Often times, when a struggling prospect is on the trading block, teams will look to complete one for one trades to create a “fresh start” scenario. Truth be told, even established NHL players sometimes get traded for this purpose. Ryan Strome was a subject of one such trade.
One-for-one trades are a good idea for GM’s looking to kick start their valuable assets. The potential for success on both sides makes them an intriguing option.
Read: Andersson breaks his silence
Trading Lias
This is something I’m sure Jeff Gorton will consider as he shuffles through his options regarding Andersson. For the short term, it looks like the he may be loaned to an SHL team to continue building his skills on the ice. Let’s take a look at some potential one-for-one trades the Rangers could propose.
Eeli Tolvanen
Eeli Tovanen is a skilled Finnish winger who was drafted by the Nashville Predators with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He is an elusive skater who has a fantastic shot, accurate and strong.
He played three games with the Predators after being drafted but finished the season playing in Finland. The following season he scored two points in four games with Nashville before being assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. In 58 games played he amassed 35 points. However, he finished the regular season with a minus-8 rating and failed to produce in five playoff games. He has spent the entirety of this season in the AHL, producing 15 points in 36 games.
One issue that remains is that Tolvanen has not produced to the level that the Nashville organization expected in the minor league. He isn’t playing poorly, but had a slow start to the season. In addition, Nashville called up several of Tolvanen’s teammates earlier in the season. This was questionable given Tolvanen’s decent ceiling and lack of opportunity at the NHL level thus far.
If Nashville isn’t satisfied with the development of Tolvanen, they could be a team willing to swap 2017 prospects in order to reset.
Denis Gurianov
Denis Gurianov would be an intriguing candidate. Gurianov is a large Russian winger who was drafted 12th overall in the 2015 draft by the Dallas Stars. He is a fast and aggressive skater who has a good shot.
Gurianov played in Russia after he was drafted but produced only a handful of points in over 50 games played, a troubling statistic for a forward. However, his next season was more successful. He played a single game with the Stars before finishing the season in the AHL with the Texas Stars. He notched 27 points in 57 games. That same year he represented Russia at the World Junior U20 Championship. He put up seven points in seven games.
The following season he scored 34 points in 74 games. He also scored 5 points in 16 playoff games. Last season he produced four points in 21 games with Dallas before being sent down. He then went on a tear, putting up 48 points in 57 games. This season he has scored 15 points in 37 games with Dallas and three points in two games with Texas.
Clearly Gurianov is developing but Dallas could be looking to bolster their depth at the center position, and if so Gurianov could be the guy coming back the other way. As our very own Steven Voogel notes, there is a tendency for players to not want to sign extensions in Dallas, so they may be looking to get something for him instead of nothing. Lias Andersson still has a lot of trade value, so this could be a good option.
Max Jones
Max Jones was drafted 24th overall in the 2016 draft by the Anaheim Ducks. The American winger is large and powerful, and has the makings of your typical offensive power forward.
He tore it up for the OHL’s London Knights before and after he was drafted, but it has not been as smooth after. Last season he scored 29 points in 43 games for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. However, he only scored five points in 30 games with the Ducks. This season he has only scored six points in 31 games with Anaheim and has only produced a single point in six games with the Gulls.
Clearly this is not exactly the production that the Ducks were hoping for. They too are a rebuilding team who may be looking to refresh their prospect pool. In addition, the Rangers could use a large powerful winger to play middle-six minutes in the lineup. This would be one name to watch as well.
Special thanks to fellow Forever Blueshirts writer Steven Voogel for providing some insights regarding the names above.
Scouting reports retrieved from Elite Prospects.