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Need a d-man? Here are five potential trade targets

Toronto Maple Leafs v Boston Bruins - Game Seven

BOSTON, MA - MAY 13: Cody Franson #4 of the Toronto Maple Leafs shoots before scoring his second goal of the game in the second period against the Boston Bruins in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 13, 2013 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

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We couldn’t really put together a long list, given the fact most teams with a surplus of blue-liners (and there aren’t many of those) would like to keep it that way. But here’s a short list of potential trade targets:

Cody Franson (Toronto): A pending unrestricted free agent, there’s good reason to believe he’ll be traded at some point this season. The 27-year-old put up 33 points in 2013-14, and he shoots right, a trait that teams like Detroit and Dallas are looking for. Franson’s cap hit is $3.3 million.

Jeff Petry (Edmonton): Another right-shooting pending UFA with offensive ability who many expect to be traded prior to the March 2 deadline. The 26-year-old has a cap hit of $3.075 million.

Mike Green (Washington): The Caps aren’t going to give him away cheap, but GM Brian MacLellan has taken calls on the 29-year-old pending UFA. Does Green fit in their long-term plans? If not, would they keep him for a playoff run, even if he were unsigned past this season? Those are the two key questions. Green’s cap hit is $6.08 million. And yes, he shoots right.

Andrej Sekera (Carolina): The ‘Canes have righted the ship since their awful start, and GM Ron Francis recently said the team’s preference was to re-sign the 28-year-old pending UFA. Still, if they can’t get Sekera’s contract extended prior to the deadline, it’s hard to see him finishing the season on a team that remains liable to miss the playoffs. (Cap hit: $2.75 million)

Andre Benoit (Buffalo): Have to include a Sabre here. We chose Benoit because he’s cheap ($800,000 cap hit), he’s a pending UFA, he logs over 20 minutes a game, and, well, we’ve already written a lot about trading Tyler Myers.

Related: Montreal acquires Gonchar from Dallas for Moen