We’re still about three months away from the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, but it’s never too early to talk about some potential trade candidates. While the NHL playoff standings are far from set, we have a pretty good idea of who’s a contender and who isn’t. With that, let’s look at some 2025 unrestricted free agents who could be trade targets ahead of the deadline.
Kyle Palmieri
The New York Rangers’ recent slide has kept the New York Islanders in the playoff picture in the Metropolitan Division for the time being. But if they become sellers, they have a couple of pending UFAs who should interest teams.
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Though the Islanders are an offensive black hole, Kyle Palmieri has kept his end of the bargain. He totaled 30 goals and 54 points a season ago and is on pace for 32 goals and 64 points this season. Even at 33 years old, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Palmieri’s five-on-five impacts are still quite good, and he’s averaging 2.10 points per 60 minutes, a first-line scoring rate. He could be one of the hottest trade targets ahead of the 2025 deadline, even though he has a 16-team no-trade list.
Brock Nelson
The next pending UFA the Islanders have who will likely garner plenty of interest is Brock Nelson. Like Palmieri, he’s on pace for 32 goals, which would be the third consecutive season he finishes with 30-plus goals. He’s also a center, though he can play on the wing if needed. That might make him a more valuable trade chip than Palmieri, who’s a winger.
The Islanders might not score much, but they’re fortunate their top two potential trade chips happen to be 30-goal scorers. If general manager Lou Lamoriello opts to sell, which is never a given, he should get solid returns for each player. Like Palmieri, Nelson has a 16-team no-trade list, but that probably wouldn’t be too much of an issue if he’s off to a playoff contender.
Claude Giroux
It feels like the Ottawa Senators are in this position every season, and it unfortunately looks like they could be sellers again in a couple of months. Their numbers suggest they’re an improved team, but they’re not getting saves from Linus Ullmark, who has a save percentage below .890. And that may ultimately cost them.
If GM Steve Staios has to sell, Claude Giroux will likely be a popular trade target. Giroux is playing well, with 17 points in 24 games — a 58-point pace over 82 games. He’s versatile, as he can play center or right wing, and any NHL team would welcome his veteran leadership.
Complicating matters is Giroux has a no-move clause, so he has plenty of say of where his next destination could be if a trade is something he’d be open to. That could limit what the Senators could get for him in return, but it’s better to get something instead of nothing if he wants out and doesn’t plan on re-signing with the organization.
Taylor Hall
Taylor Hall has had his fair share of injuries in recent years, but he can still play. He’s only on pace for 35 points, but that may be more a product of a Chicago Blackhawks squad having trouble generating offense. Otherwise, many of his underlying metrics look pretty solid.
Hall has a cap hit of $6 million, so the Blackhawks will likely have to retain close to 50 percent, if not 50 percent, to make a deal work. Still, he might be a good fit for a team that already has the pieces. A reunion with the New Jersey Devils could make plenty of sense as they look to bolster their roster for a playoff run. Hall has a ten-team no-trade list, as well as a no-move clause, but he could be open to a move to a contender.
Mikael Granlund
The San Jose Sharks aren’t a playoff team yet, but they’ve been one of the most entertaining teams to watch early in 2024-25. Mikael Granlund has played a significant part in their resurgence, as he has 29 points in 26 games, putting him on pace to finish with a career-high 92 points.
Though it wouldn’t shock me if the Sharks wanted to keep Granlund around, they might be able to get the farm in return for him. His value will never be higher, and since they have two highly talented young centers in Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, they can probably afford to part with Granlund.
One matter that may complicate things is the Sharks have no retention slots left. Granlund has a $5 million cap hit, which is well below value compared to his current production. Still, the Sharks could need a third-party facilitator to push a deal through.
Yanni Gourde
It’s been another disappointing start for the Seattle Kraken, which could lead to changes if they don’t right the ship in the next few weeks. If GM Ron Francis becomes a seller, Yanni Gourde will be one of his better trade chips, at least from the Kraken’s pending UFAs.
Gourde’s production has slipped a bit in recent years; he’s on pace for 33 points for the second consecutive season. But even then, he could make for a solid bottom-six addition for a team that needs forward depth. He does have a modified no-trade clause, but he could be open to a move to a contender if a deal comes along.
Marcus Pettersson
There are some interesting UFA defensemen in the 2025 class, but most are with playoff contenders. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been playing better lately, but they’re still a long shot to make the playoffs. If so, Marcus Pettersson could be the most coveted rental defenseman at this season’s trade deadline.
Pettersson isn’t a household name, but he’s been one of the more underrated top-four defenders for a few seasons. Even with the Penguins’ struggles this season, Pettersson has posted some impressive impacts, specifically offensively:
We’ve seen rental defensemen (David Savard and Ben Chiarot) worse than Pettersson go for first-round picks in recent years. Pettersson is, without a doubt, better than those two, so it wouldn’t be shocking if Penguins GM Kyle Dubas reins in a first for Pettersson if he trades him.
Gustav Nyquist
It’s been a disastrous start to the 2024-25 season for the Nashville Predators. Even though they’ve played only 26 games, their 7-13-6 record suggests their season might already be over, as the math is heavily against them. Chances are they’ll be sellers, and Gustav Nyquist could be one of their trade chips.
Nyquist had a career year in 2023-24, finishing with 23 goals and 75 points. He’s on pace for 19 goals, but just 32 points. Perhaps that’s a product of the Predators taking a significant step back, specifically at five-on-five. But he could be a solid middle-six addition for a team that needs scoring.
Mackenzie Blackwood
In-season goalie trades are generally pretty rare, but a couple of contenders need upgrades, none more than the Colorado Avalanche. Mackenzie Blackwood makes sense for the Avalanche and could net the Sharks a solid return if they decide to move him to any team.
Blackwood is having a strong start to the 2024-25 season, totaling a .907 save percentage while saving three goals above expected. He’d be a significant upgrade for a team like the Avalanche, but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Sharks kept Blackwood to pair up with Yaroslav Askarov as their long-term tandem. We’ll see what Sharks GM Mike Grier decides to do.
Dan Vladar
Another goalie having a rebound season, Dan Vladar has been an above-average netminder for the Calgary Flames, totaling a .904 SV% while saving 2.4 goals above expected in 13 games. He had hip surgery last season, which seems to have helped him regain his form.
Frank Seravalli said on a recent episode of DFO Live that the Flames would like a second-round pick for Vladar but would be willing to settle for a third. The league average SV% is .895, so giving up a second or third for someone like Vladar, who’s comfortably ahead of that average, might be worth it.
Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Of course, more names will pop up in the rumor mill as we approach the trade deadline. These are just some pending UFAs who could be potential targets, but it’s almost a guarantee players with term will begin surfacing as trade options. Keep an eye on that as we get closer to the deadline.
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, MoneyPuck
