This week’s rankings will break down the best player on every roster that was acquired via trade. Obviously, some teams have multiple players that could’ve been on this list and some haven’t made a splash that way in quite a while.
The player’s are ranked by their performance this year but we have to take into account what they’ve done on the ice since moving to their current team. We did put a premium on the 2021-22 season though.
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Here is this week’s list:
1 - Adam Fox – D – New York Rangers:
We give the Rangers credit for making this move, but Fox didn’t want to play anywhere else but New York. They got his rights from Carolina for just second-rounder and a conditional third. That move has paid off in a massive way, as he won the Norris Trophy last year. He has 61 points in 58 games this year.
2 - Mark Stone – F – Vegas Golden Knights:
When you try to find the best trade acquisition on the Golden Knights roster, you have a lot of options. We’re going to go with the injured Mark Stone. He’s one of the best two-way players in the game. He has 28 points in 28 games this season, and he’ll become an immediate impact player whenever he comes back.
3 - Ryan O’Reilly – F – St. Louis Blues:
O’Reilly helped take the Blues to another level and led them to a Stanley Cup. His offensive production has dipped this year, but it’s too soon to write him off just yet. The 31-year-old has 39 points in 57 games, but he was almost a point-per-game player last season (54 points in 56 outings).
4 - J.T. Miller- F – Vancouver Canucks:
Miller has been on the trade market for most of the season, but it would be silly for Vancouver to move him now. He has 73 points in 61 games, and he’s simply playing so well. The Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t lost many trades over the last few years, but this is one they couldn’t come out on top on. Of course, trading Miller away had more to do with the fact that they couldn’t fit him under their cap.
5 - Nazem Kadri – F – Colorado Avalanche:
Kadri’s put together multiple 30-goal seasons, but he’s taken his game to another level this season. On a team that features Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar, it’s Kadri that leads them in scoring. He has a ridiculous 74 points in 59 games, which is already a career-high. Kadri is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season.
6 - Patrik Laine – F – Columbus Blue Jackets:
Last year’s blockbuster saw Laine go to Columbus while Pierre-Luc Dubois went to Winnipeg. The trade has panned out well for both teams. Laine has an impressive 25 goals and 48 points in 44 games for the Jackets this year. Now, they just have to find a way to re-sign him this summer.
7 - Teuvo Teravainen – F – Carolina Hurricanes:
All the Hurricanes had to give up for Teravainen was a second and third-round pick, but they also had to take on Bryan Bickell’s contract. The 27-year-old has 47 points in 56 games this season. He’s had campaigns of 64, 76 and 63 points since joining Carolina.
8 - Sam Reinhart – F – Florida Panthers:
Reinhart had some good seasons in Buffalo, but he’s taken his game to another level in Florida. He’s obviously playing with better players and that’s helped his production. He has an impressive 60 points in 59 games this season. This could be the year Florida makes a long playoff run.
9 - Blake Wheeler – F – Winnipeg Jets:
So, technically, the Jets didn’t trade for Wheeler, but the Atlanta Thrashers did. The 35-year-old is still very productive even though his goal total has dipped. He has 45 points in 48 games, and he continues to be an important leader for this organization. Pierre-Luc Dubois
10 - Nick Suzuki – F – Montreal Canadiens:
Suzuki came to the Canadiens from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Max Pacioretty trade. That’s a deal that has worked out well for both organizations. Suzuki is a smart player that will be able to put up points for his team. The 22-year-old has already formed a nice duo with sniper Cole Caufield.
11 - Brent Burns – D – San Jose Sharks:
The Burns trade from Minnesota to San Jose occurred nearly 11 years ago, but it’s one that has paid off in a big way for the Sharks. His offensive totals have come down, but he still has 40 points through 61 points this season. He’s been one of the top offensive defenders in the game over the last decade.
12 - Seth Jones – D – Chicago Blackhawks:
The Blackhawks invested a lot of money and assets into acquiring Jones last off-season, but it hasn’t paid dividends so far. Jones is third on the team in scoring, with 40 points, but the Blackhawks aren’t in the playoff picture in the West. That’s not all on Jones though.
13 - Mikhail Sergachev – D – Tampa Bay Lightning:
Sergachev was an important part of Tampa’s back-to-back Stanley Cup victories. He was acquired from Montreal for Jonathan Drouin, which is now obviously considered a steal for Tampa. He has 31 points in 56 outings this season.
14 - Kevin Fiala – F – Minnesota Wild:
Fiala has officially set a new career-high with 55 points in 60 games so far this season. He needs just four more goals to set a new career-high in that category. Fiala will be a resctricted free agent at the end of the year and it’ll be interesting to see what his next contract looks like.
15 - T.J. Oshie – F – Washington Capitals:
The Caps acquired Oshie from St. Louis in July of 2015. All they had to give up was Troy Brouwer, Pheonix Copley and a third-rounder. That will go down as one of the better trades in the franchise’s history for sure. Oshie has 20 points in 28 games this season. He was a huge part of Washington’s Stanley Cup run in 2018.
16 - Tage Thompson – F – Buffalo Sabres:
Thompson came over in the Ryan O’Reilly trade, which the Sabres will never win. But he’s actually been a quality player for Buffalo so far this season. Thompson leads the team in goals (25) and points (45). The 6-foot-7, 218-pounder is developing into a solid center for this struggling franchise.
17 - Cam Atkinson – F – Philadelphia Flyers:
The Flyers got Atkinson from Columbus for Jakub Voracek, and Philadelphia has done well on the deal. He leads the team in goals (23) and points (47) in his first year with them. The 32-year-old has three years left on his deal at a cap hit of just under $6 million, which might make him tough to trade.
18 - Taylor Hall – F – Boston Bruins:
Hall hasn’t produced as much as he did when he was named the NHL MVP a few years ago, but he’s counted on as a secondary scorer in Boston. He has 13 goals and 45 points in 62 games this season. For the Bruins to go all the way, they’ll need scoring beyond the Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak line.
19 - Tyler Seguin – F – Dallas Stars:
Most of Dallas’ veterans have seen their production dip over the last little while, and Seguin is one of those players. He has 18 goals and 16 assists in 59 games. The 30-year-old was limited to just three games due to injury last year and he hasn’t had a “big” year since 2018-19. Seguin shouldn’t be written off just yet though.
20 - Nick Schmaltz – F – Arizona Coyotes:
Schmaltz is putting together the best season of his career, as he has 42 points through 42 games in 2021-22. The Coyotes are a long way away from being competitive, but they do have some good players like Schmaltz and Clayton Keller. The ‘Yotes got Schmaltz from Chicao for Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini.
21 - Tyler Toffoli – F – Calgary Flames:
The Flames recently acquired Toffoli from the Canadiens, and that has acquisition has paid immediate divideds. He has eight goals and 14 points in just 16 games since joining the Flames. Toffoli has two years remining on his current deal at an incredibly reasonable price of $4.25 million.
22 - Josh Norris – F – Ottawa Senators:
Norris landed in Ottawa as a part of that blockbuster deal that sent Erik Karlsson to San Jose. Norris currently leads the Sens in goals, with 26, and he’s third on the team in scoring (36 points). Those totals are both career-highs for the 22-year-old.
23 - Ryan Johansen – F – Nashville Predators:
Johansen’s tenure in Nashville has been a bit of a disappointment, but he’s been better this year. The 29-year-old has 16 goals and 45 points in 59 games this season. He had never scored more than 15 goals during his time in Nashville.
24 - Jeff Carter – F – Pittsburgh Penguins:
Getting Evan Rodrigues from Buffalo was solid too, but Carter brings championship experience and production to the Pens lineup. He has a reasonable 17 goals and 38 points in 63 games. He signed a reasonable two-year extension earlier this year.
25 - Alex Kerfoot – F – Toronto Maple Leafs:
Jack Campbell would have been a decent pick here, but Kerfoot is a very useful player, too. The Leafs clearly didn’t win that trade, as they gave up Nazem Kadri to Colorado, but that doesn’t take away from Kerfoot’s contributions. He’s a pest, responsible at both ends of the ice, and he’s productive. He has 44 points in 61 contests.
26 - Adam Henrique – F – Anaheim Ducks:
Henrique is one of the important veterans on the club. He’s fifth in the team in scoring, with 30 points in 42 games. The 32-year-old is under contract for three more years at $5.825 million. Even if they want to him, it may be a little tricky with that deal.
27 - Viktor Arvidsson – F – Los Angeles Kings:
Arvidsson was acquired from the Predators during the off-season. He’s put together a solid first year in Los Angeles, as he has 38 points in 50 games. Those numbers aren’t outstanding, but he’s still second on the team in scoring behind Anze Kopitar.
28 - Alex Nedeljkovic – G – Detroit Red Wings:
Nedeljkovic hasn’t had an incredible first year in Detroit, but he should be able to improve his numbers as the team gets older/better. He has a 3.15 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage this season. He has one year left on his contract at $3 million, which is very reasonable.
29 - Kyle Palmieri – F – New York Islanders:
Palmieri’s most productive days appear to be behind him, but he can still contribute to a certain level. He has 11 goals and 10 assists in 46 games this season. The 31-year-old has three years remaining on a deal that pays him $5 million per season.
30 - Warren Foegele – F – Edmonton Oilers:
Most of Edmonton’s top players were drafted or signed as free agents. Foegele was acquired from Carolina last summer for Ethan Bear. He’s fit in relatively well as a depth forward. He has 22 points in 62 games this season.
31 - Andreas Johnsson – F – New Jersey Devils:
Most of New Jersey’s best players have been drafted and developed within the organization. The Devils were able to get Johnsson from a Toronto team that needed to shed salary. He has 11 goals and 29 points in 57 games in 2021-22.
32 - Seattle Kraken – N/A:
The Kraken have made a handful of trades, but they haven’t acquired a player via trade (only draft picks).
