Most, if not all, teams make some kind of move at the NHL Trade Deadline. What’s one deal every team should make over the next couple of weeks, whether you’re a seller or a buyer?
Trevor Zegras once looked like he was on his way to stardom after back-to-back 60-plus point seasons, but he’s stagnated since then. That’s not to say he still can’t become a star. After all, he’s only 23, but it’s likely to come with another organization.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for 2025 Trade Deadline
Injuries have played a part in his struggles in Anaheim over the last couple of seasons, but it also seems like the relationship has soured between the two sides. The Ducks would be selling low on him, but it appears it’s time to move on. If they can get a promising prospect and a pick in return for him, they shouldn’t hesitate. It’s best for both sides.
The Bruins signed Elias Lindholm to a pricey contract this past offseason, but that has not worked out all that well. Finding a center under the age of 30 and with team control is easier said than done, but they need one badly. For a team that doesn’t rebuild, that’s their best path to extending their playoff contention window. Otherwise, they may need to rebuild, and it could be a long one, given the state of the organization’s prospect pool.
There have been rumors that the Sabres are trying to re-sign Jason Zucker, but that might be a mistake. He’s having the best season of his career in nearly a decade, but almost half his goal-scoring has come on the power play. They should sell high on him, even if the return is second and third-round picks, because they’re more likely to regret re-signing him to any contract with term.
Rasmus Andersson has been one of the more underrated defensemen in the NHL for a while. He’s still under contract for 2025-26 at a cap hit of $4.55 million, so the Flames don’t have to do this now. But if they’re hesitant about re-signing him long-term, now would be the time to move him.
One) Right-handed defenders are always at a premium on the trade market. His having an extra year on his contract also adds to his value, and with him turning 30 when he needs a new deal, the Flames might be best off getting a haul for him while his value is at its highest now. It’d likely help their retool in the long run more than re-signing him.
It was tempting to be spicy and put “flip Mikko Rantanen” here, but let’s go with acquiring John Gibson. It feels like there’s been noise around Gibson and the Hurricanes for a couple of years, and this feels like the year to do it.
Gibson has been excellent this season, stopping 14.6 goals above expected, a top-10 rate in the NHL. He has two and a half years left on his deal at a cap hit of $6.4 million, which will likely appeal to the Hurricanes. The Eastern Conference is wide open this season, and if they retain Rantanen and acquire Gibson, they could be favorites to win the East and perhaps the Stanley Cup.
Trading Seth Jones won’t be easy because of his contract, which is one of the worst in the NHL. It’ll likely take multiple teams to facilitate a move, but with Jones wanting out, the Blackhawks should do right by him. It’d be unreasonable to expect the Blackhawks to retain 50 percent for six more years, but they should retain some money to sweeten the return.
It’s possible the Blackhawks would have to attach a sweetener for a team to acquire Jones, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if teams overvalue what he is and aren’t just looking to take on a bad contract. If the Blackhawks can get some futures and clear some valuable cap space, it’d make a difference for their rebuild.
If the Avalanche can move Casey Mittelstadt for another second-line center, that’d do wonders for their team. Even after trading Rantanen to the Hurricanes, they haven’t missed a beat offensively with Martin Necas taking over Rantanen’s spot alongside Nathan MacKinnon. Forward depth is the biggest question mark with the Avalanche, and with a pretty stacked Western Conference, they will need to improve it before March 7.
It may be tempting to keep Ivan Provorov if you’re the Blue Jackets since they’re still very much in the playoff hunt, but it’d probably serve their long-term interest best if they moved him before the deadline. Provorov’s next contract won’t be cheap, and even though he’s been solid for the Blue Jackets, they have plenty of young talent coming up through the ranks on defense, most notably Denton Mateychuk. Provorov would probably net them a solid return at the deadline, and they can use those assets to add a younger, cost-controlled defender during the offseason.
The Stars were the easiest team to figure out for this exercise. They need a right-handed defender, especially since Miro Heiskanen — who was playing on his off-hand — is out long-term with an injury. Rasmus Ristolainen is not the punching bag he used to be. John Tortorella has helped turn his game around, and even though there’s risk he could regress, he makes sense for the Stars.
Ristolainen has two and a half years left on his deal at a cap hit of $5.1 million, so he’s not a rental. He won’t have to play high up the lineup when Heiskanen is healthy, so he should continue to carry over his success from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stars. As is the case with the Flyers, the Stars seem like a good fit for him.
It appears Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman will look to find Vladimir Tarasenko a new home before the deadline, as the fit hasn’t worked in Detroit. Tarasenko has another year left on his contract at a cap hit of $4.75 million, so finding a new home for him may not be the easiest, given the season he’s having. But the Red Wings should take whatever they can get for him and open up some cap space to help improve the rest of their roster. They’re in the playoff hunt, and that added cap space could help them make an addition to keep them in the race.
The Oilers look like the favorite to win the Western Conference, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a couple of needs to address. I could have gone with a bottom-six forward like Ryan Donato, but finding a backup goalie is more important, in my opinion.
Calvin Pickard has been a league-average goaltender this season, totaling a .901 save percentage, but how comfortable would the Oilers be turning to him in the playoffs if Skinner struggles again? The problem is aside from Gibson, it doesn’t look like there are many goalies available, and he’s more than the Oilers can likely afford. Still, they should make the move if there’s a capable backup available.
Should the Sabres move Bowen Byram? Probably not, but the Panthers make the most sense if he’s available. The Panthers took a chance on Brandon Montour after his struggles in Buffalo and turned him into a legit top-four defender. Byram does have injury concerns, but the talent is undeniable, and the Panthers need help on defense. GM Bill Zito does not have much to work with assets-wise, but finding a way to get Byram in the mix could be a big boost for their shallow blue line.
Sorry to any Sabres fans who are still reading this, but the Los Angeles Kings have reportedly shown interest in Alex Tuch, who has a year and a half left on his deal at a $4.75 million cap hit. The Kings need scoring badly, and though I’d argue they need a center more than a winger, it’d be hard to pass up on Tuch, who’s averaged 26 goals and 60 points per 82 games over the last three seasons. He’ll likely cost the Kings a first-round pick and prospect since he has term, but he’s worth the price of admission.
Marco Rossi is having a breakout season, and Joel Eriksson Ek has always been reliable, but the Wild could use another center. Brock Nelson is a Minnesota native, and if the New York Islanders decide to sell, I’m sure the Wild will have interest. After all, GM Bill Guerin included Nelson on Team USA’s 4 Nations roster. The Wild have one of the best farm systems in the NHL, so they should have the assets to acquire Nelson, who may require a first and a prospect to obtain. He’d give their center depth a much-needed jolt.
It seems this is the path two sides are heading for anyway, but the Canadiens would be wise to sell high on Jake Evans, who’s having a career year. He won’t net a first-round pick and blue-chip prospect, but the Canadiens can probably get a second and third for him, and that’s not something you could have said in past years. There’ll be plenty of teams interested in him, so the Canadiens should get what they’re looking for.
Brady Skjei’s contract is immovable, and Steven Stamkos might be too, but GM Barry Trotz should look to cut his losses from what’s turned out to be a disaster of a 2024 offseason. Jonathan Marchessault would likely garner the most interest on the trade market from last offseason’s moves, and I would look to get some futures in return for him if I were Trotz.
If not, they should consider moving Ryan O’Reilly. Trotz said they will treat O’Reilly as if he has a no-move clause, but they could likely fetch a haul from a contender looking for a second or third-line center. O’Reilly has two and a half years left on his deal at a cap hit of $4.5 million. Trading him now could help speed up a retool in a positive way.
The Devils may have been the second-easiest team for this exercise, because they need scoring. Their bottom six is dire, but they also need a top-six scorer for Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. McCann has averaged 31 goals per 82 games over the last three seasons and has an elite shot. He has two and a half years left on his deal at a cap hit of $5.5 million and is 28 years old. He’s the perfect fit for what this team needs at the trade deadline.
We mentioned Nelson above, but he’s part of what the Islanders should do at this trade deadline. That’d be a good start if they can secure a first-round pick and a prospect for him. They’d also be wise to trade Kyle Palmieri, who should net them second and third-round picks. Finally, if they can find a taker for Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who’s still an effective third-line center, that’d be a successful deadline. The Islanders need to begin reshaping their roster and getting younger, and this is the perfect deadline to do so. If they don’t, it’d be a failure on management’s part.
The New York Rangers have already made a couple of moves, trading Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken and acquiring J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. I’m not sure whether they’re leaning toward buying or selling, but they should trade Ryan Lindgren regardless. He’s not the defenseman he used to be and is showing further signs of decline. I don’t think the Rangers can get a first for him, but a second-rounder and another later pick or B-level prospect would be fair value. He’s a pending UFA, and it doesn’t make sense for the Rangers to sign him long-term.
The Senators have a legit first-line center in Tim Stützle, but their depth down the middle is weak. Part of that is because of Josh Norris’ persistent injury issues, but they’re also missing Shane Pinto due to injury. Even if/when they get both players back, adding a bottom-six center would give the team some insurance. Could a reunion with Pageau make sense? He has a year and a half left on his deal and should not cost the Senators their top assets to acquire.
It feels like Scott Laughton has been in the rumor mill for years, but this may be the year the Flyers move him. He has a year and a half left on his deal at a cap hit of $3 million, so this is the time to maximize his value. There have been previous reports that the Flyers want a first-round pick for Laughton, but that seems like a stretch. Still, they can probably get a second and a good prospect for him, so they should take that if a team offers it to them.
Rickard Rakell is on pace for 37 goals and 70 points this season, but that’s probably a good reason why Penguins GM Kyle Dubas should look to move him sooner rather than later. Rakell is shooting just over 17 percent, and chances are he won’t repeat this season moving forward. He also turns 32 in May, so he’s more likely to decline over the remaining three years of his contract.
Dubas doesn’t have to trade Rakell at the deadline since he has three and a half years left on his deal. He can wait until the offseason, but if a team wants to overpay, he shouldn’t hesitate. Dubas should look for a first-round pick, a top prospect and a near NHL-ready asset for Rakell. Some team might be willing to do it since they could get four hypothetical playoff runs with Rakell.
Sharks GM Mike Grier has executed a near-perfect tank job. They’ll have another high pick in a weak 2025 draft, though the top of the class looks promising. The Sharks’ trade deadline strategy should be simple: sell whatever you can. Alexandar Georgiev may not have much value, but get a pick for him if possible. Luke Kunin and Nico Sturm are pending UFAs, so it’d probably be smart to get a couple of assets for them. Grier already acquired a first-round pick for Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci, and he can probably add some more draft capital over the next couple of weeks.
Ok, this isn’t one move, but I don’t think it could be any more clear that the Kraken need a fire sale to begin a rebuild. They have an OK farm system but no real star players on the way. GM Ron Francis should strip it down to the bolts and sell McCann, Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Brandon Tanev, Jamie Oleksiak and even Andre Burakovsky. They need futures and draft capital to begin a much-needed rebuild because they’re going nowhere fast.
The St. Louis Blues have four defensemen with no-trade protection, and that doesn’t include Torey Krug, who’s on long-term injured reserve. They’ll never move Colton Parayko (nor should they), but finding a way to move Justin Faulk or Nick Leddy would help provide some much-needed cap space and free them up to make their blue line younger and more mobile than it currently is.
The problem is they have full no-trade clauses, so it’s easier said than done, but something has to give. The Blues’ blue line has been a problem for years, and it finally needs to be addressed. The assets they receive don’t matter much. The cap and roster space are more important.
Kyle Palmieri has a 16-team no-trade list, but I imagine he’d accept a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning need more scoring, and Palmieri would be an upgrade, as he’s on pace for 24 goals and 55 points. As mentioned above, Palmieri shouldn’t cost a team more than a second and third-round pick. He’d be a good fit for the Lightning as a rental.
Yanni Gourde will be out for at least a couple of more weeks after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia earlier this month. There’s risk in acquiring him, as injuries have been a problem this season; he’s only played 35 games. But when healthy, he’s played well. The Maple Leafs could use a bottom-six center, as Pontus Holmberg and David Kampf may not cut it come playoff time. Gourde has plenty of playoff experience and won a Cup with the Lightning, and his injury may lower his trade value. For just a mid-round pick, the Maple Leafs should be all over it.
Utah HC has an important decision to make on Karel Vejmelka, who’s a pending UFA. If they don’t re-sign him before the trade deadline, they’d be wise to move him and collect whatever assets they can receive. The goalie market is weak, and Vejmelka would likely net a solid return since he’d easily be the second-best goalie available behind Gibson. Otherwise, Utah would be best off trading other pending UFAs like Nick Bjugstad, Alex Kerfoot and Olli Maatta if they fall out of the race.
Per Cam Robinson, it appears the Canucks and Boeser are far apart on a contract extension. The Canucks could keep Boeser as they try to qualify for the playoffs, but chances are this team will be a first-round exit if they make it to the postseason. They should trade Boeser because he might get the team a similar return to Granlund — the Stars gave up a first-round pick for him.
If the Rangers do sell, Reilly Smith could find himself on the trade market. The pending UFA has ten goals and 26 points in 54 games and has not been a great fit for the Rangers, but he’s familiar with the Golden Knights, having won a Stanley Cup there in 2023. The Golden Knights could use another winger in their middle six, and Smith shouldn’t cost more than a mid-round pick to acquire.
The Capitals were the toughest assignment for this exercise because I don’t see a particularly flawed team, but they could use another bottom-six winger. Justin Brazeau has ten goals and 20 points this season and would add some size to an already heavy lineup. He shouldn’t cost more than a mid to late-round pick, and his $775,000 cap hit would allow the Capitals to make more moves if they so choose.
Most players have the Jets on their no-trade lists, and even though O’Reilly doesn’t have no-trade or no-move protection, the Jets should check in to see if he’d accept a trade to Winnipeg. Their most pressing need is finding a second-line center, and O’Reilly would be perfect for them since he has term and a reasonable cap hit of $4.5 million. The Jets can win the Western Conference, and acquiring O’Reilly would solidify their status as contenders.
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