B/R Trade Block Big Board For August 2024

Entering August, it's gone quiet in the 2024 NHL trade market.

The last move occurred July 15, and the last one to include an established veteran player was 12 days earlier, when the Anaheim Ducks acquired winger Robby Fabbri from the Detroit Red Wings.

Even the rumor mill has slowed down of late.

Several players featured on our July Trade Block Rankings, such as Mitch Marner, Jacob Trouba, Tristan Jarry, Trevor Zegras and Filip Gustavsson, aren't featured in our August update

The New York Rangers reportedly have no interest in moving Trouba this summer. As for the others, they scarcely appeared in the rumor mill throughout July, which suggests a low likelihood they'll be moved anytime soon.

Nevertheless, notable players such as Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine and Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, continue to appear in recent trade speculation. Several new players have joined them, including Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

Here's a look at the 10 noteworthy players who continued to feature in the rumor mill throughout July. Their skill level, experience, contract and potential for getting traded are factored into this compilation.

Sitting atop our June NHL Trade Block Big Board and July Trade Block Rankings, Martin Nečas seemed on the verge of getting traded this summer. It was reported the forward was unhappy with his role on the Carolina Hurricanes and would welcome a fresh start elsewhere.

However, a trade no longer seems as certain as it did a month ago. On July 18, Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky told reporters he would continue talking to teams interested in the 25-year-old. But he pointed out that most lack the salary-cap flexibility they had in June.

Nečas also filed for salary arbitration on July 5. That led to an agreement with the Hurricanes on a two-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million before his arbitration hearing on Aug. 4. Like his previous contract, he lacks no-trade protection.

Tulsky will likely retain Nečas to offset the departures of Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen earlier in the offseason. He'll now get the opportunity to gain regular top-six minutes.

We're keeping Nečas on our August trade block as a rival club seeking a scoring forward could make an irresistible offer to the Hurricanes, but he's no longer as certain to be moved as he once was.

A cloud of uncertainty hangs over Aaron Ekblad as he and his Florida Panthers teammates continue to celebrate their franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup.

The defenseman has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $7.5 million and a 12-team no-trade list.

Ekblad surfaced in the rumor mill on June 2 when Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reported the Panthers were looking at trading him to clear cap space to re-sign Brandon Montour.

Montour instead signed with the Seattle Kraken on July 1, but trade speculation continues to follow Ekblad.

On July 9, ESPN's Emily Kaplan spoke with TSN's Jay Onrait regarding the Ekblad rumors. She couldn't confirm them but wouldn't be surprised if he was moved given the aggressive previous moves by Panthers GM Bill Zito.

Florida Hockey Now's Alan Greenberg noted the rumors suggesting Zito could shop the 28-year-old this summer, but he considers it unlikely given the departures of Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson mean Ekblad could return to their top power-play unit.

Speculation over Ekblad's future with the Panthers could persist over the rest of the offseason and perhaps the regular season as well. Zito's willingness to make bold moves makes this a situation worth watching.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers was the subject of trade speculation throughout June and early July, culminating in a report on July 6 by The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner linking the forward to the Carolina Hurricanes.

At the time, we gave credence to the possibility of the Dane getting shipped to the Hurricanes. Winger Martin Nečas was reportedly unhappy in Carolina, and it seemed logical that they would seek a short-term replacement.

As July went on, though, Ehlers featured less prominently in the rumor mill, which is why he's sitting lower on our August board compared to the last two months. With Nečas re-signed by the Hurricanes, they are unlikely to move him.

The Jets may be unwilling to part with Ehlers or perhaps they're not getting offers that would tempt them to move him. His contract could also be a sticking point, carrying a $6 million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade list.

We're keeping Ehlers on our trade board for August as it's still possible the Jets could find a suitable deal for him, but the recent silence in the trade market suggests he could remain on their roster when their season opens in October.

A busy summer of roster additions left the Edmonton Oilers sitting above the $88 million salary cap by $354,167 with restricted free agents Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to re-sign.

That means new general manager Stan Bowman faces a cost-cutting move to make his club cap-compliant before their season opener in October.

On July 7, The Athletic's Allan Mitchell suggested the Oilers need to free up $3 million in cap space to sign Holloway and Broberg. That could make Cody Ceci a trade candidate.

Ceci, 30, is a right-shot defenseman with a $3.3 million cap hit and lacks no-trade protection. He's slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. With the Oilers expected to sign center Leon Draisaitl and puck-moving blueliner Evan Bouchard to lucrative long-term deals, they likely won't have enough cap space to re-sign Ceci.

NBC Sports Bay Area's Sheng Peng included Ceci on his list of possible trade targets for the San Jose Sharks. The Chicago Blackhawks and Utah Hockey Club could also be in the market for an experienced right-shot defenseman.

A disconnect between the Winnipeg Jets and Rutger McGroarty over their plans for his development put the forward prospect at No. 5 on our July Trade Block rankings.

The Jets looked into trading his rights during the NHL draft on June 28-29, but no deal emerged from their efforts.

McGroarty indicated earlier this year he intends to return to the University of Michigan for his junior year. He didn't attend the Jets' development camp in early July, stoking speculation about his future with the club.

On July 16, Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon listed the Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks as possible suitors for the 20-year-old. Joe Yerdon included the Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, and Philadelphia Flyers on his list.

Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press reported on July 28 that the stalemate continues. If McGroarty refuses to sign with the Jets, they won't move him for pennies on the dollar. While the Jets haven't closed the door on the young forward, Wiebe speculated he could be peddled at the trade deadline.

McGroarty's situation will continue to be closely monitored by other clubs in the market for a promising young forward. He'll likely remain a fixture in the rumor mill during the offseason.

On June 30, TSN's Chris Johnston reported sources claiming Nick Robertson had no intention of signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer. The 22-year-old restricted free-agent winger also informed management that he wanted to be traded.

The younger brother of Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson has struggled to crack the Leafs roster over the past four seasons. Last season was a more promising campaign for the winger, scoring 14 goals and 27 points in 56 regular-season games and seeing action in six playoff contests.

Robertson, 22, is completing his entry-level contract and has little leverage other than withholding his services to force a trade. The Hockey News' Adam Proteau suggested the San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vegas Golden Knights as trade destinations.

This standoff could drag on throughout the offseason into training camp and perhaps the start of the regular season. Robertson has until Dec. 1 to sign or he'll be ineligible to play in the NHL this season.

It's been a busy offseason for the Los Angeles Kings. Gone are Pierre-Luc Dubois, Cam Talbot, Viktor Arvidsson and Matt Roy, while incoming talent included Darcy Kuemper, Warren Foegele, Tanner Jeannot and Joel Edmundson.

Arthur Kaliyev was expected to be among those on their way out. On May 29, The Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta reported the 23-year-old restricted free agent forward requested a trade, and general manager Rob Blake was trying to accommodate him.

So far, though, there's no sign that Kaliyev is close to being moved.

A second-round pick by the Kings in the 2019 draft, he had 13 goals and 28 points in 56 games despite missing time due to illness and a broken foot. However, he managed only 15 points in 51 games last season and was a healthy scratch during their five-game playoff run.

The Hockey News' Adam Proteau suggested rebuilding teams like the Montréal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks as possible destinations for Kaliyev. He also felt the young forward would be a good fit for the cap-strapped Colorado Avalanche if they go bargain hunting.

Kaliyev could return with the Kings this season if no trade partners can be found, but there's still plenty of time for Blake to find a suitable destination for him. He could end up waiting until training camp and preseason when teams could return to the trade market to address pressing roster needs.

The Nashville Predators signing starting goalie Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract extension and adding veteran backup Scott Wedgewood raised questions about the future of Yaroslav Askarov.

A promising young netminder, the 22-year-old is expected to begin his third season with their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.

Askarov was the Predators' first-round pick (11th overall) in the 2020 draft and is ranked second by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler's list of the top-20 drafted NHL goalie prospects. He was seen as Saros' eventual successor but the latter's lengthy new contract and the addition of Wedgewood suggests he might not fit in their long-term plans.

We recently noted that some observers see Askarov as a trade candidate, and Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon listed the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks as possible suitors.

Predators GM Barry Trotz is under no pressure to trade Askarov. Nevertheless, the goalie could become a valuable trade chip to address a roster need during the season. This situation could be worth monitoring over the rest of the summer and perhaps during the regular season.

Despite signing a one-year, $2.4 million contract with the New York Rangers, Kaapo Kakko earned the No.4 position on our July Trade Block Rankings.

Reports indicated the Rangers were still attempting to find a trade for the 23-year-old winger.

Coming off a promising 40-point campaign in 2022-23, Kakko was hampered by injuries and inconsistent play last season, finishing with just 19 points in 61 games. He struggled through the postseason, managing two points in 15 playoff games.

On July 4, The Athletic's Julian McKenzie included Kakko on his list of 11 potential offseason trade targets for the Calgary Flames, but there is no indication they're pitching an offer to the Rangers.

Five days later, Lohud.com's Vince Mercogliano reported Blueshirts GM Chris Drury wasn't pleased with the low-ball trade offers he's received for the winger.

The Rangers now have all 23 active roster players under contract but only $623,476 of cap space. That could prompt Drury to keep shopping Kakko in the hope of getting a more affordable young option in return.

Sitting at No. 6 on our July Trade Block Rankings, winger Patrik Laine was in trade limbo for most of July. He'd been in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program for help with his well-being and mental health. The Columbus Blue Jackets could trade him, but interested teams wanted to speak with him first, something they couldn't do while he was in the program.

On July 26, Laine was cleared by doctors to return from the program. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the 26-year-old was also still recovering from a shoulder injury suffered last season. Nevertheless, he indicated teams interested in acquiring him were told they were free to contact the Blue Jackets winger.

The Athletic's Aaron Portzline reported the Blue Jackets could proceed with trade talks regarding Laine. He noted that general manager Don Waddell had indicated he'd prefer trading Laine for a return that included a roster player without retaining part of his salary.

During a July 15 appearance on TSN Montreal 690, though, Portzline speculated the Blue Jackets might prefer a return of draft picks and prospects for Laine based on their offseason acquisitions. He also felt they might have to retain part of his $8.7 million annual salary-cap hit, which runs through 2025-26. Laine also has a 10-team no-trade list.

Laine's contract, injury history and inconsistent offense over the past three years could make it difficult to move him at this stage when most teams have used up most of their cap space. Nevertheless, he's more likely to be traded than the others on our board.

Trade destinations could include the Carolina Hurricanes, Montréal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and the Utah Hockey Club.

Do you agree or disagree with our ranking? Is there a player you feel belongs here? Let us know in the app comments.

Stats via NHL.com. Salary info via PuckPedia.