Playing 2023 NHL trade deadline matchmaker

We’re closing in on the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered at Daily Faceoff with at least one trade-focused story each day leading up to deadline day.

Today, in the true spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’re going to play a little game.

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match. Find me a find, catch me a catch.

Since love is in the air, we’re going to play the role of trade deadline matchmaker, lining up a team with their hockey crush by using a combination of intelligence and intuition, with an emphasis on entertainment value. We’re not “reporting” these matches, merely connecting dots where there is the potential for more than a casual encounter.

Patrick Kane: Edmonton Oilers

Who swipes left?
To Edmonton: Patrick Kane
To Chicago: Xavier Bourgault, Jesse Puljujarvi, 2023 2nd Round Pick, 2025 5th Round Pick (to 3rd party broker)

Imagine the creativity and pure skill on display in Oil Country. Plug ‘Showtime’ onto the right side of either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, wind him up and watch him go. Many believe Edmonton is in the market for a defender on the back end. But if there is one area of need up front for the uber-talented Oilers, it is on the right wing. And Kane would allow them to push the envelope in the playoffs and try to blow away the competition on the scoreboard. It would flip the traditional playoff build of heavy, hard hockey on its head. Why not? McDavid and Draisaitl almost singlehandedly won them two rounds last year.

With New York out of the picture, Kane will be forced to consider new destinations, and he can get the dirt from former teammate and Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith. When you begin to examine the possibility, it starts to make a whole lot of sense. There’s plenty of room for two Kanes in the Edmonton lineup.

Timo Meier: Carolina Hurricanes

Who swipes left?
To Carolina: Timo Meier
To San Jose: 2023 1st Round Pick, 2024 2nd Round Pick, Scott Morrow, Jack Drury

The conventional wisdom has been that the Hurricanes need a second line center to fill the void that exists between Sebastian Aho and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. But they have arguably the best third line center in the league in Jordan Staal, who can take on the tough matchups in the Stanley Cup playoffs. We also know they wanted to improve on the wing because they acquired Max Pacioretty in the summer. Meier would give them what they’re missing in Pacioretty and then some – with an added element of heft as well. Typically, the Hurricanes do not like to dabble in the rental market. However, they’d be the one team that would value that optionality that Meier presents as an RFA. They have almost $18 million coming off the books. They could re-sign Meier to a long-term deal, qualify him at $10 million, or move his rights to another team this summer to recoup some of the assets lost. And in the meantime, they’d add a legitimate threat who could put them over the top in the playoffs.

Lawson Crouse: New Jersey Devils

Who swipes left?
To New Jersey: Lawson Crouse, Karel Vejmelka
To Arizona: 2023 1st Round Pick, 2024 2nd Round Pick, 2025 4th Round Pick, Andreas Johnsson, Mackenzie Blackwood

So, if the Devils aren’t getting Meier, how do they pivot? We know that GM Tom Fitzgerald is seeking a top six winger who is under team control. Enter Crouse as a perfect option. His acquisition cost will theoretically be less than Meier’s. His on-ice impact is less, of course. But Crouse has the size to make him an intriguing fit in New Jersey. He also has four more seasons remaining at a very manageable $4.3 million. That will be incredibly valuable for the Devils as they attempt to re-sign Jesper Bratt, Damon Severson and Ryan Graves. They can kill two birds with one stone and find the insurance piece they’re looking for in goal with Vejmelka, who is on a great contract, to play in tandem with Vitek Vanecek. Sending back Johnsson will help offset the money and Blackwood would give the Coyotes a warm body in net whose game they can possibly rehab.

Vladislav Gavrikov: Boston Bruins

Who swipes left?
To Boston: Vladislav Gavrikov
To Columbus: 2023 1st Round Pick, 2024 4th Round Pick, Retain $500k

Depending on who you believe, many league sources suggest the Bruins are the front-runner for Gavrikov’s services. He’s currently being held out of the Blue Jackets’ lineup for “trade-related purposes” as a form of asset protection. It’s easy to envision the fit in Beantown. Gavrikov is more of a defender than anything else, something the Bruins would value. He will also cost less than Jakob Chychrun, but the Blue Jackets are still asking for a sizable return given what they received for David Savard two years ago. And unlike Chychrun, the Bruins might prefer a rental over term because they will be hit with massive performance bonus overages on next season’s cap from the Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci contracts.

Ryan O’Reilly: Dallas Stars

Who swipes left?
To Dallas: Ryan O’Reilly
To St. Louis: 2024 1st Round Pick, Riley Damiani, Anton Khudobin, Blues retain half

The Stars are a handful to play against most nights. Now picture them with the 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner bolstering their lineup through the middle of the ice. There is no denying that O’Reilly has struggled this season. But he’s just coming off of injury, he should be well rested and ready for a reset in Big D. With his intensity, grit and intelligence, O’Reilly would make for a curated addition to the Stars’ lineup. If the Blues are willing to take on Khudobin’s expiring contract and retain half on O’Reilly’s contract, that would make the deal cap compliant.

Ivan Barbashev: Winnipeg Jets

Who swipes left?
To Winnipeg: Ivan Barbashev
To St. Louis: 2023 2nd Round Pick, Mason Appleton, Ville Heinola

It’s possible that Barbashev could fetch a late first-round pick on the market, but the prevailing thought right now is that he’ll be closer to a second-round pick with a decent prospect when it is all said and done. The Jets might be one of those teams that swings big, but Barbashev makes sense in a number of ways. His acquisition cost won’t be exorbitant. He has positional versatility. He’s proven he can play with talented players at the top of the lineup given his 26-goal, 60-point season last year. And trading for him wouldn’t preclude the Jets from making another impactful move if they wanted.

Jakob Chychrun: Los Angeles Kings

Who swipes left?
To Los Angeles: Jakob Chychrun
To Arizona: 2023 1st Round Pick, 2024 1st Round Pick, Jordan Spence, Cal Petersen

It feels like at this point, the Kings’ interest in Chychrun – dating back nearly a full calendar year – has been a poorly kept secret. He also just makes sense from an acquisition standpoint, and the Kings are one of the teams with an embarrassment of riches capable of pulling it off. One NHL GM referred to the Kings’ blueline this week as a “bullpen for right-shot defensemen.” They’ve got too many of them. They need more lefties. Enter Chychrun, who is a dynamic shot threat on the power play. Losing Spence would hurt, but it would also open a spot potentially on the right side eventually for Brandt Clarke – or Sean Durzi to move over to his natural side – once they sort out a landing spot for Sean Walker or Matt Roy. In the meantime, rather than retain salary on Chychrun’s contract, they could have the Yotes take back Petersen’s contract – which they’re going to have to pay to move at some point anyway.