5 NHL Contenders That Could Benefit From a Trade

A $1 million rise in the NHL salary cap to $82.5 million didn't adversely affect the 2022 offseason trade market. If anything, the flattened cap made general managers more creative in finding ways to improve their rosters.

Several teams went the trade route to address their needs. The Los Angeles Kings used their salary-cap space to sign left winger Kevin Fiala after acquiring him from the Minnesota Wild, while the Ottawa Senators used theirs to bring in winger Alex DeBrincat.

The summer's biggest move saw the Calgary Flames trade Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. All three players were a year away from unrestricted free agency. Tkachuk and Huberdeau each signed long-term extensions with their new clubs.

The Flames also used the trade market to create salary-cap space to sign free-agent center Nazem Kadri. On Aug. 18, they bundled center Sean Monahan and a conditional first-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations.

With training camps opening in mid-September, there could be more trades in the coming weeks. With the free-agent pool depleted of prime talent and most clubs carrying limited cap room, some of the coming season's potential Stanley Cup contenders, including the defending champion Colorado Avalanche, could turn to the trade market for help.

Here are five contenders that should consider making a deal to upgrade the roster before the start of the 2022-23 season. We'll examine their specific roster need, possible trade targets and what they could offer in return. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

The departure of Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames via free agency leaves a big gap in the Colorado Avalanche's second-line center position. They could look to replace him with internal candidates like J.T. Compher or Alex Newhook. Perhaps they'll consider signing former Avs center Paul Stastny to bring his career full circle.

General manager Chris MacFarland could also shop for help in the trade market before the season opens in October. However, his club's position as defending Stanley Cup champions and their depth elsewhere in their lineup provides him the luxury of waiting until the 2023 trade deadline to find a suitable option.

MacFarland could target a player slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews would be a splashy but expensive choice, while a more affordable option could be the Washington Capitals' Lars Eller. He could also pursue a player on a non-contender signed beyond this season, like the Montreal Canadiens' Christian Dvorak.

The Blackhawks will likely want a package heavy with futures and a first-round pick at the heart of the deal. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes could seek a first-rounder for Dvorak, given that's part of what his predecessor gave up to acquire him from the Arizona Coyotes. Eller would be much more affordable, perhaps costing a second or third-rounder.

After including MacKenzie Weegar in the trade to Calgary last month for Matthew Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers are missing an experienced top-four defenseman who can move the puck. Aaron Ekblad remains their best mobile offensive blueliner.

Gustav Forsling will get an opportunity to replace the departed Weegar. He had 37 points in 71 games last season but could struggle to adjust to the increased workload. The Panthers also have Brandon Montour, but the 28-year-old appears slotted for third-pairing duty. Radko Gudas and free-agent addition Marc Staal are aging shutdown rearguards.

Panthers general manager Bill Zito brought in Ben Chiarot at last season's trade deadline to bolster his blue-line depth. He could go the trade route again at some point in this season if Forsling has difficulty replacing Weegar.

John Klingberg ($7 million cap hit) could become available later this season if he and the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks fail to agree to a contract extension. The same applies to the Arizona Coyotes' Shayne Gostisbehere, who carries a more affordable $4.5 million annual average value. Gostisbehere will also likely be more affordable in terms of trade return.

Entering this season, the New York Rangers have a potential weakness at right wing among their top-six scorers. Promising youngsters Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko are slated to fill those roles, but they haven't yet established themselves as reliable offensive players.

If the pair fails to achieve breakout performances this season, the Rangers will be in need of a proven scoring right winger. That will force general manager Chris Drury into the trade market for help at some point before the 2023 trade deadline.

Playoff rental options could include potential free agents such as the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane or the St. Louis Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko. Assuming they'll waive their no-trade clauses to come to New York, the asking price could be at least a first-round pick and either a top prospect or a good young NHL player in return.

More cost-effective options in terms of salary and return could include the Montreal Canadiens' Evgenii Dadonov or the Buffalo Sabres' Kyle Okposo. The asking price for those two could be at most a second- or third-round pick, depending on performance.

Salary cap constraints forced the Tampa Bay Lightning to trade defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators. They'll attempt to fill the gap on their second-pairing left-side defense with Mikhail Sergachev or free-agent addition Ian Cole.

McDonagh was an invaluable and reliable shutdown presence and leader on the Lightning blue line. His absence could be keenly felt this season. General manager Julien BriseBois could end up testing the trade market for an affordable rental player to squeeze within his limited cap space.

Finding someone like McDonagh won't be easy. Defensive-minded rearguards slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer include the New Jersey Devils' Ryan Graves and the Seattle Kraken's Carson Soucy.

BriseBois could also consider puck-moving depth. Perhaps he'd consider adding rearguard Shayne Gostisbehere if the Arizona Coyotes agreed to retain part of his $4.5 million cap hit.

The Toronto Maple Leafs remade their goaltending tandem this summer. They parted ways with Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek, replacing them with Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov. Both, however, come with concerns that cast doubts about whether they'll be an upgrade over their predecessors.

The 28-year-old Murray was acquired from the Ottawa Senators. Injuries limited him to just 47 games over the past two seasons. Samsonov, 25, was let go by the Washington Capitals after struggling to play up to expectations as a starting goaltender.

The Leafs are gambling on Murray and Samsonov overcoming those issues. However, if Murray is sidelined again for a lengthy period or Samsonov fails to improve, general manager Kyle Dubas will have to go shopping for help if his Leafs are to finally overcome their postseason disappointments.

New York Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov is in the final year of his contract and could be an option before the trade deadline. Dubas could also look into what it might cost to pry John Gibson away from the Anaheim Ducks. That depends on whether the Leafs are on their respective modified no-trade lists.

Salary and line combination info via Cap Friendly.