FUTURE DEADLINE DELIGHTS

Adamo Rimoli

With the NHL’s trade deadline right around the corner, teams around the NHL are commencing some last minute sniffing around to bolster their roster for the playoffs, or perhaps selling some assets to go for it next year. With that said, here are four players that could likely be donning new threads at the deadline.

Ben Chiarot

The most unsurprising player to don this list is current Montreal Canadien, Ben Chiarot. The 30 year-old, left-handed defenceman has played just under 500 NHL games, splitting time with both the Jets and Habs. Carrying a $3.5 million cap hit that comes off the books this off-season, the Hamilton, Ontario native is an intriguing piece for contenders looking to strengthen their D-core.

While his underlying numbers are not great, Chiarot brings the element of toughness and physicality to the table which is an impact that is difficult to quantify. Bringing in Chiarot would be a very risky move for all interested teams since he currently has the 3rd worst penalty differential among all skaters. Chiarot has taken 16 minor penalties this season while only drawing two.

Regardless of all this, the New York Rangers look to be the front runners for Chiarot since they have the cap space and could use some more toughness on the backend.

Phil Kessel

After playing some of his best hockey with the Maple Leafs and Penguins, the two-time Stanley Cup champion has found himself playing hockey in the desert. Despite his best years being well behind him, Kessel is still producing at a 55 point pace while playing on one of the worst teams in the league. Carrying a cap hit of $6.8 million for just this one year, Arizona retaining a portion of his salary in a potential trade is inevitable.

Kessel’s lengthy contract that he signed back in 2013 also came with a modified no-trade clause that includes an eight team list of clubs he cannot be moved to. That said, his on ice value and experience could be a great addition to teams trying to strengthen their middle six forward group.

After being drafted there in 2006, a return to Boston is a very realistic option with the Bruins resembling a team that could use more depth scoring especially with their cup contending window closing as the months go by.

Claude Giroux

A name that you would have said was crazy to be here at the beginning of the season is Claude Giroux. Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown in the 2019-20 season, the Flyers were rolling but unfortunately have yet been able to regain that form since. The Flyers currently find themselves amongst the worst of the worst in the NHL and are only hoping for a franchise altering piece in the upcoming 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Being 34 years of age with steadily declining production, Giroux and the Flyers parting ways after 15 seasons could become a reality with his expiring $8.25 million cap hit.

That being said, his 68 point pace in conjunction with his ability to get under the oppositions skin will prove extremely valuable to contending teams. As for the Flyers side of things, they’re in a weird spot as the roster assembled should not be playing this poorly meaning a quick retool could be the answer, and moving their captain may have to be the straw that breaks the camel's back to shake up the squad.

Despite rumours of Giroux picking this as his next destination being false, the Avalanche have the assets and abilities to maneuver the cap in order to pull this deal off. Adding Giroux as a middle six forward to an already loaded roster would most certainly put the current President’s Trophy leaders over the edge.

Mark Giordano

After being named the first captain in Seattle Kraken history, the 38 year old defenceman has found himself in trade discussions for the ladder part of a month now. Yet another player with an expiring contract, Giordano’s $6.75 million deal is a very manageable contract with retention in place.

Just three years removed from winning the Norris trophy, Giordano’s point production has regressed from that point-per-game play. Despite this, it is believed that the Toronto native still has more to offer to a contending team due his underlying defensive numbers being stellar.

According to Evolving Hockey, Giordano sits 11th among defencemen in RAPM xGA/60 which is a stat that isolates his impact and ability to prevent chances in the defensive zone. Having an elite ability to suppress opposing team's chances is a quality that any contending team would love to have at a manageable price.

The Kraken find themselves at the bottom of the league (excluding ARI and MTL of course) but with plenty of cap space to retain salary for draft capital and prospects in return. Although no official contact has been made, once again the New York Rangers could be a team that could use Giordano to help manage Shesterkin’s workload, give quality minutes on PP2, and provide his knowledge from almost 1000 NHL games played.