Nelson, Schenn, Donato And Tarasenko Drawing Attention Ahead Of NHL Trade Deadline

As the March 7 NHL trade deadline nears, trade targets and pending free agents will be monitored closely. On Sportsnet’s ‘Saturday Headlines’, Elliotte Friedman added his insights on four players, who have been in and out of the rumor mill this winter.

Some names are new and others have been linked to potential trades before the new year.

Brock Nelson, C, New York Islanders

One old name that Friedman brought up is Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders. The 33-year-old has been rumored as a potential target for several contending teams.

However, things could change for the Islanders alternate captain because of the team’s recent hot streak. Starting mid-January, the Isles won eight of their last 11 games and played into playoff contention. They are four points behind the Detroit Red Wings, who hold the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Despite interest from other teams and the high demand for middle-six centers, the Islanders could be looking to extend Nelson’s contract. Friedman believes the team are about to make a “real attempt” to re-sign him.

Nelson is a pending free agent, earning $6 million against the salary cap. He has 17 goals and 35 points in 55 games this season.

Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues

Brayden Schenn is a relatively new name on the trade market. Earlier this week, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs were a top contender for the St. Louis Blues captain.

In his Saturday Headlines segment, Friedman revealed that St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong is setting a “very, very high price” for Schenn.

After this season, the 33-year-old has three more years on his current contract. He also earns $6.5 million against the cap and has a 15-team no-trade list.

The Blues are slowly falling out of the playoff race, they’re eight points behind the Vancouver Canucks who sit in the second wild-card spot out west and hold a game in hand on the Blues.

Furthermore, Armstrong has proven he is not afraid of making aggressive moves in the past with offer sheets and coaching changes earlier this season. Schenn could be his next piece of business, for the right price.

Ryan Donato, RW, Chicago Blackhawks

According to Friedman, Donato will be and is a hot topic ahead of the trade deadline this season. Given his production with the Chicago Blackhawks and his contract, teams will be lining up for Donato’s services.

The Sportsnet insider added that Donato is popular among Canadian teams – the Edmonton Oilers are one of them.

Donato costs $2 million against the salary cap and is playing on Chicago’s top line as a right winger with Connor Bedard in the middle, but he can also play center.

The 28-year-old has 37 points in 53 games this season, including a team-leading 19 goals. Additionally, Donato has put up points in all of his last four games, including a four-point performance against the Nashville Predators where he recorded two goals and two assists in a 6-2 victory for the Hawks.

This has been by far Donato’s best season of his nine-season career. He’s already hit a career-high in points and there are still 27 games left in the campaign for Chicago.

Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Detroit Red Wings

Vladimir Tarasenko is one of the newest names on the market and Friedman mentioned it’s a bit of a surprise to see him become available.

Tarasenko signed a two-year contract with Detroit in the off-season at $4.75 million per season. Furthermore, he has a full no-trade clause on his contract for this campaign.

Although he’s a new addition, Friedman reported there doesn’t seem to be a fit for the Russian on the Red Wings. With that, he’s been generating some interest across the league.

Tarasenko has been traded for two straight seasons and this could happen for a third consecutive occurrence.

Considering his production from last season, the 33-year-old hasn’t scored as much as he should. In 76 games last season, he scored 23 goals and 55 points for the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers.

This year, Tarasenko has just seven goals and 22 points in 53 appearances while averaging 14:49 of ice time, nearly the lowest he has averaged in his 13-season career.

Detroit is well in the race to make the playoffs with 61 points in the Eastern Conference and a 28-22-5 record. Therefore, the team most likely won’t be looking to sell and would want a roster player in return if they were to move Tarasenko.

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