San Jose Sharks Trade Targets: The Five Most Realistic Fits
Honorable Mentions: The Moonshots
Wayne Simmonds/Jakub Voracek – Forwards, Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are officially open for business. And while the San Jose Sharks would love to add a guy like Voracek or Simmonds, the prices will more than likely be out of the Sharks price range. While Doug Wilson might in fact be a wizard, I think even he wouldn’t be able to pull off a move for one of these two with the slim pickin’s the San Jose Sharks are working with.
The only way the Sharks would be able to get their hands on Simmonds or Voracek is if they were to include Ryan Merkley in a deal, which, I don’t believe will happen, as I think Merkley is the one Sharks prospect who’s untouchable at this point. Or, if the market for these two somehow dwindles as they are both UFA’s at the end of the season, and both entering the end of their prime years.
That being said, it’s a longshot that one of these two end up in teal. As there is going to be a contending team with a better cache of prospects who will be there in the end. Lets just hope Simmonds and Voracek stay out of the Pacific Division.
Kevin Hayes/Chris Kreider – Forwards, New York Rangers
Again, this is just another situation where these two are just going to be too expensive. Its no secret that the Rangers are selling everyone they can. But these two are the cream of the Rangers crop. They will both most likely demand a first round pick, which the Sharks don’t have until 2021, and (god willing) if they win the cup this year, that 2021 pick goes to Ottawa as part of the Erik Karlsson trade.
Kreider is one of my favorite non-San Jose Sharks. He’s everything you want in a hockey player. Big, and I mean BIG at 6’3, 216 Lbs, and can absolutely fly. He’d be a perfect addition to the Courture-Meier line. And would allow Joe Pavelski to be reunited with Jumbo Joe.
As for Hayes, his stock has risen exponentially, and the Rangers are going to ask for a haul. The price for these two particular players don’t really add up for the San Jose Sharks. However, we will be revisiting the Rangers shortly, as there is one guy who can make a short-term impact for the Sharks, and will be far cheaper.
The More Realistic Options
5. Gustav Nyquist – Winger, Detroit Red Wings.
Nyquist is probably going to be the best overall player, and honestly the best overall fit for the San Jose Sharks on this list. The reason he is at five is because well, Gustav Nyquist is a great fit for almost every contender looking to acquire a player at the trade deadline. His price is going to skyrocket in the month of February and I’m not sure a combination of Labanc and Braun or Ryan plus a mid round pick can get this guy.
Nyquist has 43 points with 11 on the year. He’s been the best player on a bad team, but his skill set would translate to a 50 pt player on any team. And his career reflects that. He’s averaged between 40-50 points per year. Nyquist is on pace to have the best year of his career in terms of points and traditional numbers. His underlying numbers reflect what we are seeing as well with a 51.83 CF% along with a very average 8.3 S%, all according to Corsica Hockey.
The Swede is going to be a hot commodity and it would take close to a miracle to get him, as his stock is rising significantly. Good thing the San Jose Sharks have a miracle worker in their front office.
4. Cam Talbot – Goalie, Edmonton Oilers
If the San Jose Sharks are going to go far in the postseason, they’re going to need to find some help at Goalie. Let us not forget something, Martin Jones is the starting goalie for this hockey team, and will remain the starting goalie.
Jones, however, has struggled this season. He’s been giving up a whopping 2.98 GAA, and went into the all star break with a Sv% of under .90, .895 to be exact, which is horrible. But, he’s the guy making the big money, and he still comes alive in big moments.
San Jose Sharks backup goalie Aaron Dell has been even worse, with a 3.11 GAA and .891 Sv%. I do think Jones can turn it around, but if the San Jose Sharks want to go to the Stanley Cup Finals, I think a James Riemer-esque deal needs to happen a-la 2016.
Edmonton Oilers Netminder Cam Talbot comes to mind as a fit as a back-up goalie option for the San Jose Sharks. Not quite the sexiest option here, but the Sharks are dumpster diving which unfortunately rules out Red Wings Goalie Jimmy Howard who, despite being an unrestricted free agent after this season, will command a large return from a team looking to acquire him.
Talbot will also be a UFA, but he’s now seen as expendable in Edmonton after they re-upped Mikko Koskanen to a 3 year, 13.5 million dollar extension. Edmonton has Al Montoya waiting in the AHL as well, so they can afford to lose an unhappy Cam Talbot.
Talbot hasn’t exactly been the guy the Oilers had hoped for when they acquired him from the New York Rangers. As his best season in Edmonton came in 2016-2017 when he posted 42(!!!) wins, but merely a .919 Sv%. And its not getting any better this year either, as hes posting an .894 Sv% and 3.27 (yikes) GAA. But, Talbot isn’t happy with his role in Edmonton, and they aren’t exactly the greatest defensive team in the NHL either.
Talbot would like to get out of the hockey wasteland that is Edmonton, Alberta and a change of scenery with a contending team could do him well. And while Peter Chiarelli was just fired by the Oilers, I’d like to see Doug Wilson check the oil in Canada to see if they still have the Chiarelli stink on them.
3. Charlie Coyle, Center – Minnesota Wild
Honestly, I was going back and forth between Charlie Coyle and Brayden Schenn here. Both are numbers 13 and 16 on the TSN Trade Bait List and while Schenn is the better player overall, I think Coyle is the better REALISTIC option for the San Jose Sharks.
I think it all comes down to the contract situation. Coyle is a UFA after this season and is being paid far less money than the likes of Schenn, who has one year, 5.1 million dollars left on his contract after this season. The San Jose Sharks don’t really have the cap room for a guy like Schenn.
However. Coyle is still a nice option at the Center or Right Wing position. He has 26 pts on the season, with 9 goals and is shooting at 8%. He’s the epitome of a decent player with a CF% of 49.55, which, we’ll just call 50% which is right at average.
Its Coyle’s versatility that would help the San Jose Sharks the most. He can play both RW and C if Hertl’s production at the center position slips, or DeBoer wants to move Hertl back to wing. Coyle can play on both the top and bottom six, although, on this team I think he’d have more consistency on the bottom six.
Plus. Doug Wilson loves to get the band back together whenever he can by acquiring once and former San Jose Sharks.
2. Thomas Vanek – Left Wing/Center, Detroit Red Wings
Ol’ reliable Thomas Vanek. I know, not exactly the sexiest player here. Not really even the sexiest player on his own team in this very slideshow. But I do think he’s a better deal for the San Jose Sharks than his teammate Gustav Nyquist. Granted, Vanek along with Nyquist have No Trade Clauses in their contracts, but I think they’d both waive them for the right team.
Vanek, despite being 35, still has a lot left in the tank. He had 56 points last season with Vancouver and Columbus respectively, and did what he does best, which is score goals. As the Austrian Winger had 27 goals between the two teams.
His production is down a bit this season but that could be due to the horrible Detroit Red Wings team he currently plays on. But make no mistake, he can still add secondary scoring and could absolutely help a team like the San Jose Sharks looking for a prize at the flea market.
Vanek, as of the all-star break only has 10 goals and 23 points on the year. But he’s still averaging just 0.8 G/60 which isn’t the worst in the world and he’s shooting at a 17% clip. He has a 46.9% CF% but again, this could be chalked up to a line Centered by Frans Nielsen who also hasn’t been good. Vanek lately has been centering his line in Detroit with Nielsen and Mantha, and Vanek isn’t a natural center, so that could be part of his so-called demise.
Vanek can be had for cheaper than Nyquist, and could be and excellent right handed shot option on a line with Hertl or Thornton, or even on the top line with Couture at times. And, with the San Jose Sharks, Vanek can focus on doing what he does best, score goals.
1. Mats Zuccarello – Right Wing, New York Rangers
I think the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers could actually match up really well in a few areas. The Rangers are clearly tanking, and looking to get much younger while trying to add NHL ready, or near NHL ready talent, while at the same time get some money off the books.
The San Jose Sharks it seems are one player away from truly making a Stanley Cup run (although, don’t we say that every year?), and are in the rental market. They’re looking for guys who could be a bargain at the deadline, and don’t necessarily have to worry about resigning.
Zuccarello fits that mold, and will be far cheaper than the Rangers blue chippers in Hayes and Krieder. Zuc has had a rough season (for him) with only 8 goals and 24 points on the season. But he’s also had some injury issues, as he’s only appeared in 35 games this season.
Zuccarello is a left handed shot, and the San Jose Sharks have tons of lefty shot forwards. But Zuc plays on the right side of Zabinijad and Krieder in New York and could easily step right in on the right side of either Thornton or Hertl.
Realistically, Zuccarello would be my top choice, as he’s still a pretty good player but could be had for relatively cheap. The San Jose Sharks would have to unload a contract on to New York in the deal, but the Rangers could handle a player, say a defenseman making oh I don’t know 3.8 Million per year with one year left on his deal. Which would relatively offset Zucarello’s 4.5 million he’s owed this season.
One For Good Measure
Kevin Labanc to the New York Rangers for Pavel Buchnevich
This could be an interesting trade for both teams. Both guys are in the dog house with their respective clubs, as Buchnevich has been getting scratched in several games this season, but not for lack of talent. And Labanc has been relegated to fourth line duty by Peter DeBoer. And a change of scenery could really be a boon for both players. Both are 23, and Labanc would be playing at home in New York as the Staten Island kid surely would feel more comfortable in front of his hometown fans.
Buchnevich has immense potential that is getting wasted for whatever reason with the Rangers. He may not have the numbers on paper that Labanc does, as he only has 15 points on the season. But Buchnevich is fifth on the Rangers with 9 goals and his underlying stats tell a better story. From Corsica Hockey, he has a +2.5% RelCF, along with a 5.14 RelGF%. Buchnevich is sixth on the Rangers at 50% GF% and actually places 2nd on the Blue Shirts with a 63%HDGF with players with over 30 games behind only Kevin Hayes.
He clearly hasn’t meshed with the Rangers since being drafted 75th overall. And neither former coach Alain Vinigault nor new Head Coach David Quinn’s tough love approach has worked. Pavel Buchnevich could be just one of those players who can really benefit from a change of scenery.
Next. Sharks Needs With The Deadline Looming. dark
Most of the players on this list aren’t necessarily going to have the impact of an Artemi Panerin or a Chris Krieder or Matt Duchene, but the facts are this: The San Jose Sharks don’t necessarily NEED those guys to make a deep playoff run, and two, they don’t have the means to acquire them.
Often times it is the smaller acquisitions that pay off in the biggest way, just look at Eric Fehr last season, or James Riemer in 2016. It could be one of these guys, or one of the many names not mentioned that finally puts the San Jose Sharks over the top.