Whenever NHL fans talk potential trades—whether it be rumor, speculation or just fantasy stuff—the "untouchable players" always get mentioned.
We want this player on our team, but we are not giving up this player to make it happen.
Teams no doubt have their own list of untouchables, but it is probably not as extensive as you might think. Pretty much anybody can get moved if the price is right, and most players have a price. Some are just more expensive than others.
A few things stand out in what makes a player untouchable.
Production, talent and overall value to the team is at the top of the list. Fifty-goal scorers do not exactly grow on trees, and teams probably aren't going to let them get away. Same is true for a Norris Trophy-level defender or a Vezina-level goalie.
Age and contract also play a big role. A top-tier player at a valuable position who is still in their prime or signed to a cap-friendly contract has enormous value.
There is also the handful of players who are not only productive, talented and valuable but are also just destined to play their entire career with one team.
With all of that in mind, let's get into it. Every NHL team's most untouchable player.
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins: David Pastrnak
In years past, this title would belong to Patrice Bergeron, but he is near the end of his career and appears set on either playing in Boston or retiring. Meanwhile, Pastrnak has developed into the Bruins' most dynamic offensive player and is one of the best goal scorers in the league. He is also still in the prime of his career and just signed an eight-year, $90 million contract extension to keep him from free agency. He is not going anywhere.
Buffalo Sabres: Tage Thompson
You could make a strong argument for Rasmus Dahlin or maybe even Owen Power given their role on defense, as well as their upside. But Thompson has rapidly turned into one of the most dominant forces in the entire NHL, bringing a nearly unmatched combination of size and skill to the ice. He has scored 82 goals since the start of the 2021-22 season and has given the Sabres' latest rebuild a much-needed jolt of energy. He is now the franchise player.
Detroit Red Wings: Moritz Seider
Seider is one of the key pieces to Steve Yzerman's rebuild in Detroit. He turns 22 in early April, and Stanley Cup contenders need a defenseman who can play shutdown defense and provide some scoring punch from the blue line. Seider has the ability to do all of that. Yzerman knows the impact a defenseman like that can have on a team from his days running the Tampa Bay Lightning with Victor Hedman, and Seider has the potential to be that player in Detroit.
Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov
Barkov is one of the best all-around players in hockey and does everything you want a No. 1 center to do at only 27 years old. He has averaged well over a point per game since the start of the 2017-18 season and is one of the best defensive players in the league, finishing in the top five of the league's Selke Trophy voting four times and winning it in the 2020-21 season. The Panthers have him signed long-term for $10 million per year.
Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki
You could go with either Suzuki or Cole Caufield here, and neither answer would be wrong. Both players are not only outstanding young talents but figure to be major parts of the Canadiens' long-term outlook. But we are going to give the untouchable tag to Suzuki because he is in the first year of an eight-year, $63 million contract and is already the captain of the team at 23 years old. He has been a 20-plus-goal, 60-plus-point forward the past two years, and his best days might still be ahead of him.
Ottawa Senators: Tim Stützle
It is not often that a team can trade a player as good as Erik Karlsson and still get a great return, but the Senators managed to pull that off a couple of years ago. One of the key pieces to that deal was a first-round pick that turned out to be the No. 3 overall selection in the 2020 class. They used that pick on tützle, and he has rapidly become one of their cornerstone players. He is still only 21 years old, just topped the 80-point mark, is already an outstanding possession driver and is locked into a long-term contract (eight years, $8.35 million per season) that should prove to be a steal against the cap as he continues to enter his prime. You do not trade this guy.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Andrei Vasilevskiy
The Lightning could have multiple answers. Steven Stamkos? Legacy player and team captain. Nikita Kucherov? Dominant offensive force. Brayden Point? Another dominant offensive force. Victor Hedman? One of the best all-around defensemen of his era. All of them are multiple-time Stanley Cup champions. But Vasilevskiy is the best goalie of his generation. As good as the other players mentioned here are, the Lightning played a full season without Kucherov and were still a top team. They won a Stanley Cup getting about five minutes of playoff hockey from Stamkos. They would not have had that same level of success without Vasilevskiy, and at 28 he still has some excellent years ahead of him.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews
It is actually not hard to imagine a scenario where Auston Matthews ultimately ends up playing for a team that is not the Toronto Maple Leafs. But if that does happen, it will be by way of free agency in a few years. It is not going to be through a trade. Matthews has been the focal point of the Maple Leafs' organization the past seven years and is one of the most dominant goal scorers in the league. The only thing that kept him from consistently hitting the 40-goal mark early in his career was injuries. When he stayed healthy and got a full season, he led the league in back-to-back years and is still probably going to score 40 in a "down" year.