Players may be to stay away from this NHL Trade Deadline
Jonathan Willis of The Athletic: Again and again, there are always “buyer beware” players out there near the trade deadline. While these lists can be hotly debated, they can serve as a baseline on some of what to stay away from.
Andreas Athanasiou: This is a big one because his speed and flair offer some hope but his defensive liabilities are frightening. He is also a pure-rush player and generates very few rebounds. That explains a volatile shooting percentage somewhat. Can he score enough to offset how often his line gets scored on?
Jean-Gabriel Pageau: Pageau plays a perfect role in Ottawa but how much of his breakout is sustainable? Already’s Pageau’s Ottawa numbers have come back to Earth but he is a solid middle-six center for the right team.
Rasmus Ristolainen: If this happens, some team will regret this quickly. Ristolainen remains a liability at 5 on 5. He creates more offense but gives up so much more defensively. Sure, he could uptick in his late 20’s but that appears not worth the acquisition cost.
Players that will not become UFA’s this summer
Jared Clinton of The Hockey News: This is a worthwhile list around the trade deadline. Alec Martinez was traded to Vegas on Wednesday.
Ondrej Kase: Kase intrigues many because of his skill set. The winger presents the 20-goal upside and could be under team control not just for 2020-21. He is an RFA with arbitration rights but his pay raise should be reasonable given injury history. Ondrej Kase should be highly sought after even during this lost season in Anaheim.
Vincent Trocheck: Trocheck chatter picked up over the last several days. He is under contract through 2021-22. The forward can play center or wing in a top-six capacity. The problem in Florida is they need a top-four defenseman desperately. His numbers declined and ice time as well but could flourish in the right spot. One has to trade value to get value.
Tomas Tatar and Jeff Petry: The Montreal duo is controlled for another season after this one. With Shea Weber back in the lineup, Petry is deemed expendable. As for Tatar, he makes a good 20 goal, 55 point player for a team at the deadline. His middle-six ability is perfect as is Petry’s ability to play defense at 32. Both are solid additions in the making.
