Who's Next?: NHL Players on the Trade Block After Mikko Rantanen Blockbuster

We're more than a month out from the NHL's March 7 trade deadline, but things have already kicked off with the biggest in-season blockbuster in recent memory.

If you haven't heard, Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall are now on the Carolina Hurricanes—both recorded assists in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the New York Rangers. Meanwhile, Jack Drury and Martin Necas are with the Colorado Avalanche, and both already have multiple points (Drury: two goals, Necas: four assists) for Colorado.

A deal this huge this early on sets a tone, and we will see more dominos fall ahead of March 7. Some of them might be expected, while others might catch us all by surprise.

There were rumblings that Rantanen could be on the move if the Avalanche couldn't get an extension done, and plenty of others are in that situation headed into the deadline. Who could be the next NHL player on the trading block?

John Gibson has been a Duck his entire 12-season NHL career, which has included four playoff runs—but none since 2018. The 31-year-old goaltender has been solid through the team's ups and downs and has been involved in trade rumors for years through the current rebuild.

Could this be the year Anaheim finally deals him away?

The Ducks seemed poised to take a bigger step forward this season, but they're nowhere near a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Lukas Dostal has emerged ahead of schedule as the franchises' bright future in net. In a perfect world, this is a 1A-1B tandem on a playoff team, but the Ducks aren't there yet, and Gibson has two more seasons on his contract after this one.

Would a contender in need of a rock-solid second goaltender take on his $6.4 million cap hit? With the salary retention we've been seeing in recent deals, this could be the year.

Contenders need centers, and Seattle's Yanni Gourde needs a contract. The 33-year-old impending UFA has a $5.16 million cap hit, and if extension talks aren't going well, the Kraken could explore their options via trade instead of losing him to free agency.

Gourde's situation is a bit tricky. He just returned from a monthlong stint on long-term injured reserve. He's had a down year beyond that, with six goals and 16 points in 35 games and decreased time on the ice.

Still, he's got that veteran playoff resume coveted in a rental this time of year, and it's slim pickings in the center category. You could see a team in need of playoff experience, leadership vibes and center depth go for it.

When we talk about "depth" scoring for a legit contender in an increasingly productive league, we're talking about what Mikael Granlund can provide.

Granlund's leading the struggling Sharks with 15 goals and 44 points in 51 games. He's versatile as a wing or a center, he's got the defensive chops to play in high-risk situations, and he's got a reasonable cap hit at $5 million.

What if the devastatingly injured Minnesota Wild were to reunite with the impending UFA? It'd be tricky given the Wild's dead-cap situation, plus the Sharks have already used their salary retention spots. But we're seeing three-way deals often now, so who knows?

Regardless, to keep or to trade Granlund will be a difficult call for the Sharks. Will Smith isn't quite ready to be a top-six center, and you want to surround young stars with good-example players. But the Sharks are still very much rebuilding and could get a decent package for Granlund. He'll be looking for a raise as his contract expires.

You guessed it—we've got another impending free agent. This time it's 28-year-old Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson.

Pettersson's probably Pittsburgh's best bet at a decent return if Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are off the table. He carries a $4.025 million cap hit, which is pretty modest for his top-four capabilities. He's large, he's effective, and he's the type of defense-first defenseman who isn't useless on offense.

Given the lack of defensemen on the market and the constant need for deep defensive stability, the Penguins might be able to snag a first-rounder out of Pettersson if they play their cards right.

The Islanders have had an interesting few weeks. They're 8-2-0 in their last 10, they're riding a five-game winning streak and they've recently acquired two defensemen in Tony DeAngelo and Scott Perunovich.

Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello isn't exactly one to make noise at the trade deadline—especially when the team is still technically in the playoff race and climbing. If the Islanders lose their current momentum, though, could a Brock Nelson trade be in the cards?

The 33-year-old center is an impending UFA, and if Lou is taking calls, he'll probably be a top-three center available at the deadline. Nelson's going to be 34 next season, he'll be aiming high for his next contract, and the Islanders are in well-documented cap trouble.

You have to think the Islanders will at least hear offers on Nelson, who's got 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 49 games.

Then there's right-winger Kyle Palmieri, somehow yet another 33-year-old impending free agent. He's got 12 goals and 32 points in 49 games He'd be a decent depth rental at a $5 million cap hit for a team that has everything except that one secret weapon of a second- or third-line scorer.

The Sabres once again find themselves outside of the playoff picture, weighing their trade deadline selling options.

Word on the street is teams are calling about 23-year-old center Dylan Cozens, who's on the second of seven seasons with a $7.1 million cap hit. Cozens has struggled a bit since inking the contract (to be fair, Buffalo has that effect), and has 10 goals and 26 points in 50 games.

If I'm Sabres management, I'm hearing teams out for Cozens and freeing up this cap space. You get the feeling a change of scenery could benefit everyone.

Just when we got two straight wins from the Canucks and thought we had two days without any nonsense, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford decided to hit the press circuit.

Rutherford told the Globe and Mail Tuesday that he doesn't think there's a "good solution" that would keep this core together.

"I felt like for a long time that there was a solution here because everybody has worked on it (the rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller), including the parties involved," Rutherford said. "But it only gets resolved for a short period and then it festers again and so it certainly appears like there's not a good solution that would keep this group together."

Reports of the Canucks testing the market for star centers Pettersson and Miller have been ongoing for more than a month.

Miller's got the more manageable contract with an $8 million cap hit with five more years on it, he's got a sort of playoff edge a contender might seek out, and he's got some versatility playing center or wing wherever in the top six. He's also 32.

Meanwhile, there's more pressure to get a perfect return from franchise cornerstone Pettersson, and there's less of an ability to trade him to a deadline buyer given the length and cost of his freshly inked long-term deal.

The whole mess has impacted both players' market values, with trade partners pulling out of close deals for both on back-to-back weekends. On one hand, it's good for the Canucks that they're exploring every option, and multiple trade talks are happening. On the other, it's a daily drama happening while teams like the Canes opt to trade for different players.

It'll be fascinating to see who the Canucks decide to deal with and what type of return it yields.