2018-19 NHL trade deadline: Which players could still be dealt?

The second half of the 2018-19 NHL schedule has kicked off as teams around the ice look to make a strong run to the playoffs. With just over a week left before the 2018-19 NHL trade deadline, many teams in both the NHL Eastern and Western Conferences will look to make a move to solidify their roster while making a run at the Stanley Cup.

Entering Presidents’ Day, 13 clubs in the Eastern Conference sat at or above the .500 mark, while seven different clubs in the Western Conference sat within five points of one another for the final two wildcard spots.

With as many teams left in play, the big question is which teams will look to deal players to strengthen their roster and which teams will stay put while avoiding giving up a player to help another club. Here are a few of the potential NHL players who could be dealt before the NHL trade deadline on February 25th, 2019.

Artemi Panarin, Left Winger – Columbus Blue Jackets

While the Blue Jackets are currently holding strong in the third spot in the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, the club are looking to add a weapon who is under a longer contract and additional draft picks for Artemi Panarin, who is on the final year of his current contract. Panarin enters Presidents’ Day with 24 goals and 43 assists on the year, and he might be the big name to watch prior to the trade deadline as the Blue Jackets look to avoid not getting anything in return if he elects to find a new club in free agency later on.

Matt Duchene, Center & Mark Stone, Right Winger – Ottawa Senators

Here are two potential weapons that could be on the move prior to the trade deadline, as the Senators sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division at 22-32 while posting the fewest points (49) in the Eastern Conference. While the team could elect to keep Stone, Duchene is nearly certain to be dealt as he becomes a free agent after the season. Entering Monday, Duchene had 27 goals and 29 assists on the season. If the club elects to move Stone, a team could be willing to give up some nice young weapons for a player who has 27 goals and 32 assists on the season.

Andre Burakovsky, Left Winger – Washington Capitals

This might not be a name that you would consider to be newsworthy, but the Capitals winger is a talented weapon who has fallen out of the Capitals’ rotation. Despite having just 16 points on the year, the 24-year-old has shown potential over the past few seasons, posting two terms with over 30 points. The Capitals left winger also showed during the Capitals’ Stanley Cup run last season that he can play in the big games, posting two goals and four assists.

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings

It will be interesting to see what the Red Wings elect to do prior to the trade deadline as they continue to sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The team could turn their attention to the 2019-20 season while electing to keep their core intact, or they could decide to make a few trades to add some draft picks. If this is the case, one name that should have a ton of calls coming in is center Dylan Larkin. Larkin currently sits with 24 goals and 31 assists through the team’s first 59 contests this season.

Other players who could be dealt prior to the 2018-19 NHL trade deadline include Jakob Silfverberg, Jesse Puljujarvi and Michael Ferland.