Florida Panthers: Possible trades that could be made to improve the roster
Edmonton Oilers – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Nugent-Hopkins is one of the most intriguing players that is being shopped on the trade market, and the Panthers should leap at the opportunity of acquiring a top 6 player. The Oilers are struggling mightily and are looking to cut cap space as McDavid’s huge contract will soon kick in. The Oilers simply cannot afford RNH anymore, and are looking to ship him away.
The Cats can afford a player like Nugent-Hopkins and should be on the phone with the Oilers organization in order to get a deal done rapidly. He is signed throughout the 2020-21 NHL season and the Panthers would not have to worry about losing him to free agency anytime soon. Since Edmonton are basically getting rid of him, the Panthers could pull off a deal that would be worth the price.
The Oilers would get a starting defenseman, an NHL ready prospect and a good pick in return for a young star who has never really reached his full potential yet. The Panthers have a boatload of extremely talented prospects and Hawryluk would probably never make it out of the Panthers bottom six (if he ever received the chance).
Again, if the Panthers pull this off, they would have a line of Nugent Hopkins-Trocheck-Vrbata.