With the holidays over, and the Olympic break looming, we’re officially into trade season. How do we know? Well, because trades are happening! Okay, so Laurent Brossoit for Jake Furlong isn’t exactly a blockbuster, but it does get things rolling, right? With the trade deadline less than two weeks after everyone is back from the Olympics, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that general managers will want to get things done before the break.
Although the standings are still kind of compressed, GMs kind of know if their team really has what it takes to make a playoff run, or if it’s time to bail and start building up some assets. With that in mind, The Athletic put together their third version of their Trade Board. Will the Lightning pluck any players off of this list? If history is any indication, the answer is yes. So why not take a look and give our initial thoughts?
We cannot stress how little thought we put into this. We’re not going to worry about no-trade and no-move clauses. Cap hits are a consideration, but not a deal breaker. It is pure vibes time. So here we go!
- Kiefer Sherwood – Forward – Vancouver Canucks
- 30-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $1,500,000
- On pace for a career-season with 17 goals in 42 games, and carrying a $1.5 million cap hit, Sherwood is the hottest name on the block. He’s also shooting 5% above his career-norm and has spotty defensive metrics. Would he be worth bidding war considering he would be playing a reduced role for the Lightning?
- Andrew Mangiapane – Forward – Edmonton Oilers
- 29-years-old. Signed through 2026-27 at $3,600,000
- This really feels like a Julien BriseBois special doesn’t it? A forward with term that plays tough minutes and can thrive in a bottom-six role. Things haven’t worked out in Edmonton, but if he can get back to his 40-point pace while killing penalties he could have a nice impact on the roster.
- Rasmus Andersson – Right-shot Defenseman – Calgary Flames
- 29-years-old. Signed through 2025-26
- He’ll be on the top of the list for everyone coveting a defenseman, that means it’ll cost quite a bit to get him. The cap hit is reasonable and he would give the Bolts a solid right-side of the defense. JBB tends to like his trade pick-ups to have some term.
- Blake Coleman – Forward – Calgary Flames
- 34-years-old. Signed through 2026-27 at $4,900,000.
- We know the Lightning love a reunion, especially with members of the Cup teams, but will a 34-year-old Coleman have the same impact that a 28-year-old one did? He can still skate and defend, and would improve the bottom-six along with the penalty kill.
- Artemi Panarin – Forward – New York Rangers
- 34-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $11,642,857
- No way the Lightning can make this work, right? Probably, but imagine if they could. Artemi Panarin, Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov together on a line? A dangerous right-hand shot on the power play?
- Alex Tuch – Forward – Buffalo Sabres
- 29-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $4,750,000.
- Nothing has really changed since we wrote this except he’s a year older and a year closer to unrestricted free agency. Buffalo is banging on the playoff door and Tuch seems to have a strong attachment to the Sabres.
- Steven Stamkos – Forward – Nashville Predators
- 35-years-old. Signed through 2027-28 at $8,000,000.
- Nostalgia is a fantastic drug. Of his 18 goals this season, only 4 have come on the power play. Getting Nashville to retain enough of his salary to make it work would take some doing, and success this season doesn’t mean it will keep going.
- Luke Schenn – Right-shot Defenseman – Winnipeg Jets
- 36-years-old. Signed through $2,750,000
- Trading for Schenn would feel like a Plan B or C. He’s physical, he’s experienced, but he’s probably not an upgrade for the Lightning defense.
- Justin Faulk – Right-shot Defenseman – St. Louis Blues
- 33-years-old, signed through 2026-27 at $6,500,000
- Solid blueliner that can chip in some offense, but even if St. Louis covers some of that cap hit, it’s a lot for an older defender.
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Forward – Carolina Hurricanes
- 25-years-old. Signed through 2029-30 at $4,820,000
- He could be a buy-low candidate if Carolina is looking to move on, but there is a lot of risk that he is just an inconsistent player. He is a good skater that doesn’t shy away from playing defensive hockey who seems to have 20-goal potential that he never quite reaches.
- Robert Thomas – Forward – St. Louis Blues
- 26-years-old, signed through 2030-31 at $8,125,000
- The contract and importance to the Blues will probably price Thomas out of the Lightning’s range, but what an intriguing prospect if JBB could pull it off. A right-shot center winning 53% of his face-offs that can score and play defense?
- Connor Murphy – Right-shot Defenseman – Chicago Blackhawks
- 32-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $4,400,000
- Connor Murphay is a right-shot defenseman. Cool.
- Ondrej Palat – Forward – New Jersey Devils
- 34-years-old. Signed through 2026-27 at $6,000,000
- Remember what we said about nostalgia being a powerful thing? The Palat that Lightning fans is not the Palat that they would be trading for. He’s still a solid defenseman, but he doesn’t seem to have the offensive output to go along with it.
- Boone Jenner – Forward – Columbus Blue Jackets
- 32-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $3,750,000
- If Columbus is ready to deal their captain, he could be a useful pick-up for a team. Crashing in on the forecheck and causing chaos is a big part of his game. The price could be right and he plays the type of game the Lightning like.
- Jake DeBrusk – Forward – Vancouver Canucks
- 29-years-old. Signed through 2030-31 at $5,500,000
- Would fulfill our wish of having the son of a former Lightning player on the team. Plays the crash-the-net style that the Lightning like. On pace for his fourth 20+ goal season out of his last five.
- Logan Stanley – Left-shot Defenseman – Winnipeg Jets
- 27-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $1,250,000.
- Stanley is probably going to sign a decent contract this summer and brings some more offense from the blue line. He is shooting at 15.9% this season and his career average is 4.3%. Does he crack a left side of Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, J.J. Moser, Charle-Edouard D’Astous, and Emil Lilleberg?
- Carson Soucy – Left-shot Defenseman – New York Rangers
- 31-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $3,250,000
- A defensive defenseman who can flip-flop sides Soucy could be a nice pick-up if injuries keep one of the regulars out long-term. If everyone is healthy, he would be a nice depth pick-up depending on the price to acquire him.
- Jordan Binnington – Goaltender – St. Louis Blues
- 32-years-old. Signed through 2026-27 at $6,000,000
- Ha – no. Nothing to see here (although Coop really likes the guy).
- Nazem Kadri – Forward – Calgary Flames
- 35-years-old. Signed through 2028-29 at $7,000,000
- It would be an expensive and long-term commitment, but he is tough to play against, would give the Lightning a 60-point depth forward who has had success in the playoffs (44 points in 42 games).
- Dougie Hamilton – Right-shot Defenseman – New Jersey Devils
- 32-years-old. Signed through 2027-28 at $9,000,000
- No thanks. Seems like a nice guy, but no. Just no.
- Brett Kulak – Left-shot Defenseman – Pittsburgh Penguins
- 32-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $2,750,000
- Remember when the Lightning traded a first-round pick for David Savard? Yes, they won a Cup with him, but did he really contribute a lot?
- Laurent Brossoit – Goaltender – San Jose Sharks
- 32-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $3,300,000
- Unless Jonas Johansson falls into the channel and floats away to Europe this isn’t happening.
- Mario Ferraro – Left-shot Defenseman – San Jose Sharks
- 27-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $3,250,000
- His name came up last season when we were contemplating some trade deadline pick-ups. It’s been a bit of a down year for him (especially compared to last season). While he would be a pending free agent, he’s the type of solid, puck-blocking defenseman that provides depth on a Stanley Cup defender.
- Nick Leddy – Left-shot Defenseman – San Jose Sharks
- 34-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $4,000,000
- The appealing part of Leddy would be that the cost to bring him probably wouldn’t be much. Maybe a mid-round pick or a mid-tier prospect. He’d provide a little depth and give the Lightning another puck-carrying defender. It kind of feels like it would be similar to the Matt Dumba deal from a couple of years ago.
- Brayden Schenn – Forward – St. Louis Blues
- 34-years-old. Signed through 2027-28 at $6,500,000
- It’s a big cap hit for a player that probably doesn’t crack the top-nine for the Lightning.
- Ryan O’Reilly – Forward – Nashville Predators
- 34-years-old. Signed through 2026-27 at $4,500,000.
- If O’Reilly wants to leave Nashville, which isn’t a given, he’ll have plenty of suitors. A career average of 55.6% in the face-off dot along with his 200-foot game is very enticing.
- Matias Maccelli – Forward – Toronto Maple Leafs
- 25-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $3,425,000
- The winger seemed to be on the rise a couple of seasons ago, but has stalled out. Not sure he would have a role where he makes the Lightning a better team.
- Evander Kane – Forward – Vancouver Canucks
- 34-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $5,125,000
- Brings physicality and experience to the line-up, but is he an upgrade to the roster for the cap hit? Can play up and down the line-up. Can he stay healthy enough to make an impact?
- Lukas Reichel – Forward – Vancouver Canucks
- 23-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 and then a RFA
- Trade deadline pick-up? Probably not, but it feels like a player JBB might go after in the summer.
- Ryan Hartman – Forward – Minnesota Wild
- 31-years-old. Signed through 2026-27 at $4,000,000
- Bill Guerin is reportedly mulling an improvement in his center depth. While the Wild have some cap room, they may need to clear some salary to make an impact move. Hartman, who can play up and down the line-up, could help him with that. He plays physical (sometimes crossing the line) and has scored in the past.
- Jonathan Marchessault – Forward – Nashville Predators
- 35-years-old. Signed through 2028-29 at $5,500,000
- Things have not gone well for Marchessault in Nashville. Could he turn it around in a new location? At $5.5 million a year, that’s a big risk to take, especially for a player who can be one-dimensional at times.
- Bryan Rust – Forward – Pittsburgh Penguins
- 33-years-old. Signed through 2027-28 at $5,125,000
- A right-shot forward that is used to playing with high-end talent? The Penguins are hanging around a playoff spot, but if they start to drop out, he could be a nice fit for the Lightning as a 200-foot forward that can skate and forecheck.
- Brad Lambert – Forward – Winnipeg Jets
- 22-years-old. Signed through 2026-27 at $886,66 and then a RFA
- Like Reichel, if the Lightning are interested in the fast-skating Lambert they can work something out with Winnipeg in the summer. Lambert would add to the prospect depth and could be a change-of-scenery candidate.
- Brennan Othmann – Forward – New York Rangers
- 23-years-old. Signed through 2025-26 at $863,333 then a RFA
- He has a good shot and fights hard for the puck. The Rangers have given him a few chances this year, but he’s failed to keep a spot. Again, probably something worth visiting in the summer if the Rangers don’t package him in a deal for someone to help them this season.
- Jordan Kyrou – Forward – St. Louis Blues
- 27-years-old. Signed through 2030-31 at $8,125,000
- See Thomas, Robert.
