NHL Rumors: Pacific Division buyers and sellers
Anthony Scultore
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The NHL Trade Deadline is on March 3 and the picture of who will likely be buyers or sellers is starting to take shape. We did our best to clarify this over several installments of NHL Rumors.
We’ve already reviewed the Atlantic, Central, and Metro Divisions. Today we wrap up with the Pacific.
NHL Rumors: Pacific Division’s Buyers
Seattle Kraken: 27-14-4, 58 points (1st place)
Trade Targets: Bo Horvat, Timo Meier
Trade Chips: 2023 first-round pick, prospects
Buzz: Just making the playoffs in their second season will be a huge win for the Kraken. That being said, if they are active at the deadline they could be front runners to land Bo Horvat or Timo Meier. Simply put, they have all the future assets those teams would want in a trade, plus they can sign those players long term. That’s why they belong in the buyers category.
Vegas Golden Knights: 28-16-2, 58 points (2nd place)
Trade Targets: Dmitry Kulikov, Vladislav Gavrikov, Olli Maatta
Trade Chips: 2023 first-round pick, prospects
Buzz: Yes, the Knights are contenders but also one of the most cap strapped teams with players on LTIR. They need help on defense, but look for them to go for cheaper second and third tier UFAs for depth.
Los Angeles Kings: 25-16-6, 56 points (3rd place)
Trade Targets: Patrick Kane, Bo Horvat, Semyon Varlamov, Cam Talbot
Trade Chips: 2023 first-round pick, prospects
Buzz: The Kings are an interesting team coming up for this trade deadline if they choose to be aggressive buyers. They certainly have the assets to be a player in the Patrick Kane sweepstakes. Should they be thinking about their future at center without Anze Kopitar, I can see them getting involved in a Bo Horvat trade. At the end of the day, this team needs depth in net. If the Isles are selling, Semyon Varlamov makes sense.
Edmonton Oilers: 26-18-3, 55 points (4th place)
Trade Targets: John Klingberg, Dmitry Kulikov, Vladislav Gavrikov, Olli Maatta
Trade Chips: 2023 first-round pick, Jesse Puljujarvi
Buzz: Edmonton has been coming on as of late and making their climb up the standings. They have more offense than they will ever need but shoring up the defense is a must. Look for them to make a play on a UFA defender.
Calgary Flames: 21-16-9, 51 points (5th place)
Trade Targets: Vladimir Tarasenko, Max Domi, Ivan Barbashev
Trade Chips: 2023 first-round pick, prospects, Milan Lucic
Buzz: The Flames are surprisingly holding the final wild card spot past the midway point of the season. I say this because many felt that they would be competing for first in the division. That being said, they aren’t far off since no one is running away with it. It’s no secret Calgary needs more offense, but if they are out of the playoffs come March 3, maybe they move Milan Lucic for future assets.
NHL Rumors: Metro Division’s Sellers
Vancouver Canucks: 18-23-3, 39 points (6th place)
Trade Targets: Picks and prospects
Trade Chips: Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers, almost anyone?
Buzz: Another lost season for Canucks fans after a promising finish the year prior. After signing J.T. Miller to a big contract, Vancouver is now cap strapped without results and have to take care of Elias Pettersson in 2024-25. They have big pieces to move and will look for draft picks and cost controlled assets in return. Rick Tocchet is reportedly expected to be the next head coach, they may want his input in trades.
San Jose Sharks: 14-23-9, 37 points (7th place)
Trade Targets: Draft picks and prospects
Trade Chips: Timo Meier, Erik Karlsson, James Reimer
Buzz: The Sharks are in the hunt for Connor Bedard. That being said, they would certainly like to add some more prospects to their pool. Pending RFA Timo Meier will fetch them their best return. I only added Erik Karlsson in here because of the amount of speculation attached to his name. Unless San Jose is going to eat 50% of his $11.5M AAV for the next 4 years, I just don’t see it happening.
Anaheim Ducks: 13-28-5, 31 points (8th place)
Trade Targets: Picks and prospects
Trade Chips: John Klingberg, Kevin Shattenkirk, Dmitry Kulikov
Buzz: You want a rental defenseman? Well you’ve come to the right place. The Ducks are envisioning a future lineup with Connor Bedard playing with the likes of Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, and Mason McTavish. They’ll do anything they can to make it happen.
