Nikolaj Ehlers could be on the trade block this offseason, as he’s got just one year remaining on his contract before he will hit unrestricted free agency. If he is unwilling to extend his deal beyond this season with the Winnipeg Jets, they could be looking to maximize his value and trade him as early as this offseason.
Plenty of teams will be calling to ask about the dynamic 28-year-old winger who just posted 61 points in 82 games this season. Here are four potential teams across the NHL who could be sending trade offers for Ehlers with a clear fit in place.
Carolina Hurricanes
It seems as though every time Ehlers’ name comes up in a potential trade discussion, the Carolina Hurricanes are labelled as a team that could be interested. I’m doing the same here, as after coming off of a second-round loss to the New York Rangers, the Hurricanes could be looking to add Ehlers to their top six, where a handful of players could be leaving this offseason.
Jake Guentzel and Teuvo Teravainen are pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), while Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas are pending restricted free agents (RFAs). Guentzel’s price tag on the open market may be too rich for the Hurricanes’ liking, and Necas could be looking at a change of scenery. Given the situations with those two wingers, they could look to acquire Ehlers to give them another scoring option up front.
Ehlers would also be a perfect fit for the Hurricanes system. He’s a dominant transition player who enters the zone at an elite level, dominates the share of shots and expected goals when he is on the ice at five-on-five and can thrive in a top-line role. Those qualities make him a fit for any system, but especially so for the Canes, who routinely outshoot their opponents and aim to play a possession-style game.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators make this list for mostly one reason, and it is because of defenceman Jakob Chychrun. The 26-year-old left-handed defender has been in trade talks for seemingly his entire career, and he faces a similar situation to Ehlers, with just one year remaining on his contract at $4.6 million.
With the Senators needing to move off of a left-handed defenceman with Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson in the mix, and the Jets needing another piece to bolster their top four, the fit is clearly there for both sides to make a potential swap work.
The Senators have failed to make the playoffs since their Eastern Conference Finals run in 2017. Adding Ehlers could give them a scoring boost to their top six and hopefully outscore their goaltending issues, which were on full display last season.
Another variable that makes this trade more likely, is if the Jets target draft capital over an impact player, the Senators have two first-round picks. Their seventh overall pick is off the table, but their other selection is originally the Boston Bruins first-rounder and that pick sits at 25th overall. A package could be built around that pick with prospects included if the Jets are looking to get back into the first round.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are another team who have a clear need for a scoring winger, and the assets to get a deal done with the Jets. Just recently, they traded back two spots in the first round and now hold the 20th overall pick, along with two second-round picks (Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings). That more than fills the draft capital need if that’s the route the Jets choose.
Related: Islanders’ Perfect 2024 Offseason Trade Target Is Nikolaj Ehlers
If they choose to target a top-four, right-handed shot defenceman, Ryan Pulock more than fits the mould. He’s a 29-year-old defender who is signed through the 2029-30 season with a full no-move clause. However, the Dauphin, Manitoba product may waive that no-trade clause to play in his home province if a deal were to get done.
Pulock’s shutdown-defensive abilities could make him the perfect defence partner for Josh Morrissey, similar to Dylan DeMelo, who is likely to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1. With DeMelo and Brenden Dillon likely to hit the open market, the Jets will be looking for stability on their blueline, and Pulock’s long-term contract would provide that.
While his no-move clause is likely to present issues, a potential deal for a Pulock or Chychrun-type of defender makes a ton of sense as the return for Ehlers. The Jets have been in the market for a top-four right-handed defender ever since Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba left town, and this could be the summer they acquire one.
Seattle Kraken
The final team on the list is the Seattle Kraken, who find themselves on this list due to a stylistic fit. The Kraken have been labelled as an “analytically driven” organization, and if you haven’t looked recently, Ehlers’ analytics have always told the story of an elite, top-line winger. The Kraken making a move for Ehlers to bolster their top-six for the present and future would be very on brand.
There is one issue with the Kraken being a potential trade target, and that is a trade package is hard to project. They currently hold the eighth overall pick in the 2024 Entry Draft, which is too rich for Ehlers’ services. Assets the Jets may be interested in include Adam Larsson, a 31-year-old right-hand shot defenceman with one year left on his contract and a modified 10-team no-trade list.
The Kraken also hold two second-round picks in the draft (Kraken, New York Rangers) which could help the Jets replenish their lack of picks. Whichever way you look at it, the Kraken do not have as many valuable assets as some of the other teams on this list, but they may look to make this move anyway, given Ehlers’ analytics and a likely great fit within their system.
