Seravalli: Ducks’ Hampus Lindholm becomes top blueline Trade Target 🎯

Pat Verbeek has been on the job for barely a month as the Anaheim Ducks’ general manager, but a tone has quietly been set as he enters his first trade deadline at the helm.

The message to his three pending UFAs: We’re not giving out term.

It appears that term, not AAV, has been the sticking point in the early stage of negotiations with Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell.

Term restraint will limit the total dollars in play, which is a major part of the calculus for players and agents when it comes to determining whether they will test the market in the summer or re-sign.

For Verbeek, perhaps it’s a lesson learned – or a philosophy mirrored – from his time spent with Steve Yzerman in Tampa Bay and Detroit. There, Yzerman only gave max-term deals to the elite of the elite in Victor Hedman, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Ryan McDonagh got a seven-year deal.

In Detroit, the longest deal Yzerman has handed out was a four-year pact to Anthony Mantha, who was traded six months later.

Term, not dollars, is what has gotten a lot of teams into salary-cap trouble. For many, handing out term has simply been a mechanism to reduce the AAV to a palatable number for their salary cap, not necessarily an endorsement to a player’s longevity and future impact in the lineup.

Verbeek said publicly a couple weeks back that if his free agents weren’t signed by the March 21 deadline, that he would have no choice but to maximize return in a trade. His Ducks aren’t in a position to chase a playoff spot and risk them walking in free agency for nothing.

With 13 days left, there is plenty of time for extensions to materialize, but Verbeek has begun to gauge the trade market.

As a result, Hampus Lindholm has joined Daily Faceoff’s Trade Targets board and rocketed to the top as the premier rental defenseman available:

Trade Targets 🎯

1. Claude Giroux
Center / Wing, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 34
Contract: Pending UFA, $8.275-million AAV
↔️ Last Rank: 1st
Scoop: It feels like a matter of where and when, not ‘if,’ now for Giroux, who holds the cards with a full no-move clause. All involved seem resigned to the fact that his impressive tenure in Philadelphia is nearing a conclusion. Will he make it to his 1,000th game as a Flyer on March 17 against Nashville? The Flyers are working with Giroux’s representation, Pat Brisson of CAA Sports, to help find a spot to chase Lord Stanley this season. Colorado has reportedly been interested; St. Louis is trying to convince him to waive to play there. Given his versatility at either the center or wing position, clockwork-like production and intangibles, there is a reason why Giroux is No. 1 on the Trade Target board: He is the best player available at the deadline who is almost assuredly going to be on the move.

2. Hampus Lindholm
Left Defense, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 28
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.2-million AAV
🆕 Last Rank: NR
Scoop: Sources indicate multiple teams have eyed Lindholm as their No. 1 target on defense. One of those teams is believed to be the Florida Panthers. Lindholm’s best attribute is also maybe his biggest downfall: He is well-rounded, does just about everything well, but doesn’t necessarily excel at any one specific area of the game. Surely, Lindholm will be due a raise from his $5.2-million AAV, but he doesn’t have the point production to command an extension like the eight-year, $60-million deal ($7.5-million AAV) signed by Morgan Rielly in Toronto earlier this season. Rielly was picked one spot ahead of Lindholm (No. 6 overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft. The Ducks may be willing to go higher on the AAV on a shorter-term deal, but that probably won’t be enough to make up for the total dollar difference. The interest in Lindholm is significant enough to warrant his position on the Trade Target board, where he’ll remain until he’s signed or dealt.

3. Tomas Hertl
Center, San Jose Sharks
Age: 28
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.625-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 2nd
Scoop: “He’s worth it. He should never waver from that, because that’s the type of player he is.” That was the message from Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson on Tuesday about Hertl. This is a big week for Hertl’s tenure in San Jose. Will the Sharks, who say they want to keep him, pony up with the term and dollars required? The rest of the NHL is not convinced. He’s having a fantastic season, still on pace for 33 goals, but he’s gone the last 10 consecutive games without one – which is about when this became a real topic of conversation in the public sphere. Hertl would provide a significant return for the Sharks’ future, a necessary component for a team en route to a third straight season in lottery territory.

4. Brandon Hagel
Left Wing, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 23
Contract: 2 more seasons, $1.5-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 3rd
Scoop: Newly named GM Kyle Davidson did not mince words when he said last week that the Blackhawks are going to rebuild. What’s the best way to do that? Acquire as much draft capital as possible. If you’re looking for this year’s version of a Blake Coleman or Barclay Goodrow addition, look no further than Hagel, who has generated significant interest in Chicago. He recently whet everyone’s appetite with a hat trick against New Jersey, one of the teams that has been interested in him. Hagel has an outside shot at 30 goals this season. But it’s his contract and cost certainty that’s making teams drool. He is in first-round pick plus top prospect territory, which is understandable given the contract, his production and style of play. Provided that Davidson’s price is met, he’s a good bet to move.

5. Ben Chiarot
Left Defense, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 30
Contract: Pending UFA, $3.5-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 4th
Scoop: The feel is the Canadiens are like a duck on a pond with Chiarot, calm up up top but paddling furiously underwater to try and get a deal done. GM Kent Hughes has made more than his fair share of calls, but a deal has not materialized. Hughes said previously the Canadiens “won’t wait for the market” in order to move the defenseman. The problem is no one has met Montreal’s asking price, which is to match what the Tampa Bay Lightning paid last season for David Savard with first and third-round picks. We’ll see if they get it. There is hardly a Cup contending team Chiarot would not improve; Chiarot is a minute-chewing, dependable defenseman who is also really well-liked in locker rooms.

6. Marc-Andre Fleury
Goaltender, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 37
Contract: Pending UFA, $7-million AAV
↔️ Last Rank: 6th
Scoop: Marc-Andre Fleury wants to win. Pure and simple. His goal is believed to be to get to an authentic Stanley Cup contender and help get it over the hump. Fleury also holds all the cards, with both a 10-team no-trade list and a gentleman’s agreement with the Blackhawks that they’ll only send him where he wants to chase a Cup. Who needs a goaltender? Edmonton, Vegas, Washington and now … maybe Toronto? Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon flatly refuted our report two weeks back, in which we relayed that the Golden Knights expressed interest in a potential reunion with Fleury. We stand by our reporting. It feels admittedly like a long shot that Fleury ends up back as the marquee headliner on the Vegas Strip, but stranger things have happened. Would Fleury entertain either the U.S. capital or the capital of Alberta? If not, what about the self-proclaimed center of the hockey universe?

7. Brock Boeser
Right Wing, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 24
Contract: Pending RFA, $5.875-million AAV ($7.5 mil. minimum qualifying offer)
📉 Last Rank: 5th
Scoop: The Canucks have gone quiet over the last 10 days or so. With 11 goals in 27 games, seemingly no Canuck has benefitted more than Boeser from Bruce Boudreau being behind the bench in Vancouver. Keep in mind: Jim Rutherford has repeatedly stressed that creating salary-cap flexibility is key. There are other roster players that can achieve space and freedom, but there is a sense the Canucks are not sold Boeser’s play will be commensurate with the large qualifying offer due to him this summer, which makes him a prime candidate to move. It’s entirely possible that J.T. Miller, who is much more of a driver than Boeser, remains in Vancouver and Boeser is on his way to a new team. Could New Jersey be a fit for Boeser?

8. Mark Giordano
Left Defense, Seattle Kraken
Age: 38
Contract: Pending UFA, $6.75-million AAV
↔️ Last Rank: 8th
Scoop: GM Ron Francis met with Giordano last week and indicated a trade is in order. Interest is picking up in Giordano, who probably isn’t in first-round pick territory but could net the Kraken a decent second-round return. He is second in line to Lindholm on the rental defense market. The key will be in Francis’ willingness to send his captain to a desired destination. Officially, Giordano has input by submitting 19 teams to which he’d accept a trade. Francis and Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas are close. Giordano is from Toronto. If the Leafs could launder Giordano’s money through a third-party broker in order to make the money work, could he be a fit to help settle down Toronto’s second pair?

9. Jakob Chychrun
Left Defense, Arizona Coyotes
Age: 23
Contract: 3 more seasons, $4.6-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 7th
Scoop: It’s been rather quiet on the Chychrun front. His name has been out there for a while since first percolating in December. There was no shortage of interest in Chychrun, with so many teams – including the Los Angeles Kings – reaching out that two assumptions could be made: either no one was ready and willing to pay the Coyotes’ price, or Arizona isn’t really that keen on trading Chychrun. The latter would make more sense. He was GM Bill Armstrong’s only ‘untouchable’ last season, coming off an 18-goal campaign as a defenseman in a shortened season. If Chychrun is gone, especially for more futures, it becomes difficult to imagine what Arizona would have to build around in future years. That’s also why the reported ask from Arizona has also been high.

10. Calle Jarnkrok
Center / Wing, Seattle Kraken
Age: 30
Contract: Pending UFA, $2-million AAV
🆕 Last Rank: NR
Scoop: Jarnkrok, the former Predator, has delivered in Seattle as one of the Kraken’s better Expansion Draft picks. Jarnkrok checks just about every box for a suitor as a deadline trade chip: He’s strong on the forecheck, he’s productive, he provides lots of lineup flexibility as he can play either center or wing, and his salary cap hit is inexpensive. Teams in the market for a rental with a bit of a grind to his game will have to choose between Jarnkrok (understated/productive) and the guy below him on the Trade Target list in Nick Paul (big/heavy) – and it will most likely come down to identity of the acquiring team. A reunion with ex-Preds coach Peter Laviolette in Washington would be intriguing.

11. Nick Paul
Center / Left Wing, Ottawa Senators
Age: 26
Contract: Pending UFA, $1.35-million AAV
📈 Last Rank: 13th
Scoop: As we reported last week, communication between the Sens and Paul’s camp has gone quiet. Their last offer made in January was not well received at three years, $6 million ($2 million per). Ottawa would like to keep Paul. That much is clear; they value his contribution, his work ethic, his compete level. But they’ve got a lot of work to do to get to what the Paul camp believes is market value. This much is also clear: Given where the Senators are, they can’t afford to watch Paul walk for nothing. So if push comes to shove over the next few weeks, keep an eye on Paul as a player with real value for Ottawa to cash in on on the trade market.

12. Alexandar Georgiev
Goaltender, New York Rangers
Age: 25
Contract: Pending RFA, $2.425-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 9th
Scoop: We previously reported that, in addition to checking in on Fleury, the Golden Knights also inquired about Georgiev. The Rangers have been making calls in an attempt to move Georgiev, provided GM Chris Drury can find another veteran that he’d be comfortable with as an insurance policy on Hart Trophy candidate Igor Shesterkin. There is almost no path to Georgiev being a Ranger next season. Georgiev was a staple on the Trade Target board last summer after placing what we’d call a ‘soft’ trade request with the Rangers. He let the team be known he was open to a change of scenery, ready for a starter’s workload elsewhere. He’s not wrong: Over five NHL seasons, Georgiev has a career save percentage of .910. The league average is .904 this season.

13. Pavel Zacha
Left Wing / Center, New Jersey Devils
Age: 24
Contract: Pending RFA, Arbitration Eligible
📉 Last Rank: 10th
Scoop: Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald is exploring a whole host of options to shake up the roster over the next number of months and Zacha is one of those intriguing options. He has value. He views himself as a center, but he’s more often been slotted as a winger on a team that has plenty of center depth. There’s seemingly no room for him. He’s also going to be due a somewhat significant raise this summer and is arbitration eligible, so the question is: Are the Devils comfortable paying Zacha the bump? Zacha is on track for his first career 20-goal season. He has reportedly been connected to the Vancouver Canucks. He could be part of a package that includes Boeser (No. 6 above) as the Devils were believed to have gone deep on Boeser in the last couple years on deals that never quite got done.

14. Damon Severson
Right Defense, New Jersey Devils
Age: 27
Contract: 1 more season, $4.17-million AAV
↔️ Last Rank: 14th
Scoop: Severson is a homegrown Devil and has played all 538 of his NHL games with New Jersey since being drafted in the second round back in 2012. He has played top-pair minutes for each of the last four seasons, averaging 23:27 this season. He is seen as a No. 2 defenseman, a blueliner who can move the puck well and is efficient exiting the zone. At the other end of the ice, Severson can make things happen by finding seams and excels at walking the blueline to create opportunity. With P.K. Subban unlikely to return, why would the Devils move Severson? They’re open to considering options. He may not be the best stylistic fit, because, like Dougie Hamilton, Severson struggles to defend at times. And, when Severson’s six-year deal expires after next season, he will be due a sizable raise. There is value in Severson now.

15. Filip Zadina
Right Wing, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 22
Contract: Pending RFA, $894,167 AAV
📉 Last Rank: 12th
Scoop: There was no shortage of excitement around Zadina when the Red Wings selected him at No. 6 overall in 2018. GM Steve Yzerman doesn’t tip his hand, but the sense league-wide is a change of scenery is in order for Zadina. Teams perked up when Zadina spent six games on the top line from Feb. 9-26, seeing it as a ‘showcase’ opportunity ahead of a potential trade. He scored twice in those six games, putting him on track for 11 goals in 80 games. Zadina is a gifted shooter, but the knock on him is that he’s become more of a perimeter player – and only a select few players (Alex Ovechkin or Steven Stamkos) can consistently score in today’s NHL from the outside. Zadina was also a healthy scratch on Jan. 4 and his ice time is down more than two and a half minutes from last season, which is a lot considering the recent bump on the first line is already factored into the equation.

16. Tyler Motte
Left/Right Wing, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 27
Contract: Pending UFA, $1.225-million AAV
🆕 Last Rank: NR
Scoop: The Canucks are expected to circle back to Motte’s camp this week to engage in a more substantive dialogue, but to this point, there had not been much more than introductory conversations. Motte is the only player, only rental the Canucks truly have to make a decision on this spring ahead of the deadline. The fan favorite has proven he can reliably drive his own line, he’s a true Swiss Army Knife player in Vancouver, and he’s been more productive than most would realize. Motte, 27, has scored 14 goals in his last 82 games played. There is a deal to be had to keep Motte, but it will depend if Vancouver is philosophically inclined to essentially double the salary of a bottom-six forward.

17. Andrew Copp
Left Wing / Center, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 27
Contract: Pending UFA, $3.64-million AAV
📈 Last Rank: 21st
Scoop: There are difficult conversations to be had in Winnipeg with a team that has massively underperformed this season. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said a couple weeks back it was too early to have those conversations, but the time is nigh for a squad with Stanley Cup aspirations that is on pace for just 85 points. The Jets have given Cheveldayoff and their fanbase little reason to believe it’s not in the franchise’s best interest to sell off pieces like Copp, a conscientious player who was off to by far the best start of his career with 20 points in his first 24 games. The Jets and Copp settled on a one-year deal after an arbitration filing last summer, which walks him to free agency this year.

18. Joonas Donskoi
Right Wing, Seattle Kraken
Age: 29
Contract: 1 more season, $3.9-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 17th
Scoop: The Kraken opted for Donskoi over J.T. Compher in last summer’s Expansion Draft, taking the older and slightly more expensive player, who has also had much higher scoring. This season probably could not have gone much worse for Donskoi, who feels like a square peg in a round hole. After seasons with 14, 14, 16 and 17 goals (the latter of which was a 27-goal pace last year in Colorado in a shortened season), Donskoi has just two goal in 56 games. Two goals. Given his track record, teams would certainly be interested in a player likely to rebound from an abysmal 3.0-percent shooting mark, who has term on his contract and has scored four Stanley Cup playoff game-winning goals. Just scoring one GWG in the playoffs would make a trade worth it – and would probably feel pretty damn good for Donskoi, too.

19. Kasperi Kapanen
Right Wing, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 25
Contract: Pending RFA, $3.2-million AAV
↔️ Last Rank: NR
Scoop: The Penguins are in a tough spot: They don’t have cap space, they don’t want to trade future assets to help a core long in the tooth chase one last Cup, yet they’d probably like to try to improve. Who can they move? Enter Kapanen. To be sure, the Penguins would be more than fine keeping Kapanen through the deadline and they could well re-sign him in the offseason. His arbitration case likely starts with a $4 (million) in front of it. When this mercurial winger is on, he’s incredibly talented and can be a significant contributor to a winning team, but there are many stretches where he goes missing. The wonder is in whether Kapanen is a long-term Penguin. If not, Pittsburgh can go about exploring Kapanen as a trade chip. He could be a better fit on either a playoff or non-playoff team.

20. Rickard Rakell
Right Wing, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 28
Contract: Pending UFA, $3.789-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 21st
Scoop: For the longest time, Rakell has been considered the one of Anaheim’s three pending UFAs that seemed most likely to move. That is unscientific, of course, just a sense from around the league. Lindholm and Josh Manson will get more fanfare, but Rakell has quietly just chugged along and continued to produce with an impressive consistency. In fact, through four fewer games, Rakell has already nearly doubled last season’s goal total (16) and has collected the same number of points (28). Rakell’s talent has been on display, skating often with Trevor Zegras, and he’s part of Anaheim’s top power play unit. With a relatively affordable cap hit, he’ll be a quality addition for a contending team.

21. Jeff Petry
Right Defense, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 34
Contract: 3 more seasons, $6.25-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 18th
Scoop: Habs GM Kent Hughes also confirmed that Montreal is trying to help Petry find a new home. He said: “If we can find a trade that works for us and another team, we’re going to do it. But it has to work.” Translation: We’re not giving him away. Yes, it’s been a disastrous season for Petry (and the Canadiens) for a whole host of reasons. Some of them probably are personal; Petry’s family is living back in the U.S. in part because of the coronavirus restrictions in Quebec. The other part is the total erosion of support on the ice. Petry scored 170 points over the last four seasons. His salary cap hit may require some massaging by Montreal, but teams aren’t under the disillusion that he forgot how to play hockey this season.

22. Anton Forsberg
Goaltender, Ottawa Senators
Age: 29
Contract: Pending UFA, $900,000 AAV
📉 Last Rank: 17th
Scoop: A number of teams are interested in Forsberg’s services as a potentially inexpensive deadline option in net. Forsberg has quietly put together an excellent season. He has a winning record (11-8-2) on the 26th-place team with a .917 save percentage, well above league average. Murray’s re-emergence since returning from AHL Belleville, sporting a .932 mark since Jan. 13, should provide enough confidence that the two-time Cup winner and 23-year-old Filip Gustavsson can get the job done in tandem next season.

23. Mackenzie Blackwood
Goaltender, New Jersey Devils
Age: 25
Contract: 1 more season, $2.8-million AAV
🆕 Last Rank: NR
Scoop: Two years ago, Blackwood appeared to be on a trajectory similar to that of Igor Shesterkin, his Rangers counterpart across the Hudson River. Blackwood could have carried the torch for Martin Brodeur in an organization that’s been blessed in net. Now, there are significant question marks about Blackwood’s game and his long-term future in New Jersey as the Devils explore all of their options. Blackwood is a couple weeks away from working his way back to the lineup after a left heel injury. He may be ready to go before the trade deadline. The Devils are in the process of asking themselves: When healthy, what are the odds Blackwood’s game rebounds to the level we saw a couple years ago? Or will they find the answer to that question watching him play elsewhere?

24. Jake DeBrusk
Left Wing, Boston Bruins
Age: 25
Contract: Pending RFA, $3.675-million AAV ($4.41 mil. minimum qualifying offer)
↔️ Last Rank: 23rd
Scoop: Will a hat trick in Los Angeles last week help spark DeBrusk trade talk? DeBrusk has been on fire of late with seven goals in his last six games. His December trade request was well publicized, grabbing headlines and generating interest. Two months ago, as many 12 teams were reportedly interested – and he has not changed his mind. The trade request still stands. Bruins GM Don Sweeney went around team to team offering DeBrusk for another (mostly) maligned or imperfect player on that team’s roster but, to this point, hasn’t found a deal that’s worked for the Bruins. Will that change now? Or will the Bruins suddenly need to keep the productive winger?

25. Alexandre Texier
Winger / Center, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 22
Contract: 1 year remaining, $1.525-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 17th
Scoop: Texier has missed the last month with a finger injury, but he appears to be inching closer to a return to the ice. When healthy, he has shown the top-end skill and panache that make him an intriguing player with potential for more. He isn’t yet an elite-level facilitator or goal scorer, but could continue to develop into one or the other, or both. His current rate of production is impressive, on track for 25 goals over a full 82-game slate at this pace. Texier’s effort and compete level are solid, too – which is a nice complement to the flash and dash that’s a big part of his game. The acquisition cost would be significant. The opportunity for Columbus might be to sell Texier at the highest his value has ever been in the NHL.

26. Victor Olofsson
Right Wing, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 26
Contract: Pending RFA, $3.05-million AAV ($3.25 mil. minimum qualifying offer)
📉 Last Rank: 15th
Scoop: Olofsson burst onto the scene two seasons ago with a surprising 20-goal season in just 54 games. A big chunk of those goals were on the power play with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart feeding him the puck. They’ve both moved on and Olofsson could be next. Olofsson’s production has dwindled; he’s on pace to finish with 12 goals this season, one fewer than he had in a shortened campaign last year. Despite that, Olofsson is likely due a raise by virtue of being arbitration eligible this summer. Will the Sabres want to pay him? Arbitration was already filed once. With his career numbers (42 goals in 158 games), he’s likely looking at an award in the $4.25-million range.

27. Braden Holtby
Goaltender, Dallas Stars
Age: 32
Contract: Pending UFA, $2-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 15th
Scoop: Fresh off a spell in which Jake Oettinger stopped 181 of 189 shots faced (.958 save percentage) over six games, there is no question as to who the present and future is in the Dallas crease. The Stars could trade Holtby, call up Anton Khudobin from AHL Texas and barely impact their playoff chances – even for a team that wants to give itself every opportunity to get in. With a number of teams searching for goaltending support (Vegas, Washington, Edmonton and Pittsburgh), Holtby has won a Stanley Cup and found his form again this season in Dallas.

28. Joonas Korpisalo
Goaltender, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 27
Contract: Pending UFA, $2.8-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 16th
Scoop: Korpisalo is another netminder available. It’s difficult to envision the Blue Jackets allowing Korpisalo’s contract to expire without at least getting something for him in a season in which they’re not going to make the playoffs. Because it’s the Elvis Merzlikins Show in Columbus, now and for the foreseeable future. Merzlikins has carried the Blue Jackets and next year begins a fresh five-year, $27-million deal. Plus, the Blue Jackets have Daniil Tarasov eventually waiting in the wings. Korpisalo has not put in a formal trade request, but GM Jarmo Kekalainen is aware that Korpisalo would be open to an opportunity to play elsewhere.

29. John Klingberg
Right Defense, Dallas Stars
Age: 29
Contract: Pending UFA, $4.25 million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 11th
Scoop: Klingberg and Joe Pavelski (below) have plummeted on the Trade Targets board. The Dallas Stars are in playoff mode. They’ve been the NHL’s fourth-best team over the last calendar month to pull even with the Minnesota Wild in the Central Division It seems to make little sense that Klingberg would be moved now. Why would he? They’ve invested a ton in this group to make the playoffs. There is real pressure in Big D to get in. That said, the Stars – who rolled the dice and kept pending UFA Jamie Oleksiak last season, only to miss the playoffs and see him walk to Seattle for nothing – likely can’t afford to keep all of their pending free agents if there is significant doubt as to their ability to not just get in, but actually make noise in the playoffs. For now, they’ve gotta hold ’em until they fold ’em.

30. Joe Pavelski
Center, Dallas Stars
Age: 37
Contract: Pending UFA, $7 million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 21st
Scoop: Pavelski has slid down the board because we reported two weeks ago that his camp had begun preliminary contract extension discussions with Dallas. That doesn’t mean he’s a certainty to stay, but the early indication is he would like to do so. It’s an interesting negotiation. The 37-year-old is on pace to shatter his career high in points in his 16th season in the league. The ’21 in 22′ sniper winner at All-Star weekend is on track for 87 points, his first season north of a point per game. As mentioned above with Klingberg (see No. 11), the Stars are in playoff mode. It’s also easy to envision a scenario in which they sell Klingberg and keep Pavelski for their push. If they do fall out of the race, though, there is no doubt Pavelski will rocket up the Trade Target board. He’d be a heck of a fit in Minnesota.

31. J.T. Miller
Center / Wing, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 28
Contract: 1 more season, $5.25-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 21st
Scoop: It’s difficult to say with any confidence what Miller’s status is in terms of the Canucks’ big-picture plan under Jim Rutherford. Perhaps the best way to describe it, in real time, is to share that the teams that have been most interested in Miller (the New York Rangers among them) have begun to explore other options on their lists because they are getting mixed messages as to whether Miller is actually going to be on the move. That makes sense. Rutherford stressed patience on the trade front to our Scott Burnside. On a team with cap concerns, a more complete Miller at $5.25 million is way more valuable than Boeser at $7.5 million next season, which is why Boeser may go now and leave a decision on Miller to wait until this summer or next year’s deadline.

32. Max Domi
Left Wing, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 26
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.3 million
📉 Last Rank: 22nd
Scoop: There’s no doubt the Blue Jackets are interested in moving Domi to a suitor before the deadline as an expiring contract. Properly slotted, Domi could be a fantastic addition for a playoff team in a middle-six role. Domi is three years removed from a 28-goal and 72-point campaign in Montreal. He’s undoubtedly been underwhelming in Columbus. If there is a silver lining, it’s that Domi has remained relatively productive this season and he’s done it all at even strength with relatively limited ice time (13:23).

33. Ryan Carpenter
Center, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 31
Contract: Pending UFA, $1-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 20th
Scoop: Carpenter has begun to percolate on the list of potential fits for playoff teams. His salary cap hit is the right price, he’s been on a deep playoff run before in Vegas, and he’s reliable. Would a reunion with Gerard Gallant in Manhattan be in order? Carpenter is a hard-working, defensive-minded center who blocks shots, wins draws, kills penalties and is always in the right position in the defensive zone. Sounds like a prototypical deadline acquisition.

34. Jack Roslovic
Center, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 24
Contract: Pending RFA, $1.838-million AAV ($2.21 mil. minimum qualifying offer)
📉 Last Rank: 26th
Scoop: Roslovic is a name that may surprise some. The Blue Jackets brought the Columbus kid home as part of the Patrik Laine for Pierre-Luc Dubois swap. Dubois has flourished in Winnipeg this season. Roslovic started hot last season, with 29 points in his first 35 games as a Jacket. But he’s cooled off since then. This year, Roslovic has 25 points in 53 games. We’re told Roslovic is available in Columbus. Perhaps the biggest telltale sign is his ice time. It’s down nearly five full minutes per game this season – a huge drop – from 16:54 to 12:03. Teams are concerned with Roslovic’s work ethic, and maybe Columbus is, too.

35. Nick Leddy
Left Defense, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 30
Contract: Pending UFA, $5.5-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 27th
Scoop: At the right price, there will be considerable interest in Leddy, who has won a Stanley Cup and skated in four Conference Finals. He’s still only 30 and has already logged 825 career games. It’d be interesting to ask Barry Trotz if the Islanders miss him. He was a salary cap casualty on the Island, but he’s been just about exactly as advertised in Detroit. Leddy is dependable, steady and can chip in the odd point from the point as a capable second unit power play guy. Leddy has missed only a small handful of games in his career and he’d be a solid option on the rental defense market.

36. Justin Braun
Right Defense, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 35
Contract: Pending UFA, $1.8 million AAV
🆕 Last Rank: NR
Scoop: Like most Flyers, Braun has struggled at times this season. However, he is one of just three right-shooting defensemen available on the Trade Target board, and that means something. There can never be enough righties on the roster. He also has 100 games of play experience. Braun’s minutes have actually increased this season, which probably wasn’t in the Flyers’ plans, and he’s managed to remain even on a team that has the 28th-worst goal differential (minus-53) in the NHL.

37. Phil Kessel
Right Wing, Arizona Coyotes
Age: 34
Contract: Pending UFA, $6.8-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 28th
Scoop: Kessel has received praise from GM Bill Armstrong for his work ethic, but it’s been a grind in the desert. He’s on pace for the lowest goal output of his career (nine) including his rookie season. Could a trade potentially rekindle some of the Kessel playoff magic that nearly netted him a Conn Smythe Trophy? He’ll cost mere pennies in actual dollars, since his salary this season due by the Coyotes is just $850,000 ($150,000 paid by Leafs) – it could cost somewhere around $250,000 in cash plus acquisition cost to roll the dice on Phil the Thrill, depending on when the trigger is pulled.

38. Calvin de Haan
Left Defense, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 30
Contract: Pending UFA, $4.55-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 29th
Scoop: You can add de Haan to the list of rental defensemen that will be in play at the deadline. He’s struggled at times this season, like most of Chicago’s blueline, but would be an ideal third-pair option on a contending team. de Haan is 20th in the NHL in blocked shots since the start of the 2013-14 season.

39. Reilly Smith
Right Wing, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 30
Contract: Pending UFA, $5-million AAV
📉 Last Rank: 24th
Scoop: Now that Mark Stone has been moved to LTIR, which created enough salary cap space for the Golden Knights to activate both Jack Eichel and Alec Martinez (when ready), there is no real need or pressure to move Smith or anyone else on the Vegas roster. That could change if Stone heals up and presents himself fit for duty, which one would suppose is a possibility since he has returned four separate times from the same injury this season. The sharp money, though, would be on Stone not returning until the playoffs, allowing the Golden Knights to load up for a run at Lord Stanley’s chalice.

40. Vitali Kravtsov
Right Wing, New York Rangers
Age: 21
Contract: Pending RFA, $925,000 AAV
📉 Last Rank: 30th
Scoop: There is no change to Kravtsov’s status with the NHL, even after the league severed all ties with Russia’s KHL on Monday. Kravtsov is under NHL contract. The No. 9 overall pick from the 2018 NHL Draft has been on loan with KHL Chelyabinsk after refusing an assignment to the AHL in October. Kravtsov has six goals and seven assists for 13 points in 19 games since returning to Russia. New agent Dan Milstein has permission to find a new home for Kravtsov, but it hasn’t been easy.

Off the board: None.

Previous Editions: March 3, Feb. 21, Feb. 17, Jan. 6, Dec. 2.