NHL trade deadline season pushes the 2026 Winter Olympics into the rearview mirror.
The March 6 deadline is approaching quickly as the trade action and speculation pick up.
Every year, we see more players end up in trade speculation than those who ultimately get moved. Not every star on the trade block switches teams, while other under-the-radar players can get swapped.
As TheHockeyNews.com ranks the top 25 trade candidates, we could not simply go in order of the best players. Some of them have surfaced in rumors and speculation but might not be as likely to get moved as a mid-tier veteran. We chose instead to go with a combination of the likelihood a player gets traded as well as their impact.
Here are the 25 players to look out for the most over the next week.
NHL trade deadline board
1. Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames
$7 million cap hit, three more years
Kadri has long said he’s wanted to stay in Calgary, but his no-movement clause became a 13-team no-trade list this season. The Flames are closer to the bottom than the playoffs, so a trade feels inevitable for the team’s leading scorer, who has 39 points in 56 games. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported the 35-year-old wants to be traded at this point, while his colleague, Chris Johnston, linked the center to the Colorado Avalanche, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2022.
2. Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils
$9 million cap hit, two more years
Hamilton might not be the same defenseman who signed a seven-year, $63 million contract with the Devils in 2021. But he can still be effective on the power play. The only question is whether Hamilton, who reportedly blocked a move to San Jose, will waive his modified no-trade clause, and how much salary New Jersey will have to retain to make a deal happen.
3. Vincent Trocheck, C, New York Rangers
$5.625 million cap hit, three more years
The New York Rangers made it clear they’re retooling, having traded Artemi Panarin already. Trocheck, 32, could be next if the team doesn’t plan on going for the playoffs over the next couple of seasons. With 36 points in 43 games, Trocheck is another middle-six center who’s effective at the faceoff dot and brings cost certainty. He has a 12-team no-trade list.
4. Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues
$6.5 million cap hit, two more years
Schenn became the topic of trade speculation last season before the Blues went on a franchise-record 12-game winning streak and snuck into the playoffs. Sitting near last place, the Blues should get what they can for their 34-year-old captain, whose scoring has dropped this season.
5. Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators
$4.5 million cap hit, one more year
Nashville’s leading scorer sure seems happier these days. But that hasn’t stopped speculation that the 34-year-old could get moved, with Toronto, Washington and Colorado as potential destinations. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause but is being treated as if he does.
6. Tyler Myers, D, Vancouver Canucks
$3 million cap hit, one more year
The Canucks held Myers out of the lineup on Feb. 25 for roster management reasons. He has a no-movement clause, so he must make a decision about his future while Vancouver protects him from getting injured in a game. The 36-year-old reportedly wasn’t crazy about whatever trade the Canucks were working on, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
7. Bobby McMann, LW/RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
$1.35 million cap hit, pending UFA
The Maple Leafs are outside of a playoff spot, but the team hasn’t leaned toward buying or selling. McMann, 29, has 19 goals and 32 points in 57 games, making him an effective secondary scorer on a relatively cheap salary. If the Leafs are unsure about re-signing him, they should try to restock their prospect and draft pick cupboard.
8. Evander Kane, RW, Vancouver Canucks
$5.125 million cap hit, pending UFA
There’s reportedly some interest in the trade market for 34-year-old Kane. The Canucks are headed toward the draft lottery and not the playoffs, so they could retain up to half of Kane’s $5.15 million cap hit. He has 26 points this season, and after missing all of last regular season, he put up six goals and 12 points in 21 playoff games for the Edmonton Oilers.
9. Blake Coleman, RW/LW/C, Calgary Flames
$4.9 million cap hit, one more year
Coleman told reporters he’s aware of the trade speculation and is a Flame until he’s told he’s not. He’s a versatile forward who can provide depth scoring, kill penalties and get physical. The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired him in 2020 before winning the Stanley Cup twice together.
10. Zach Whitecloud, D, Calgary Flames
$2.75 million cap hit, two more years
Calgary acquired Whitecloud on Jan. 18 in the Rasmus Andersson trade with Vegas. The defensive defenseman’s ice time increased significantly in Calgary, which could help raise his trade value if the team wants to flip him for more future assets. Would Boston go after him after missing out on Andersson?
11. Michael Bunting, LW/RW, Nashville Predators
$4.5 million cap hit, pending UFA
The Predators are in the playoff hunt, which could affect how they handle their pending UFAs. With 30 points, Bunting can provide a lot of offense in limited minutes, and he isn’t afraid to drive the net and get in opponents’ faces. Who wouldn’t want him on a playoff contender?
12. Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues
$6.5 million cap hit, one more year
Faulk has been a frequent topic of trade speculation lately. At 33, he’s still providing a decent amount of offense from the blueline, with 11 goals and 30 points in 57 games. He’s also averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time. RG.Org’s James Murphy connected Faulk to the Bruins.
13. Connor Murphy, D, Chicago Blackhawks
$4.4 million cap hit, pending UFA
It felt like every year, Murphy has surfaced as a trade candidate, but it didn’t make enough sense for the Blackhawks to trade him when they already have a very young defense corps. As a pending UFA, however, if there’s any time to trade him, it’s now. He leads Chicago in blocked shots, and teams struggling to reduce goals against should want this veteran.
14. Logan Stanley, D, Winnipeg Jets
$1.25 million cap hit, pending UFA
Stanley is a 6-foot-7 defensive defenseman with a low cap hit and a career-high nine goals and 18 points. Any team that needs defensive depth, such as the Maple Leafs, should consider bringing on the pending UFA, who doesn’t appear to be deep in extension talks with the Jets.
15. Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks
$11.6 million cap hit, six more years
The Canucks already traded Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood this season. But if they are going to go full rebuild, then maybe it’s also time to move on from Pettersson. According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Carolina, Detroit and Los Angeles are just some of the teams that could be interested in the 27-year-old.
16. Scott Laughton, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
$3 million cap hit, pending UFA
The Maple Leafs acquired Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers a year ago, and his scoring dropped significantly. He only has 11 points this season. In the right situation, Laughton can provide at least double the production while playing a gritty depth role and possessing strong leadership skills. Toronto could re-sign him, but otherwise, it should get a return to salvage last year’s trade.
17. Jordan Kyrou, RW, St. Louis Blues
$8.125 million cap hit, five more years
If it were any likelier that Kyrou would get traded, he would be at the top of this list. The 27-year-old should be entering his prime years, but he’s had a bit of an off year as the Blues struggle overall. His average ice time has dropped as well. With three 70-point seasons under his belt, the asking price would be very high, making Kyrou a likelier offseason trade candidate instead if the Blues want to make a hockey trade.
18. Jake DeBrusk, LW, Vancouver Canucks
$5.5 million cap hit, five more years
These past two seasons have been a culture shock for DeBrusk, who told reporters, ‘I’ve never lost this many games in a row in my life,’ back in January. It’s another way of saying that DeBrusk, who made the playoffs in each of his seven years in Boston, is used to winning. And with 27 career goals in 86 post-season games, he certainly can produce.
19. Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Philadelphia Flyers
$5.1 million cap hit, one more year
Ristolainen is once again in the trade rumor mill, but he was there in 2024 and 2025 and ultimately wasn’t moved. Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco reported six teams were interested in Ristolainen, who’s a 31-year-old defensive defenseman who shoots right and stands 6-foot-4. His cap hit is an obstacle, but the Flyers need a center, and perhaps Ristolainen can help them get one.
20. Andrew Mangiapane, LW, Edmonton Oilers
$3.6 million cap hit, one more year
The Oilers are reportedly trying to trade Mangiapane, who’s been a failed experiment in Edmonton, with 12 points through 50 games. His scoring began to drop last season with the Washington Capitals. If he can bounce back, he’s an effective secondary scorer, recording at least 30 points in five seasons and at least 40 in three.
21. Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues
$6 million cap hit, one more year
Binnington stopped 26 of 28 shots in the Olympic gold medal game for Canada, and the goals he conceded were a breakaway deke and a point-blank shot off a cross-ice pass. He had a strong tournament. Whether that makes up for his .864 save percentage and 3.65 goals-against average with the Blues this season is up to other GMs to decide. But he’s consistently improved his play in high-pressure moments.
22. Charlie Coyle, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
$5.25 million cap hit, pending UFA
The Blue Jackets looked ready to sell pending UFAs before they went on a hot streak under new coach Rick Bowness. The team must make a judgment call by next week, because Coyle has 42 points in 57 games and would be a valuable addition to another contender should Columbus decide to trade him for the third time in the past year.
23. MacKenzie Weegar, D, Calgary Flames
$6.25 million cap hit, five more years
Weegar has a no-trade clause, but at 32 years old with only 20 playoff career games, he could have a better opportunity of winning the Stanley Cup elsewhere for the rest of his contract. He shoots right, is an effective two-way defenseman and can play over 23 minutes a night.
24. Luke Schenn, D, Winnipeg Jets
$2.75 million cap hit, pending UFA
Will the Schenn brothers ever get to play together in the NHL? In any case, the Jets will have a very difficult time climbing back into a playoff spot, and Schenn remains a serviceable defensive defenseman who leads Winnipeg in hits. The Jets paid a second-round pick and a fourth-rounder to acquire him last year.
25. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Carolina Hurricanes
$4.82 million cap hit, four more years
Friedman reported in January that Carolina was considering trade offers for Kotkaniemi. A fresh start would make sense at this point, as his ice time has dropped this season, and so has his production. He had 33 points last year and 43 two years before that. He’s a project, but teams that need a center should consider him.
Others to keep an eye on: Robert Thomas (STL), Brandon Carlo (TOR), Steven Stamkos (NSH), Jonathan Marchessault (NSH), Shane Wright (SEA), Patrik Laine (MTL), Warren Foegele (LA), Conor Garland (VAN)
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