Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Bang For The Buck At The Trade Deadline

02/21/2017 at 9:01am EST

from ESPN,

Which trade-deadline rental would provide the best bang for the buck in the playoffs?

Craig Custance: Put me down for Kevin Shattenkirk because if you trade for the St. Louis Blues defenseman, you get a head start on the rest of league in getting a chance to sign the best unrestricted free-agent defenseman on the market to a contract extension. That's extra bang for your buck and additional value for teams that would be looking at Shattenkirk as a solution on defense beyond this season. The problem is that teams are going to have to pay a premium to land him.

For general managers not interested in paying the steep asking price and looking for a cheaper alternative, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith could end up being a sneaky-good addition. He's a strong skater, can contribute offense and is still young enough that he could be auditioning for a spot on your defense too.

continue for more opinions from the ESPN hockey crew...

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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