NHL trade board 2.0: Rangers take center stage, plus new targets ahead of the holiday roster freeze

Well off his typical goal-scoring and point-producing pace of recent seasons, Kreider found himself demoted to the fourth line for Sunday’s loss in St. Louis. The longest-tenured Rangers player is no doubt feeling the strain of the current situation as acutely as anyone. Despite his struggles, Kreider is generating shots at a rate consistent with his career average — which could hint at some positive regression to come — and he remains a strong skater for a player of his size. He’s also on a fair-market contract for two seasons beyond this one and is only able to block a deal to half the league through a 15-team no-trade list.

Power forwards with strong playoff resumes don’t grow on trees. Saad’s best days may be behind him, but he still profiles as a complementary winger who can chip in with a little offense and handle a hard game. He’s got one season beyond this one remaining on his contract, but he seems better suited for a Cup-chasing team than the retooling Blues.

It’s notable that he was scratched immediately after Cam Fowler was acquired from Anaheim over the weekend because it’s believed St. Louis will now be looking to ship out some salary.

You can add his name to the long list of underperforming Bruins, but it’s worth noting that Frederic is only months removed from an 18-goal, 40-point breakout campaign. He’s a big man who skates well and can effectively be deployed as a checker. Boston’s not in sell mode, but should it reverse course later this season, Frederic would be a valuable trade asset.

Now in his sixth season with New York and playing for his third different head coach, Kakko has been scratched by all of them — with the latest benching coming over the weekend in St. Louis. The former No. 2 draft pick hasn’t yet developed into the kind of game-breaker scouts thought he’d become, but he’s still only 23 and has more than 300 NHL games under his belt. Given all of the twists and turns during Kakko’s tenure with the Rangers, this could be a situation where both sides would value a fresh start.

Nelson is a big, sturdy forward who has scored at a 35-goal pace across the past three seasons. He can be slotted as a second-line center or slide into a wing spot on the top line. As a pending unrestricted free agent, he’s exactly the kind of difference-maker contending teams would be falling over themselves to get their hands on if — and it remains a massive if — the Islanders fade from the playoff picture and choose to move him before the trade deadline.

A rough-and-tumble winger who boasts an impressive fight card, Olivier has caught the attention of at least a couple of NHL teams currently eyeing potential depth forward options. The 27-year-old pending UFA has even managed to chip in more than his share of expected goals early this season. But what makes him most attractive is his size, strength and willingness to embrace an energy role. Olivier is built for playoff hockey.

The goals have been much harder to come by this season for a guy coming off a career-best 37-goal season, but a look under the hood suggests that Vatrano’s luck should eventually change. He’s still generating more than three shots on goal per game. Vatrano has always had a nose for the net and carries a competitive toolbox that makes him useful no matter where he’s deployed in the lineup. He’s also playing on an affordable, expiring contract.

The alarm bells started to sound when Hall was scratched for a game last month. He’s struggled to regain form after missing most of last season due to a knee injury, but NHL Edge data shows that one of his strongest attributes — his powerful skating stride — remains. Hall’s top speed of 22.46 miles per hour is well above league average. With the Blackhawks on a trajectory for another spin in the draft lottery and Hall a pending UFA in the later stages of his career, the veteran winger will likely be on the move again.

What he lacks in size he makes up in tenacity and feistiness. Gourde is a strong skater and two-way player who owns a couple of Stanley Cup rings from his time with Tampa Bay. His offensive numbers and ice time are down this season, but he’ll draw attention if Seattle fades from the playoff picture as we get closer to the trade deadline.

Producing at nearly a point per game across the past two seasons in San Jose, the biggest question for any potential suitor here is fit. As in: Where does Granlund fit on a deeper roster? He’s been the Sharks’ top-line center. Still, there isn’t much risk with a rental on an expiring contract who boasts more than 50 games of playoff experience. Granlund is a versatile forward with good vision who not only has a strong track record of power-play production but also kills penalties.

Unless Nashville can pull itself out of a significant hole in the standings, Nyquist will become a trade chip of note. He’s coming off a 75-point season at age 34 — the most productive year of his NHL career — and playing on an expiring contract. Nyquist is a talented playmaker who remains a strong skater and isn’t showing any obvious signs of slowing down.

While certainly not a player the Wild are under pressure to trade, they are facing a decision on Rossi. He’s a pending restricted free agent, and Minnesota needs to determine if it’s ready to commit long-term to a diminutive winger with elite offensive instincts and playmaking abilities. Rossi is off to a strong start this season for a Wild team punching above its weight class. He’s a candidate to be included in a player-for-player swap.

Off to a reasonably good start for the underperforming Penguins, Rakell has strong finishing ability and can hold his own alongside highly skilled linemates. The challenge in moving him comes in the form of a contract that extends three years beyond this one — albeit at a reasonable price in a rising cap environment.

A shutdown forward who can be trusted in bottom-six duty, Faksa is typically reliable at the faceoff dot and as part of the penalty kill. While he doesn’t bring much offensive pop at even strength, he holds appeal as a rental option who has experienced a couple of long playoff runs in the past.

Reliable right-shot centers who can fill a depth role always have currency come deadline time. Bjugstad has shown that before — getting traded in 2022 from Arizona to Edmonton in a deal that brought back a third-round pick and defenseman Michael Kesselring — and he’s trending toward being that kind of asset again for Utah HC. He’s a reliable play driver who profiles as an ideal bottom-six utilityman.

A big forward and persistent forechecker, Goodrow is a bottom-six energy type who brings valuable experience from the two Stanley Cups he won in Tampa. While limited offensively, he’s well-suited as a penalty killer. The biggest hurdle here will be a $3.6 million annual cap hit with two more seasons remaining, especially since San Jose doesn’t have any retention spots available to hold back salary.

Robertson has bit his lip since a summer trade request went unfulfilled by the Leafs, but the situation could come to a head with the team welcoming back more healthy bodies. That’s already pushed Robertson out of the everyday lineup. The diminutive winger has had a tough start to the year, failing to gain much traction under new head coach Craig Berube and being unable to produce much offense, and he may get his desired fresh start once the roster squeeze arrives.

With things seeming to have normalized in Boston since Joe Sacco replaced Jim Montgomery behind the Bruins bench in November, Marchand is now nearly off the Big Board entirely. The Boston captain is playing out the final year of his contract, and it’s difficult to imagine the team looking to move him if it remains on a playoff trajectory. Marchand has had a slow start to the season following a summer when he underwent multiple surgeries, but he remains a high-end winger who can contribute offensively, kill penalties and, yes, get under an opponent’s skin.