What Sharks players might bring back at trade deadline

• Editor's note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California's Sharks coverage for the 2021-22 season. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at Sheng_Peng.

The Sharks have more possible trade deadline targets than just Tomas Hertl.

So what could UFA forwards Alexander Barabanov and Andrew Cogliano fetch in trade if the Sharks fall out of the playoff race? Would Nick Bonino, Matt Nieto, and James Reimer, all signed until 2023, garner a return too?

As of Feb. 18, the Sharks were eight points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the last postseason spot in the Western Conference. While that's not an insurmountable deficit, they also have to leapfrog the Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks to get there. In short, the Sharks' odds of making the playoffs are long, so swapping Hertl and company for valuable assets like draft picks and prospects before the Mar. 21 Trade Deadline has to be considered.

To gauge the value of Hertl, Barabanov, Cogliano, Bonino, Nieto, and Reimer at this Trade Deadline, I spoke with three sources -- two scouts and one executive -- representing three different NHL organizations. What do they think of these Sharks?

Tomas Hertl

The consensus was, as I've suggested before, that the return for Hertl with be one premium asset like a first-round pick or a top prospect and another mid-range to premium asset. He's considered a bona fide first-line center.

The Sharks, of course, have stated that they want to keep Hertl, but there's reason to believe that they won't be able to.

Scout #1: "I haven't heard anything [about the Sharks making Hertl available yet]."

Scout #2: "He potentially puts you over the top.

"I just don't think [the Sharks] can afford to lose him. He's a hard guy to replace."

Alexander Barabanov

San Jose Hockey Now's sources, however, couldn't agree on Barabanov's value. Ideas ranged from a fourth-round pick to a second at best, despite the winger's 26 points in 40 games this season.

Scout #1: "I think on a contending team, he's a third-line player. When I look around the league, where does he play in Colorado? Where does he play in Vegas? Where does he play in Tampa?"

Scout #2: "Most teams, he doesn't play top-six.  He's gotten free minutes there most of the year."

Executive: "I bet you could get a second-rounder for him.

"There'll be a market for him, for sure."

Andrew Cogliano

The Sharks would be lucky, according to SJHN's sources, to get a fifth.

Scout #1: "He's serviceable. He can skate and he works hard and he PKs, but there's not a lot of offense there.

"The hard thing for me with Cogliano is teams generally want to get bigger, stronger [for the playoffs]. He works hard. He's competitive. But he's 5-foot-10. He's not hard. I think teams might kind of look for a little bit of a heavier body as opposed to a Cogliano and that might drive his price down." 

Scout #2: "I think he has minimal value.

"His value is really in the penalty kill. That's really where it is. And he has good speed. Good energy, responsible." 

Executive: "I don't think he's a highly-sought guy. Maybe a fifth?" 

Nick Bonino

Bonino's skating has dropped off, but he still brings a lot to the table. However, he's closer to a fourth-line center these days and has another year left on his contract. Because of that extra season, these sources weren't sure there'd be any interest. Maybe next trade deadline?

Scout #1: "Skating is concerning. I like obviously the experience, I like the size, I like the leadership that he provides, PK, faceoffs. 

"But that extra year is really, really an issue. If he were on an expiring deal and a team had money, then he would probably garner more than Cogliano or Nieto. But because of the extra year, other teams will be lukewarm on the idea of bringing him in." 

Scout #2: "Bonino's got value because of experience, and he's won before. He's a playoff performer.

"Another year at two million, that's not real attractive though. That kind of negates [his value]. It'll depend on the team, it has to be a right fit." 

Executive: "That next year [of his contract] hurts."

Matt Nieto

Nieto and Cogliano seem to share a lot of the same pluses and minuses. It sounds like a fifth-rounder or less.

Scout #1: "You get an extra year at a low number. Again, I think teams would rather go with size and strength.

"But he has some value from the energy, the speed, the PK." 

Scout #2: "Between [Nieto and Cogliano], it's a toss-up."

Executive: "Nieto isn't getting you far [in value]."

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James Reimer

"The goalie market is a little tricky."

That always seems to be the case, deadline or not. So despite Reimer's solid run as Sharks starter this season, he still hasn't shed his backup reputation. 

These sources suggested a fourth or fifth-round pick in return.

Scout #1: "He has an extra year and he's proven that he's a very serviceable backup." 

Executive: "Only if somebody really needs a back-up.

"It takes a while for a goalie to acclimate [to a new environment]."