NHL Trade Deadline Player Rankings: Top Targets for 2025 Deadline

The new year is here, and the NHL Trade Deadline is becoming the major topic of conversation.

Many of the buyers are well-established, but more sellers could still emerge. We will know more in the next seven weeks since the 2025 NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on March 7.

Some big names have already been shipped out, but some clubs that were open for business could recoil after bouncing back into the thick of the playoff race, especially in the wide-open Eastern Conference.

Here are the top-10 trade candidates for the 2024-25 season right now.

NHL Trade Deadline Player Rankings

1. J.T. Miller, F, Canucks

The feud between Miller and teammate Elias Pettersson is still the NHL’s primary soap opera, though Miller appears to be the one ultimately that will be dealt – which is why Pettersson is not on this list.

Miller was reportedly close to being dealt to the Rangers last Saturday. At this point, a move involving the 2011 New York draft pick, who can play both center and wing and is averaging more than a point per game and about a half-goal per game over his roughly 400-game tenure in Vancouver, seems inevitable.

The Rangers have been linked to him, but the New Jersey Devils, who could use some offensive punch, have also been rumored to be interested in acquiring him.

2. Ryan O’Reilly, C, Predators

The fact O’Reilly’s name has come up in trade rumors continues to be interesting, especially with the Predators showing signs of life by winning five straight and jumping within 10 points of the last playoff spot – even though they have a long way to go to ultimately get into the postseason hunt.

But O’Reilly has been, ahem, a factor for the Preds this season, since he is fourth in goals (13) this season. Nashville may try to retool without offloading O’Reilly and others – since it has a solid core, and everything has gone wrong in 2024-25 – with the ordinarily patient Barry Trotz running the hockey operation.

But if Trotz feels compelled to move O’Reilly, he will certainly have a market, since the 33-year-old former Selke Trophy winner can play up or down the lineup, as he did when St. Louis shipped him to Toronto in 2023. Plus, O’Reilly is signed for two more years at $4.5 million per year, which makes acquiring him a hockey trade more than a deadline acquisition. 

But that would also give a playoff team up to three postseason runs with O’Reilly, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019, which means Nashville could fetch a first-round pick plus for the star-caliber center.

3. Brock Nelson, C, Islanders 

As a rental, Nelson is the ultimate prize, since the 33-year-old has topped 34 goals in three straight seasons while helping New York reach the playoffs in each of the past two. He also has helped his trade stock, by scoring three goals and posting seven points in the Isles’ past six games – even while his team languishes in last place in the Metropolitan Division and in 15th in the Eastern Conference.

Further aiding Nelson’s case is the fact he has 27 goals and 50 points in 78 career playoff games, with seven game-winning goals – and two in series-clinching games against Pittsburgh in 2019 and Boston in 2021. He could easily exploit matchups as a No. 2 center and power-play contributor – 61 of his 288 career goals are on the man-advantage – for a contending team.

The only question is whether GM Lou Lamoriello will wave the white flag and sell, since the 82-year-old Isles hockey czar is loath to do so.

4. Brock Boeser, RW, Canucks

Lost amid the drama with Pettersson and Miller is the fact the Canucks’ season is going down the drain quickly. Vancouver has lost eight of 10 and 17 of its past 24 games and is hanging on the fringe of the playoffs.

Boeser has an expiring contract, and Vancouver has reportedly been more inclined to trade Boeser than try signing the sharpshooting wing. Boeser scored 40 goals a season ago and is second on the Canucks at the moment with 16, trailing only Jake DeBrusk (17).

Canucks president Jim Rutherford has never been shy to make a blockbuster deal – or more than one – and if Vancouver opens for business as a seller, both Miller and Boeser would fetch huge returns. Boeser averages 0.8 points per game over his 500-plus-game NHL career and will top 20 goals for the sixth time in his career this season.

5. Yanni Gourde, F, Kraken

The Kraken are near the basement in the Pacific Division, and Gourde is their most valuable potential rental player. The 33-year-old rugged forward is on injured reserve, but he still has 16 points in 35 games with Seattle.

Yet, Gourde’s value stems from his experience, especially in the playoffs. He has twice won the Stanley Cup – and reached the Cup Final three times as a member of the Lightning. Plus, he has 42 playoff points in 83 career games, and seven of his 20 playoff goals are game-winners – including two of his four playoff goals for Seattle in its 2023 run to the second round.

Acquisitions like Gourde put Cup-hungry teams over the top, which means some team will part with at least a prospect and a pick to acquire him even as a rental.

6. John Gibson, G, Ducks

Gibson is the lone goalie on the list, and even though trading goalies is near-impossible at the trade deadline, we predict this is the year it happens. Gibson has played just 20 games, serving as Anaheim’s No. 2 goalie behind Lukas Dostal, but has posted above-average numbers (8-8-2, .913 sv%, 2.76 GAA) in a limited role.

Gibson is signed through 2027, and the Pittsburgh native would make a fascinating acquisition for either Pennsylvania team – maybe even packaged with forward Trevor Zegras as part of a larger deal to the Flyers or to the Penguins, who just waived incumbent Tristan Jarry.

The Flyers (.871) and Penguins (.881) ranks Nos. 32 and 31 respectively in team save percentage, which could make Gibson a good option for a deal, especially since Gibson just beat Pittsburgh with a 31-save performance Thursday.

7. Trent Frederic, LW, Bruins

Frederic is a pain to play against and is ultra-skilled, which makes him a compelling option for a potential playoff team. The Bruins are clinging to a playoff spot even though they have lost six of 10, mainly because they have played more games than any other Eastern Conference team.

Frederic is on an expiring contract – along with captain Brad Marchand, who Boston would only trade if hell froze over – and is coming off a 40-point season last year. He is having a down year this season but could be great in a Claude Lemieux/Dale Hunter-like role in the postseason, if a buying team unleashed him in that capacity.

Frederic has just five points in 22 career playoff games – they all came last season – so Boston has not yet unlocked that playoff Frederic. 

8. Seth Jones, D, Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are clearly open for business, and Jones is having a resurgent year, especially of late since he has six points in Chicago’s past four games. It would make sense for Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson to capitalize on Jones’ bounceback campaign to get out from under his four years at $9.5 million per if he can.

Jones is still eating minutes, since he is averaging almost 25 per game while playing for the last-placed Blackhawks, and he could make up an, albeit costly, second-pair defenseman and power-play quarterback for a team in need.

His term and salary have not been disqualifying either, since rival teams are reportedly checking in on Jones. Jones is one of just four Chicago players signed past 2026, which is when 2024 No. 1 pick Connor Bedard is owed his first veteran contract, meaning Chicago would want to get Jones’ contract off the books by then.

9. Ivan Provorov, D, Blue Jackets

Provorov has been much higher in previous ideations of this list, but we are dropping him since the Blue Jackets may be buying at the trade deadline. The stalwart blueliner is second on the Blue Jackets – behind potential Norris Trophy finalist Zach Werenski – in time on ice (23:22) and points (20) among defensemen, and their dominance has catapulted Columbus into a tie for the first wild card in the East as of Jan. 24.

There is a world where Columbus could trade Provorov in a hockey deal to acquire a more cost-certain and controllable defenseman. But with Provorov playing the lockdown role on Columbus’ No. 2 D-pairing, and the Eastern Conference wild cards completely up for grabs, it would make more sense for the Blue Jackets to take a swing and go for a deep playoff run as they did in 2019.

Thus, Provorov seems less likely to be moved at this point, which is why he is down the list.

10. Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Flyers

Ristolainen is huge and shoots right-handed, two facts that make hockey people swoon. The 6-4 defenseman is on a bit of a pricy contract at $5.1 million for the next two years, especially as a third-pairing defenseman with little offensive upside – he has just eight goals and 53 points in 220 games for the Flyers.

But Ristolainen can eat minutes – he’s averaging more than 20 per game on Philadelphia’s second pair – and can skate and move the puck, since he has four career 40-point seasons, albeit with Buffalo in his early 20s. 

Still, with Philadelphia trying to rebuild – or retool with a blockbuster deal – it could land a draft pick, or package Ristolainen for salary-cap matching with other assets.

Who’s the Top NHL Trade Candidate for the 2024-25 Season? 

J.T. Miller is the top trade candidate for the 2024-25 NHL season. His long-term contract and point-production ability makes him a high commodity for NHL teams looking to add offensive punch, and his age makes him more likely to be dealt than teammate Elias Pettersson, with whom he is reportedly feuding.

From a rental perspective, Brock Nelson and Brock Boeser are the two best players on the market, followed by Yanni Gourde, Trent Frederic and Ivan Provorov. If Provorov’s Columbus Blue Jackets crater, he will move up the list, though.