Expect the unexpected.

Hang around enough NHL Draft days and that’s generally been a theme. It also happens to be the mantra of Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois after hoisting the Stanley Cup.

It’s no secret that the Lightning have to move upwards of $10 million to be able to re-sign their restricted free agents this off-season.

According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the list of Lightning untouchables is small: Conn Smythe Trophy winner Victor Hedman, runner-up Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Noticeably absent is captain Steven Stamkos.

That makes Stamkos the newest member of TSN Hockey’s Trade Bait board, representing yet another boulevard BriseBois can pursue to navigate Tampa Bay’s cap crunch.

There are myriad reasons why trading Stamkos is unlikely. 

For one, the Lightning captain holds the hammer with full no-trade protection. Then there is his health. Stamkos, 30, underwent sports hernia surgery in early March before the pause, but sustained another injury compensating for that, according to BriseBois, which limited him to one short but magical appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.

When you add in the difficulty of moving an $8.5 million cap hit during hockey’s most extraordinary economic times with a frozen cap, plus Stamkos’ visibility as one of the faces of the franchise and his connection with owner Jeff Vinik … well, it is a complicated transaction, to say the least.

But even Stamkos and his camp have grappled with the possibility - and that possibility, however remote, must be allowed for on the Trade Bait board.

Until then, the Lightning have engaged in trade discussions on more moveable pieces, including Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn. Both have a form of no-trade protection in place, but BriseBois is working with Johnson’s agent in a collaborative way to find a landing spot.

Looking back on BriseBois’ playbook from last season, he moved J.T. Miller – who went on to lead the Canucks in scoring – to Vancouver on draft day in exchange for a first-round pick.

Thinking he might be able to accomplish the same this off-season could be one reason why he felt comfortable trading first-round picks for Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow at February’s deadline.

But that was the NHL’s pre-pandemic world. A whole new set of financial realities are in place.

Those realities largely dictate the 50 names in play on TSN Hockey’s latest Trade Bait board, which always seeks to blend a player’s prominence with his likelihood of a trade:

1. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Ari
2. Patrik Laine, Wpg
3. Josh Anderson, CBJ
4. Matt Murray, Pit
5. Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK
6. Tyler Johnson, Tam
7. Ottawa's 2nd Round Picks
8. Matt Dumba, Min
9. Jake DeBrusk, Bos
10. Tuukka Rask, Bos
11. Keith Yandle, Fla
12. Andreas Johnsson, Tor
13. Max Domi, Mtl
14. Paul Stastny, VGK
15. Steven Stamkos, Tam
16. Yanni Gourde, Tam
17. Alex Killorn, Tam
18. Ryan Strome, NYR
19. Taylor Hall, Ari
20. Alex Pietrangelo, StL
21. Elvis Merzlikins, CBJ
22. Joonas Korpisalo, CBJ
23. Darcy Kuemper, Ari
24. Noah Hanifin, Cgy
25. Frederik Andersen, Tor
26. Brandon Saad, Chi
27. Matt Duchene, Nsh
28. Ryan Johansen, Nsh
29. Nick Bonino, Nsh
30. Brady Skjei, Car
31. Shayne Gostisbehere, Phi
32. Kyle Palmieri, NJ
33. Phillip Danault, Mtl
34. Johnny Boychuk, NYI
35. Brandon Sutter, Van
36. Jaden Schwartz, StL
37. Tyler Bozak, StL
38. Nate Schmidt, VGK
39. Jonathan Marchessault, VGK
40. Alec Martinez, VGK
41. Phil Kessel, Ari
42. Kris Russell, Edm
43. Brandon Montour, Buf
44. Troy Stecher, Van
45. Jonathan Quick, LA
46. Jake Gardiner, Car
47. Jake Virtanen, Van
48. Evan Bouchard, Edm
49. Vincent Trocheck, Car
50. Sergei Bobrovsky, Fla