Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli dropped his first trade targets article of the season on Wednesday morning, featuring 15 players who could be on the move ahead of this years trade deadline.
The list features some names that have been in and around the rumour mill for some time, including the likes of Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen, and Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras, while also seeing some other interesting names popping up on the list.
While there’s a plethora of defencemen — eight of the 15 names — there’s one goaltender in the mix, as well as some interesting forwards. Which could be of potential interest to the Oilers?
Forwards
The Oilers have already begun nibbling around the edges of addressing their forward group that lost a significant amount of speed this offseason, claiming winger Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. Kapanen’s far from the player he once was as a former 20-goal, 44-point scorer, but his biggest strength right now is his speed, something the Oilers are sorely lacking up front.
If the bottom-six is an area the Oilers would like to address, Seravalli’s seventh-ranked Brandon Tanev, and the 15th-ranked Mathieu Oliver could make some sense for the team.
7. Brandon Tanev
Right Wing, Seattle Kraken
Age: 32
Stats: 19 GP, 5 G, 3 A, 8 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $3.5 million AAV
Scoop: The Kraken may be forced to move a forward once defenseman Vince Dunn returns from injury and Tanev is a candidate given the interest in his game. He’s a fierce forechecker with speed and competitive juice that teams crave. He’s also been really productive of late: Tanev has four goals and two assists over his last five games. That makes him an ideal trade deadline target once the Kraken begin to make decisions, but nothing is imminent quite yet.15. Mathieu Olivier
Right Wing, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 27
Stats: 18 GP, 6 G, 2 A, 8 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $1.1 million AAV
Scoop: Olivier checks all of the boxes as the classic deadline pickup. Pending free agent? Check. Brings energy? Check. Hits everything that moves? Check. Scores the odd goal? Check. Surprisingly, Olivier has already racked up six goals barely a quarter of the way into the season, shooting 31.6 percent from the floor. He’s also good for about three hits a game and has three fights in the month of November.
Both players are cost-effective, fourth-line players who — despite some offence coming early this season — aren’t players you can typically count on for it. Both succeed in the defensive zone, and in other areas, you want those kinds of players as physical presences who can provide some energy.
According to Hockey Viz, both players’ impacts are almost identical. They drive offence at eight percent rates below league average and defence at two percent rates above league average while offering penalty kill work just below league average.
Tanev carries a higher cap hit, while Oliver’s is $2.4-million less, which might — along with being five-years younger — could be a more appealing target.
Another name that jumps out from the forward ranks if the Oilers want to take a bigger swing is Flyers winger Joel Farabee. The 24-year-old has scored three goals and eight points, but as Seravalli wrote, is in need of a change of scenery.
6. Joel Farabee
Left Wing, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 24
Stats: 19 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 Pts
Contract: 3 years remaining, $5 million AAV
Scoop: This isn’t Farabee’s first appearance on the Trade Targets board – and the reason hasn’t changed. He’s still in need of a change of scenery. Last year, Farabee still produced 20 even-strength goals and 50 total points despite his seemingly perpetual position in John Tortorella’s doghouse. Imagine what he could do with a fresh start? The Flyers are open to anything and everything. And his contract shouldn’t be viewed as a detriment, but a positive, because the prime of his career is already locked up at a reasonable number.
Drafted by the Flyers 14th overall in the 2018 draft, he’s coming off a career 2023-24 season in which he notched career highs in goals, assists and points, with 22, 28 and 50, respectively. He’s an offence-first winger averaging 20 goals per 82 games over his career, he has issues in his own zone, but that can be remedied with solid linemates.
Seattle Kraken centre Yanni Gourde also made the list, and he would be a really interesting addition if the Oilers wanted to bolster the middle of the ice. He’s a tremendous play driver, pushing offence at a nine percent rate above league average and defence at a four percent rate above league average, according to Hockey Viz, while also being an elite penalty killer, helping suppress opposing offence at a 12 percent rate above league average.
2. Yanni Gourde
Center, Seattle Kraken
Age: 32
Stats: 19 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $5,166,667 AAV
Scoop: The Kraken have gotten calls on Gourde but don’t appear to be in any rush to move him – though it’s certainly trending in that direction before March 7. Gourde’s production has fallen as steadily as his ice time so far this season. He’s on track for a career-low 26 points over 82 games as new coach Dan Bylsma has used him in a third line role that has cut him back nearly two and a half minutes per game from his average in Seattle. No matter what, he’s still formerly a big contributor to a two-time Stanley Cup winner whom teams will want to acquire.
Defence
Here’s where things get interesting, as Seravalli has a plethora of options available, including some that have already been linked to Edmonton in the rumour mill in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Marcus Pettersson, who comes in as his No. 1 target. Other names include Ristolainen, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Ivan Provorov, the Montreal Canadiens’ Mike Matheson, the Anaheim Ducks’ Cam Fowler, and the San Jose Sharks’ Mario Ferraro.
What the Oilers want to do with their blue line is firmly still up in the air, but Bob Stauffer hinted that they might not be looking for a shutdown defenceman, or a right-shot defenceman, at that.
Each of the six could be options that could make sense for the Oilers.
1. Marcus Pettersson
Left Defense, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 28
Stats: 21 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $4,025,175 AAV
Scoop: Since the Penguins are open for business, Pettersson is one of the few players on the roster with real trade value. He’s in the final year of his deal at a reasonable cap number and he plays a solid enough game to be a reliable No. 4 defenseman. Where Pettersson struggles, with the puck on the breakout making a solid first pass, will limit his market in some ways. And the Pens only have one retained salary transaction remaining, so GM Kyle Dubas will need to be judicious in selecting which contract he’ll retain on.3. Rasmus Ristolainen
Right Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 30
Stats: 19 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $5.1 million AAV
Scoop: The defense market is thinning with each and every extension. Ristolainen’s name has circulated through the rumor mill and the Flyers are hoping he will generate enough buzz between now and March to net a solid return. Teams are still drawn to his size, though his ability to defend is still a question mark and his point production has slid. Staying healthy and on the ice will help everyone’s cause.4. Ivan Provorov
Right Defense, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 27
Stats: 18 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA, $4.725 million AAV
Scoop: Interest will be ramping up in Provorov, who was on our Trade Targets board over the summer, but is now into the final year of his deal before becoming a free agent. He’s a great skater and with confidence can be an impact piece. It’s important to keep in mind: Provorov has already had his salary retained once (by Los Angeles), so his current $4.725 million is only able to be cut in half once more as GM Don Waddell considers his options.9. Mike Matheson
Left Defense, Montréal Canadiens
Age: 30
Stats: 19 GP, 1 G, 12 A, 13 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.875 million AAV
Scoop: Given the thin nature of their blueline, and their need to better support young defensemen assimilating into the lineup, the Canadiens don’t really want to move Matheson. But they may not have a choice given that his value will be arguably its highest before this deadline. Did you know Matheson was ninth among defensemen scoring last year with 62 points? He moves the puck, is comfortable playing the right side, and actually defends better than he’s given credit for when proper expectations are set. What the Canadiens will have to weigh is: they don’t really need many more picks, they need more tangible help.12. Cam Fowler
Left Defense, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 32
Stats: 12 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $6.5 million AAV
Scoop: As Fowler returns from injury and closes in on becoming the second player to skate in all 1,000 games with the Anaheim Ducks (Ryan Getzlaf is the only), the Ducks and Fowler have been open and honest about what might come next. His minutes have been reduced as his production has slipped. He’d probably like to play on a more competitive team. It’s been a tough environment in Anaheim and most everyone’s game has been challenged, but with term on his deal, Fowler will be a really interesting piece.13. Mario Ferraro
Left Defense, San Jose Sharks
Age: 26
Stats: 20 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $3.25 million AAV
Scoop: Teams have kept close tabs on Ferraro over the years as a guy who competes like hell and works. His game isn’t flashy, but his smile says it all. He’s a grinder. And he’s got term. And he doesn’t make a ton. Ferraro is personable and really well liked, and the Sharks certainly don’t have to move him. But he perhaps has the most valuable of any tradable player on the Sharks without a need to retain salary, so he should be in the mix.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist, making up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
