7 Teams Battle It Out For Right-Shot Blueliners on Trade Market

Contenders around the NHL are getting set to hit the trade market, looking to fill their team's needs down the stretch. And outside of centers, the next most sought-after position for clubs is a right-shot defenseman. They are always in demand.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the Ottawa Senators are focused on bringing in a legit right-D blueliner, but they'll have plenty of competition. He says there are half a dozen other teams that will also be battling it out for the few available players that fit that description:

The Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars and Utah Mammoth are all in the market for a right-shot blueliner.

A couple of those teams fell short in the Rasmus Andersson sweepstakes, before he was sent to Vegas by the Calgary Flames. They've turned their attention to others.

At the top of the list of available names, according to Garrioch and many other reports, are the following:

Brandon Carlo, Toronto Maple Leafs
Doug Hamilton, New Jersey Devils
Connor Murphy, Chicago Blackhawks
Justin Faulk, St. Louis Blues
Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
Zach Whitecloud, Calgary Flames
Braden Schneider, NY Rangers

The Senators, however, have been linked recently with the Calgary Flames' Mackenzie Weegar. Garrioch says the Sens have held talks with the Flames. Though he does have a full no-move clause, Weegar, 32, is Ottawa-born, and there's no reason to expect he wouldn't waive his NMC in the event of a trade there. But he hasn't been considered a name the Flames are dangling.

As for the others on the list that are seemingly available, Hamilton, Faulk and Parayko could easily step into any team's top-four, and the same could arguably be said about Murphy and Whitecloud, depending on how stacked a team's blueline is. Schneider has the potential to get there if he can shake off a disappointing season.

Schneider, 24, was a first-round pick of the Rangers in 2020 (19th overall). But he's bcome a prime trade candidate of the retooling team.

Carlo hasn't quite been the player he was hoped to be for Toronto after they traded now-breakout rookie Fraser Minten and a first-round pick to Boston at last year's deadline.

Hamilton's $9M cap hit could mean that he could come at a cheap acquisition cost, as the Devils are desperate to get out from under that money.

Whitecloud could be flipped by the Flames, who acquired him from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Rasmus Andersson deal last month. Whitecloud is a lockdown veteran who could help out any team's blueline in the defensive end.

These are the names and the teams we'll be following in the right-shot D Derby as we approach March 6th.