The NHL is now resuming play after the Winter Olympics ended with a dramatic 2-1 overtime win by Team USA over Team Canada. Some teams are coming out of it fighting for Stanley Cup Playoff aspirations, with the Buffalo Sabres looking like a playoff contender for the first time in over a decade and the Utah Mammoth also looking like a playoff team.
However, there are some teams that are at a crossroads. They could be only a point or two back from the playoffs or potentially even in long-shot territory for the playoffs. However, the best years of their windows are behind them, and they’re in desperate need of prospects and picks. In this case, these teams need a fire sale; they need to unload expiring contracts, experienced veterans, and sometimes pieces of the main core to enter a full rebuild. Here are four teams that should embrace a rebuild.
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators currently sit at 61 points on the season after winning against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Feb. 26. They’re only two points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and considering that the Predators were a bottom-five team in the NHL last season, this season has been a pleasant surprise.
However, this was nearly the same Predators team that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 2023-24 season. They re-signed goaltender Juuse Saros and signed center Steven Stamkos, defenseman Brady Skjei, and forward Jonathan Marchessault in the 2024 offseason to bolster their depth.
The expectation was for them to become a Stanley Cup contender in the near future, and that doesn’t seem to be happening. Saros has been a dud, Marchessault has been a disappointment, and overall, the team is one of the oldest in the league (28.59 years old, 16th).
The Predators have several veterans they can unload to contenders. Team-leading goal-scorer Stamkos still has two years on his contract after this season, but he comes with a no-movement clause, so Nashville will have to work a trade with one of the three teams he wants to go to (Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild).
First-line center Ryan O’Reilly, meanwhile, has no trade protection and doesn’t become a free agent until the 2027 season. He could fetch a return for a prospect and a first-round pick. Forwards with expiring contracts like Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, Michael McCarron, and Cole Smith should also be available.
On the defense, the Predators are probably not parting with Roman Josi or Skjei, but Nick Perbix is a trade candidate. The 27-year-old right-shot defenseman is a free agent after the 2026-27 season, so he could be packaged alongside O’Reilly in trade talks.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have completely bottomed out this season. After a disappointing 2024-25 season, people were expecting head coach Mike Sullivan to revitalize the team into a playoff contender, but they’ve slipped to the bottom of the Eastern Conference with just 50 points on the season.
They’ve already shipped off star winger Artemi Panarin, but there’s still a lot more to sell from this core. Similar to the Predators, the Rangers are an old team that doesn’t have that many prospects in the immediate pipeline.
There are a couple of rough contracts in the checkbooks, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some enticing players to consider, such as center Vincent Trocheck. He’s already earned some trade buzz with the Wild, and even with a 12-team no-trade protection on his contract, he could definitely earn some trade interest.
Another interesting piece is Braden Schneider. The 24-year-old is a restricted free agent, and with the rough state of the Rangers’ cap space, Schneider may have priced himself out of the team’s plans. He could be traded for a prospect or a high draft pick at this deadline.
The Rangers could also flip Alexis Lafreniere at the deadline. He has absolutely no trade protection and is at a decent $7.45 million cap hit until 2030. The Rangers could flip him in a change-of-scenery trade with another team, and he’d be one of the top wingers on the market. General manager Chris Drury has specified before that the Rangers are retooling, not rebuilding, but with this year’s trade market looking to benefit sellers, why wouldn’t you take advantage?
Vancouver Canucks
Similar to the Rangers, the Vancouver Canucks are at the bottom of their conference after a disappointing 2024-25 season and hope for a retool this season. They’re at just 43 points, though, which is eight below the next-worst team (Rangers). Also, they’ve already gotten rid of their most valuable asset, with defenseman Quinn Hughes getting traded to the Wild for a very rich return.
With Hughes gone, it’s pointing towards a full sale rebuild for the Canucks, and that means scorched earth for this core. Elias Pettersson is in desperate need of a change of scenery, even with the hope he’d pair well alongside Gavin McKenna if Vancouver wins the first-overall pick.
Related: Canucks Can’t Trade Pettersson Until the Gavin McKenna Question Is Answered
Filip Hronek, Marcus Petterson, Conor Garland, and Jake DeBrusk will probably be too old to see the rebuild through. Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, and David Kampf are all free agents in 2026 as well. Tyler Myers is also on a relatively easy contract to move, too. There should be very few untouchable players on the roster (Filip Chytil, Brock Boeser, Marco Rossi, and young guys).
Calgary Flames
Early in the season, the Calgary Flames were most people’s pick to win the first-overall sweepstakes. Unfortunately, their Pacific Division rival, the Vancouver Canucks, has stolen their thunder so far.
Still, with the Flames trading star defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, the goal of a full-scale rebuild is finally clear. No one should be completely untouchable besides Dustin Wolf, with Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman figured to be the most appealing.
Kadri has a 13-team no-trade clause, but he’s under contract until 2029. Coleman has just one more year after this one and is cheaper than Kadri despite a 10-team no-trade clause. Winger Ryan Lomberg should draw some trade interest as a pure rental.
Honorable Mentions
There are some teams that have a lot of players they could dangle in the trade market, but they probably won’t go full scorched earth on their roster.
The New Jersey Devils have been as disappointing as ever. Jack Hughes’ injury has exposed the flaws on the team; star players such as Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier are struggling, and Jacob Markstrom has lost a step due to age (he’s 36).
They’ve already made some moves, trading Ondrej Palat to the New York Islanders for Maxim Tsyplakov and bringing in Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues, but Dougie Hamilton could be an interesting trade piece, although he’s had a down season, too. Evgenii Dadonov will more than likely be flipped in the hopes of regaining the form he had with the Stars. Dawson Mercer is a trade candidate, too, if only for the fact that he could use a change of scenery.
Meanwhile, the Blues are in a similar boat to the one that the Predators were in last season. They have bottomed out after a surprising Stanley Cup Playoff appearance and a brutal series loss. There is a good argument to sell off members of the core (from ‘What I’m hearing about Robert Thomas, Jordan Binnington and other Blues ahead of the trade deadline,’ The Athletic – 2/26/2026), but they’re having down seasons, so I doubt general manager Doug Armstrong sells low on any of them.
The Blues could still part ways with older members of the core, like Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk, and Jordan Binnington has garnered enough value from the Olympics to where you listen to trade offers for him as well.
Conclusion
This trade deadline figures to be more of a seller’s market than a buyer’s market. There are a lot of teams still competing for playoff spots, with the Western Conference looking incredibly top-heavy and many disappointing teams (Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals) needing a moderate winning streak and some luck to reach the playoffs.
As a result, these teams could get exponential value from selling this year. The Predators could get multiple first-round picks this season, while the Rangers still have some premium pieces (Trocheck, Lafreniere) to dangle, too. This trade deadline can kick-start a rebuild for the sellers involved.
