Trade deadline: 3 potential landing spots for James Wisniewski
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski is reportedly on the trade block.
Wisniewski has a modified no-trade clause, meaning he can veto a deal to 10 teams, and he reportedly submitted that list last week.
The Blue Jackets are 11 points out of a playoff spot and need to leapfrog five teams to qualify, so the veteran blueliner could be dealt prior to the March 2 deadline.
Wisniewski has a $5.5-million cap hit for this season and the next, meaning all but eight clubs would need to part with at least one roster player to balance out a deal.
With that in mind, here are three potential landing spots:
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks' top priority is to acquire a defenseman before the deadline, as ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reported last week.
Sami Vatanen will be out for another three-to-five weeks with his lower-body injury, and even after he returns, Anaheim could use another puck-mover in their top four.
The Ducks have about $4.6 million in cap space, meaning they would need to give the Blue Jackets about $1 million back to take on Wisniewski's contract. That wouldn't be hard to do.
Anaheim has the 11th-worst power play in the league and that unit would instantly benefit from Wisniewski's arrival.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild have are 11-1-2 in their last 14 games, a run that has vaulted them into the seventh seed in the Western Conference. They should be buyers at the deadline, and could use another well-rounded defenseman.
The Wild's top pairing is comprised of two left-handers in Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin. While their contrasting styles complement each other well, Minnesota could use another right-handed shot on the blue line, particularly on the power play where Wisniewski excels.
The club has over $6 million in cap space, so they could trade picks or prospects without giving up a rostered player.
Jared Spurgeon was placed on injured reserve on Monday and is reportedly dealing with concussion-like symptoms, which makes the addition of reinforcements on the back end all the more imperative.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning have both the resources and flexibility to bolster their top four and second power-play unit in a trade.
Tampa Bay is the highest-scoring team in the league, but with a surplus of talented forwards, adding a physical and skilled defenseman would help to provide balance to a team poised for a deep playoff run.
The Lightning have about $3 million of cap space and could improve in the short-term if they decide to part with a prospect like Vladislav Namestnikov or pending unrestricted free agent Brenden Morrow.
Wisniewski will only approve a trade to one of 19 teams, and these three are among the most desirable destinations for the well traveled rearguard.