The all-star weekend celebrations are finished, some teams are coming off their bye weeks, while others will follow in a few days. It's Feb. 6, which means we are less than a month away from the NHL trade deadline on March 3.
The flat salary cap will surely still impact this year's events. Over half the league is using LTIR and teams with millions in cap room are few and far between. Buyers may have to get creative, unless the market swings to favour them on the last deadline day before the salary cap is anticipated to rise again.
The buyers are still being separated from the sellers, though some teams already know which camp they're in. The Canucks started to sell when they dealt captain Bo Horvat to the Islanders last week, while New York became a buyer sitting on the outside of the playoff picture.
The coming weeks may determine what many other teams do, but the Horvat deal opened the door to other moves, which could start coming any day now.
Here is a look at 30 trade candidates who you're going to hear about in the coming weeks.
John Klingberg, D, Anaheim Ducks
After leaving Dallas as a free agent, Klingberg signed a one-year pact with rebuilding Anaheim to establish his value, but it's been a bit of a struggle to 17 points in 42 games. He's been their No. 2 defenceman to Cam Fowler. Despite getting heavy shift starts in the offensive zone, Klingberg has one of the worst expected goals percentage rates on the Ducks. A pure offensive player, Klingberg may nonetheless attract a buyer who needs help on the power play.
Jakob Chychrun, D, Arizona Coyotes
Once again the Coyotes don't have to move Chychrun, who has two more seasons left on his contract, but after this season they lose some control over the situation as Chychrun's modified no-trade clause kicks in. The ask has been high for Chychrun, but will it need to come down a little to find a trade partner?
Karel Vejmelka, G, Arizona Coyotes
His age, 26, and manageable AAV with term make him an attractive asset, and his stats back it up. In Year 2 as Arizona's starter, Vejmelka has a 13-7-4 record with a .907 save percentage and 3.19 GAA. By MoneyPuck's Goals Saved Above Expected measure — which considers shots against quality and team defence — Vejmelka ranks eighth overall. The Coyotes won't be under pressure to deal him though, and may hold on to him past March 3.