Blockbuster trades have become increasingly rare in the NHL. Teams simply cannot move large-salaried players due to salary cap complications.

As a result, many struggling players are stuck right where they are – getting increasingly stale in their current situations.

A great example is Hurricanes center Eric Staal, who has scored just three goals (with four assists and a minus-7 rating) in 16 games this season.

Last year, Staal scored 40 goals with a plus-15 rating. This season Carolina started horribly, Staal got hurt (missing 10 games with an upper body injury) and Hurricanes management is forced to ponder massive salary dumping.

Staal has been a cornerstone player for this team. He anchored Carolina’s Stanley Cup quest. He played 349 consecutive games before going down.

“It's been tough, no question,” Staal told the Raleigh News & Observer. “It's been a learning experience for me because I've never been through something like this before. I'm working and doing everything I can to make sure I'm back in the lineup as soon as I can at 100 percent.”

But now it looks like he needs to play elsewhere to reach his full statistical potential.

Here are nine more players who would benefit from a scenery change:

Ray Whitney, W, Hurricanes: He is headed toward unrestricted free agency. Carolina is headed toward a full-scale rebuilding. Contenders will come calling later this season, when cap concerns become less pressing. Whitney produced just 15 points in his first 24 games with a minus-8 rating. Ugh. In his previous three Hurricanes seasons, he scored 81 goals.

Alexander Frolov, W, Kings: When power forward Ryan Smyth went down, LA hoped Frolov could move up to the first line and regain his old 30-goal form. That has not happened. Frolov scored six goals with a minus-6 rating in 26 games. Now Smyth is getting ready to rejoin the top line and something must give. In his previous three Kings seasons, Frolov scored a total of 90 goals.

Alexei Kovalev, W, Senators: Since coming from arch-rival Montreal, he has looked like a shell of his former self. He went 10 games without scoring a goal and missed three more games after his mother-in-law died back in Russia. He has just four goals and 11 points in 21 games. He scored 35 and 26 goals in his previous two seasons with the Canadiens.

Dion Phaneuf, D, Flames. Already he is clashing with new coach Brent Sutter. He has just 11 points (and just six at even strength) in 25 games with 22 PIMs. Back in 2007-08, he scored 17 goals, earned 43 assists, recorded a plus-12 rating and piled up 182 PIMs.

Christopher Higgins, W, Rangers: He is just not a great fit in New York. In his first 25 games, he scored just two goals with a minus-6 rating. Just two years ago Higgins scored 27 times for the Canadiens.

Jonas Hiller, GT, Ducks: Jean-Sebastien Giguere is winning back that starting job in Anaheim. Given his high salary and no-trade protections, that is a good thing for the franchise. Now the Ducks must consider moving Hiller to a team looking for a new No. 1 netminder. As he proved last season, Jonas is too good to sit around as a back-up.

Eric Brewer, D, Blues: The injury-plagued team captain finally made it back from back and knee surgeries . . . before suffering a minor “lower body” strain. He has just three points and a minus-8 rating in 12 games this season. This former Canadian Olympian has been a message board whipping boy in St. Louis since arriving in the Chris Pronger trade. In his four seasons in Edmonton, he scored 100 points.

Andrei Kostitsyn, W, Canadiens: After scoring 49 goals in his previous two Montreal seasons, he scored just two goals in the first 24 games this season. It is no wonder he and his brother Sergei (banished to the minors this season) have been mentioned in trade rumors all season.

Martin Havlat, W, Wild: He was a great fit in Chicago. In Minnesota . . . not so much. With the Wild stuck in low-scoring mode this season, Havlat will remain miserable. He has just two goals in 19 games with a (gasp) minus-19 rating. A move to a high-scoring team would bring him to life, but what team can take on his contract?