Lyle Richardson at The Hockey News feels that the salary cap has all but eliminated trades involving players in their prime and in the midst of their contracts and that nowadays salaries do become easier to move later in the season, but it’s those of impending unrestricted free agents. Players on multi-year contracts rarely move..."...So if you want a good forecast of which players are most likely to be dealt over the next two months, check out the list of potential unrestricted free agents.
It includes Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell, Mike Commodore, Cory Stillman, Pavol Demitra, Daymond Langkow, Kristian Huselius, Ron Hainsey, Joe Sakic, Mike Ribeiro, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rolston, J-P Dumont, Brendan Shanahan, Jason Smith, Mats Sundin, Markus Naslund and Olaf Kolzig.
Don’t expect to see most – if any – of those players changing addresses by the trade deadline. Every one are valuable to their respective clubs and the only reason any of them would be dealt is if their respective teams give up on this season and going into rebuilding mode.
As long as those teams are in the playoff picture, none of the aforementioned will be dealt.
Instead, expect lesser lights or fading stars like Bobby Holik, Dmitri Kalinin, John-Michael Liles, Dick Tarnstrom, Keith Carney, Michael Ryder, Paul Mara, Brad Stuart, Marek Malik, Barret Jackman, Mike Johnson or Matt Cooke to become possible trade candidates."
...it does make sense that if the Rangers take a major nose dive in the next two months they'd be looking to unload Shanahan. But I really don't see them falling out of the race. In today's NHL, it is almost impossible to fall completely out of the race by February. Right now there are only two teams under .500 in the Eastern Conference (Washington and Tampa).
...and of course Mara and Malik are definitely available to be moved, whether the Rangers are in the thick of the race or not.
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