Offseason trade candidates for each Eastern Conference team

Who doesn't love trades?

With 29 of 31 teams focusing on offseason plans, we take a look at who could potentially be on the move this summer, starting with a candidate from each Eastern Conference team.

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins: David Backes

The Bruins electing to give Backes a five-year deal in 2015 was a red flag from the get-go, but after another injury-riddled season, Boston might want to find a taker for his hefty salary and give younger, quicker players within the organization a bigger role.

Buffalo Sabres: Ryan O'Reilly

O'Reilly is an incredibly effective pivot, and year after year of losing in Buffalo has taken its toll. If the Sabres choose to move forward with a youthful core built around Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt, and Rasmus Dahlin, making their No. 2 center available could create a bidding war and fetch some nice future assets.

Detroit Red Wings: Luke Glendening

He's not the most glamorous name on the list but Glendening won 58 percent of his draws last season, and the Red Wings would be wise to shed as much long-term salary as possible.

Florida Panthers: Mark Pysyk

Panthers general manager Dale Tallon should be forever barred from dealing forwards after the expansion draft fiasco, but he may be able to find a nice market for Pysyk: a low-cost, right-handed blue-liner that several teams could use.

Montreal Canadiens: Alex Galchenyuk

Galchenyuk's tenure in Montreal has been far from smooth sailing, and perhaps a fresh start is needed to fully maximize his offensive talents. Shipping the sniper out won't completely fix what ails the Habs, but building upon the nine picks they own in the first four rounds of this year's draft seems like a reasonable step moving forward.

Ottawa Senators: Erik Karlsson

Karlsson Watch is back on, and after the Senators didn't pull the trigger on a deal at the deadline, the offseason is their last chance to fetch a king's ransom for their captain. Of course, he could re-sign, or Ottawa could wait until the next deadline, but teams will be willing to pay a lot more for a full year of services from the best defenseman on the planet.

Tampa Bay Lightning: J.T. Miller

Miller was brought in to help the Lightning win a Stanley Cup, but in need of a new contract, the 25-year-old could find himself on the move again. Tampa Bay would probably love to keep him, but how much can Steve Yzerman realistically offer with extensions for Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy on the horizon?

Toronto Maple Leafs: Matt Martin

Martin isn't going to bring back the top-four defenseman that the Leafs desperately covet, but there's no point in spending $2.5 million for a veteran fourth-liner to sit in the press box.

Metropolitan Division

Carolina Hurricanes: Justin Faulk

New Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon made it clear that he wants some changes, and Faulk could be a candidate to be traded over the younger defensemen Carolina has in-house.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Brandon Dubinsky

Dubinsky endured a difficult 2017-18 season, but plain and simple: His contract isn't doing the Blue Jackets any favors.

His modified no-trade clause would cause some complications in the market, but the veteran is eating key salary on a team that needs to pay Zach Werenski and Sergei Bobrovsky big bucks in the near future.

New Jersey Devils: Damon Severson

Severson is young, reasonably priced for five more seasons, a good puck mover, and can chip in offensively, yet he was a healthy scratch at times in the regular season and was left out of the lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs. If the Devils don't want to give him a full opportunity, surely they can sell him to someone willing to pay.

New York Islanders: Cal Clutterbuck

Until captain John Tavares makes his decision, it's hard to focus on any other Isles player, but Clutterbuck's onerous contract is one new boss Lou Lamoriello should strongly consider getting rid of.

New York Rangers: Mats Zuccarello

Trading Zuccarello is far from a necessity, but he's one of the only Rangers with any market value. The 30-year-old's contract expires after next season, and New York, without any realistic championship expectations in the coming years, could feasibly ship him out over the summer to add more future pieces.

Philadelphia Flyers: Brian Elliott

The Flyers have three goalies under contract but don't boast any reliable ones to occupy the crease. Philly is best served to shed the elder statesman of the bunch, and come to terms with restricted free agent Petr Mrazek.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Phil Kessel

*$1.2 million in salary retained by Maple Leafs

Even after a career-best 92-point season, the speculation surrounding Kessel's possible departure out of Pittsburgh seems to have gained some traction. Numerous teams could use his firepower up front, but the Penguins have to consider the risks of subtracting a key cog in the offensive machine that led to back-to-back championships.

Washington Capitals: Philipp Grubauer

Rather than going through negotiations, why not simply deal Grubauer to a team in need of a goaltender upgrade? The 26-year-old is talented enough to warrant outside interest, and prospect Ilya Samsonov appears ready to assume backup duties after inking his entry-level contract.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)