As we approach the second half of the 2017-18 season and the buyers and sellers begin to stand out, offensive-minded wingers like Montreal's Alex Galchenyuk, Ottawa's Mike Hoffman and Arizona's Anthony Duclair could be the key players the league's contenders pursue in trades. What do these players bring, what are their ideal destinations and what would it take to acquire them?
In each case, we'll dig into the underlying numbers to determine just how much offensive punch each player can provide, at both even strength and on the power play.
To determine their ideal destinations, certain teams will be ruled out, including those that already average 3.00 goals per game or close to it. Those that aren't contenders this season or lack enough cap space will also be set aside. Finally, those that are already quite strong on the left side, like the Calgary Flames with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk or the Carolina Hurricanes with Jeff Skinner and Sebastian Aho, will be removed from consideration.
Of the remaining handful of teams, the proposed trade will be based on which team needs a scoring jolt the most, and which teams have the right assets to spare.