Tobias Rieder

NHL Trade Rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Tobias Rieder

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Here are five teams who should seriously consider trading for disgruntled Coyotes forward Tobias Rieder.

The Arizona Coyotes have yet to sign restricted free agent forward Tobias Rieder to a contract. Reportedly, the two sides are disagreeing about how much money Rieder should make per season. Rieder wants $2.5 million a year for two seasons while the Coyotes aren’t budging from $2.2 million a year for two seasons. Now Darren Ferris, Rieder’s agent, suggests a trade might be the best thing for both sides.

“I think it would be best for both parties if they just traded him,” Ferris said, via ArizonaSports.com. “He is really disappointed with them.”

It’s a bit surprising the Coyotes, who aren’t anywhere near the salary cap ceiling, aren’t willing to just give Rieder the extra $300,000 per year. Rieder had a career high 37 points last season and is one of their best young forwards. However, one team’s castaway can be another team’s treasure. Here are five potential fits for Rieder.

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5. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are strong down the center with Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, and potentially Rickard Rakell. However, their wings are a bit unimpressive. Corey Perry is their lone top-notch wing. Moreover, of their returning wings, only Perry and Jakob Silfverberg had more points than Rieder last season. The Ducks are a budget conscious team, but even they could find some room to fit Tobias Rieder into their budget.

Rieder would give the Ducks a quality wing who can move the puck down the ice. Also, he is one of the fastest forwards in the NHL and would be a perfect fit on their penalty kill. It remains to be seen if Randy Carlyle would like the diminutive Rieder, but the Ducks should seriously consider trading for him. However, the Coyotes likely don’t want to trade him within the division.

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4. New York Islanders

Much like the Ducks, the Islanders are a bit lacking in quality wings. Of their returning wings, only Anders Lee had more points last season than Rieder. While Jason Chimera is coming off a strong season, he is also aging and likely won’t replicate his 2015-16 season. With Brock Nelson likely shifting to center to replace Frans Nielsen, the Islanders could definitely use someone like Tobias Rieder.

Despite having under $1 million of cap space left, fitting Rieder under the salary cap would be easy. All the Islanders have to do is move Mikhail Grabovski to the LTIR. This would get rid of Grabovski’s cap hit and allow the Islanders to trade for someone like Rieder.

Rieder could be a good line mate for John Tavares. He has a lot of skill and would thrive in a more offensive role. However, Rieder could also be a nice fit alongside Nelson. Nelson’s line is likely going to have a bit more defensive responsibilities than Tavares’ line. Rieder has done well with the Coyotes in a more defensive role.

However, do the Islanders want another player blocking their young forwards? They’ve put a lot of faith in them, so trading for someone who would likely take playing time away from them might not be the best choice.

Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

3. Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks need to add some forwards with skill. Sure, they appear willing to finally give their young players a chance to see what they can do. However, acquiring a player like Tobias Rieder could help them cram open their Stanley Cup window for the next two seasons.

Even a team constantly living on the edge of the salary cap ceiling like the Blackhawks can easily find a way to fit his $2.5 million asking price under the ceiling. Chicago needs cheap forwards and Rieder’s demands are quite inexpensive. They would need to clear a little bit of cap space, but luckily, the Arizona Coyotes still have quite a bit of cap space.

Rieder would make a lot of sense for the Blackhawks top forward line. Don’t let Rieder’s -21 plus-minus rating fool you. His even strength xGA60 (expected goals against per 60 minutes) is a very reasonable 2.43 and notably better than most of his Coyotes teammates. Rieder is better defensively than he is given credit for. Moreover, Rieder could provide Jonathan Toews with a skilled option at wing, perhaps giving the first line more of a scoring punch.

He could also provide the third forward line with some much needed offense. Should Artemi Panarin get injured, Rieder makes a lot of sense on the second forward line.

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2. Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have done an impressive job this offseason adding skill to their roster. It has been long overdue. However, the Hurricanes still don’t have enough skill to be a serious playoff contender. Should they trade for Tobias Rieder, they might just have enough to squeak into the playoffs. At the very least, they’d be a better team.

Rieder makes a lot of sense for the Hurricanes. They’ve deliberately added players similar to Rieder, such as Teuvo Teravainen, to their roster. Rieder is only 23 years old, so he fits in well with their youth movement. He’d give them an intriguing option for the penalty kill as well and help improve their already potent shorthanded unit. Rieder is a secondary option on the Coyotes power play but he could give the Hurricanes’ 25th ranked power play a boost.

It remains to be seen what the Coyotes would look for in a Rieder trade, but no matter what it is, the Hurricanes probably have it. They have a very deep farm system and NHL ready players as well. A defenseman would likely make the most sense since the Hurricanes have a very crowded blue line. Conveniently, the Coyotes could use some more defensive depth.

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1. New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have a number of needs. However, even after extending Kyle Palmieri and trading for Taylor Hall, they still need some more forwards with skill. Tobias Rieder is the perfect guy for the Devils to trade for.

Should they be addressing their mediocre blue line? Absolutely. But just because they need more defensive depth doesn’t mean they should ignore the opportunity to get another skilled forward. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks provide an excellent blueprint to winning a Stanley Cup: get as many skilled forwards as you can.

Rieder would help the Devils maintain their improved penalty kill. He’s an aggressive penalty killer who also provides a scoring option while shorthanded. Excitement and scoring might be foreign words to the Devils, but with the addition of Hall, the Devils must adjust their system to best fit Hall’s abilities. Obviously, that includes being less conservative.

Of the Devils’ returning wings (not including Hall), only Palmieri and Mike Cammalleri had more points than Rieder last season. Rieder’s 14 goals were matched or outdone only by Palmieri and Cammalleri. While Lee Stempniak did better than Rieder, he is currently with the Hurricanes.