Two Types of Teams Hansen Could be Traded to
Contending teams who fall short in the 2016 Playoffs:
Expectations are high for a lot of teams. In fact, each of the top three teams in the four divisions has a realistic shot at a berth Stanley Cup Final.
Which means that there will be a lot of teams that fall a long way short of their expectations. Might they decide to make some major roster moves to get over the hump? Could Hansen be their missing piece?
The advantage of trading with this sort of team is that it should be easy to convince Hansen to waive. He would leave a team that is rebuilding and join a team with a chance to win now. That has to be attractive to any player, as it was with Bieksa and Ryan Kesler.
The other advantage is that this sort of team may have significant pieces that they are willing to part with — such as a top-4 defenseman, or an A-level prospect. Jannik Hansen paired with another player, prospect, or pick, may get the job done.
Teams with a key player requesting a trade:
Both the New York Islanders and the Tampa Bay Lightning have valuable players which have asked to be traded. Namely, Travis Hamonic and Jonathan Drouin, respectively.
Neither Garth Snow or Steve Yzerman are going to give these players away. But a player as useful and dependable as Hansen could provide the necessary temptation. Sure, Hansen by himself may not be enough, but surely the Canucks can throw in something else to make the deal sweet enough.
Both Tampa and New York fall under the category of “contending teams who could fall short.” So convincing Hansen to waive should still not pose a great challenge.
And on a team with a goal differential of minus-31, either Hamonic or Drouin would be a welcome addition. Hamonic, because he is solid top-4 defenseman, and the Canucks might fail to re-sign veteran Dan Hamhuis. Drouin, because he is a high-end scoring talent that the Canucks don’t necessarily have.
Next: Conclusion