NHL trade tier rankings: Way-too-early edition for 2023-24

Last season around this time, the NHL trade market didn’t lack for fascinating, notable names: Erik Karlsson, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Bo Horvat, Timo Meier, Brock Boeser and Jakob Chychrun were all churning around the rumor mill, with the majority of them eventually getting moved.

With one very notable exception, the potential market leading up to the NHL trade deadline on March 8 isn’t exactly a galaxy of stars. In fact, it might be the first deadline in recent memory where the focus is placed on who is preventing goals rather than who can help score them.

“The main market for me right now is the goalie market, for a whole host of reasons,” said ESPN insider Kevin Weekes — and not just because he’s a former NHL netminder himself.

Weekes noted around a half dozen teams that could look to improve their goaltending situations, and even more that could provide goaltending help via trade. The trick is to not create a bigger problem for oneself while attempting to solve another team’s problems; and, as always, what kind of business the salary cap will allow a team to actually do.

But before we get to the masked men in the crease, we should address the elephant in the room.

Steven Stamkos, C, Tampa Bay Lightning

This isn’t the first time Steven Stamkos, the Lightning’s captain and all-time franchise leading scorer, has found himself in the trade deadline conversation.

Back in 2015-16, Stamkos was headed to unrestricted free agency that upcoming summer. His contract price tag made it plausible that the Lightning might not be able to bring him back, and there were certainly going to be suitors for his services, starting with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.

Stamkos expressed a desire to remain in Tampa Bay but left open the possibility he would waive his no-trade clause at the deadline. Then-Lightning GM Steve Yzerman had to put out a statement that read: “I am stating today that Steven Stamkos will not be traded before the NHL’s trade deadline.”

Stamkos would sign an eight-year deal in June 2016 to remain in Tampa, where he’d win two Stanley Cups with the Lightning. That deal ends after this season. Stamkos expressed frustration that there had been no conversations between his camp and GM Julien BriseBois about an extension before training camp. BriseBois said the team was taking a wait-and-see approach with Stamkos’ contract until after the season, in order to get a better sense of how its cap space should be allocated — while expressing a desire to have Stamkos finish his career with the Lightning.

So here we are again: A star player, who has 15 goals in 29 games to start the season, is a pending unrestricted free agent. But this time the Lightning are weighing a 34-year-old player vs. the rest of their roster needs. The 2015-16 Lightning were coming off a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. This season’s Lightning have a 30.2%…