B/R NHL Trade Block Big Board for October 2024

Lyle Richardson Featured Columnist IV

B/R NHL Trade Block Big Board for October 2024

Juan Ocampo/NHLI via NHL training camps will soon wind down, as the regular season begins on Oct.4 with the Global Series in Czechia between the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils followed by the season opener in North America on Oct. 8.
Training camps tend to be when teams sometimes make last-minute trades to address their roster needs or to free up salary-cap space before the start of the season. Surprisingly, no deals went down during September .
That doesn't mean there hasn't been any activity in the NHL media rumor mill. Some of the speculation dealt with several players on our September Trade Block Big Board like center Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders. Some new names also surfaced such as Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler.
We enter October with a slightly shorter list of trade candidates. That's partly due to the lack of trade activity in September as most teams focused on evaluating their players. Another factor was some of the players on our September board disappeared from the rumor mill throughout that month.
Do you agree or disagree with our ranking? Is there someone you believe is more deserving to be here based on media speculation? Let us know in the app comments below.

Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via A contract standoff between Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins has kept the 25-year-old restricted free-agent goaltender out of the Bruins' training camp. He's coming off a one-year, arbitration-awarded, $3.5 million contract and is seeking a lucrative long-term deal.
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported on Sept. 24 that both sides seek a long-term contract, with Swayman looking for a maximum of eight years. LeBrun thinks the difference is in the average annual value. It's rumored the netminder seeks between $8.5 million annually and $10 million, while the Bruins offered up between $6.2 million and $6.4 million.
Some might wonder if the Bruins would wash their hands of Swayman and trade him. On Sept. 20, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said he'd been asked that question but he doesn't believe the Bruins intend to move him.
The Bruins are unlikely to go to that extreme given Swayman's importance to their Stanley Cup hopes for this season. Nevertheless, the possibility exists that a rival team pitches an offer too good to refuse, especially if this situation gets close to the Dec. 1 deadline for signing RFAs. For that reason, we're including Swayman on our October board.

Leah Hennel/ A summer of trade speculation landed Nazem Kadri the No. 5 spot on our September NHL Trade Block Big Board. While the 33-year-old center remains with the Calgary Flames, there was sufficient conjecture about his future to ensure his spot on our October board.
Questions about Kadri persisted as the Flames opened training camp in mid-September. On Sept. 17, the 's Daniel Austin wondered if the veteran center would remain happy being the best player on a rebuilding club. He speculated whether the Flames would move Kadri if the right offer appeared.
Kadri wasted no time addressing that issue during the opening day of training camp, telling reporters to "pump the brakes" on the speculation about his future. He insisted that he loved the city of Calgary and the Flames' organization, adding that he and his teammates are focused on surprising people this season.
With a full no-movement clause in his contract , Kadri has full control over where he plays this season. Nevertheless, he'll remain the topic of media trade chatter if the Flames should fall out of the playoff race early.

Andy Devlin/NHLI via Since June 2023, John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks has frequently appeared in our NHL Trade Block Big Boards. Last December, the speculation reached the point where we listed five potential trade destinations for the veteran netminder.
Gibson appeared on our June trade board , but speculation died away during the offseason. However, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Sept. 6 that he believed the Ducks were still trying to find the 31-year-old goaltender a new home.
On Sept. 21, The Athletic's Eric Stephens reported Gibson could be open to that possibility. However, he noted the netminder's $6 million annual cap hit through 2026-27 and the decline in his performance has made it difficult to move him.
Gibson underwent an emergency appendectomy on Sept. 26 sidelining him three-to-six weeks. Nevertheless, the fact the Ducks have been trying to trade him should continue to make him the topic of media trade chatter during this season.

Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via The Calgary Flames were among last season's biggest sellers. Between Nov. 30 and June 27, they traded away goaltender Jacob Markstrom, defensemen Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov, and forwards Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane.
That activity has fans and pundits wondering which member of this season's Flames roster could be on the move during this season. The Athletic's Eric Duhatshek suggests Blake Coleman the likely candidate.
In reply to a reader's question on the subject on Sept. 23, Duhatschek suggested Coleman could have the most trade value. The 32-year-old two-way forward has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $4.9 million. He also has plenty of playoff experience, winning two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
Flames general manager Craig Conroy isn't entering this season as a seller, preferring to take time to evaluate his roster. However, he could start peddling veterans like Coleman if they're out of playoff contention entering the New Year.

Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire via Media speculation over Kaapo Kakko's future with the New York Rangers has hung over the 23-year-old right winger since February. Despite being on a one-year contract with the Blueshirts, the second-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft remains the subject of conjecture entering this season.
The Rangers hope Kakko will finally achieve his breakout season as Alexis Lafrenière did last season. He showed potential in 2022-23 to do so with 18 goals and 40 points but managed only 13 goals and 19 points in an injury-shortened performance last season.
Kakko's struggles last season likely affected his trade value. On Sept. 11, The Athletic's Peter Baugh speculated the young Finn was on the trade block this summer. Baugh thinks Kakko will still be on their roster at season's end but didn't rule out him being part of the return in a "win-now" trade near the deadline.
This will be a make-or-break season for Kakko with the Rangers. That will keep his name in the rumor mill in the coming weeks.

Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Brock Nelson's eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status saw the longtime New York Islanders center top our September NHL Trade Block Big Board. The lack of a contract extension during the offseason and training camp raises questions about his future with the Isles.
Nelson turns 33 on Oct. 15 but remains the Islanders' most consistent scorer. On Sept. 26, the 's Ethan Sears suggested how the Isles handle Nelson's pending free agency could determine their direction going forward. He could be an invaluable bargaining chip near the March 7 trade deadline if they're out of playoff contention by then.
The Islanders are unlikely to move Nelson this early in the regular season, dropping him down on our October trade board. Nevertheless, his situation will bear monitoring throughout the season depending on the Isles' performance.
Sears believes the only way the Islanders trade Nelson is if they underperform this season, forcing a retooling of their roster. If they struggle through the first half of the season, we might not have to wait until the trade deadline to learn Nelson's fate.

Claus Andersen/ On June 30, Nick Robertson requested a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs after informing management he didn't intend to sign with them. However, the 23-year-old winger lacked the leverage to force a trade, signing a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Leafs on Sept. 11 in time for training camp.
Robertson was the subject of frequent trade speculation throughout the summer, earning spots on our August and September Trade Block Big Board. The chatter was such that we also looked at five possible trade destinations for the young winger.
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli believes Robertson's new contract doesn't mean he won't be traded. He thinks it could make it easier for the Leafs to find a trade partner now that he's signed for the season.
Robertson's unhappiness over his limited playing time prompted his trade request. His status with the Leafs remains uncertain as he battles for a full-time middle-third spot at left wing. It ensures he'll continue to be a subject of interest in the rumor mill.

Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Fowler subsequently confirmed Friedman's report to The Athletic's Eric Stephens, acknowledging the possibility of a trade. Stephens acknowledged the blueliner's four-team trade list but reported that he expanded that list to double-digits, giving the Ducks a wider range of potential trade partners.
With two years left on his contract, Fowler could draw the interest of playoff contenders seeking a puck-moving defenseman who can be more than a rental player. A move is unlikely to occur this early in the season, but he will be a player worth monitoring as this season unfolds.

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