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Can These Three Players Get Moved Before The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline?

Three Players
(Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Can These Three Players Get Moved Before The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline?

The NHL trade deadline is fast approaching, and there are plenty of names to consider on the market. Arguably the biggest name in the rumor mill is Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson, as off-ice rumblings continue to detract from his and Vancouver’s on-ice performance. As fun as it is to ask yourself crazy questions, there are so many other pieces on the table to discuss. Nick Kypreos wrote an article earlier today explaining where the market is at. However, three players in particular from his list are quite the conversation starters. It’s time to take a look at three of the less talked-about skaters that might find themselves in new homes by March 7.

Sam Bennett

Teams that go for it every year will have cap casualties that they have to lose. Even in a tax-friendly state, you can’t keep every single piece to your puzzle. While the Lightning have dealt with this reality in the years since their 2021 Stanley Cup, their next-door neighbors are gonna have to do the same. In their run to back-to-back Cup Finals and a championship, Sam Bennett has been a key contributor. His physicality and forechecking ability, especially when paired with Matthew Tkachuk, ran riot in the playoffs. He can play down the middle or on the wing across the middle-six, and even chipped in with some timely offensive contribution. Check out his underlying numbers that were posted over the Summer:

You can’t say that’s not a player you don’t want on your team. What he lacks defensively is more than made up for with the sandpaper he plays with. Not only can he lay a big hit down. He also is one of the first to drop his gloves and get under his opponent’s skin. His deal expires this Summer and will surely get a raise on the $4.425 million AAV he’s made over the last four years. Whether he does it in a Panthers uniform is a different question.

I get that he probably won’t be back next season. Florida will have $15 million in cap space but a laundry list of guys without a contract. However, he is not the kind of guy you just replace in the middle of the season. The chemistry he has and the fire he brings on the ice is too valuable to just give up on. Unless another playoff team really wows Bill Zito with an offer he should just stay put and keep him around for the playoff run.

Brad Marchand

Even after changing coaches, the Bruins are still a funky team. They currently hold onto a playoff spot despite playing three more games than the first team out. Marchand, on the other hand, keeps doing his thing. His 35 points in 46 games put him on pace to notch his tenth straight season of at least 60 points. He is the heart and soul of this team, and the final remaining piece of that 2011 team that won it all. Trading him would signal a real change in Boston. Obviously, Don Sweeney is an idiot and has been for a long time. But trading his captain away after pissing away golden opportunities at a Cup for years might be the final straw. I don’t know how he could stay employed after all of the mistakes he’s made.

It’s only right to keep with this team for at least the short term. Dealing away players after the spending spree they had in the Summer is completely foolish. It’s turning into a one-foot-in, one-foot-out situation with the Bruins. Unfortunately, it could be a team legend that might face the brunt for it.

Scott Mayfield

This is easily the most underwhelming of the three. However, when you dig past the surface level there could be some logic here. Unsurprisingly, my Islanders are in a tailspin. They sit in last place in the Metropolitan Division with both the worst powerplay and penalty kill in the NHL. While any sensible GM would act on this and sell, Lou Lamoriello is mastering his art of standing pat and believing in his players. All of the deadline attention for the Isles has fallen on Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. Rightfully so, as they are playoff veterans with a scoring touch. Many teams should be in demand. However, as Kypreos touched on,some probably won’t shy away from calling about Mayfield.

He is in the second year of a seven-year, $24.5 million deal. Obviously, a $3.5 million cap hit and a no-trade clause are hurdles. But, he possesses many of the traits of what every contender wants: he is a right-handed defenseman who plays hard and kills penalties. You can’t put a price on a solid third-pairing defenseman who contributes offensively from time to time. To put it in better perspective, he leads a frustratingly mid-Islanders team with a plus/minus of +12. He does turn 33 later in the year, so that’s something to consider. But if there is a world where Lou decides to sell or even retain salary teams will be chomping at the bit for him. In any case, Nelson and Palmieri are still definitely more likely to be shipped out than #24.

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the NHL trade deadline. We’ve already seen some action in the past few months but it feels like the next move will trigger an avalanche.

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