Over the next week, pending unrestricted free agents – or "rentals" – will be swapped from Team A to Team B as buyers buy and sellers sell in advance of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline. There's a predictable progression to it all.
What's less predictable is the fate of non-rentals. Deals involving players under team control are often classified as "change of scenery" moves, as at least one player involved is being flipped after a period of diminished ice time or poor performance. Usually, this non-rental has failed to meet lofty expectations set by a high draft slot or strong start to a pro career.
The players discussed below could be traded within the next week, or in the offseason, or never. What connects all eight: It's time for a change and multiple teams should be trying to acquire the player.
(Note: We excluded Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana from this exercise because their respective situations have been well publicized.)
Brock Boeser, Canucks
2022-23 stats: 10 goals, 27 assists in 50 games (16:55 average)
Contract status: $6.65M cap hit, signed through 2024-25
Boeser, who turned 26 on Saturday, has been through the wringer in Vancouver.
Off the ice, Boeser could only watch from afar as his father's health worsened over multiple years, ultimately leading to his death in 2022. On the ice, he's endured plenty of scoring slumps and injury rehabs, while two playoff series wins in the 2020 playoff bubble count as the lone marker of team success.
Despite producing at a 30-goal pace three times, Boeser's never reached the 30-goal mark in six seasons because he's exceeded 70 games only once. The right winger can truly wire the puck and has utility as a secondary trigger man on the power play. The longstanding conundrum: if Boeser isn't scoring goals, what is he doing to add value?
In order to move Boeser – whose agent has been trying to broker a trade for several months – Vancouver likely needs to retain salary. His hometown team, the Minnesota Wild, is a possible landing spot. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Wednesday the Flames have "kicked tires" on Boeser and the Capitals also appear to be interested.