The 2025-26 NHL season is off to an interesting start. Most teams in the Eastern Conference are still in the playoff picture, but there’s been some separation in the West. Because of that, some names have already begun to pop up in trade discussions and the rumor mill. Let’s look at six players who could be early-season trade targets for teams looking to make moves sooner rather than later.
Ryan O’Reilly
Ryan O’Reilly caught everyone’s attention a few days ago when he said he’s only had one good season in his career. He later said he regretted the comments, but his frustration is understandable. The Nashville Predators are off to another poor start and have only won five of their first 18 games. They’re trending toward becoming sellers, and perhaps it will be sooner rather than later.
Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault could become trade candidates as the season progresses, but that’ll likely come closer to the trade deadline. Before that happens, O’Reilly stands out as the most likely of the Predators’ veterans to be moved. His production has slipped from his peak, but he’s still a perfectly capable middle-six center.
O’Reilly has not been the problem with the Predators, as he has 13 points in his first 18 games, a pace of 59 points per 82 games. Even on a poor Predators team last season, O’Reilly’s play was worth a goals above replacement (GAR) of 7.5 and a wins above replacement (WAR) of 1.2, underscoring his continued value.
O’Reilly’s contract runs through the 2026-27 season, so he’s not a rental, and his cap hit of $4.5 million is more than palatable. Teams that need a second or third-line center will be ready to pounce if the Predators decide to make changes.
Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson & Blake Coleman
The Flames were a 96-point team a season ago, but they’ve felt regression’s wrath to begin the 2025-26 season. They’re 4-12-2 and currently lead the sweepstakes for Gavin McKenna in the 2026 NHL Draft. Because of the position they’re in, they’ll likely be sellers, and general manager Craig Conroy may not wait long to make moves.
Nazem Kadri has already come up in trade rumors, but he has a 13-team no-trade clause, so he’ll have plenty of say if the Flames do trade him. He’s coming off a 35-goal, 67-point season and is on pace for 53 points this season. He has four years left on his contract at a cap hit of $7 million, so a trade probably won’t be simple. Still, I imagine teams looking for a second-line center, like the Montreal Canadiens, will have interest in him.
Another Flame who’s expected to garner trade interest is Blake Coleman. He’s long been one of the more effective middle-six wingers and plays a style of hockey that will appeal to GMs looking to bolster their rosters for the playoffs. His contract runs through next season at a cap hit of $4.9 million, so he’s not a rental, either. Although he plays a physical game, he also has some scoring pop. There’ll be plenty of interest in him.
Lastly, there’s Rasmus Andersson. In his case, it seems like it’s a matter of when and not if he’ll get traded. He’s on an expiring contract, and the Flames aren’t going anywhere this season. He’s a coveted right-handed shot who plays top-four/top-pair minutes. There’ll be no shortage of suitors, and the Flames will likely get plenty in return.
Brayden Schenn
St. Louis Blues goaltenders have had trouble stopping the puck this season, and it’s perhaps the most significant reason they’re 6-8-3 and close to the bottom of the Central Division. There’s still a long way to go this season, but GM Doug Armstrong has hinted that changes are coming if things don’t turn around soon.
Jordan Kyrou was a healthy scratch last week, so naturally, trade speculation became rampant. But it’s Brayden Schenn who seems to be coming up most in the early-season rumor mill. For those who don’t remember, Schenn’s name surfaced around last season’s trade deadline, with the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs among the interested teams.
Related: NHL Rumors: Shopping Schenn, O’Reilly Remarks, Oilers and Saros
Who knows if the Devils and Maple Leafs will have interest this season, but Armstrong doesn’t seem afraid of trading his captain. Schenn is no longer the player he was a few seasons ago and has shown signs of gradual decline. His GAR and WAR have been in the red since the start of last season, and given his age, there’s no guarantee he’ll improve with a change of scenery.
Schenn’s contract runs through the end of next season and comes with a cap hit of $6.5 million. At least to me, Schenn should be a cap-clearing move, but I’m sure there are NHL GMs who still see value in his play. It’ll be interesting to see who his suitors are if the Blues make him available.
David Kämpf
The Maple Leafs are already dealing with plenty of turmoil this season. While I wouldn’t say David Kämpf is high on the list of problems they need to address, they need a resolution to his situation. For those who missed it, the Maple Leafs waived Kämpf. He then went unclaimed on waivers and began the season in the AHL. He played in four games for the Toronto Marlies before leaving to ponder his future, forcing the Maple Leafs/Marlies to suspend him.
Kämpf has been a decent fourth-liner for most of his NHL career, but the Maple Leafs decided to go in a different direction to begin 2025-26. His contract runs through the end of the next season at an AAV of $2.4 million, though his cap hit is just $1.25 million due to signing bonuses in his contract.
One option for the Maple Leafs and Kämpf is to terminate his contract, but a trade seems to be the preferred option. Of the players listed, he may be the closest to getting traded, and a resolution could come sometime during the next week or so.
Rumor Mill Still in Its Early Stages
It’s not an accident that most of the early-season trade candidates above are from the Western Conference. There’s been more separation from No. 1 to 16 in the standings than in the East, and teams like the Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks will likely end up as sellers, even though they’ve gotten off to good starts.
It’s been a completely different story in the East, though. The Devils, who sit in first in the East, are only six points ahead of the 15th-place Maple Leafs. As of today, the Buffalo Sabres are the only team in the East with a record below NHL .500.
Eventually, there’ll be some separation in the East. Buyers and sellers will become clearer, putting the trade market into better focus. For example, will the Sabres make Alex Tuch available if they fall out of the race and it becomes obvious that they can’t re-sign him?
The Pittsburgh Penguins have looked better than anyone anticipated, but what if they fall out of contention? Do Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and even Erik Karlsson find themselves back in the rumor mill? They will all have plenty of interest if GM Kyle Dubas decides to sell.
The New York Islanders also have some desirable trade targets in Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and others if they fall out of the race and become sellers.
There may be some interesting trade targets to begin this season, but the market is just in its early stages. It should only heat up as more teams fall out of the race, especially in the Eastern Conference. So don’t fret, there will be plenty more names to hit the rumor mill in the weeks and months ahead.
Advanced stats from Evolving Hockey
