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Rachel Doerrie, ESPN
The NHL trade deadline is less than two months away on March 7, and the 4 Nations Face-Off (Feb. 12-20) probably will kick-start the festivities, with every NHL general manager expected to attend.
Teams have their midterm scouting meetings in January, when they set the course for the trade deadline, discuss which players who they are willing to move and who they are most interested in acquiring. This is another opportunity for development staff to provide updates on organizational prospects and scouts to provide analysis on prospects in other organizations. Once the meetings are done and scouts are dispatched with players to monitor, the trade talks really pick up.
With that in mind, it’s time to evaluate the prospect cupboard of each contender. Who is untouchable? Is it the right time to go all-in? In which prospects will teams be most interested? How close is each prospect to playing NHL games on a regular basis and what impact could they have?
All of these are questions that teams and their fans will be asking over the next two months. Not every playoff team is a true Stanley Cup contender, and not every team we’ll discuss here is on the same level of contention. Four teams are positioned as contenders with a significant prospect surplus that can be leveraged to improve the current roster: the Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals.
Here’s a detailed look at the prospect situation for 13 likely playoff-bound teams — players whose names might be popping up in trade chatter in the coming weeks:
Note: Teams are listed in alphabetical order by conference.
Eastern Conference
Team overview: The Canes are perennially listed as contenders and are one of the few prospect-rich contending teams. That’s directly related to their continued draft success. Carolina is consistently viewed as a draft winner because it extracts tremendous value every year. It’s well known that owner Tom Dundon is not keen on moving first-round picks or high-end prospects, making it difficult for Carolina to acquire stars. That tune probably would change if a superstar signed to a long-term deal were to become available.
Prospect pool: Alexander Nikishin is the best defenseman outside of the NHL, and has been an untouchable for quite some time. The projected top-four defender plays a well-rounded game, and should be an impact player for the Canes in the near future. Scott Morrow and Aleksi Heimosalmi are two defenders teams would be keen to acquire in trades with Carolina, as both are impact players in the AHL. Though it’s unlikely Carolina moves Morrow, perhaps Heimosalmi is a player the Canes would use as a trade option to acquire a player who can help them in their current contention window, given Dominik Badinka in the pipeline.
Other NHL teams have shown interest in quite a few forward prospects, but Carolina has been unwilling to move them. Bradly Nadeau, Felix Unger Sorum and Nikita Artamonov are under 20, producing admirably at the AHL and KHL levels and are known to be untouchables. Jayden Perron, Noel Gunler, Ryan Suzuki and Justin Robidas are seeing an uptick in trade value with their performances this season, and will draw interest from potential trade partners. All of them are skilled players with middle-of-the-lineup NHL potential.
Gunler, Suzuki and Robidas are in their early 20s and could play NHL minutes as soon as next season. All are players who have been developed well and would be valuable talent for a team that is looking for young players who skate well: Gunler a scorer; Suzuki a playmaker; Robidas a reliable two-way player. All of them bring a different skill set and could be the key component in a rental trade.
Team overview: The defending Stanley Cup champions have shown the past two seasons were no fluke and they are capable of a repeat. Both Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart are Selke Trophy contenders, Matthew Tkachuk is on pace for 85 points and Sam Bennett is a perennial playoff performer. Florida is one of the only teams that does not have a glaring hole in its lineup. When healthy, the Panthers are among the deepest teams in the NHL. Though Florida is unlikely to make a major acquisition at the deadline, it might acquire depth on defense.
Prospect pool: Justin Sourdif and Gracyn Sawchyn are two forward prospects drawing the most interest from other teams. Sourdif is unlikely to get a real shot in the Panthers’ lineup because of its depth, and has seen his development plateau as a result. He could be a nice addition for a team looking to move pending free agents to contenders, such as San Jose, Seattle, Nashville or Pittsburgh.
Sawchyn is a player every coach loves because he has great straightaway speed, wins puck battles and makes his linemates better. He’s on pace for 100 points in the WHL, and has increased his offensive production year over year. A right-handed center, Sawchyn projects to be a middle-of-the-lineup player who can contribute on special teams. Should Florida go for a big swing in the trade market, Sawchyn is a player teams covet as a hard-skill player.
Marek Alscher is turning heads on defense after skyrocketing up draft lists in 2022. The big defenseman is tough to play against, physical and owns the front of the net. He has performed admirably in the AHL this season and could be ready for a regular NHL role as soon as next season. He’s defensively sound and does not get caught trying to be overly physical in transition. Teams around the league have shown interest in the 6-foot-3 defender, and he probably would net Florida a quality player should it opt to move him.
Team overview: With the additions of Sheldon Keefe behind the bench and Jacob Markstrom in goal, the Devils are back in contention for the Metropolitan Division title and decidedly dominating the Hudson River Rivalry. The Devils are young, fast and fun, and one of the most entertaining contenders. Between Nico Hischier‘s Selke-worthy season and a dominant shutdown defense pair of Jonas Siegenthaler–Johnathan Kovacevic, the Devils have a lot of the ingredients for sustained success.
Prospect pool: Given their up-and-down standings finishes the past few seasons, they’ve been afforded the ability to draft higher than most of the other teams on this list. Having defenders such as Seamus Casey, Simon Nemec and Anton Silayev in their system is a rarity for a contender, specifically two top-10 picks. Both Nemec and Silayev would net a haul for the Devils if they wanted to acquire a top-line winger in return. The Devils are in a distinctive position in which they can afford to trade one of their blue-chip prospects on defense because they have a surplus.
Though it’s unconventional, the ability to acquire a top-line scorer (Brock Boeser or J.T. Miller?) with a simple swap allows the Devils to do what other contenders can’t: fill an organizational hole without creating another. If Boeser were willing to sign an extension in New Jersey, using one of the three talented defense prospects to acquire him might be a path the Devils explore.
Should the Devils feel the need to add depth up front, they have options outside of their blue-chip prospects. Arseni Gritsyuk, Cam Squires, Max Graham and Lenni Hameenaho are forward prospects with interest around the league. Gritsyuk is NHL-ready and producing well in the KHL. If the acquiring team can get him to North America, he would slide into an NHL lineup upon arrival. Squires, Graham and Hameenaho are producing at respectable rates, and have value in line with asking prices for rental players.
Team overview: Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The Tampa Bay Lightning are a Stanley Cup contender. Truly, the Lightning are one of the best examples of elongating a Cup window and moving on from veterans at the right time, even when it’s ruthless (such as the case with Steven Stamkos). The Lightning are being led by major contributions from Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel and Norris Trophy contender Victor Hedman. Anthony Cirelli is a Selke contender and producing nearly a point per game. The Lightning are a problem because their best players are performing at elite levels, and they have the requisite playoff experience to have success.
Prospect pool: The Lightning do not have a deep prospect pool, but GM Julien BriseBois has been unafraid to move players and picks to extend the contention window. The Lightning should want to keep the likes of Conor Geekie, Ethan Gauthier, Gage Goncalves, and Jack Finley because they will need younger players on cheaper contracts to fill out their lineup and extend the window. Furthermore, does the impact of a Mikael Granlund or Jason Zucker for one playoff run outweigh what any of those players can give you on a long-term basis?
Tampa Bay could use some depth on defense, and more importantly, in goal. Perhaps Jonathan Quick can be had if the Rangers don’t go on a run to make the playoffs. Kevin Lankinen might be available if Vancouver slips and feels it can’t extend him. Both are excellent options on cheap deals, and in Quick’s case, there’s Stanley Cup experience. Either of those goaltending options provides a more reliable one behind Andrei Vasilevskiy, and will allow Tampa Bay to rest its goaltender down the stretch to prevent a performance dip in the playoffs. With two first- and two fourth-round picks in the upcoming draft, it is far more likely BriseBois uses his draft capital to acquire players than giving up any of the team’s prospects.
Team overview: Ah, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Anyone who has been around the block in hockey knows the Leafs can’t be considered a true contender until they perform in the spring. But their defensive numbers, goaltending and style of play under coach Craig Berube have turned many into believers. The Leafs’ prospect cupboard is thin after not having any second- or third-round selections in 2023 or 2024. Their pool lacks elite upside, but they have a few middle-of-the-lineup players, and two quality prospects in goal.
Prospect pool: Leafs GM Brad Treliving is on record saying the team is exploring the trade market for a center, and Yanni Gourde has been discussed since December as a fit. Easton Cowan is far too high a price to pay for Gourde. Both he and Fraser Minten are unlikely to be moved as rental players, especially given Minten’s performance earlier this season. While neither is expected to be a top-line player, Cowan brings an element of “rat” to his game that other teams in the Atlantic have: the Tkachuk brothers and Brad Marchand. Minten is likely to carve out a career as a solid third-line player, and trading him for a few months of Gourde, who would play the same role, would be poor asset management.
If the Leafs were to swing for the fences on a rental, then Cowan would be the player going the other way. But given Mitch Marner is Toronto’s “own rental” (he will be a free agent), it’s hard to believe Toronto would find itself in that market.
On defense, Ben Danford and Topi Niemala earn interest around the league. It seems Niemala does not fit the new management or coaching archetype, but he still projects to be an NHL player. He moves the puck well, attacks space and plays a very poised game. Given that he is unlikely to fit under the current regime but has a lot of the skills required to be an effective NHL defenseman, he is most likely to be the piece moved in a deadline acquisition.
Team overview: One of the season’s biggest surprises is Washington’s resurgence in the standings. A turnaround that has Spencer Carbery as the odds-on favorite for Coach of the Year, Alex Ovechkin chasing Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, a reformed Pierre-Luc Dubois and Jakob Chychrun, and continued success for Dylan Strome and Logan Thompson means Washington is atop the Metropolitan Division.
Prospect pool: Washington’s mediocre performances the past few seasons have allowed it to draft higher than most contenders, and the Capitals have extracted tremendous value with their selections.
Ryan Leonard is likely to sign at the end of his NCAA season, and no one thinks the Capitals would consider moving a player expected to immediately step into their lineup. He would be quite the “acquisition” in April. Andrew Cristall and Terik Parascak are two forwards who bring quality to the prospect pool. Ivan Miroshnichenko is producing in the AHL, and is unlikely to be moved for any player without term. Should the Capitals want to add to their depth, Eriks Mateiko’s stock rose significantly at the World Juniors, and Henrik Rybinski might fit nicely with a team looking to add NHL-ready offense to its lineup.
On defense, Cole Hutson looked fantastic at the World Juniors, and moved himself into the untouchables category. Cam Allen narrowly missed out on the world junior team for Canada and has been fantastic in the OHL this season, showing development on both ends of the ice. The Caps have a surplus of young D-men, and could move one of Ryan Chesley, Leon Muggli or Vincent Iorio to bring in forward depth for a playoff run. Shoring up their bottom six might cost one of those defensemen if they are unwilling to part with their first-round pick or either of their second-rounders in the 2025 draft.
Western Conference
Team overview: The Avalanche made a major move and addressed their biggest organizational need when they acquired Mackenzie Blackwood earlier this season. He has been the NHL’s best goaltender since the trade, and has yet to give up more than two goals in a start for Colorado. Against the Rangers on Tuesday, he made a handful of grade-A saves that Colorado fans had seen get by Alexandar Georgiev with ease. Colorado has turned it around since the trade, going 8-2-1 in games Blackwood has started, with another overtime win in a relief against Buffalo.
The Avalanche are in an interesting spot in a stacked Central Division. They have an impact player who could return to the lineup and be an “own trade deadline acquisition” of sorts in Gabriel Landeskog, who has resumed skating though there is no timetable for his return. Valeri Nichushkin suffered a setback in his injury recovery, meaning the Avs are missing two of their top six forwards. If both get healthy for a playoff run, the Avs are in business. If Landeskog doesn’t return, Colorado has prospects it could use to bolster the lineup.
Prospect pool: Cal Ritchie and Ivan Ivan are two forwards that earn attention around the league, and both have looked good in small stints with the NHL club. The Avs are not keen to move either of them.
Nor are they keen to move off-skilled defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev, who is producing well in the KHL. Unless the Avs acquire a Brock Nelson or J.T. Miller type, they’re unlikely to move any of those three.
Maximillian Curran and William Zellers are young forwards producing admirably in junior hockey, and could be part of a deal for an impact player if Colorado feels the need to make an acquisition. Both are a few years away but have the talent to be NHL players. If the Avs want to bolster their depth, Oskar Olausson, Sampo Ranta or Jean-Luc Foudy could fit the bill in exchange for a middle-six forward or depth defenseman.
Team overview: Another elite contender in the Central Division, the Stars have been a top drafting team for some time, and it allows them to extend contention windows by years. Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque are young players who are becoming mainstays with the Stars as Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and others age.
The Stars do not have as many prospects in the cupboard because of the rate they are graduating from the AHL, but they still have a few who are drawing interest. The Stars have Seguin’s money to use (once he goes on long-term IR), and GM Jim Nill has proved he’ll pay top dollar for a quality defenseman (such as with the Chris Tanev trade in 2024).
Prospect pool: Defenseman Lian Bichsel is considered an untouchable and with good reason — he’s expected to be a regular in the lineup as soon as next season. Teams love him, but barring a trade for a top-line player or defenseman, he’s unlikely to be going anywhere.
Christian Kyrou and Aram Minnetian are young defenders with significant interest around the league. Both move the puck very well, have great mobility and project as NHL defenders. Kyrou looks solid in the AHL and is close to NHL-ready; he’d likely get a shot toward the end of the season if the opportunity arose with a new team. Minnetian is still in the NCAA, and probably will need another year of seasoning there or in the AHL before getting a look in the NHL. If the Stars want an impact defenseman, moving one of these as part of the package is the most likely scenario.
At forward, teams are high on Emil Hemming, but the Stars would prefer to keep him in the organization. Antonio Stranges is a point-per-game player in AHL, and could be a trade option Dallas uses to acquire some scoring. Ayrton Martino and Matthew Seminoff are two forwards that earn interest around the league, with both needing more seasoning and projecting to be bottom-six players in the NHL. Neither would move the needle in a big trade but could be a tidy return for a depth player on an expiring deal.
Team overview: Any season the Oilers have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they need to be all-in. That is especially true this season as it’s the last one in which both players are being paid significantly less than their value (which changes next season when Draisaitl’s extension kicks in).
Prospect pool: Given their position, there is only one player in their prospect pool that should be untouchable barring the acquisition of a current star, which is unlikely in their current cap situation: Matthew Savoie. He has the potential to be an all-situations, point-producing, waterbug type of player. He has the highest ceiling of any Oilers prospect by a fair margin, and the only one who is projected as even a potential second-liner.
The Oilers do have prospects who are interesting to other clubs and given their penchant for trading prospects, it wouldn’t be a tremendous surprise if Beau Akey or Paul Fischer is moved to acquire some help for the current roster. Both are 19-year-olds and Akey has the higher ceiling as the better skater and the all-important right-handed attribute as a defenseman.
If the Oilers were to acquire a second-pairing defenseman for the NHL lineup, Akey or Sam O’Reilly are the two most likely players to be involved in the deal. O’Reilly has excellent off-puck play. The details of his game are nearing professional level. He’s projected to be a third-line center who plays in all situations and is reliable defensively. You have to give up something to get something, and if the Oilers want that impact defender for another playoff run, it will have to be a top prospect that goes the other way.
Team overview: The Kings are in an enviable position: They have too many right-shot defenders. Imagine that. The Kings need to add a defender on the left side of the lineup, and would prefer he be a left shot, instead of having a righty play the off side. Generally speaking, they could probably do a straight swap with another NHL team for a lefty and come out ahead, because right-handed defenders are more valuable in the trade market.
Prospect pool: The Kings’ prospect depth is clearly in one area: the goal crease. Carter George was outstanding at the World Juniors, and he’s joined by Hampton Slukynsky and Erik Portillo. That is too many goaltenders, and while all of them can’t play for the Kings, it’s a great problem to have. Teams love a top-notch goalie prospect — think about all the hype surrounding Yaroslav Askarov. The Predators received David Edstrom and an additional first-round pick for Askarov, when it was known that he was unhappy in their system. The Kings could get a ransom for one of their goalie prospects if they chose to do so, and surely GM Rob Blake will think long and hard about bolstering his blue line using that surplus. Each of those goalies probably would return a top-four, left-shot defenseman and more.
Outside the goal crease, the Kings have graduated many of their prospects. Liam Greentree is the lone skater with an impactful NHL projection, and is someone the Kings should keep in the organization. Koehn Zimmer and Francesco Pinelli are two other forwards who might be moved in a depth deal, but if the Kings want an impact defender, leveraging their goalie surplus is the best approach.
Team overview: Thanks to the masterful work of Judd Brackett and his staff, the Wild are loaded with prospect talent and young NHL players. Marco Rossi is an impact NHL player and needs a new contract that surely will be more expensive than if the Wild signed him last summer. Marat Khusnutdinov has looked good in his first season as a depth player. The Wild used their prospect surplus to acquire David Jiricek from Columbus, and he’s expected to be a second-pairing defender behind Brock Faber for years to come.
The Wild have not-so-quietly said they want a non-rental player who can have an impact. They’re in the last year of a gargantuan cap buyout (Zach Parise, Ryan Suter) and have tons of cap space opening up in the offseason. The two Brocks (Nelson and Boeser) make a lot of sense for the Wild, and while both need new deals, they are both believed to be interested in a long-term contract with the Wild. If the Wild opt to acquire players of that caliber who are impactful and willing to stay, they have more than enough prospects to do so.
Prospect pool: Up front, Liam Ohgren, Riley Heidt, Danila Yurov, Hunter Haight and Ryder Ritchie all hold serious value. Acquiring one or both of Boeser and Nelson might mean Rossi finds himself included in a deal as well.
If not, the five forward prospects are projected to be middle-six impact players, with Ritchie, Heidt and Ohgren skewing toward second-line players. Ohgren and Haight could find themselves in the NHL as soon as next season, given their production in the AHL. Ohgren plays a power forward type game that many teams covet. Ritchie and Heidt are producing well in the WHL, but are probably a couple of years from being impactful NHL forwards.
On defense, it is hard to imagine the Wild moving off Jiricek or Zeev Buium, who is a top defenseman in the NCAA, and has the potential to be a mainstay on a second pair with Jiricek as soon as next season. Carson Lambos, Jack Peart and Ryan O’Rourke are all steady defenders who could be NHL-ready next season. They don’t produce offense, but all three defend well in transition, play the net front hard and the Wild have been hesitant to move them in the past.
If the Wild want to go big, they have the prospect cupboard to do so. They also can subtract from their roster knowing their prospects can fill the holes. The Wild can overpay in prospect surplus for a player who helps them contend now because they have been the NHL’s best drafting team for the past four years.
Team overview: The Golden Knights are atop the Pacific Division on the back of elite play from Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore. Their approach has been the same since inception: They’ll trade any player, prospect or draft pick if they believe it will help them win a Stanley Cup.
Given that credo, no player is truly untouchable, and the Golden Knights have a few who have drawn interest. The Golden Knights are loaded on defense but could use some scoring depth on the wings. Up the middle, they’re set with Eichel, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson and Nicolas Roy.
Prospect pool: A few prospects who have drawn interest around the league include Brenden Brisson, Mathieu Cataford, Tuomas Uronen, Matyas Sapovaliv and Lukas Cormier. Their first-round pick this past summer, Trevor Connelly, is a bit of a different story. Teams passed on him at the draft for off-ice reasons, and he is still considered a “no-go” for some.
Brisson is a scorer who has failed to stick with the NHL club, despite being able to play both wings. Perhaps a change of scenery could help him reach his ceiling. Cataford and Uronen are coming off appearances at the World Juniors; both are projected to be third-line energy players who produce modestly. Sapovaliv is the closest to being NHL-ready after Brisson, and brings a blend of size and playmaking skill. He’s starting to find his stride in the AHL and is a player who should become a middle-six winger at the NHL level.
If the Golden Knights want to make a bold move, they are projected to have the cap space to make it happen without major subtractions from the roster. They haven’t hesitated to do so in the past, and this deadline isn’t expected to be different. They are a legitimate Cup contender with prospects who would enable them to a acquire a middle-six winger to bolster their offense.
Team overview: Connor Hellebuyck for the Hart Trophy? It’s hard not to have the conversation given that he’s running away with the Vezina. The Jets don’t have the playoff résumé to prove it, but like the Leafs, they are a real contender. Their style of play is sustainable, their goaltending is the best in the league and their star players are carrying their weight. The Jets have a clear hole in the second-line center spot, with Mark Scheifele occupying the top line and Adam Lowry holding down the third.
Prospect pool: Brayden Yager was acquired in a swap for Rutger McGroarty, and the Jets are not keen on moving him. He has all the makings of a two-way, second-line player. Kieran Walton and Kevin He are producing at a high level in junior, and interest is growing in both. Colby Barlow is a big winger who can get a shot off in different situations and find quiet areas to pounce. His production has dropped off, but he can be a useful third-line player, with some physicality. Given the age and development curve of Walton and He, teams probably would want them to be the centerpiece of a deal to acquire a second-line center over Barlow. Barlow, Walton and He are probably two or three years from a meaningful NHL role but have trajectories to be middle-six contributors for a prolonged career.
Brad Lambert and Chaz Lucius are further along in their development and Lambert has had limited NHL action. Both are capable of producing in middle-six roles in the NHL as soon as next season, given the right opportunity. There is interest in them, and their inclusion in a package probably would decrease the need for a high draft pick to be involved. If moved on their own, a third-line winger or depth defensemen probably would be considered fair value.
Alfons Freij and Elias Salomonsson are young defenseman the Jets are keen to not move but have drawn interest around the league. If the Jets move a defenseman, it’s most likely to be Ville Heinola or Simon Lundmark who are sent the other way. Neither can find a real footing with the big club but could be serviceable NHL defenders in another organization.