NHL Trade Block Big Board for August 2022

July 2022 was a busy month in the NHL's offseason trade market. A total of 13 trades involving NHL players occurred between July 1 and the final official date of the 2021-22 season on July 12. Another 10 deals took place from July 13 to the end of the month to kick off 2022-23.

Several NHL stars wound up changing teams in July. A blockbuster on July 22 saw the Calgary Flames trade Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. The Ottawa Senators acquired Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks, while the Carolina Hurricanes got Brent Burns from the San Jose Sharks and Max Pacioretty from the Vegas Golden Knights.

The trade market has grown quiet as the calendar flips to August. There could be more deals to come as the month progresses. However, most general managers have addressed their rosters' pressing needs or are turning toward what remains in the free-agent market.

Nevertheless, notable stars such as Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane, Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller and Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois remain the subject of trade rumors. They're part of our NHL trade block big board for August 2022.

Do you agree with our selections? Did we overlook anyone? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

The list is comprised of 15 NHL players mentioned in media trade speculation throughout July 2022. Our top 10 were chosen and ranked based on their level of talent, potential value in the trade market and the likelihood of getting moved.

Entering August, our group is as follows in no particular order:

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Jesse Puljujarvi, Edmonton Oilers

Pierre-Luc Dubois, Winnipeg Jets

Justin Holl, Toronto Maple Leafs

J.T. Miller, Vancouver Canucks

Lars Eller, Washington Capitals

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

Samuel Girard, Colorado Avalanche

Jakob Chychrun, Arizona Coyotes

John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks

Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues

Christian Dvorak, Montreal Canadiens

Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets

James van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers

Anthony Beauvillier, New York Islanders

In a July 26 interview with The Athletic's Mark Lazerus, Jonathan Toews didn't appear keen to be part of a lengthy rebuilding process with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 34-year-old center indicated that general manager Kyle Davidson informed him it could be a “five-plus-year” process. “So that part of it doesn't sound appealing to me at all,” said Toews.

The Blackhawks captain described the turnover of players on the roster over the past four years as “really, really draining” and “exhausting.” Slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July, Toews said he really doesn't know what his future plans may be.

Toews is among the greatest players in Blackhawks' history. He's led them to three Stanley Cups with his hardworking two-way play. However, he missed all of the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season with chronic immune response syndrome and struggled through a career-worst 37-point performance last season.

A bounce-back performance in 2022-23 by Toews would alleviate concerns about his health and improve his value in the trade market. However, he has a $10.5 million salary-cap hit for 2022-23 plus a full no-movement clause. That contract could prove difficult to move unless the Blackhawks agree to retain up to half of his cap hit.

Entering the final season of his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, James van Riemsdyk could become a trade candidate if they're out of playoff contention by next year's trade deadline. Based on the offseason rumor mill, general manager Chuck Fletcher was trying to peddle in a cost-cutting move before free agency began on July 13.

With van Riemsdyk lacking no-trade protection, Fletcher had flexibility to try to clear the 33-year-old winger's $7 million cap hit from his books. On July 12, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres and Seattle Kraken had been linked to van Riemsdyk.

Friedman felt van Riemsdyk still had value given his 24-goal production last season but thought the Flyers might have to package him with a draft pick or prospect. On July 13, TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie tweeted interested clubs wanted a high draft pick included in the deal. That appeared to be too much for Fletcher as van Riemsdyk remains a Flyer entering August.

Despite van Riemsdyk's high cap hit, he'll earn $4 million in actual salary this season after the Flyers paid his $1 million signing bonus on July 1. That could make him enticing for a budget club in need of reaching the cap floor before the schedule opens in October.

The fourth overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 draft, Jesse Puljujarvi has struggled to play up to expectations as a top-six scoring winger. Though he avoided salary arbitration with the Oilers by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract on July 26, the 24-year-old continues to surface in the offseason rumor mill.

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli had Puljujarvi at No. 5 on his July 8 listing of the top offseason trade targets. He believed the young winger's days in Edmonton were numbered because of his reported interest in a change of scenery.

Two days later, the Edmonton Journal's Kurt Leavins said he wasn't surprised the Oilers didn't move Puljujarvi during the draft. He believed Oilers general manager Ken Holland sought a player in return. After the winger signed his new contract, TSN 1260's Dustin Nielson tweeted that it would make him easier to trade if that's still the plan.

A Puljujarvi trade could still be on Holland's offseason “to-do” list. Maybe he's giving him one more season to see if he'll finally reach his potential. Either way, the Finnish winger will likely remain a topic of interest in the rumor mill.

The Winnipeg Jets' disappointing 2021-22 performance gave rise to trade rumors involving core players such as Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Team captain Blake Wheeler also surfaced as a topic for offseason conjecture.

During his July 8 update of the summer's top trade targets, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli had Wheeler sitting at No. 2. He reported the Jets were exploring the trade market and speaking with teams about moving the 35-year-old winger, who tallied 60 points in 65 games last season.

Wheeler has two years left on his contract with an annual average value of $8.3 million and a five-team trade list. Seravalli suggested his style of play and consistency would offset concerns about his contract and age.

On July 15, however, the Winnipeg Sun's Scott Billeck believed the Jets missed their best chance to move Wheeler because they wanted interested teams to acquire the full remaining amount of his contract. Management might have to reconsider and agree to retain part of it if there is a decent offer over the remainder of the summer.

Reports of Vladimir Tarasenko requesting a trade from the St. Louis Blues made him a hot topic in last summer's rumor mill. He was reportedly unhappy over the club's handling of his two shoulder surgeries prior to 2020-21. However, the Blues retained the gifted right winger, who went on to enjoy a career-best 82-point performance in 2021-22.

It appeared Tarasenko and Blues management had smoothed over their differences. On May 31, The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford reported general manager Doug Armstrong said he wasn't concerned about the 30-year-old winger returning to the roster in 2022-23.

However, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli had Tarasenko sitting at No. 4 on his July 8 listing of this summer's top trade targets. He reported the Blues star hadn't rescinded his trade request. With Tarasenko a year away from unrestricted free-agent status, Seravalli believed the Blues could get more for him this time around.

On July 19, NYI Hockey Now's Stefen Rosner noted the New York Islanders' interest in the Blues winger last summer. With the Isles needing scoring punch for the coming season, he wondered what it might take to bring Tarasenko to Long Island. Entering August, however, there's no indication that Armstrong is actively shopping Tarasenko.

On July 23, The Athletic's Kevin Kurz reported rumblings the New York Islanders could be pursuing free-agent center Nazem Kadri. With $11.2 million in salary-cap space and restricted free agents Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov to re-sign, general manager Lou Lamoriello would have to shed salary to make room for Kadri.

Kurz mentioned Anthony Beauvillier, Josh Bailey and Semyon Varlamov as three cost-cutting candidates. Of the three, Beauvillier could have the most value in the trade market. The 25-year-old winger carries a $4.2 million salary-cap hit through 2023-24 and lacks no-trade protection.

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli had Beauvillier at No. 17 among his list of this summer's top trade candidates. He observed the winger's development seems to have flatlined after tallying 21 goals in 2017-18, dropping to just 12 goals in 75 games last season.

Despite Beauvillier's struggles, he reached 18 goals in 68 games and 15 goals in 47 contests during the COVID-shortened seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21. He also put up 14 points in 22 games during the 2020 playoffs and 13 points in 19 contests in the following postseason. He could draw interest from teams seeking an affordable middle-six forward.

A fixture in the NHL rumor mill since last December, Jakob Chychrun still faces an uncertain future with the Arizona Coyotes. The 24-year-old defenseman is signed through 2024-25 at an average annual value of $4.6 million, but he could end up finishing that contract with another NHL team.

A puck-moving blueliner in the prime of his playing career, Chychrun had a career-best performance of 18 goals and 41 points in 56 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. However, his production dropped to 21 points in 47 games before a lower-body injury suffered on March 12 ended his season.

Chychrun's skills and affordable contract make him an enticing trade target. General manager Bill Armstrong has dangled him in the trade market but hasn't yet found a suitor willing to pay what's believed to be a high asking price. With three seasons left on Chychrun's deal, the Coyotes GM can remain patient and wait for the right offer.

On July 18, the Ottawa Sun's Ken Warren mentioned Chychrun as a possible trade option for the Senators in their quest for a top-four defenseman. With depth in promising young players, they have the assets to meet Armstrong's price. So far, however, there's no word if the Senators have made a pitch.

Pierre-Luc Dubois has thus far endured an offseason filled with trade rumors linking him to the Montreal Canadiens. The 24-year-old Winnipeg Jets center attempted to clear the air during a Zoom conference call on July 25 announcing his new one-year, $6 million contract.

Dubois downplayed comments by his agent during a July 13 interview with TVA Sports suggesting his client was interested in one day playing for the Canadiens. He said if he wanted out of Winnipeg, he would've requested a trade but that never entered his thoughts.

As for accepting the Jets' qualifying offer, Dubois acknowledged he'll be a restricted free agent again next summer. Nevertheless, he said he'll face that decision at that time, putting his current focus on the upcoming season with the Jets.

Coming off a 60-point performance with a career-best 28 goals last season, the 6'2”, 205-pound Dubois still faces an uncertain future in Winnipeg. His eligibility in 2024 for unrestricted free-agent status could force the Jets to trade him if he remains unwilling to invest in a long-term extension.

Trade rumors dogged J.T. Miller throughout last season. Despite leading the Vancouver Canucks with a career-best 99 points, the 29-year-old center's eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status next July was the reason behind the speculation about his future in Vancouver.

On July 8, the Province's Patrick Johnston reported there was talk the Canucks and New York Islanders had discussed a deal involving the versatile forward during the first round of the 2022 draft. Nothing came of it, and the Canucks denied the rumor, though Johnston cited former Islanders beat writer Chris Botta insisting the talks took place.

The Canucks are discussing a contract extension with Miller's agent. However, Vancouver Hockey Now's Rob Simpson cited president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford claiming the two sides weren't close to a deal during an appearance on The Bob McCown Podcast.

Rutherford indicated the Canucks could face pressure to move Miller before the trade deadline if the two sides haven't reached an agreement on a new contract by then. The longer he's unsigned, the more his name will surface in trade rumors during the coming season.

It may be the middle of the NHL offseason, but that hasn't stopped speculation over Patrick Kane's future with the Chicago Blackhawks. Like longtime teammate Jonathan Toews, the 33-year-old right wing is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. With the Blackhawks undergoing a rebuild, Kane could be approaching his final season in Chicago.

Kane remains among the NHL's elite scorers, finishing 15th overall last season with 92 points in 78 games. A three-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest players in Blackhawks history, he could become the biggest name on the market if general manager Kyle Davidson attempts to move him before next year's trade deadline.

With a $10.5 million annual salary-cap hit for 2022-23 and a full no-movement clause, Kane's contract won't be easy to move. He'll earn just $2.9 million in actual salary after the Blackhawks paid his $4 million signing bonus on July 1. However, the annual cap hit could hamper trade efforts unless the Blackhawks retain half of it to facilitate a deal.

On July 20, the Edmonton Journal's David Staples cited two oddsmakers favoring the Oilers to acquire the Blackhawks star. Nine days later, CHGO Sports' Jay Zawaski cited sources dismissing a rumor linking Kane to the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, The Athletic's Mark Lazarus reported the Blackhawks have had no talks with other clubs about Kane.

Stats via NHL.com with salary information via Cap Friendly.