The Prospect Quagmire

As the trade deadline approaches, no time is more fun to play armchair GM.  Its easy to swap underperforming players and picks like trading cards and instantly transform the team into a playoff power house.  This enjoyable little exercise usually leads to us giving a deeper examination to the value of prospects and roster players we could see being moved for a deadline upgrade.

Prospects were once traded with relative anonymity and by the time they blossomed into stars, we had probably forgotten what organization originally drafted them (I know I had long forgotten that Adam Graves was originally a Red Wings draft pick).  Today, we can follow the career of a young player from the junior hockey/college ranks, even some in prep school.  This type of access allows us, as fans, to form bonds with these players and the potential impact that they may have some day.  Just like children, everyone loves their own kids more than anyone else’s and this is an especially important concept come prime trading times.

Let me preface this by saying that I am tremendously excited for the future of the Rangers organization.  They have drafted and traded well over the past 5+ years and the system is starting to bear the fruit of that work.  There is serious prospect depth in the minors/juniors and we have seen homegrown stars in Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan come into their own right before our eyes.  Players like Brandon Dubinsky and Michael Del Zotto have found success at the NHL level and Carl Hagelin has made an immediate impact since his call up.  Also, we can’t leave out everyone’s favorite 7^th round draft pick, Henrik Lundqvist.

We all like to envision every member of the farm system representing another piece in an all homegrown Rangers Stanley Cup champion.  After all, young, cost-controlled players with upside are the best way to manage the cap and avoid the potential albatross deals that have been something of a blight on Glen Sather’s record.  From a practical standpoint however, one of the biggest benefits of a strong farm system is the ability to trade from an area of strength to shore up weaknesses on the big club.  As Dave has astutely pointed out in his Scouting the Deadline series, it is important to be able to accurately value these assets and make a business decision about whether to proceed with a given move.

What we all need to remember is that prospects are essentially lottery tickets.  We have all lived through our fair share of first round busts, and unfortunately the vast amount of players simply don’t live up to their ceiling.  Take Chris Krieder, for example.  Every scouting report I have ever read about him says his physical gifts are truly elite.  On the other hand, there are serious concerns about his hockey IQ and awareness/anticipation on the ice.  Now, this obviously isn’t to say he cannot succeed or be every bit as effective as his skills will allow him to be.  It’s just to say that he is not a known quantity at this point.  Depending on the other pieces, I wouldn’t be opposed to including him in a trade for someone like Bobby Ryan for instance.

As the deadline draws near, the Rangers’ are in somewhat of a precarious position.  Their window of contention is opening a little earlier than most expected, and it takes careful management not to overplay your hand and set your organizational development back.  Stripping down the farm system for an elite player could potentially be that final piece that brings Lord Stanley back to Broadway, or it could mean losing several key pieces that could help achieve the same result in 2-3 years.  This is the $64,000 question.

The ability to follow our teams prospects from the amateur ranks to The Show has added a new layer to hockey fandom.  It helps give up a more three-dimensional look at the management of the organization and it’s a lot of fun to see where the next crop of great Rangers is going to come from.  When it comes to evaluating moves or non-moves made this deadline season, it’s important not to hug prospects too tightly and look rather at the whether the move is good asset management and will help the team deliver its goal of raising the Stanley Cup in the very near future.

Would the Rangers Tool Up At the Deadline?

The Rangers’ impressive record suggests they may already be contenders this season for hockey’s biggest prize. That would point to the likelihood that they would be buyers (and certainly not sellers) when the league’s feeding frenzy arrives in a few short weeks.

The Rangers have good depth, an all world goalie and a deep defense (when all are healthy). That said there are still a few problem areas that could get some attention, in particular the power play. Step forward Ray Whitney. The veteran Coyote winger would be a great short term addition for the Rangers. Would he be available? Almost certainly if the Coyotes remain outside the playoff places and their ownership situation remains a concern.

In five of the last six seasons Whitney has registered twenty or more assists on the power play. He recently scored his 100^th NHL goal with the man advantage. This is the kind of guy that shouldn’t break the bank to acquire and would surely help the Rangers’ mediocre PP unit. Of course, given the quality season Whitney is playing there may be plenty of demand for his supply raising the price.

If the Rangers continue to sit among the leagues best they would surely be interested in adding a player to help go on a deep playoff run. While they may not look to make a significant move (their window to win is only really opening this year) they may make a depth addition or acquire a rental such as Whitney. They have built sensibly in reasons seasons so there’s not much chance they make a big splash. Of course, it doesn’t need to be a big splash if it’s the right player.

Whitney could fit on this team. Managing the cap figure wouldn’t be an issue and with flexible parts like Fedotenko, Mitchell, Prust and Hagelin on the roster it would be relatively easy to accommodate him in the line-up. After all, a lot of his ice time would come with the extra man. This is the kind of move that could make sense for the Rangers – low risk, short term, addressing specific needs.

Don’t believe for a second they aren’t looking around the league and don’t forget the extensive history that exists between the two teams as trading partners. I’m pretty sure Maloney still owes Sather a favour for getting Korpikoski for practically nothing. With the Rangers winning and gathering steam, deadline day could make for very interesting viewing.

Rangers Quiet on D-Day; A Good Thing

The Rangers today did the right thing by doing nothing (of NHL merit). When you look at the (potential) premium that the LA Kings paid for a good – but not elite – winger in Dustin Penner it only further points toward the likely high cost it would have taken for the Rangers to land Brad Richards or to lure a guy like Ales Hemsky away from Edmonton (who didn’t get moved).

On a deadline day that wasn’t particularly active, Glen Sather did the right thing by holding on to assets and keeping his young roster intact. The addition of John Mitchell from the Leafs for a 7^th round pick is just as likely intended to help the AHL Whale (lacking in forwards) as it is the Rangers. The likely scenario is one of Mitchell or Kris Newbury will be in NY (either as a scratch or a 4^th liner) while the other plays in Connecticut.

The biggest winner of the day (and past few days) seems to be Washington. Having grabbed a solid winger in Marco Sturm off the waiver wire today they added Jason Arnott to bolster the forwards and got Dennis Wideman for the blue line. The Caps are a lot better now, than they were a few hours ago. Credit George McPhee for improving his already talented side without giving up a huge amount.

Back to the Rangers; their playoff run has been aided by the Arnott move which has weakened Jersey offensively. Jersey got a solid piece back in the deal with Dave Steckel but are undoubtedly weaker up front in terms of goal scoring.  The Rangers will continue to be linked to Brad Richards right up until July 1^st (he won’t make it past that date, if he makes it that far). While the Rangers didn’t improve today they got better with the addition of Bryan McCabe over the weekend and this was never going to be a year where the Rangers seriously contended anyway (sorry to break it to those fans that thought it might be).

On a day the NHL didn’t go trade crazy, neither did the Rangers and that makes today a good day. 

Deadline Day Live Blog

It’s deadline folks! What will Glen Sather do? Will he add more to the Bryan McCabe deal? We will find out today. Here at BSB we’ll be updating this post as trades occur (Rangers trades will be in bold). This is your thread to discuss all trades and rumours. The deadline is at 3pm. It should be an interesting day.

• First trade happened early this morning: Buffalo Sabres acquired Brad Boyes from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a second round pick in the 2011 Draft.

Opinion: Boyes can be a good scorer but has underperformed for a long time. IF he plays well it’s a good deal for Sabres. It certainly makes them deeper and his first game will be against the Rangers on Tuesday….

Will update as we go ahead, and when there’s time, with offer a bit of opinion on some of the trades…

• Update (9:20am): Not a trade, but the LA Kings have agreed to a 4 year contract extension withe Justin Williams worth 14.6 million dollars.

Opinion: Smart move for the Kings to lock up a good consistent player for them at a below market price.

• Update by Mike (10:46am): Just an update on the Brad Richards rumors: He’s indicated that he’s willing to waive his no-movement clause for one team, and that’s the Rangers. They want multiple roster players in return, which just isn’t going to happen, and various reports have mentioned Artem Anisimov and Ryan McDonagh. Again, that’s just not going to happen. Odds of a trade are less than 50/50 right now, and will remain that way if Dallas thinks they can retain Richards long-term.

Opinion: If Richards will really only waive his NMC for the Rangers, then Sather’s in the driver’s seat. Either he comes at his price, or they wait until July.

• Update by Mike (10:54am): Few things to recap … Former Ranger Radek Dvorak and a fifth rounder to Atlanta for former Ranger Pat Rissmiller and Niclas Bergfors. The Thrashers also signed Mark Stuart to a three year deal with a $1.7M cap hit. The Predators are talking to the Oilers about a top six forward and a defenseman, with Ales Hemsky and Ladislav Smid being mentioned. Randy Jones will end up a Hurricane at some point.

Opinion: I like the Dvorak move for Florida, you can dream a little on Bergfors. Solid move for both sides. Stuart’s a fine player and $1.7M will hardly be a cap-buster. Let’s see what the Preds do before grading them.

• Update by Mike (11:01am): If things don’t work out with Richards, the Rangers could turn to Dustin Penner as an alternative, but only if he comes at a low price.

Opinion: I’m not in love with Penner, but he can score some (21-18-39 this year) and he’s a big dude (6-foot-4, 235 lbs.), which they could use for the front of the net on the power play. The Rangers really don’t need another winger though.

• Update by Mike (11:51am): The Capitals acquired Dennis Wideman from the Panthers in exchange for Jake Hauswirth and a third rounder.

Opinion: Looks like Florida’s having themselves a good ol’ fire sale, I wonder if Tomas Vokoun or Stephen Weiss will be elsewhere by the end of the day. Wideman should help the Caps’ on the power play especially if Mike Green continues to be bothered by his concussion issues.

• Update (12:05): waiver time: Brett Carson claimed by Flames, Curtis McElhinney to Senators, Robbie Schremp claimed by Thrashers. Players that cleared included former highly touted goalie Pascal leClaire.

Brad Richards Update: Apparently the price hasn’t changed and Darren Dreger is TSN is reporting that Richards is increasingly unlikely to be moved today.  Whether that is true remains to be seen. Is it a case of which side blinks first?…..

• Update (12:50): Columbus Blue Jackets trade Klesla  and Dane Byers to Phoenix for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto

Opinion: This obviously doesn’t affect the Rangers. Columbus finally admit Klesla isn’t the great defenseman they hoped for all these years after drafting him. Another former Ranger gets moved as Dane Byers joins Klesla in Arizona. Can Byers ever secure a spot in the NHL?

• Update (13:37): Florida continue to overhaul their roster. Bryan Allen has apparently been traded to Carolina for winger Sergei Samsonov.

Opinion: Not sure if Samsonov helps Florida’s rebuild but Allen gives Carolina more depth on the blue line as they race neck and neck with the Rangers towards the playoffs. Allen can log decent minutes so should be able to help Carolina. Having said that, Rangers got McCabe, Carolina gets Allen. Advantage Rangers.

• Update (13:57): Ottawa have traded Chris Campoli and 7th round pick to Chicago for a 2nd round pick and Ryan Polutny.

Opinion: The Blackhawks needed another defenseman and have acquired good depth but at a reasonably high cost. Campoli is RFA this summer.

• Update  (14:04): St Louis have traded Brad Winchester to Anaheim for a 3rd round pick.

Opinion: Seems like a high price to pay but it doesn’t affect the Rangers in any way at all so doesn’t matter either way.

• Update (14:27): LA Kings have acquired Dustin Penner for Colton Teubert, a 2011 1^st round pick and a conditional 2nd round pick.

Opinion: Finally a significant trade on deadline day. Dustin Penner stays in the West which will please Rangers fans as it means he doesn’t go to an Eastern playoff competitor as rumoured (Montreal). The price seems high – good deal for the Oilers. Teubert has good potential and the Oilers get a 1^st and another pick (assume it’s based on playoff performance). Seems the conditional is a conditional 2nd. Price is very high for Penner. If that sets the level today, the Rangers won’t get Richards… I hope.

• Update (15:02): Maple Leafs trade John Mitchell to the Rangers, the cost is a 7th round pick

Opinion: The Rangers have acquired forward depth (isn’t that what Kris Newbury is?) as they have acquired John Mitchell, recently banished by the Leafs to the AHL. With the Whale needing bodies up front Mitchell (or Newbury) will be there while the other is in NY. 7th pick isn’t too much for a guy with some offense.

• Update (15:08): The Capitals have acquired Jason Arnott from the Devils for Dave Steckel.

Opinion: This deal required Arnott to waive his NTC. It also indicates the Devils don’t think the playoffs are that realistic this year. Steckel is a solid checking forward with some offense and is a decent return for an old player like Arnott who has an expiring contracting. Steckel fits into the profile of the Devils. This deal affects the Rangers twice. They may have to face Steckel in the playoffs (though unlikely) and they don’t have to worry about Arnott as a Devil.

• Update (15:13): Florida trades Chris Higgins to Vancouver for Evan Oberg and a 3rd round pick.
• Update (15:20): Vancouver makes a second deal as they get Max Lapierre from the Ducks for Joel Perreault and a 3rd round pick.

Deadline Day Is Here; What Will the Rangers Do?

Deadline day is here and the Rangers are at a critical point in the season, finding themselves faced with conflicting signals. Just as the 6-0 rout over the Capitals may have led the Rangers to believe they were ready for bigger and better things, the disappointing 2-1 loss (despite the solid debut of Bryan McCabe) to Tampa on Sunday may have exposed the multiple flaws, which may be too many for one trade deadline to (realistically) fill. So what will the Rangers do today? Why did Sean Avery see practically no ice time in periods 2 and 3 on Sunday? Is there any offensive help within the system that can help the Rangers? When will Marian Gaborik return and can he re-ignite his game? The Rangers are surrounded by a host of questions as we face the final day of moves around the league. Other questions to ponder may be how will other team’s dealings affect the Rangers? Will anyone come calling for Rangers players – core or otherwise? (Gaborik? Del Zotto?….)

The Rangers really, only have big games left on their schedule. This includes on Tuesday against the hard chasing Sabres. A win at the MSG Tuesday could really help the Rangers and it will be interesting to see what roster is available going into that game. An interesting aside but given the Rangers inability to generate much, or even consistent, offense I thought Marco Sturm – claimed on waivers on the weekend – could have helped. Its players like that (on expiring deals, available for no assets) that may be the Rangers best bet for this season – rather than giving up multiple assets for an expensive rental. The Rangers won’t likely compete for the cup this year barring some crazy hot streak. Players like McCabe and Sturm add depth and talent and help in a playoff run this year but not weaken the organisation’s depth as they build towards contention long term. Well, we’ll know a lot more about how Sather and Co. intend to proceed over the course of Monday. Check back at BSB throughout Monday for any deadline activity, especially regarding the Rangers.

Guest Post: Trade Deadline; Who Do The Rangers Move?

As I mentioned, I will be away until March 8, and several readers have volunteered to write some guest posts. I am posting this one today because it is a rather time sensitive post from Jeffrey Sullivan (Section 121).

As the trade deadline approaches ever nearer, the anticipation of a move by the Rangers is mounting. As such, the question becomes who to move? In a general sense, there are two directions the Rangers could go in; trade for the future or trade for now. The mantra from the Rangers brass over the last year or so has been to build this team around the young existing core while adding more youth pieces as they are ready. Therefore, the option we will look at follows this principle.

The list of existing expendable players who are not a part of the young core include Drury, Fedotenko, Frolov, Avery, Wolski, Christensen, Eminger, Prospal, and Gaborik, yes Gaborik. Although this list is substantial, the first four players can be removed (most likely) from contention due to injuries, contracts, or reputation. Next is Wolski. He’s on this list just because of his lack of history with this team which prevents the tag of “core” player. With that being said, he can most likely be eliminated because is a young RFA (just turned 25) and still has one more year on his deal at a reasonable price considering his offensive potential.

Now, Christensen, Eminger, and Prospal become the most obvious choices for the Rangers to move (we’ll get to Gaborik). First, Christensen and Eminger are both journey men who have bounced around the league and offer teams a decent player for cheap to provide more depth in case of injuries. Prospal, on the other hand, is a hard-working veteran player with decent playoff experience who could provide a nice offensive boost to a playoff contender. He also comes at a relatively cheap price (salary wise) and is only on a one year deal. Based on these conditions, Prospal appears to be the most attractive player for the Rangers to move. Believe it or not, he also fits into the Rangers’ would-be trade plans (according to the mantra) as he is 36 years old, just came off a serious knee injury, lost is alternate captain status, and should not be resigned this off season. Let’s remember he was a stop-gap player on a one year deal for the youth to develop. In fact, one could argue that Prospal’s injury was the best thing for the Rangers youth allowing Dubinsky, Callahan, and Stepan flourish with more prominent roles from the outset this year. Yes, Prospal is a great team guy with a lot of heart and offensive prowess, but the Rangers should acknowledge the holes on this team, too many of which, prevent them from contending for the Cup this year. As a result they should look to trade Prospal for the future.

As for the elephant in the room, Gaborik, he is more difficult to figure out. He is a premium player who had a great year last season but as seen his share of struggles this year. He is on a hefty extended contract with three years remaining and, as we all feared, he is injury prone. These conditions raise speculation over Gaborik’s worth to the team and make him a possible trade piece for the right price. Nevertheless, he is currently banged up and the extent of his concussion problems is unclear. Therefore, Gaborik’s trade value is diminishing every moment he continues to have these issues. Under these conditions, can the Rangers even attract offers for Gaborik? The answer is probably not, but if things were to develop down this road, the future for the Rangers could be very interesting.

By Jeffrey Sullivan

Sather Won’t Mortgage Future

In a continuing trend of interviews, Andrew Gross spoke with Glen Sather, who was again candid about his plans at the trade deadline. There was a plethora of moves yesterday, which saw defensemen Tomas Kaberle, Eric Brewer, Ian White, and Erik Johnson all being shipped to new teams. The Rangers have been silent, and Sather will continue to be silent if the asking prices for veteran defensemen remains the status quo:

“Lots of [players out there],” said Sather, adding he’s been making phone calls to gauge the trade market for four months. “I’m listening, watching. It doesn’t matter what the asking price is. It’s what we want to pay.”

This statement remains consistent with what the Rangers General Manager has been saying all year. The Rangers will not forfeit the core youth for a rental in this year’s playoffs. It also appears that the Rangers will not forfeit their first round pick this season in a trade. Trading is an art, that Slats seems to have mastered. It’s about recognizing core players, recognizing when the time is right for a move, and recognizing the right price for that move.

Currently, the Rangers have a few too many holes to fill to make a legitimate run in the playoffs this year. They lack a top line center, a veteran defenseman, and a powerplay quarterback. To fill all those holes, the Rangers would have to gut the roster and the farm system. It’s simply not worth it. Of course, any of the core guys are trade-able in the right move:

“We’ve got a good nucleus of guys who are learning the game and we’re comfortable,” Sather said. “That doesn’t mean things can’t happen.”

Some people might worry about that quote, but it’s a quote that means two things. The first being that just because the Rangers are comfortable with the kids playing, it doesn’t mean they won’t make moves at the deadline. The second meaning is that no one is untouchable, but it would have to take a great deal for the Rangers to part with one of their core guys. There have been so many rumors about who the Rangers will trade, but I think it’s becoming clear that the fears of the fans (ie: trading the core for rentals) won’t be realized.

Which Prospects Are Deemed “Trade-able”?

Let’ preface this post by saying that any player on the roster is trade-able if the right deal comes along. But, for the Rangers, this is a matter of looking at which prospects are trade-able for a rental player to help make a push to the playoffs. This might seem contradictory to the post below, but there is a difference between sacrificing core youth for a playoff run and sacrificing expendable youth for a playoff run. The East is wide open, and with a veteran presence on the blue line, coupled with the Rangers forwards getting their act together, the Rangers could feasibly make a run with a hot streak from Henrik Lundqvist.

Looking at the roster players, there are few young players that could be deemed as trade-able, and none of those players come close to being called a trade-able asset. Of the roster players, I think the Rangers (and the fans) would be comfortable with parting with Erik Christensen, Steve Eminger, and/or Matt Gilroy. The emergence of Brian Boyle has made Christensen a spare part, even with the injuries. Eminger has been a healthy scratch for a few games now, and Matt Gilroy seems to be a victim of the Rangers superior young talent at the blue line. Only Christensen is signed beyond this year, and all three are relatively cheap, with Gilroy probably taking a paycut next year.

As for the prospects, it’s a little tougher to tell who is really trade-able, so let’s start with who the Rangers won’t move for a rental. I can’t see Slats moving Chris Kreider, Evgeny Grachev, Ethan Werek, Christian Thomas or Dylan McIlrath for a rental just for this year. I’m hesitant to throw Carl Hagelin into this category, but the Rangers have tremendous young depth down the middle. Compound that with the likely addition of Brad Richards next summer, and Hagelin may find himself on the outside looking in. Whether he gets moved for a rental or in a bigger deal, it’s tough to say. I would prefer he not get moved for a rental though. These prospects, in addition to the current roster players, round out HockeysFuture’s top-10 Rangers prospects, except for Chad Johnson.

Dos-Nueve is probably the highest ranking Ranger prospect that I can see being dealt for a rental. Cameron Talbot has been outplaying Johnson this year in the AHL, and the Rangers seem to be set at goalie for a long, long time. The first “big” names I can see the Rangers parting with are Ryan Bourque and Pavel Valentenko. This may sting some fans, but the depth at center and defense in young, talented assets really makes them both expendable. Both have been very solid this year for their respective clubs, but hockey sometimes comes down to numbers.

Dale Weise, Brodie Dupont, and Tomas Kundratek may also fall victim to the numbers game. Weise has shown he can play at the NHL level as a bottom-six guy, but the Rangers have way too many forwards who fit that bill right now. The same goes for Dupont. In a perfect world, the Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust combination plays the fourth line, and gives the Rangers tremendous depth. Unless Weise or Dupont can play LW, it looks like both will get squeezed out with the emergence of Boyle and Mats Zuccarello-Aasen. As for Kundratek, he is just another victim of the Rangers incredible young talent on the blue line. If it’s not Kundratek (or Valentenko), then it’s someone on the roster, and probably Michael Sauer.

When approaching the trade deadline, it’s tough to take a step back and think about where prospects fit in the long term plans of the organization. The Rangers prospects have been squeezed out not by veterans, but by young talent who have simply outplayed the other prospects. Players like MZA, Prust, and Boyle make many of the projected bottom-six forwards expendable. The incredible depth on the blue line, with the emergence of Sauer and McDonagh, make the current Whale prospects more expendable, in the right deal. With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, there are going to be tough decisions made, and not all of them are going to please the fans. We have seen Slats is a master at making trades, so we will need to put some level of trust in him.

Trade Deadline: Scouting Edmonton

Part One: Toronto Maple Leafs
Part Two: Florida Panthers

With the NHL trade deadline a little over a month away, the trade rumor mill is going to begin to boil. There have already been numerous rumors linking the Rangers to Calgary, others linking the Rangers to Toronto, and other stating that the Rangers are looking to trade Marian Gaborik (note: listening to offers and actively looking to trade are completely different). The Rangers have a few holes they need to address if they plan on making a run in the playoffs, most notably they need another scorer and a veteran presence on the blue line. There are a few teams that are already out of the playoff picture, with the Edmonton Oilers being one of them, that are worth scouting for fixes to the holes.

The Rangers aren’t going to sacrifice the core future for a playoff rental, it doesn’t fit with the current team plan. So there don’t need to be any worries about trading a guy like Brandon Dubinsky for Jim Vandermeer. It’s just not going to happen. The Rangers are going to be looking for guys with expiring contracts, so there are no financial commitments for next season. Obviously this is a general statement, as there are going to be exceptions (see: Wojtek Wolski trade). With the Panthers out of the race, they are going to look to reshape the roster by selling at the deadline, so let’s look at their trade-able assets:

Full list after the jump

Trade Deadline: Scouting Florida

With the NHL trade deadline a little over a month away, the trade rumor mill is going to begin to boil. There have already been numerous rumors linking the Rangers to Calgary, others linking the Rangers to Toronto, and other stating that the Rangers are looking to trade Marian Gaborik (note: listening to offers and actively looking to trade are completely different). The Rangers have a few holes they need to address if they plan on making a run in the playoffs, most notably they need another scorer and a veteran presence on the blue line. There are a few teams that are already out of the playoff picture, with the Florida Panthers being one of them, that are worth scouting for fixes to the holes.

The Rangers aren’t going to sacrifice the core future for a playoff rental, it doesn’t fit with the current team plan. So there don’t need to be any worries about trading a guy like Brandon Dubinsky for Cory Stillman. It’s just not going to happen. The Rangers are going to be looking for guys with expiring contracts, so there are no financial commitments for next season. Obviously this is a general statement, as there are going to be exceptions (see: Wojtek Wolski trade). With the Panthers out of the race, they are going to look to reshape the roster by selling at the deadline, so let’s look at their trade-able assets:

Full list after the jump