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, and it does not seem close to being resolved, at least until one is shipped out.

Miller, who can play both center and wing, is averaging more than a point per game and about a half-goal per game over his roughly 400-game tenure in Vancouver. But he is riding a five-game pointless streak as of Jan. 17, and coach Rick Tocchet crushed him after the Canucks’ blowout loss to the Kings on Thursday.

“It seems like every time he’s on the ice, something bad happens,” Tocchet told reporters. “I think he’s got some bad luck, but … he’s got to look at himself and focus on some of these reads.”

At this point, a change of scenery with Miller seems to make the most sense, and he can pick his destination since he has six more years at $8 million per year and a full no-movement clause. The Rangers have been linked to him, but the New Jersey Devils, who have dropped seven of nine and could use some offensive punch, have also been rumored to be interested in acquiring him.

2. Ryan O’Reilly, C, Predators

We’ll get to Pettersson in a minute, but the fact O’Reilly’s name has come up in trade rumors this week is interesting. It’s no secret the Predators have not lived up to expectations, since they are in 14th place in the Western Conference and far from even shouting distance of a playoff spot.

But O’Reilly has been, ahem, a factor for the Preds this season, since he is tied for second on the team in goals (13) and has 95 points in 123 games for Nashville over two seasons. There is a chance Nashville tries to retool without offloading – since it has a solid core, and everything has gone wrong in 2024-25 – since Barry Trotz is a patient boss.

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. 

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, which means Nashville could fetch a first-round pick plus for the star-caliber center.

3. Elias Petterson, C, Canucks

At 26, Pettersson is younger than Miller, but at an $11.6 million AAV, his contract is more expensive.

But he is about a point-per-game player (440 in 441 career games) and a very-durable center who is still a few months removed from an 89-point campaign. Plus, he is locked in through 2032, which means any new team would be getting a superstar-caliber center in his prime for the more than the life of a contract. 

Pettersson lost a spot on our rankings because it seems less likely that he will be dealt – since Miller is the likely player to be moved out of the Canucks dressing room. But if they are both being shopped, Pettersson would likely fetch more of a return for Vancouver.

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 six of seven and 14 of its past 19 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 15, 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. Brock Nelson, C, Islanders 

As a rental, Nelson makes for a less-costly version of Boeser. But make no mistake, Nelson is a point producer who has proven he can do so on the playoff stage, which will make him a valuable commodity to some buying team.

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. But Nelson has struggled – he is on pace for just 20 goals this season – and the Islanders have cratered to last place in the Metropolitan Division.

Still, Nelson 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 285 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 is loath to do so.

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 18 games, serving as Anaheim’s No. 2 goalie behind Lukas Dostal, but has posted solid numbers (7-7-2, .906 sv%, 2.90 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 this week.

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.

7. Yanni Gourde, F, Kraken

The Kraken are with the Ducks 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.

8. 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 (23:41) and points (19) among defensemen, and their dominance has catapulted Columbus into the first wild card in the East as of Jan. 17.

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 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.

9. 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 seven goals and 51 points in 212 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.

10. 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 the second wild card in the Eastern Conference but have cratered with seven losses in their past 10 games.

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. 

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 Boeser is the player with the highest value, since he is the most likely to be moved, with Brock Nelson, Yanni Gourde and Ivan Provorov sitting behind the Canucks sniper as potential rentals.