The 7 Bargain Players Teams Should Target at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline

The 7 Bargain Players Teams Should Target at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline0 of 7

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Someone who is keeping tabs on the 2024 NHL trade deadline has probably seen the same names and narratives over and over on lists naming the top players available. Elias Lindholm. Noah Hanifin. Sean Monahan. Adam Henrique. Jake Allen. There are familiar names whose values to inquiring playoff teams are self-evident. The cost of acquisition will reflect as much.

It’s not always wise to make big moves at the trade deadline. A first- or second-round pick can get you a lot more in the summer than it does in March when prices are bloated due to limited supply and the pressure on contending teams to “keep up with Joneses.”

It’s also questionable how much it matters. The randomness of hockey makes it hard for one player to truly make a difference in a short playoff sprint. Last season saw Eastern Conference contenders race to match each other’s big moves only for the Florida Panthers to make it to the Stanley Cup Final without having acquired a single player.

Maybe your favorite team doesn’t have the trade chips necessary to pull off a big move. Maybe it isn’t a bona fide contender and can’t justify massive investment in a team with low expectations. Or maybe the price of the name-brand players just aren’t worth it.

That does not mean there isn’t value to be found. There will be players available who can provide value at a low cost. It behooves certain general managers to explore these options.

Here are seven players who could be bargain values at the 2024 NHL trade deadline.

Nick Seeler, Philadelphia Flyers1 of 7

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Chris Tanev is the top shutdown defenseman on the market, and rightfully so. The Flames’ blueliner is not a big point-producer, but he is one of the best shot-suppressors in the NHL. Many teams will be after him, and the cost will be high. And depending on a team’s financial situation, Tanev’s $4.5 million cap hit could create issues.

Teams that miss on him should look at Nick Seeler. The 30-year-old has only recently established himself as a full-time NHLer, but his impact is consistent. In three seasons with the Flyers, Seeler has consistently been a solid defender. He is 6’3″ and uses his stick and reach to prevent zone entries. He’s a strong defender in his own end.

Seeler, with just 36 points in 275 career games, won’t produce offense. He’s a player a head coach will deploy in defensive-zone and penalty-kill situations. With a $775,000 cap hit, every team can fit him on the books effortlessly.

Tommy Novak, Nashville Predators2 of 7

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A weak center market became even weaker with Elias Lindholm’s move to Vancouver. The Canucks paid a hefty price to make it happen.

Widespread need combined with a limited pool of options means prices may be inflated. The Canadiens received a first-round pick for former 82-point center Sean Monahan. Anaheim’s Adam Henrique is a veteran with a strong reputation as a playoff performer. His cost will reflect as much.

Tommy Novak doesn’t have that same prestige as either, but he might be just as good. The Nashville Predator was a third-round pick in 2015 but did not make his NHL debut until age 24 in 2021. In fact, this is his first full season in the NHL. Last season, Novak spent part of the year in the NHL but produced an impressive 43 points in 51 games.

This season, Novak has played second-line minutes and has tallied eight goals and 15 assists in 43 games. The late-bloomer is a good playmaker in the offensive zone and holds his own defensively.

Novak is playing like a reliable, two-way center who would look great on any contender’s third line. He doesn’t have the same name-brand recognition of other centers on the market, but that could mean he could be acquired for a lower draft pick. With an $800,000 cap hit, the pending unrestricted free agent is an easy fit on any roster.

Daniel Sprong, Detroit Red Wings3 of 7

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Will the Detroit Red Wings be deadline sellers? That remains to be seen. The 11-time Stanley Cup winners have not made the playoffs in seven straight seasons and are in danger of making that eight. The Athletic projects them as having a 35 percent chance of earning a postseason spot.

General manager Steve Yzerman won’t want to give up on the season until he has to. If he does decide to sell, then Daniel Sprong should be a target for many teams. The former Penguins second-round pick had 46 points in 66 games for the Seattle Kraken last season and currently has 32 in 50 games for the Red Wings. What makes these numbers particularly impressive is that Sprong has averaged just roughly 12 minutes during these two seasons.

For sure, Sprong is a limited player. The Dutch winger is weak defensively and doesn’t really forecheck or help on the breakout. He is gifted with the puck and can score from anywhere in the offensive zone. On pace for over 50 points, Sprong would either be great in a top-six role alongside 200-foot linemates or as a weapon on a third-line that overpowers the opposition’s depth.

He’d be a great Plan B for any team that misses out on Vladimir Tarasenko or Anthony Duclair, or for a team that is cap-conscience and would prefer his $2 million cap hit.

Alexander Wennberg, Seattle Kraken4 of 7

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Sean Monahan went to the Winnipeg Jets for the heavy cost of a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick. That’s partially the price of getting Montreal to part with him early as a reflection of his cheap $1.985 million cap hit.

That makes him a far easier fit than Alexander Wennberg and his $4.5 million cap hit. Aside from that, the two are pretty similar players. Yes, Monahan has 15 more points this season, but once power-play time is eliminated the difference is virtually gone—Monahan has 19 non-power-play points to Wennberg’s 16, and the two are tied with seven goals each.

While Wennberg can be an inconsistent presence defensively, he is an upgrade on Monahan.

The Kraken have three slots available for cap retention in a trade. If general manager Ron Francis decides to cut bait on this season and sell, then the ability to sell Wennberg at just a $2.25 millions cap hit would make him a viable third-line option for a handful of playoff teams.

There’s an argument to be made that Wennberg is just as good as Monahan. Yet even if not, the Swede should be a far better value once the price of acquisition—likely a third- or fourth-round pick—is accounted for.

Erik Brännström, Ottawa Senators5 of 7

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The Ottawa Senators are going to miss the playoffs yet again, and new general manager Steve Staios seems prepared to make changes.

Of note is the developing situation on defense. Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Jakob Chychrun, and Artem Zub will occupy a combined $25.25 million in cap space next season. The Sens need upgrades all over the lineup, and that money has to come from somewhere. For that reason, Jakob Chychrun, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2025, is in the rumor mill.

GMs should also take a look at Erik Brännström. A big piece in the trade that sent Mark Stone to Vegas, the Swede has not become the source of offense many envisioned he would be when he was a top prospect.

That’s not to say he is a bust. To his credit, Brännström has remolded his game to stake out an NHL career in the form of a two-way puck-mover. He may not create points, but the former first-round pick transitions the puck up the ice and defends competently. On a $2 million contract, Brännström will be a restricted free agent next season and due for a raise.

The Senators could decide to make him a cap casualty. If that happens, then the 24-year-old would be a great pickup for a team looking to add a No. 4 or 5 defenseman who could be an impactful depth player—not just this season, but for a number of seasons ahead.

Brandon Duhaime, Minnesota Wild6 of 7

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The Minnesota Wild have been a major disappointment this season and are all but out of the playoff race at the All-Star break. General manager Bill Guerin has some tough assessments to make in order to change the dynamic of a middling team that has one more season of suffocating cap penalties from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts.

First, he is faced with the rudimentary work of selling off players on expiring contracts for draft capital. Patrick Maroon is going to be sought after. The 35-year-old has won three Stanley Cups. At 6’3″ and 235 pounds, Maroon plays one of the heaviest games in the NHL. Defenders hear footsteps when he’s forechecking, and he’s relentless in front of the net. He’s a premium option for a team looking to add a physical fourth-liner who can chip in the occasional goal.

Teams looking for this type of player should also consider teammate Brandon Duhaime. The three-year NHLer ranks 23rd among all forwards in hits. He good for 8-10 goals in a full season and is a solid defensive winger. He doesn’t have the accolades that Maroon does, but those accolades are largely a product of circumstance.

Duhaime fits the description of what teams look for in a fourth-line winger during a long playoff run and should cost less than Maroon. And if the right team invests in him and they go the distance, he could very well earn the same type of reputation for himself that Maroon now has.

Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Washington Capitals7 of 7

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What happens when a top scorer at the junior level fails to find that same success in the NHL? Some of them flame out. Others find a way to revamp their playing styles and carve out a career.

Nicolas Aubé-Kubel falls into the latter category. He made a name for himself as a flashy, skilled player for the 2014 QMJHL champion Val-d’Or Foreurs. Offense did not come as easily to him in pro hockey. The 6’0″ winger has bounced around the NHL and has been claimed off of waivers twice in the past three seasons.

He’s played nicely for the Washington Capitals the past two seasons, totaling 25 points in 82 games. What’s more, Aubé-Kubel tilts the ice in his team’s favor. He defends and wins puck battles in his own end. He has enough skill to progress the puck through the neutral zone and has some tenacity on the forecheck. While he lacks the physical tools to be a major offensive presence, he keeps the puck in the offensive zone and chips in depth offense.

Any team looking to stiffen up its fourth line should be looking at Aubé-Kubel. He may not be the menacing, overly physical presence general managers like in a checking role, but he makes plays all over the ice that slowly shift the game in his team’s favor. At a presumed cost of a late-round draft pick, he’ll provide as much or more to his acquiring team than many other higher-cost players.