Potential Trade Proposals: Metro Division

With the holiday roster freeze ended and many teams having an idea of where they stand this season, now is a great time to start looking at some trades that would make a lot of sense. It has been a trend in the NHL to start making trades earlier and earlier and the unique way this season has played out so far and with a potential major prize to be had in the draft, with another potential superstar available some teams who have fallen well behind, might be best served to help get themselves the best odds at Jack Hughes. What is maybe the most interesting so far this season is there are multiple teams who are loaded with young talent and playing better than expected and multiple teams who have talented veterans that are well out of the playoff race already.

In this article series, I have chosen five teams from each division who I believe could look to make a trade to solidify their roster for this season and maybe beyond. I will start with the Atlantic division and work my way through the league. None of these trades have been pulled from thin air. I have looked at where the teams are weakest in their “advanced metrics.” I then filtered players by specified criteria and looked at whether they would make sense for a given team. I will attempt to put a price on some targets but may not be entirely accurate. I will also add this disclaimer: I am much more familiar with some teams’ farm systems than others so please forgive me if I am vaguer with some teams than others. Also, all stats were collected as of December 11^th.  You can find the Atlantic Division here.

Metropolitan Division

Washington Capitals

Potential Need: Shot Suppressor

The Capitals have been rattling off points recently and have positioned themselves well for another playoff run. With the way the Capitals approached the offseason, it is not surprising that many of the same issues persisted into this season. The Capitals biggest weakness is they are giving up 60 shots per game during 5v5 play. To put that in context, the only playoff teams with worse rates are Toronto and Anaheim. Overall, there are only six teams allowing more shots than Washington. 

Potential Targets:

To find a player to help Washington, I looked for players who were better than average in suppressing shots and have a positive shot differential while on the ice. The list of players who fit the criteria is quite extensive but many of the players would not be available for trade. The Capitals are tight up against the salary cap and would likely need to move some money out to make any tweaks to their roster. With the organization having appeared to sour on AndréBurakovsky, he could be a prime player to move out for some depth options. With Burakovsky still young, teams looking to rebuild could have interest in him. 

There was one team with multiple players who fit the specified criteria, while being relatively inexpensive, and should definitely be looking to rebuild. That team is the Los Angeles Kings. They had Tyler Toffoli, Carl Hagelin, Kyle Clifford, Alex Iafallo, Nate Thompson, Jake Muzzin, Derek Forbort, and Drew Doughty appear on this list. Doughty isn’t going to Washington and Thompson has been too suspect in his career to instill confidence. I already have traded Jake Muzzin to Toronto and Tyler Toffoli might be a little too expensive. Carl Hagelin could be an interesting move but he is currently injured and might not provide enough value to move Burakovsky and additional pieces might be tough to include and make the money work. This has me homing in on Forbort, Iaffalo, and Clifford. If I were in charge, I would love to get my hands on Forbort to play with John Carlson, which would also allow Michal Kempny to slot into the third pair. However, I think Washington will look to bolster their forward depth instead because they have left-handed Brooks Orpik slated to return at some point. Truthfully, I’m not sure if Los Angeles would be willing to move a young player like Iaffalo but Burakovsky is younger and has a higher ceiling. Iaffalo would be a really quality middle six player for Washington. Kyle Clifford would also provide better bottom six depth than what Washington is currently fielding.

Predicted Trade: Washington acquires Alex Iaffalo, Kyle Clifford, and a 4^thround pick in exchange for AndréBurakovsky.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Potential Need: Possession Driver

Columbus ranks in the bottom 12^thworst in possession, 13^thworst shots for, and 11^thworst in shots against. Although not terrible, Columbus is currently a solid contender in the Eastern Conference and might have their best chance ever to make a playoff run. With so much uncertainty surrounding the contract situations of some of the team’s top players, now might be the time to go for it. For a team that is close, their possession numbers do not inspire enough confidence in a dominating playoff run. A second-round exit would be incredibly disappointing and that is probably the best-case scenario if they continue playing at this level. The team has two options as the trade deadline gets closer, add talent in hopes of making a run or trade Panarin and Bobrovsky instead of risk losing them for nothing in free agency. If I’m running Columbus, I’m going for it. Their division is weak and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals is a definite possibility if they can add some talent. If they get there, they need to hope the powers in the Atlantic tire each other enough to get to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Potential Targets:

Columbus has plenty of salary cap space to add with potential trade deadline cap space of nearly $32M and currently they can add around $11M-$12M. If Panarin and Bobrovsky leave this summer, Columbus will have significant cap space to work with next season and beyond as well. The biggest question is whether they are willing to spend it and if they add via trade, whether they have enough assets to acquire the level of players who will eat into that cap space. In terms of on ice performance, I looked for players who improved their teams’ offensive performance when they are on the ice. The numbers I looked at were relative shots % and relative expected goals for %. If you read my previous installment, you may recognize I had the same criteria for the Buffalo Sabres. Columbus could also potentially benefit from adding some help in net, especially someone with some term.

One player who could be on Columbus’s radar is Brayden Schenn. However, since I previously constructed a trade sending him to Buffalo, I will not consider him here for Columbus. However, that does not mean Columbus won’t talk with St. Louis regarding other players. One really interesting name could be Artemi Panarin’s good friend, Vladimir Tarasenko. If St. Louis would seriously consider moving Tarasenko, Columbus should inquire. Columbus has some really nice forwards but outside of Panarin, there is no one to strike fear into an opponent. A line of Panarin-Dubois-Tarasenko would be outstanding and arguably the best in the league. Acquiring Tarasenko could also help convince Panarin to stay and that should be Columbus’s ultimate goal. Columbus definitely would have the cap space to make this happen.

Tarasenko may not be available and would certainly come at quite the price. There are other options available that could be tremendous adds for the shorter-term. I’ll start with another Blue, Jaden Schwartz, who has term as well and would add to Columbus’s forward depth. He would be a nice add for this season and could potentially help replace Panarin next season, if he walks. Another player signed beyond this year that would fit well is Tyler Toffoli from the Los Angeles Kings. If the Blue Jackets opt for a pure rental, Gustav Nyquist from Detroit would be a nice addition to provide a little more punch up front. The downside with these three players is they provide much of the same of what Columbus ultimately has, really good middle six players but not enough top end talent. If Columbus added one of these players, they would be putting tremendous depth up against top end talent in the playoffs. It hasn’t worked out in the past for them and if I were them, I would wing for the fences.

Predicted Trade: Columbus acquires Vladimir Tarasenko and Jake Allen from St. Louis in exchange for Josh Anderson, Joonas Koripisalo, a protected 2019 first-round pick, and Sonny Milano.

Pittsburgh

Potential Need: Goaltending

In actuality, Pittsburgh looks like one of the top teams when considering some of their more advanced metrics. I am sure they will look to add some roster depth but the reality is they have no major weaknesses outside of their goaltending. Matt Murray has not been good since the two magical playoff runs and I’m not sure it would be wise for Pittsburgh to rely on the combination of Murray, Tristian Jarry, and Casey Desmith to contend for another Stanley Cup. 

Potential Targets:

Pittsburgh is known to swing big so I expect them to potentially be linked to some of the big names available around the trade deadline. However, I think they should turn their primary focus to goaltenders available. I think there will be three big name goaltenders that will be on the available at the deadline, Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, Los Angeles’s Jonathan Quick, and Chicago’s Corey Crawford, depending on his health. I think Howard would make the most sense for Pittsburgh as he will be a free agent after this season and not impact Pittsburgh’s future cap, which will continue to be an issue for them as long as they stay in “win now mode.” 

A trade for Howard would be complicated unless Detroit or Pittsburgh moves salary before the trade as Pittsburgh would need some of Howard’s retained of would have to send salary back to Detroit. However, Detroit does not have any additional salary cap space as they are utilizing Long-Term Injured Reserve to exceed the salary cap. Detroit definitely could move Nyquist prior to any Howard trade and then potentially retain salary. I’m not sure salary matching would make a lot of sense for either team.

Predicted Trade: Pittsburgh acquiresJimmy Howard in exchange for a 2^ndround pick and Detroit retaining15% of salary.

Carolina Hurricanes

Potential Need: Someone who can score goals

This is probably the easiest team need to write. Carolina does so many things incredibly well but they can’t score. Their goaltending could be improved but scoring is their biggest problem. They have scored 30 less goals than expected this season! If they scored as expected, they would have scored an extra goal in every game they have played. How much higher would they be in the standings had they done that? Yes, Carolina needs goal scoring and they could move some of their extra defensive talent to acquire what they need.

Potential Targets

I filtered players based on who are currently outperforming their expected goal totals. To me this means they have some sort of finishing talent. Although this is not perfect logic because my criteria could mean that the players are due to regress. There are plenty of players who fit this criterion. The problem is many of these players aren’t likely to be traded. One player on this list who would make a lot of sense if Jeff Skinner. Oh wait! Carolina already had him and traded him. Oops! There are still plenty of intriguing names on this list including Anthony Mantha, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, Gustav Nyquist, Mikael Granlund, Chris Kreider, Kasperi Kapanen, Tomas Tatar, Alex Steen, and Robby Fabbri. I think the most interesting names here are Mantha, Ehlers, Hoffman, Stone, Nyquist, Kapanen, Tatar, and Fabbri. I do not know the appetite of any of the teams to move these players but Carolina has some really good defensemen signed to extremely reasonable contracts that should be tempting.

I already discussed Toronto in my previous installment and had them acquiring Jake Muzzin. As such, I’m not going to predict a Kapanen trade here. Florida might be willing to move Hoffman but I’m not sure one of Carolina’s defenders is going to be a great fit there. I don’t think Carolina would be willing to trade a defender with term left for Mark Stone, who can become an UFA this summer. The same goes for Nyquist. I would also imagine they are looking for a longer-term solution than a rental. This leaves Mantha, Ehlers, Tatar, and Fabbri. I strongly prefer one of the first two players and if Carolina were to dangle Brett Pesce, I would think Detroit and Winnipeg would have to think long and hard about it. 

Detroit needs help on their backend and someone cost controlled would be great. Winnipeg is loaded at forward and currently have a decent backend, but not great depth going forward. I think Tucker Poolman could be a nice piece going forward but probably doesn’t project as a high-end player. With tremendous uncertainty around Jacob Trouba’s future with Winnipeg and the likely departure of Tyler Myers, the Jets have 33-year-old Dustin Byfuglien and Josh Morrissey as defensemen they can definitely count on going into next season. For a team whose cup window is now, the Jets should look to shore up their blueline. 

Predicted Trade: Carolina acquires Nikolaj Ehlers in exchange for Brett Pesce and Warren Foegele.

Philadelphia Flyers

Potential Need: Goaltending

When I started this project, the Flyers still had decent odds at making the playoffs. They have struggled recently and I considered replacing them with the Islanders. However, I think as the New Year gets rolling, it will be the Flyers potentially surging and the Islanders falling off (these are what their advanced metrics potentially indicate). I also think it is far more likely the Flyers make a move to shore up their roster than the Islanders do. With this in mind, the Flyers’ biggest need, to no one’s surprise, is goaltending. Although Carter Hart looks promising, the Flyers would still be wise to have another viable option and right now, they don’t appear to have one. The Flyers are hovering around giving up nine more goals than expected.

Potential Targets:

The Flyers need to look to find a longer-term solution to not rush Hart in the short-term and provide a viable backup option when Hart takes over. This player’s name has already been linked to Philadelphia and I think he is who the Flyers should ultimately hone in on. That player is Jonathan Quick. Is Quick going to be the missing piece of the puzzle? Probably not. The Flyers will probably need to do some other tweaking. Is Quick going to be a top tier goalie if he were in Philadelphia? I wouldn’t bet on it. However, he would provide some stability and serve as a bridge to Hart taking over full-time. He does have a somewhat reasonable cap hit and the price tag in a trade probably won’t be overly high. The Kings are in a position where it might be smart to move Quick for future assets so they can clear the way for Cal Petersen. Petersen may not quite be ready but the Kings are in no position to make the playoffs this season so allowing Petersen to grow might be a wise move.

Predicted Trade: Flyers acquire Jonathan Quick in exchange for a 2^ndround draft pick and a mid-level prospect

Statistics courtesy of Corsica.hockey and contract data courtesy of capfriendly.com.

KYLE STICH is the Director of AFP Analytics.  In addition, Mr. Stich is a tax specialist and Director of Operations at AFP Consulting LLC, whose clientele include professional athletes performing services on three separate continents. Mr. Stich earned his Master of Science in Sport Management with a Concentration in Sport Analytics from Columbia University in 2017. He earned his undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Sport Management from St. John Fisher College in 2015, where he has served as an adjunct professor teaching Sport Finance and Baseball Analytics.

Potential NHL Trade Proposals: Atlantic Division

With the holiday roster freeze nearly upon us and many teams having an idea of where they stand this season, now is a great time to start looking at some trades that would make a lot of sense. It has been a trend in the NHL to start making trades earlier and earlier and the unique way this season has played out so far and with a potential major prize to be had in the draft, with another potential superstar available some teams who have fallen well behind, might be best served to help get themselves the best odds at Jack Hughes. What is maybe the most interesting so far this season is there are multiple teams who are loaded with young talent and playing better than expected and multiple teams who have talented veterans that are well out of the playoff race already.

In this article series, I have chosen five teams from each division who I believe could look to make a trade to solidify their roster for this season and maybe beyond. I will start with the Atlantic division and work my way through the league. None of these trades have been pulled from thin air. I have looked at where the teams are weakest in their “advanced metrics.” I then filtered players by specified criteria and looked at whether they would make sense for a given team. I will attempt to put a price on some targets but may not be entirely accurate. I will also add this disclaimer: I am much more familiar with some teams’ farm systems than others so please forgive me if I am vaguer with some teams than others. Also, all stats were collected as of December 11^th.

Eastern Conference

Tampa Bay Lightning

Potential Need: Backup Goaltender

Andrei Vasilevskly has just returned from injury and the Lightning have to hope that he will start to stabilize the team in net. Prior to his return, the Lightning were giving up an astounding 15 more goals than expected during 5v5 play, which is third worst in the league. The team has continued to win in spite of this. For a team who is loaded everywhere else, they have to plan for the worst-case scenario and cannot consider going into the playoffs with Louis Domingue as the backup in case Vasilevskly goes down in the playoffs.

Potential Targets:

The Lightning could look to add someone with a little term as they likely will roll with Vasilevskly as their long-term starter and finding a veteran backup to play behind him for a few seasons would not be a bad idea at all. They could also opt for a short-term answer and reassess again in the offseason. Regardless, they have to address the position. I think the goalie who makes the most sense for the Lightning is Anders Nilsson from the Vancouver Canucks.

Nilsson is currently saving two more goals than average, which is nearly nine goals more than Domingue. He is also used to playing the backup role, which I think is something that needs to be considered. He carries a $2.5M cap hit, a number the Lightning could fit now or likely at any point in future as long as they don’t make any other major moves. He is also an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at season’s end so Tampa would not be locked in to him beyond this season. I can’t him costing more than a mid-round draft pick. I also think Vancouver might like to move him and clear a spot in their net for top goalie prospect, Thatcher Demko to get a taste of the NHL at the end of the season.

A few other options for the Lightning to consider are Thomas Greiss, Jimmy Howard, and Brian Elliott. However, there are consistency and injury concerns with Greiss and Elliott, and Howard comes with a higher cap hit and might be a hotter commodity at the deadline, which might require a higher payment on the Lightning’s part, which I don’t see necessary for a backup goalie. Howard would only make sense if there is any consideration of not riding Vasilevsky in the playoffs (which I don’t think there should be).

Predicted Trade: Lightning acquire Andreas Nilsson in exchange for a 4^thround pick and the trade occurs sometime after January 15^th.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Potential Need: Shot Suppressing Defender

BREAKING NEWS: The Toronto Maple Leafs’ biggest weakness is their blue line. Oh, wait that isn’t breaking news? I’m fairly confident there have been plenty of pieces written and discussions about where the Maple Leafs’ weaknesses are. Just in case you have been living under a rock and have chosen to read my piece before any others, I will give you some numbers to consider as to why the teams’ blueline is the problem. Toronto is hovering right around 50% in their shot share. However, they are giving up close to 62 shots per game, which is third worst in the league behind only Ottawa and Anaheim. They are loaded with talent at forward but lacking when it comes to defense. One of the issues I have seen while watching Leaf games is their defenders struggle to move the puck out of their zone, which I think is part of the reason they give up so many shots per game. Please note that I am drawing my own conclusions from watching only a few Leaf games. The Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup window is opening and they should take every opportunity to maximize it. I think the biggest barrier for them is potentially Tampa Bay and there is no chance of getting by them if they are getting hemmed in their own zone for extended periods.

Potential Targets:

This offseason is going to be tough for Toronto so they may consider looking for someone on an expiring contract. I don’t think that is a bad idea but they will likely run into the same problem again next season unless they acquire someone with term. Considering a long-term solution on the blue line will likely require the team to move one of their young dynamic forwards, they could look for a short-term solution to make a run this year and then look to address the long-term issue in the offseason where it might be easier to stomach moving one of their young forwards. As far as on-ice performance goes, I looked for a defender who was better than average in terms of shots against. I also looked for players whose team was expected to outscore the other team while they were on the ice. Ironically, there are three players currently in Toronto’s organization that appear on this list, Travis Dermott, Igor Ozhiganov, and Martin Marincin. Just because these players passed my initial filter, I also recognize it is impractical for Toronto to heavily rely on them this season. Maybe they are long-term answers but Toronto should be in win-now mode and they aren’t going to get it done.

My filter produced a list of plenty of names and many of the league’s top defensemen appear (Brett Burns, Kris Letang, Ryan McDonagh, Victor Hedman, Jacob Slavin, Erik Karlsson, Mark Giordano, Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton, etc.). There are also some names that might not be expected. Adam Larsson appears so maybe the Leafs could trade Mitch Marner for him and make the trade one for one. Oh, wait Kyle Dubas is probably smart enough to not make that trade. So getting serious there are some names that have appeared that should be very interesting for Leaf fans. Outside of the Hurricane players that I have already listed, the remainder of their blue line appears in the list. There has been plenty of talk surrounding a Leafs-Hurricanes trade because of each team’s strengths and weaknesses. That makes plenty of sense. As Bob McKenzie discussed on a recent insider trading, a trade of Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson for one of the Hurricane defensemen would work. Justin Faulk would probably be the most likely to be moved.

However, there are a few other names that are very interesting and could be available. Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin from the Wild appear. I don’t know the Wild’s appetite for trading either of those players but they could probably move one of the two in exchange for a more cost controlled forward. I don’t think this is overly likely but Spurgeon in exchange for Marincin or Ozhiganov and Johnsson could be an interesting move.

The two names I would be most intrigued with for the Maple Leafs are the Los Angeles Kings’ Jake Muzzin and the Philadelphia Flyers’ Radko Gudas. The Kings are likely going to tear things down and the Flyers could be looking to shake things up. Muzzin likely will cost a high pick and a prospect. Maybe Kapanen or Johnsson would work in a one for one swap for Muzzin but both teams might be interested in sending future assets to Los Angeles. Muzzin comes with a very reasonable $4M cap hit for this season and the next. Gudas comes with only a $3.35M cap hit over the same time period as Muzzin. Gudas, of course, comes with plenty of baggage but has been surprisingly effective when not taking cheap shots on his opponents. I think Gudas could be acquired without losing a current key roster player. Connor Brown could be someone Philadelphia might be interested in and I think the Leafs would be ok to move him.

If I were running the Maple Leafs, I would make a strong run for one of Muzzin or Gudas as my goal would be to find someone who could be acquired while keeping as many current roster players as possible. I also like the idea of acquiring someone who is signed next season to a very reasonable cap hit as this offseason is going to be a cap squeeze for Toronto.

Predicted Trade: Toronto acquires Jake Muzzin with the Kings retaining 50% of the salary in exchange for a 2019 1^stround pick, 2020 second round pick, and a mid-level prospect

Buffalo Sabres

Potential Need: A second or third line player that will help drive offense

The Sabres are one of the most surprising teams this season. They are loaded with young players and were expected to improve but not quite at the rate they have. Barring a major collapse, the Sabres should be back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Not only are the currently one of the top teams NHL teams, their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans are also at the top of the standings and boast some impressive young talent as well. Expanding things further, the Sabres have one of the highest regarded farm systems in the league. They also own four first-round draft picks in the next two drafts, including one from the St. Louis Blues that is protected this year but would become unprotected next year. In short, the Sabres have the assets to make moves if they desire. I wouldn’t expect Jason Botterill to push all his chips into the center of the table but he might be willing to move some.

Potential Targets:

With the Sabres being well positioned to be a consistent contender for years to come, I’m not sure they will be looking for short-term additions. However, I think they should and will strongly consider adding someone who can play a second/third-line role but has some term on their contract. The Sabres will have some serious money coming off their books each of the next few offseasons. However, they will hope to be shelling out big money for Jeff Skinner, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittelstadt, Tage Thompson, Lawrence Pilut, Alex Nylander, and Brenden Guhle. I say the Sabres hope they will have to shell out big money for those players because that will mean all of them will have reached near star potential. Obviously, that is unlikely to happen but it certainly has to be a consideration. Regardless, the Sabres need to be mindful that in two to three seasons, they could have multiple $9M – $11M cap hits on their books. The salary cap is rising but adding players with significant term might handicap the team down the road. Instead, they should be looking at players with two to three years remaining. In terms of on-ice performance, I looked for players who improved their teams’ offensive performance when they are on the ice. The numbers I looked at were relative shots % and relative expected goals for %. They are ninth worst generating 52 shots per game and fifth worst with an expected goals for of 51, respectively.

The list of players who fit these criteria is extensive but many are players who will never be traded. Additionally, there is likely going to be plenty of competition for the players who could be traded from this list and that could drive the price up. The Sabres might decide that the price is ultimately too high and stand pat. If they do decide to make a move, I have a couple of targets that could make a lot of sense. I have heard the name, Brayden Schenn thrown around plenty of times as a potential target for the Sabres. He would certainly be near the top of my list if I were in charge and I would look to give St. Louis their 1^stround pick back. I think it could also take another higher pick or a mid to high-level prospect, like Brenden Guhle. Jaden Schwartz is another Blue player that fits the bill. Both players have cap hits just over $5M with Schenn having this season and next remaining while Schwartz has an additional season.

I don’t think a trade with the Blues happens without St. Louis getting their first-round pick back. If the Sabres decide that is an asset that they would rather hold on to because of the possibility of it becoming a high pick, there are four other players that I like a lot as a fit for the Sabres. They are the Los Angeles Kings’ Tyler Toffoli ($4.6M, 2 years), New Jersey Devils’ Kyle Palmieri ($4.65M, 3 years), and Minnesota Wild’s Nino Niederreiter ($5.25M cap hit, 4 years) and Mikael Granlund ($5.75M, 2 years). I have heard another Wild player, Charlie Coyle connected to the Sabres. He did not meet my criteria. Out of those four names, Toffoli makes the most sense, in my opinion. I like Niederreiter a lot as a player and he would bea solid addition to the Sabres’ middle six as a possession driving player. The term and cap hit would be a concern and I don’t see Minnesota overly interested in retaining salary unless the Sabres make it worth it. I think the Kings would be very interested in Brenden Guhle as he would add some much-needed speed to their blue line. It would probably take him in addition to a first-round pick to start conversations. Tage Thompson could also be of interest to them, but I’m not sure Buffalo would be willing to trade him just yet. I think a trade with the Wild would have to start with Alex Nylander and the Devils would be interested in him as well. Victor Olofsson could also be of interest to any of these teams as he could develop into a lethal power play weapon. The Wild would also want someone who could come in and help them immediately as well. Maybe a player like Evan Rodrigues fits that bill.

Predicted Trade: Buffalo acquires Brayden Schenn and retains 10% of cap hit in exchange for St. Louis’s 2019 first round pick, Brenden Guhle, CJ Smith, and Matt Moulson and retains 10% of cap hit.

Boston Bruins

Potential Need: Special Team Help

The Bruins’ biggest need is probably a magic wand to keep all their players healthy. Since that’s not possible, we will look at the power play and penalty kill. Boston has an expected goal for on the power play of 16, which ranks 22^ndout of 31 in the NHL. They also have been expected to allow 22 goals against on the penalty kill which only trails Anaheim and Detroit. A healthy Patrice Bergeron will certainly help but a player who can add some depth and contribute on special teams would be a smart add for the Bruins who, when healthy, should be able to contend with the best in the NHL.

Potential Targets:

Although this player has not killed penalties yet this season, he has been successful in past times in his career. Additionally, he is a player that is has been on the ice for more expected power play goals than the Bruins have generated. He also is a veteran player with no years remaining on his contract and has been a quality depth player for much of his career. That player in Brian Boyle. The Bruins could certainly use some help at bottom six center and Boyle would also improve their special teams. The only concern is whether he will have the physical ability to play all penalty kill, power play, and 5v5 play.

Finding someone to help their power play, based on my criteria, will be difficult as many of the players aren’t likely to be traded. However, I think there a few interesting options that could improve their penalty kill and their bottom six depth. Ironically, former Bruin, Tim Schaller, and current Canuck, is one of those players. Additionally, the Sabres’ Zemgus Girgensons and Vladimir Sobotka, the Canucks’ Markus Granlund, Ben Hutton, Tyler Motte, the Devils’ Blake Coleman, and the Rangers’ Jesper Fast all appear. I don’t think the Sabres would help the Bruins but that still leaves plenty of options. I like Fast best of those options.

Predicted Trade: Bruins acquire Brian Boyle in exchange for a third-round pick

Montreal Canadiens

Potential Need: Better goaltending

The Canadiens have been having a quietly solid season, especially when you look at some of their “beyond the box score numbers.” Their biggest problem is they are giving up 10 more goals than expected. That can’t happen when they are paying a goalie $10.5M. They really need Carey Price to play at a higher level. However, like Tampa, their bigger problem is their backup, Antti Niemi, who is giving up six more goals than expected. Although it would not be ideal to commit more salary cap space to goalies, the team is in fairly decent shape when it comes to their salary cap so they could look to add someone who would be a more reliable backup for a couple years.

Potential Targets:

Here, I will direct you to reread the targets for the Lightning as I think many of the same should be on the Canadiens’ radar. Since I have the Lightning acquiring Nilsson, I will predict the Canadiens hone in on Brian Elliott. However, I think it could also be smart for the Canadiens to stand pat and roll with their current roster. They probably aren’t quite talented enough across the board to make a serious run this year and being patient and letting their young players develop might be the smart play.

PredictedTrade: Canadiens acquire Brian Elliott in exchange for a third-round pick and Antti Niemi

Let us know your thoughts on Twitter (@afpanalytics) and be sure to follow us as we work our way through the other divisions

Next Up: A look at the Metro division

Statistics courtesy of Corsica.hockey and contract data courtesy of capfriendly.com.

KYLE STICH is the Director of AFP Analytics.  In addition, Mr. Stich is a tax specialist and Director of Operations at AFP Consulting LLC, whose clientele include professional athletes performing services on three separate continents. Mr. Stich earned his Master of Science in Sport Management with a Concentration in Sport Analytics from Columbia University in 2017. He earned his undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Sport Management from St. John Fisher College in 2015, where he has served as an adjunct professor teaching Sport Finance and Baseball Analytics.