NHL offseason trade board 2.0: The latest on the top 30 targets as action heats up

New York Times

7 hours ago

After years of on-again, off-again trade rumors surrounding Trevor Zegras, the Anaheim Ducks finally pulled the trigger and dealt the talented winger to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday afternoon.
Consider it the official kickoff to one of the busiest weeks on the entire NHL calendar.
The rumor mill is churning at a high rate in the run-up to free agency, where there aren't enough solutions to be found to satisfy the roster needs of every team.
A salary cap jump to $95.5 million next season should also fuel what's expected to be an active trade market.
Here's a look at 30 names to keep a close eye on. As always, they're listed in order of how closely they demand watching, based on their potential impact and the current amount of buzz around them.
(Note: Net ratings are for 2024-25 via The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn, stats are via Hockey-Reference and GSAx via Evolving-Hockey.)
With no extension on the horizon in Calgary, Andersson is available ahead of the final year remaining on his contract. He's an all-around defender who excels at winning puck battles and can jump into the attack. He brings highly valued off-ice intangibles, too, and recently wore the 'C' for Sweden on home ice at the IIHF World Hockey Championship. There are minor concerns — such as his foot speed and an ugly minus-38 rating last season — but Andersson is a major asset for Calgary to peddle, whether he's moved now or at the trade deadline in 2026.
The Sabres have a glut of defensemen on the left side, and the 24-year-old needs a new contract coming off his healthiest and most productive NHL season. That's why Buffalo has been gauging the trade market on the restricted free agent. Byram is an elite skater who can log big minutes and still has his best years ahead of him, making him an intriguing option for teams looking for an upgrade on their blue line.
Enormously skilled but on the lighter side at 5-foot-9 and 192 pounds, there is still some debate about what Rossi can be as an NHL player. It's pretty clear where the Wild are leaning after they gave him just 11 minutes of ice time per game in the playoffs following a 60-point regular season. Now it's decision time, with Rossi hitting restricted free agency and seeking a long-term contract. Minnesota is looking for a player, rather than futures, as part of a return for Rossi.
With the Oilers in need of more roster flexibility, Kane is a prime candidate to be moved. He missed the entire regular season following multiple surgeries and appeared in 21 playoff games this spring. Still, he remains a big physical presence who can put the puck in the net and intimidate opponents. Kane has a list of 16 approved teams to which he can be traded.
A confluence of factors has made Miller's future a little bit murky in New York. For starters, he's due a qualifying offer north of $4.6 million this summer and is eligible to hit unrestricted free agency as soon as 2026. Basically, this is a time where the Rangers would typically be looking to make a big investment in a 25-year-old player. However, the team has to be mindful of the salary cap and Miller's game showed some real cracks this season, with defensive lapses and a dip in production contributing to the struggles the Rangers' blue line endured.
The Stars are looking to free up money for other moves this summer, and Dumba found himself on the outside looking in at playoff time, unable to crack the lineup for any of the 18 games Dallas played this spring. Still, the right-shot defenseman will be only 31 entering next season and plays a premium position that is always in demand around the league. While his offensive game isn't what it once was, Dumba is a good skater who plays with physicality.
Another restricted free agent due for a hefty pay raise, there'd be strong trade value for the Sabres to mine if they move off a winger who has twice crested 25 goals and finished the 2024-25 season tied for second on the team with 68 points. While Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters in March that Peterka is one of the team's 'core young guys,' it's not clear that he's willing to make that kind of commitment to the organization. Peterka is a candidate for an offer sheet if he's not traded before July 1.
Robertson will be a restricted free agent when his contract expires after next season, so the Stars can be patient here. They may even engage him in discussions on an extension over the summer. However, they've also been gauging the trade market on a winger with high-end offensive instincts and a strong track record of filling the net. Robertson is tracking toward needing a nice pay bump on his next contract.
The Penguins aren't looking to move a highly dependable, low-maintenance winger with ties to their back-to-back Stanley Cup years. However, with Rust's no-movement clause set to expire on June 30, the 33-year-old is one of their most sought-after assets. Rust is coming off a 31-goal, 65-point season and remains an above-average skater who plays an effective two-way game. An added bonus comes from the fact that the actual money owed over the final three years of his contract is below his already-affordable cap hit.
The pickings are slim in the free-agent goaltending market, and Gibson is coming off a bounce-back performance. While he may have relinquished the Ducks' No. 1 job to Lukáš Dostál, the veteran finished with a .912 save percentage and impressive goals-saved-above-expected numbers: 11.71, according to Evolving-Hockey, and 15.3, according to MoneyPuck. Multiple teams have kicked tires on Gibson in recent years, with no trade materializing, but his contract now looks more movable than ever with just two seasons remaining and the cap on the rise.
Coming off a so-so first year in Edmonton in which he scored 15 regular-season goals but was scratched during the Stanley Cup Final, Arvidsson is a candidate to be moved. The Oilers are looking for upgrades at forward and need to free up cap space for improvements elsewhere. Arvidsson is a tenacious worker with a great shot. He has a full no-movement clause.
Coyle produced 11 points in 19 games with Colorado after coming over in a deadline trade from Boston but could be on the move again with the Avalanche looking to create some breathing room under the salary cap. He is a pending unrestricted free agent with one year remaining on his contract. While his offensive output appears to be trending downward, Coyle is a matchup center who can handle difficult assignments.
With two years remaining on a contract at an affordable cap hit, McCann could yield a nice return for a Kraken team in the middle of a shakeup. He's finished with 70, 62 and 61 points the past three seasons. He is a power-play threat who can finish around the net and may be due for a bounceback in the goals department after seeing his shooting percentage dip to 10.9 last season. McCann owns a 10-team no-trade list.
The fit has never seemed quite right in Pittsburgh for the three-time Norris Trophy winner, who last appeared in the Stanley Cup playoffs six years ago. Karlsson will be 35 when next season begins, and it only makes sense for him and the retooling Penguins to work together on finding him a new home. Karlsson's $10 million cap hit offers a significant barrier, even if Pittsburgh steps up with some retention. Perhaps there is some hope to be found in his strong performance for Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off over the winter for any team thinking about taking the plunge.
Sitting one year out from unrestricted free agency and needing a raise on his previous contract, the towering defenseman is drawing trade interest. Hague is an OG Golden Knight, of sorts, having been taken in the organization's first draft class in 2017. He gets around the ice well for a big man and plays with some physicality.
A minute-munching, shot-blocking defenseman who has drawn trade interest in the past, Ferraro is a valuable commodity. Signed through the end of next season at a $3.25 million cap hit, the 26-year-old is a strong puck mover and penalty killer with a competitive streak to match. With the Sharks still in the painful part of a rebuild, they're willing to give him a new start.
A fresh start appears to be in order after the talented winger saw a precipitous dropoff in production during his third NHL season. That included stretches as a healthy scratch during Year 1 in Utah. Undersized but with enticing playmaking abilities, Maccelli will be a restricted free agent when his contract expires after next season.
The Canucks have a decision to make with Demko set to enter his final season under contract. They already have Kevin Lankinen signed long-term, and No. 3 man Arturs Silovs appears ready for more consistent NHL playing time, so a trade can't be ruled out. Injuries have severely limited Demko the past two seasons, but he's been a top-tier performer when healthy. And a scarce goalie market may drive up his price.
Depending on how negotiations progress on a new contract, Dobson could easily shoot up to the No. 1 spot on the trade board. The Islanders appear to be in an either/or situation with the mobile right-shot defenseman who piles up points. Either they sign Dobson to a lucrative extension this summer that buys out multiple years of unrestricted free agency or they look to trade him to a team willing to make that kind of commitment.
Set to enter the final season of his contract, the veteran center is a candidate to find a new home with recently hired Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche looking at ways to turn over the team's underperforming roster. Pageau is elite in the faceoff circle and a strong penalty killer who is due just $3.5 million in actual salary next season. He owns a 16-team no-trade clause.
A reliable player who can be trusted across 200 feet, Järnkrok is coming off a season where he struggled to find any kind of rhythm after not being healthy enough to play before March. Still, he's a low-risk bet due to a strong track record of consistent play and his favorable contract status. Once his $1.325 million bonus is paid on July 1, Järnkrok will be owed just $775,000 in salary next season — making him the equivalent of a league-minimum player.
A reliable defensive center who doesn't bring a lot on the offensive side of the puck, Kämpf lost his grip on a regular spot in the Leafs lineup down the stretch last season and is available now as they seek more flexibility. Kämpf is a low-maintenance player who can be deployed on the penalty kill. He has two years remaining on his contract and owns a 10-team no-trade list.
Samuelsson had only played 54 NHL games when the Sabres signed him to a seven-year extension in October 2022, and so far that gamble has not paid off. He's a big stay-at-home defenseman who has shown limited offensive ability at the NHL level. The Sabres are dealing with a number of moving parts right now and his name is circulating.
What a difference a year makes. The Predators swung a mighty bat last July 1, landing Marchessault plus Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei off the open market, and already find themselves facing a roster renovation. The 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner can still put the puck in the net and boasts a resume that includes 102 career playoff games. What's more, his cap hit should become even more palatable as it ages. He does have a full no-movement clause.
The clock is ticking down on the days until the no-movement clause kicks in on Pettersson's contract, at which point he'll become much more difficult to move. That happens July 1. While the Canucks seem content to see things through with a player who struggled mightily this past season, that hasn't kept other teams from trying to pry him loose. At his best, Pettersson is an elite offensive play-driver in the prime of his career, which is why he's among the league's highest-paid forwards.
Big, strong and experienced, Murphy posted good defensive results under less-than-favorable conditions with the Blackhawks this past season. The right shot comes with an expiring contract that should be fairly easy to move, particularly in light of how well he compares to this summer's free-agent class. This is a time of transition in Chicago so roster flexibility is paramount.
Extremely well-traveled in recent years, Tarasenko did not prove to be a good fit with the Red Wings, scoring just 11 goals — the lowest full-season total of his NHL career. Tarasenko doesn't generate scoring chances at the rate he once did but still possesses the kind of shot needed to put the puck in the net. Built like a tank, he can win puck battles along the wall and fight through the traffic to get to the net. He was part of Florida's Stanley Cup team in 2024.
Geekie finds himself in a prime negotiating position, coming off a 33-goal season and sitting one year away from unrestricted free agency. Cha-ching. While the Bruins have engaged in negotiations on a contract extension, a move remains a possibility if they aren't able to lock up some of his unrestricted-free-agent years. Geekie turns 27 this summer and Boston has already started accumulating future assets with an aggressive sale ahead of the trade deadline in March.
Merzlikins has seemingly been on thin ice in Columbus for a couple of years now, with open discussions about a trade dating back at least 16 months. He's consistently struggled to perform up to the level of his contract, which is why colleague Aaron Portzline identified a goaltending overhaul as an organizational priority in Columbus this summer. Amid a muddled goaltending market, Merzlikins is available. He'll also likely be a buyout candidate if a trade doesn't emerge.
It's 11 months on from his trade request, and the 23-year-old forward is still looking for a change of scenery. Robertson once again found himself watching the Leafs' most important games from the press box, dressing for just three of 13 playoff games, and is a restricted free agent holding arbitration rights this summer. Robertson has a wicked release and high work rate, scoring 29 goals across the past two seasons despite seeing limited power-play time.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic, with photos of JJ Peterka, Rasmus Andersson and Jason Robertson by Bill Wippert, Kevin Sousa and Kirk Irwin / Getty Images)