With the offseason now underway for most of the NHL, all teams will face difficult decisions in the coming weeks. Whether it is deciding on a draft strategy or bringing back a beloved veteran, no decision is easy for an NHL front office. This is especially true when discussing young talent, as no general manager wants to be known as the person who gave up on a young player too early. This offseason more than ever, many teams will face difficult questions regarding their youth, so who are some of the players who could be shipped out?
Timothy Liljegren
The Toronto Maple Leafs remain in the media following their Round 1 elimination by the Boston Bruins. In a season that was viewed as Cup-or-bust that resulted in disappointment, Toronto’s front office now has multiple crucial decisions to make. While much of the focus is on the “Core Four,” the rest of the roster is presumably at risk of being moved. One name to keep an eye on is the 2017 17th overall selection, Timothy Liljegren.
Liljegren was a top-five prospect heading into his draft year and suffered an injury that caused him to drop to the Maple Leafs at pick 17. Now three full seasons into his NHL career, the 25-year-old defenseman may be on his way to a new team. The Maple Leafs can no longer wait for him to find his game and could look to trade him in a package to upgrade their defense. Plenty of teams would have interest in Liljegren, so it will come down to finding fair value and a good fit in a trade.
Martin Necas
It was reported on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast by Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek earlier this season that the Carolina Hurricanes could be forced into moving on from 25-year-old forward Martin Necas. The two cite the team’s pressing salary cap issues and acquisition of Jake Guentzel as reasons Necas could be the odd man out this offseason. Whether it would be the right move or not is debatable, but Carolina is definitely going to have some tough decisions to make this offseason.
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Necas is a pending restricted free agent and could make north of $7 million on his next contract. He has the passing, shooting, defense, and skating to sustain success at the NHL level, and every team would have an interest in the young forward. Since Carolina has such a strong crop of young forwards, losing Necas would not be detrimental, but it would hurt a lot.
Oliver Wahlstrom
Oliver Wahlstrom had a disastrous season for the New York Islanders and is likely to join a new team this offseason. He suffered a torn ACL in the 2022-23 season and regressed in his skating this past season. As well, there is no room for him in the Islanders’ top nine and the team is not going to wait around and prioritize his development. The sniper is likely to have tons of interest league-wide and could return a mid-round draft pick.
Erik Brannstrom
Another team likely to make changes to their roster is the Ottawa Senators. 2023-24 was supposed to be the season the team took the leap and made the playoffs, but it was instead a disaster, finishing 13 points out of a playoff spot and firing their head coach in the process. Now with a new head coach and ownership, the team is likely to make a few changes, and Erik Brannstrom is going to be at the top of the list of players on the trade block.
Brannstrom was the major piece going to Ottawa in the Mark Stone trade, but he has struggled to live up to his potential so far. The 24-year-old has a career-high of just three goals and 20 points, and the Senators’ patience in the defenseman could be running thin. Given the defense is one of the team’s more pressing issues, Brannstrom is likely to be used as trade bait to upgrade the defense. His value is hard to gauge, but Ottawa is most definitely going to be assessing all of their options this offseason.
Marco Rossi
Marco Rossi’s journey to the NHL has been unlike any other, overcoming adversity on and off the ice. After getting diagnosed with myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle that can reduce its ability to pump or cause an abnormal heartbeat, he was unsure if he would play professional hockey again. Not only has the former top prospect returned to the ice, but he has shined, breaking out this past season with 21 goals and 40 points for the Minnesota Wild. Now, the team is considering moving the soon-to-be 23-year-old forward, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Russo states Minnesota would not be moving him as a result of his ability and potential, but rather his long-term fit. He states the team’s long-term cap situation and needs for size and speed as a factor in trading Rossi. If the team does not believe he will develop into the player they want him to be in Minnesota, now is the best time to capitalize on his value to obtain a valuable return. Moving on from Rossi would be a massive gamble, but for the right return, it could be a wise trade for Minnesota. However, there has been minimal speculation on a Rossi trade from other insiders, so this is likely to be just speculation for now.
Rasmus Kupari
The Pierre-Luc Dubois trade from the Winnipeg Jets to the Los Angeles Kings is looking to be leaning heavily in Winnipeg’s favor, but that is not because of Rasmus Kupari’s play. Kupari struggled immensely in his one season in Winnipeg, and that may be all the time he will spend with the franchise.
Kupari was Los Angeles’ 20th overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft and had just one point in 28 games with Winnipeg this past season. He struggled to solidify a spot in the lineup and did not provide much on the defensive front. The Jets will likely try to provide a change of scenery to the 24-year-old, finding a team that could prioritize his development. If there are no trade suitors, he would likely spend the 2024-25 season in the American Hockey League with the Manitoba Moose or return to Kärpät of the Liiga to develop his game.
One similarity with all of the players mentioned above is no fanbase is going to want to move on from these former top prospects. They were all selected in the first round for a reason yet are now trade candidates for varying reasons. Whether it be salary cap concerns or a need for a change of scenery, each of these players is in a position to find new homes for next season potentially.
