Before the NHL's trade deadline, a lot of attention goes to the buying teams - and rightfully so. Naturally, most fans are interested in which notable players will be dealt to contenders ahead of the campaign's home stretch.
But what about the teams on the other side of those deals? Just as contending teams have a list of top targets to bolster their playoff lineups, selling clubs try to find the league's best available future assets.
Here are seven intriguing prospects that could realistically be on the move by the March 8 trade deadline:
Philip Broberg
As a former top-10 pick with excellent physical traits, Broberg is likely the best prospect that could be dealt at this year's trade deadline.
The 22-year-old has suited up for 79 NHL games - making the prospect label a bit of a misnomer - but has played just 12:36 per contest in those outings. That's left Broberg unsettled with his situation, and the Oilers reportedly permitted him to seek a trade in December.
Listed at 6-foot-3 with impressive mobility, Broberg is intriguing for any seller. He has a high draft pedigree and is among the AHL's best two-way defenders when playing top-pairing minutes with the Bakersfield Condors.
Some defensemen simply need to play big minutes to be effective. Broberg could be one of them, and he'd have the chance to prove that he can be a legit top-four blue-liner on a selling team rather than a contending club like Edmonton.
Lukas Cormier
All of the Golden Knights' blue-line regulars are over 6-feet, and only Shea Theodore comes in at under 200 pounds. The team's top defense prospect, Cormier, strays from that mold considerably: He's listed at 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds.
The 2020 third-rounder had a great QMJHL career but hasn't taken the step many expected this season after a good AHL rookie campaign. But there are likely teams that covet the soon-to-be 22-year-old's puck-moving ability and NHL proximity.
Considering Vegas has most of its defense core locked in for multiple seasons, Cormier is an asset that the team likely wouldn't be opposed to moving for the right player in the coming weeks.
Seamus Casey
The Devils have an embarrassment of riches on the back end. Whether it's veterans Dougie Hamilton and John Marino or budding young studs Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, New Jersey has anchors on the blue line for years to come.
Should general manager Tom Fitzgerald look to make a splash at the deadline with his team in the wild-card race, Casey would be a premium trade chip that would entice any team - and one that's expendable given the team's defensive makeup.
The 20-year-old is scoring at a pace of over a point per game with Michigan and was a top-four defender on the American team that won gold at the world juniors. His exciting offense is a bit redundant considering the Devils' existing back end, but he has the potential to be an interesting piece in a deadline deal.
The Devils could use the Canucks' use of Hunter Brzustewicz in the Elias Lindholm deal as a blueprint for a deadline swing that includes Casey.
Ville Heinola
Heinola has played NHL games every season since he was drafted, except for this campaign. In his fifth year in the Jets organization, a change of scenery might do the 2019 first-rounder some good.
The Finnish blue-liner hasn't been able to latch onto a spot in Winnipeg's lineup over multiple NHL stints. A broken ankle kept Heinola on the sidelines until January this season, and he's again been a good two-way defender with the AHL's Manitoba Moose since returning to action.
The Jets already dealt a first-round pick for Sean Monahan. If Winnipeg wants to dip back into the trade market amid a strong campaign, Heinola would be enticing to a selling team as he can step straight into an NHL lineup and has draft pedigree.
Jonatan Berggren
Berggren has found himself back in the AHL for much of the 2023-24 season after a solid rookie year with the Red Wings.
The Swede tallied 15 goals and 28 points in 67 games with Detroit in 2022-23 and excelled at the Worlds with seven points in eight games.
But a bolstered Red Wings depth chart meant the 23-year-old returned to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins rather than building on his freshman campaign. Berggren's been outstanding in the AHL with 16 goals and 38 points in 36 games and has registered five points in nine NHL games. But he hasn't found his way back into the Red Wings' full-time lineup.
With Detroit battling for a playoff spot for the first time in years and Berggren in an awkward spot on the depth chart, utilizing the offensive winger as an asset before he requires waivers (and a potentially contentious arbitration case in the summer) would make a lot of sense for GM Steve Yzerman.
Sasha Chmelevski
In January, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported that teams have "high interest" in trading for Chmelevski's signing rights.
Chmelevski's been impressive the past two seasons with the KHL's Salavat Yulaev Ufa. His 53 goals since the start of the 2022-23 campaign rank fifth in the league.
The Huntington Beach, California native spent three seasons in San Jose's system before going to the KHL, accumulating 35 goals and 88 points in 122 AHL games. He had a notable 19-game stint with the Sharks in 2021-22, tallying eight assists and collecting favorable underlying metrics.
As a right-shot center with some scoring upside, the 24-year-old could be a worthwhile swing, assuming he could be had for a mid to late-round pick.
Jacob Truscott
We typically see one or two NCAA players flipped for draft picks before the trade deadline. Henry Thrun and Erik Portillo moved last year after indicating to their respective teams that they wouldn't be signing.
Truscott appears to be in that position this season. He won't sign with the Canucks, CHEK's Rick Dhaliwal reported last week, which opens him up to either be traded for a pick or included in another deadline trade for Vancouver.
The 21-year-old has been an anchor on Michigan's blue line for three seasons, earning the captaincy this year as a senior. Truscott's not a standout offensively on a team that currently boasts Casey and previously rostered Luke Hughes and Owen Power, but he's been a key defensive piece for the Wolverines.
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