30 NHL stars who could be traded this offseason

27. Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks

Mario Ferraro might not be a household name for the fairweather NHL fan, but he is a very talented defenseman trying to lift up the rest of his team while they sink to the bottom of the league. The San Jose Sharks were basically defanged this past season. Ferraro is still really young. A 25-year-old defenseman isn’t even fully developed yet, but the Sharks may want to use him to get some premium assets. 

Ferraro has been pretty good at his role for quite some time. He’s not here to wow you with his offense. His main lot in life is to stop other teams from getting to the net. He has a full arsenal of tools to keep players away from those precious areas of the ice. Whether it’s a timely hit, a perfect poke check, or if he is just getting into a forward's way through smooth skating, Ferraro has grown to be a really effective player.

Despite his youth, this is not a short rebuild for San Jose. Even with Macklin Celebrini coming eventually, Ferraro is better as a trade asset for the Sharks rather than an asset on the ice. 

Teams might give up a surprising amount for Ferraro. This is the exact type of defense teams are prioritizing today. After years of demanding that their defensemen act as fourth forwards, the league is smartening up to the value of defensive defensemen. That will work in the Sharks’ favor, and it will lead to a trade.