Stars’ Robertson, Avalanche’s Necas join Trade Targets board as market heats up
On the heels of the NHL’s Scouting Combine in Buffalo, where most of the league’s top decision makers and agents convened for a week, trade talk is starting to heat up ahead of the Draft on June 27-28. It’s been a slow burn to this point with teams facing less pressure to make moves this spring with an influx of fresh cap space.
With one trade nearing the finish line, we’ve got 10 new names on the board and 30 total in play on Trade Targets, whose ranking always seeks to blend a player’s prominence with his likelihood of a trade.
Trade Targets 🎯
1. JJ Peterka
Left Wing, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 23
Stats: 77 GP, 27 G, 41 A, 68 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: There may be no better player available, period, on the trade market this summer – let alone one of Peterka’s age at 23, already a top-line producer. Embattled Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has said publicly that he has no designs on trading Peterka, but the sense is a change of scenery is in order. Multiple teams put together significant offers for Peterka in the days leading up to the March deadline, but Buffalo was not biting then. They may have less choice now with a potential offer sheet waiting on the other end of July 1.
2. Chris Kreider
Left Wing, New York Rangers
Age: 34
Stats: 68 GP, 22 G, 8 A, 30 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $6.5 million AAV
Scoop: We reported on Tuesday that the Rangers and Anaheim Ducks have held ‘advanced discussions’ on the framework of what a Kreider trade would look like, with Anaheim taking on all of Kreider’s remaining salary. It would mark the end of a tenure arguably worthy of number retirement. Kreider is just 11 goals away from second all-time for the Original Six franchise and ranks first in power play goals and playoff goals.
3. Marco Rossi
Center, Minnesota Wild
Age: 23
Stats: 82 GP, 24 G, 36 A, 60 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: Rossi himself seemed to cast some doubt on his future in the State of Hockey at his season-ending press conference, saying: “I don’t know. We’ll see.” He’s due for a big raise and the question is: Do the Wild want to pay him? It’s a tough spot because Minnesota could use more center depth, not less, but Rossi slid to the fourth line in the playoffs. But GM Bill Guerin’s original first-round pick in Minnesota would command a price in a thin center market – and perhaps he could swing a deal much like the one for the last RFA they chose to move on from in Kevin Fiala.
4. Bowen Byram
Left Defense, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 24
Stats: 82 GP, 7 G, 31 A, 38 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: So, what’s the plan for Byram in Buffalo? He was eligible for a contract extension 10 months ago, shortly after being acquired from Colorado. Yet one didn’t get done. His agent recently refuted a report that said Byram made a trade request. But there is still so much to unpack on Byram and his game. He turns 24 in a few weeks and just completed his first full, 82-game season after injuries had piled up in previous campaigns. That’s a big step.
5. Jonathan Marchessault
Right Wing, Nashville Predators
Age: 34
Stats: 78 GP, 21 G, 35 A, 56 Pts
Contract: 4 years remaining, $5.5 million AAV
Scoop: After a disastrous, 28th place finish, the Predators need to get younger. In a hurry. And they’d be smart to also shed one of their long-term commitments to older players, too. The belief is Marchessault is open to moving on after one year in the Music City. His production dipped, like everyone’s, as Nashville struggled to score. But he’s eminently capable of bouncing back with a 30-goal season with strong value to cap.
6. Rasmus Andersson
Right Defense, Calgary Flames
Age: 28
Stats: 81 GP, 11 G, 20 A, 31 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.55 million AAV
Scoop: This is a big week for the Andersson conversation, as the two sides are expected to trade initial numbers for the first time to see what an extension might look like. The tenor of those talks will determine what happens next. Fish or cut bait? Andersson presents great trade value, even after a relatively down year, for a right-shooting defenseman with an edge, double-digit goal scoring ability and a very reasonable cap hit. The Flames aren’t in a rush. They’d have no problem hanging onto him until the trade deadline to potentially watch his stock rise even higher.
7. Jason Robertson
Left Wing, Dallas Stars
Age: 25
Stats: 82 GP, 35 G, 45 A, 80 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $7.75 million AAV
Scoop: The Dallas Stars have some franchise-altering decisions to make this summer. Is Robertson one of the foundational pillars? Or is he a player they can live without? His season was down then up. The first half cost him a roster spot on Team USA at the 4 Nations. The second half he was one of the best players in the league, finishing with 28 goals and 57 points in 48 games. And then, on a team with limited cap space and a roster to fill out, what will that next contract cost? And are the Stars willing to meet it? Players like Robertson don’t come around often.
8. K’Andre Miller
Left Defense, New York Rangers
Age: 25
Stats: 74 GP, 7 G, 20 A, 27 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: One of the biggest lingering questions for GM Chris Drury is the makeup and foundation of the Blueshirts’ blueline. It’s no secret the Rangers have not defended well enough in front of Igor Shesterkin, and that spans multiple head coaches now. It’s on the personnel. Miller is just 25 and skates so effortlessly and efficiently, he should be part of the solution. But he’s also due a sizable raise and a contract that will have to buy UFA years. That’s expensive.
9. John Gibson
Goaltender, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 31
Stats: 29 GP, 2.77 GAA, .912 SV%
Contract: 2 years remaining, $6.4 million AAV
Scoop: Is this the year? This is the fourth offseason Gibson has been readily available on the trade block, but everything seems to be lining up for both Gibson and the Ducks this time. There are only two years left on his deal. He is coming off a strong season, even if he ceded the starter’s job to Lukas Dostal. And the goaltending market is very thin this summer. Jake Allen is the big name free agent. Gibson should still have plenty left in the tank at age 31.
10. Charlie Coyle
Center, Colorado Avalanche
Age: 33
Stats: 83 GP, 17 G, 18 A, 35 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $5.25 million AAV
Scoop: There is arguably no team in a more precarious salary cap position than the Avalanche. They’re up against it. Down the middle, they have Nathan MacKinnon at $12.6m, now Brock Nelson locked up at $7.5m. Does that make Coyle a luxury at $5.25m playing in the 3C role? Many see it that way, which is why Coyle’s name percolated at the Scouting Combine last week in Buffalo. He is one of three Avs on the board as they look for flexibility.
11. Rights to Isaac Howard
Left Wing, Tampa Bay Lightning
Age: 21
Stats: 37 GP, 26 G, 26 A, 52 Pts (NCAA)
Contract: None
Scoop: The reigning Hobey Baker Award winner as top player in college hockey and the Lightning haven’t seen eye-to-eye, with both sides now acknowledging this is likely to end in a trade. Howard was drafted 31st overall in 2022. That means the clock is ticking on his rights being held exclusively by Tampa Bay, until Aug. 15, 2026. The Bolts will want to move him this summer before entering the final year of that exclusivity, when his rights potentially become less valuable as he’s months away from total free agency with the ability to sign anywhere.
12. Vladimir Tarasenko
Wing, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 33
Stats: 80 GP, 11 G, 22 A, 33 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.75 million AAV
Scoop: There was word that Tarasenko wasn’t thrilled with his arrangement in Detroit, leaving open the possibility that he’s on the move this summer for a better fit. His production dropped to a career-low 11 goals. He had that many in a 43-game run in Florida that saw him contribute to the 2024 Stanley Cup champs. When everything clicks, there are few better natural goal scorers in the game.
13. Erik Karlsson
Right Defense, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 34
Stats: 82 GP, 11 G, 42 A, 53 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $10 million AAV
Scoop: League sources are expecting Karlsson’s name to percolate as GM Kyle Dubas spools up a retool or rebuild to get Pittsburgh back on track. Karlsson has played two seasons in the Steel City and this one was better than the first. That $10 million cap hit will be difficult to navigate. But is there someone willing to give their blueline a shot in the arm with a capable quarterback? Karlsson turned back the clock at 4 Nations Face-Off.
14. Connor Murphy
Right Defense, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 32
Stats: 68 GP, 2 G, 17 A, 19 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.4 million AAV
Scoop: And suddenly, the Blackhawks have too many defensemen. They might have even more if somehow Matt Schaefer falls to No. 3 in the Draft. With Alex Vlasic, Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov holding down the back end for the foreseeable future, Murphy could well be on the move. He is a steady and reliable veteran presence who can play physical – and he’s on the perfect contract.
15. Samuel Girard
Defense, Colorado Avalanche
Age: 27
Stats: 73 GP, 3 G, 21 A, 24 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $5 million AAV
Scoop: The Avalanche have had on-again, off-again conversations with Girard in trade talks going back three years now. Most teams have drawn a line at having no more than one undersized defenseman in their lineup, and for the Avs, that would mean Girard is the odd-man out. The tricky part is the Avs struggled for depth on their blue line this season, particularly on their third pair, so they’ve got some work to do to fill out a more complete group with very limited cap space.
16. Morgan Rielly
Left Defense, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 31
Stats: 82 GP, 7 G, 34 A, 41 Pts
Contract: 5 years remaining, $7.5 million AAV
Scoop: The Leafs need a puck-moving defenseman, someone who can help get them out of trouble efficiently and exiting the zone with more ease. Rielly isn’t that anymore. He’s been a fine playoff contributor, surprisingly enough, but he isn’t an effective quarterback on the first power play unit and his game showed significant signs of slowing down this season. Should the Leafs make a move before that contract becomes onerous?
17. Matias Maccelli
Left Wing, Utah Mammoth
Age: 24
Stats: 55 GP, 8 G, 10 A, 18 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $3.425 million AAV
Scoop: In like a lion, out like a lamb? Maccelli burst onto the scene a few years ago as a 22-year-old fourth round pick who found near immediate success at every pro level. He racked up 49 points in 64 games in his first full NHL season, then improved with 17 goals and 57 points in his sophomore year. Last year, as the Yotes moved to Utah, not so much. He was on the outside looking in at a now-named Mammoth lineup, sitting for big chunks as a healthy scratch, an undersized winger who struggled to get to the middle. Now the Mammoth are considering alternatives.
18. Carson Soucy
Defense, New York Rangers
Age: 30
Stats: 75 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 13 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $3.25 million AAV
Scoop: Soucy is no stranger to the Trade Targets board, staring down the potential of becoming the first player traded off the board twice in the same season. He agreed to waive his full ‘no-trade’ on March 6 to go from Vancouver to New York, a cross-continent swing that saw him get even less ice time (16:14) than he had in the Lower Mainland (18:22). That ‘no-trade’ remains, at least until July 1, so the pride of Irma, Alberta will have some say in what happens next.
19. Erik Haula
Center/Left Wing, New Jersey Devils
Age: 34
Stats: 69 GP, 11 G, 10 A, 21 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $3.15 million AAV
Scoop: If there’s a list of disappointing seasons in New Jersey, Haula’s name will appear toward the top of it. The Haula Famer has typically been very consistent throughout his career, but he struggled to produce as the rest of the Devils‘ depth scoring dried up. He has the ability to play center, which is a nice versatile bonus, but if GM Tom Fitzgerald is beefing up his middle/bottom six forward group, Haula could be on the outs.
20. Jamie Oleksiak
Defense, Seattle Kraken
Age: 32
Stats: 82 GP, 4 G, 13 A, 17 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.6 million AAV
Scoop: The Jason Botterill Era begins in Seattle and it will be fascinating to see how he remakes the Kraken. He has decisions to make, and one of the most pressing is what to do with a player like Oleksiak. He is eligible for an extension on July 1, but reaching an age that isn’t in sync with where Seattle is heading, so that would seem to suggest a trade is in order. But it doesn’t have to be this summer, he could be a trade deadline haul.
21. Ilya Lyubushkin
Right Defense, Dallas Stars
Age: 31
Stats: 80 GP, 1 G, 13 A, 14 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $3.25 million AAV
Scoop: One of the blunders of GM Jim Nill’s build last summer was handing out term and dollars to Lyubushkin and Matt Dumba to band-aid the right side of their defense. They were forced to support that unit with the addition of Cody Ceci at the Deadline, but it wasn’t enough. Now, the Stars are in cap hell and they’re trying to unload both Dumba and Lyubushkin, but a buyout may be the best option for Dumba. What can they get for Lyubushkin? And who can they replace him with on the back end?
22. Elvis Merzlikins
Goaltender, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 31
Stats: 53 GP, 3.18 GAA, .892 SV%, 1 SO
Contract: 2 years remaining, $5.4 million AAV
Scoop: Are the Blue Jackets going to shake up their crease? When you look at Columbus’ season, they were felled not by their offense (eighth in goals) but by their inability to keep pucks out of the net. They ranked 25th in goals against – giving up exactly as many as they scored. Part of that is on what happened in front of Merzlikins. Part of that is on Merzlikins. He holds a 10-team, no-trade list.
23. Lukas Reichel
Forward, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 23
Stats: 70 GP, 8 G, 14 A, 22 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $1.2 million AAV
Scoop: Speed to burn. Lot to learn. Consistency desired. There are moments when you watch Reichel play that you can’t believe he hasn’t strung it all together on a night-to-night basis in the NHL. He’s got some fantastic traits and could be an ideal contributor. And then there are moments where you aren’t sure if he was actually in the lineup or not. He won’t be expensive but he’s still relatively young. Some team has to be able to pull it out of him.
24. Pavel Zacha / Morgan Geekie
Center/Left Wing, Boston Bruins
Age: 28
Stats: 81 GP, 14 G, 33 A, 47 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $4.75 million AAV
Scoop: On the whole, Zacha has done just about everything the Bruins could’ve hoped since they acquired him from New Jersey for Erik Haula. He’s nipped at 60 points twice. He’s played admirably at center when called upon. He has an appealing value relative to the cap. Geekie had a true breakout season with 33 goals, nearly doubling his previous career high. And he’ll need to be paid. Boston is in an interesting summer of transition.
25. David Kampf
Center, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 30
Stats: 59 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $2.4 million AAV
Scoop: With a late-season injury, Kampf really faded into the background, with coach Craig Berube opting to keep him out of the lineup for most of the Stanley Cup playoffs as a healthy scratch. Now, Kampf has two years left at a number that isn’t problematic, but probably still less than ideal for the Leafs. He is a quality utility player who competes, so they should be able to find a taker.
26. Thatcher Demko
Goaltender, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 29
Stats: 23 GP, 2.90 GAA, .889 SV%, 1 SO
Contract: 1 year remaining, $5 million AAV
Scoop: The Canucks have an interesting dilemma on their hands. They have a talented goaltender who is one of the faces of their franchise dealing with a significant injury. He battled through it and put up respectable numbers, and looked great on some nights. But the Canucks also re-signed Kevin Lankinen to a five-year extension. And Demko’s deal is up after one more. Will they try to move him? Or do they like the tandem? Demko seemed awfully loyal to coach Rick Tocchet. Wondering if a reunion in Philadelphia is possible.
27. Nick Leddy
Left Defense, St. Louis Blues
Age: 34
Stats: 31 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4 million AAV
Scoop: Blues GM Doug Armstrong hasn’t bought out a player during his tenure, so that means he’s likely looking to move Leddy on this summer. Leddy’s game fell off significantly last year, down almost four minutes per night in average ice time year-over-year and was limited to only 31 games. For the right team – one with oodles of cap space that can’t possibly be spent – Leddy might make sense to help nurture young defensemen around him in the final year of his deal.
28. Martin Necas
Right Wing, Colorado Avalanche
Age: 26
Stats: 79 GP, 27 G, 56 A, 83 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $6.5 million AAV
Scoop: And just like that, the Colorado Avalanche are back in the same spot now with the player they acquired for Mikko Rantanen that they were with Rantanen one year ago. Quality player. Needs new contract. Going to be expensive. What do we pay him? Here’s the thing: there’s a thought around the league that Necas might not sign for a $9 million AAV right now, hoping to potentially duplicate a season north of a point-per-game. Now what? And if Necas wouldn’t sign for $9m, wouldn’t they just have been better off keeping Rantanen at $12 or $12.5m?
29. Rights to Mitch Marner
Right Wing, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 28
Stats: 81 GP, 27 G, 75 A, 102 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA
Scoop: Neither side appears to be very willing to assist the other at this exact moment in time, a frosty relationship between team and player filled with finger pointing. But it might be mutually beneficial to come together over the next few weeks. Marner could jump the market with a preferred destination and work a sign-and-trade that gets him an eighth year on a deal, if interested. The Leafs could help orchestrate and recoup an asset, potentially as much as a second-round pick. Neither part is a game-changer, but could be helpful.
30. Elias Pettersson
Center, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 26
Stats: 64 GP, 15 G, 30 A, 45 Pts
Contract: 7 years remaining, $11.6 million AAV
Scoop: This is a massive summer for Pettersson, whether he’s skating with the Canucks in October or elsewhere. He says an injury prevented a normal offseason of training last summer; the Canucks have been very clear about their disappointment on how he arrived to camp. So, ahead of a full no-trade clause kicking in on July 1, will Vancouver check his market value this summer? Will they seek to cut ties? Or will they roll the dice and hope his game rebounds to where it was two seasons ago?
So far, 32 players have been traded off the Trade Targets board this season:
Traded: No. 1 Mikko Rantanen; No. 1 J.T. Miller; No. 1 David Jiricek; No. 2 Brock Nelson; No. 2 Scott Laughton; No. 3 Brandon Tanev; No. 4 Taylor Hall; No. 5. Brad Marchand; No. 5 Seth Jones; No. 5 Marcus Pettersson; No. 5 Reilly Smith; No. 6 Carson Soucy; No. 6 Jacob Trouba; No. 7 Casey Mittelstadt; No. 8 Joel Farabee; No. 12 Luke Schenn; No. 14 Trent Frederic; No. 14 Gustav Nyquist; No. 15 Cam Fowler; No. 18 Yanni Gourde; No. 18 Alexandre Carrier; No. 20 Oliver Bjorkstrand; No. 20 Brandon Carlo; No. 22 Cody Ceci; No. 23 Ryan Lindgren; No. 24 Morgan Frost; No. 24 Brian Dumoulin; No. 27 Dylan Cozens; No. 28 Andrei Kuzmenko; No. 32 Justin Brazeau; No. 34 Petr Mrazek; No. 38 Andrei Kuzmenko.
Re-Signed: No. 4 Jake Evans; No. 5 Frank Vatrano.
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