravainen, Chicago Blackhawks: 82gp 15g 43a 58p
Despite the news about Chicago wanting to be better, I believe that Chicago won’t pass up the chance to enter the McKenna sweepstakes. With that, they want to be as bad as possible while still developing the youth. I look at Anton Frondell and Oliver Moore as players who could really be broken in well on the second line wing, potentially making Chicago willing to move Teravainen. As for Teraveinen himself, he’s a Yzerman-type two-way winger who is still an effective scorer. He plays against 77th percentile competition with 62nd percentile teammates, so his totals seem like they would project fine to Detroit’s top line. He’s a competent finisher as well and is a capable offensive forward. His 96th percentile penalty kill will also give him some special teams runs in Detroit. Teraveinen is a little small and comes with a 5.4M cap hit for two more years. Chicago seems more likely to use him as a deadline piece next season, but if they want to be as bad as possible, there may be some thought to moving Teravainen. He has a 16-team no-trade list as well.
Trevor Moore, L.A. Kings: 71gp 18g 22a 40p
I promise I’m not trying to pick small players, but Moore does stand out a little in the Kings’ depth chart. After re-signing Lafferiere, Moore is third on their right wing depth chart despite scoring 31 (and 29 at even strength) goals two seasons ago. Moore plays against tough competition as well so his projections wouldn’t be too far off. His current linemates are Foegele and Danault, so Larkin and Raymond would be an upgrade. While Moore is small, he doesn’t shy away from physical play too much. L.A. would need some clarity on Kempe and if he will re-sign; if it seems like he won’t, L.A. is unlikely to give up one of their more promising depth scorers.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Toronto Maple Leafs: 77gp 4g 25a 29p
Toronto has legitimately six defensemen who could play in Detroit’s top four, so targeting the worst of them is worth a shot. OEL can play both sides and currently plays the right side as a left-shot defenceman, but in Detroit, he would play either side. He’s a slightly bigger body at 6 ‘2 and played fairly competent competition. While there are some consistency questions, he would still be Detroit’s third-best defenceman. OEL also adds the ability to put Seider and Edvinsson together for at least points in games while he holds down another pair. What Toronto would want from Detroit, or if his 16-team no-trade clause contains, are pivotal questions.
Niko Mikkola, Florida Panthers: 76gp 6g 15a 21p
Florida is the only team in the league that has to make a move at some point. While Evan Rodrigues is the obvious move candidate, Mikkola is also vulnerable if you had to pick another name. Florida can bury a couple of contracts and move Mikkola to get under the cap. If available, there are a few shutdown defensemen who are as good as Mikkola for as cheap as he is. He’s genuinely a monster in his own end and would give Detroit’s top four a huge boost. The cost would be fairly high, but with only one year remaining on his deal, it may not be as bad as it would’ve been.
Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers: 63gp 4g 15a 19p
Ristolainen would do a lot for the Red Wings. He’s likely good enough to make a decent second pair with Chiarot and leave Edvinsson and Seider together. Philadelphia needs to be committed to the rebuild for this to really be an option, but with multiple RFA contracts coming up next season, they could shed some cap and help their draft placement by moving Ristolainen. His injury history may be a concern, but when he does play, he would end up as Detroit’s third-best defenceman.
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