6 Mistakes NHL Teams Should Avoid at the 2025 Trade Deadline
We're just one week out from the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
It’s been quiet so far, but the rust from the 4 Nations break is wearing off. It’s time for teams to assess their needs before the final hardballing begins.
We always talk about what teams should do, right? Go get that coveted left-shot defenseman, go overpay for that veteran (aging) third-line center, go surrender your first-round pick to go all-in.
But what about the things that teams shouldn’t do? Maybe you shouldn’t mess up the chemistry of a thriving team too much, or stick with a guy out of loyalty, or, like, trade Mikko Rantanen.
We’ve got you covered with the six things that teams shouldn’t do ahead of the March 7 NHL trade deadline.
Buffalo Sabres: Don't Stand Pat
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Whether you are a Buffalo Sabres player, staff member, tortured fan or amused bystander, none of us are getting any younger. We've watched the Sabres long enough to know that patience has only prolonged the suffering.
The only place to go is anywhere but here, and the Sabres happen to have one of the most coveted options of the deadline in 24-year-old center Dylan Cozens. It seems like plenty of teams are checking in on his availability, so the Sabres could have some decent leverage. For the sake of all of us, maybe they'll use it correctly.
They could dangle a few different players beyond Cozens. Bowen Byram has been fantastic, but he's a pending RFA and he'll be expensive. Sorry to remind you, but the Sabres somehow already have a lot of term and money cemented in their back end.
There just happens to be an elite NHL center in need of a fresh start out there in Elias Pettersson. Why not go for it? We're already in the worst-case scenario.
Carolina Hurricanes: Don't Trade Mikko Rantanen
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This past week of Carolina Hurricanes headlines has snapped us right out of 4 Nations bliss and right into trade deadline drama. Pending UFA Mikko Rantanen, whom the Canes just acquired in a blockbuster, could be on the move again if he and Carolina can’t reach a contract extension.
I thought the Avalanche traded him because he wants to test the market, and it’ll be an offseason of record-setting deals because the cap is rising significantly. I thought the Hurricanes would to try as hard as they can to sign him, but cut their losses and shrug if he went with his original plan.
I guess I thought wrong, because now the Canes reportedly might trade him if they can’t get a long-term deal done.
There could be some posturing from both sides as pressure rises and the deadline inches closer. But posturing, leverage and all, it would be a mistake for Carolina to trade Rantanen before the playoffs.
The hockey world praised the Canes for this deal when it happened for a reason: This is the one of the best wingers in the world, and the only 100-plus point player in Canes history. The Canes have spent the better part of the decade making the playoffs and falling short of a Cup, and Rantanen provides them with a better chance of hoisting it this year than anyone else out there.
This is one of the best rental acquisitions in the cap era, and it doesn’t have to be anything more than that. Rantanen has needed some time to adjust to the franchise, but he’s only ever played for the Avalanche, so that’s to be expected. Flipping him at the deadline because he won't sign an extension would be the galaxy-brain move of the year.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Don't Give Up Too Much for the Future, But Believe!
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The Blue Jackets are in a unique situation headed into the trade deadline. They’re rolling in dough, they’re in a playoff position, key players are returning, and they’ve consistently performed well above expectation.
General manager Don Waddell was candid with NHL.com this week, and his words bode well for Columbus’ deadline.
“Sometimes, as much as you like to get those assets, this is a different year as I’d probably look at it normally," Waddell said, "just because of what the guys have been through and how they continue to battle every day of the season and keep us in the position we’re in as of Feb. 27. And for me to trade players for mid-round picks, it doesn’t make sense.
“At the beginning of the season, I just hoped we’d have some kind of meaningful games in March. I didn’t realize we’d be in a playoff spot. And so now, the way I look at it, I don’t know if selling off is the right thing for this group. This group has done a great job of sticking together, and whether we can get there or not, I think I’ve got to give this group a chance.”
The best part is, the Blue Jackets could acquire parts that help them both now and well into the future. As Waddell knows, a few sturdy and quick defensemen never hurt anyone—especially a Blue Jackets team with a bevy of offense.
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Detroit Red Wings: Don't Yet the Yzerplan Fall to Waste
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The Athletic published a player agent poll earlier this week that confirmed at least two big shots in the hockey world hold the same opinion as a multitude of social media accounts: There are some doubts about the Yzerplan.
“They’re really unstable,” one said. “There’s no plan, although they may say there’s one.”
Take these things with a grain of salt. If anyone is going to have an agenda, it’s an agent. But you have to admit that the Yzerplan has been confusing and shrouded in mystery when it comes to direction.
Regardless, the hiring of Todd McLellan turned everything around to such an extent that whatever the Yzerplan was supposed to be has a real chance to end in success now.
The biggest problems ailing Detroit before the coaching change were brutal lack of sustained zone time, a weak penalty kill, and some general lack of cohesion. Goaltending wasn’t—and still isn’t—perfect, but it’s not the gravest concern.
The Red Wings could help their present and future with a few skaters built to move the puck and to bridge the gap between their youth movement and veterans. Especially with center Andrew Copp out for the season, it’s time to target all-around players who are effective in entering the zone and protecting the net.
GM Steve Yzerman has a great opportunity here to clarify and strengthen his plan. Will he take it?
Edmonton Oilers: Don't Trust Stuart Skinner
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Listen, I love Stuart Skinner as much as the next person. I love the vibes, I love the ‘stache, I love the confidence when he’s winning. He’s a valuable member of this Oilers team in the right moments, especially when the shutdown defense often leaves much to be desired. It’s not all on him that the team and the defense is constructed the way it is.
But as the reports are rolling in that the Oilers are likely to keep their goaltending tandem of Skinner and Calvin Pickard, I have to ask: Are you serious?
Skinner hasn’t been terrible, with a 20-15-4 record, a .898 save percentage, and 2.87 goals against average. But he has not been one of the best goaltenders in the league this season, so why are the Oilers settling for this tandem when they could at least do their due diligence and look for someone to challenge him in net?
I’m not saying they have to give up on Skinner. But why not trade Pickard and find a way to get another consistent goaltender for a stronger tandem? The Colorado Avalanche showed us this isn’t always super complicated.
Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets: Don't Let This Season Go to Waste
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The Winnipeg Jets are the best all-around team of the regular season, and the Washington Capitals are the most surprising and vibiest team of the regular season. Both deserve their No. 1 spots in their respective conferences.
The best part for the Jets is that they don’t have to make drastic changes at the deadline. Especially with the recent resurgence of their early-season magic, this team knows how to find the right way to win in any situation.
Wait, wait, wait. Not so fast, Mr. Jets GM Kevin Chevyldayoff. You don’t actually have the day off.
You need depth and insurance on preferably both the front and back ends. When the best teams in the league start containing your first and second lines, you need a third-line weapon. You could also use some defensive depth in case the injury bug strikes. It’s simple: Don’t overcomplicate this and ruin what has been a close-to-perfect season. The collapse of the historic Bruins was tough enough to watch.
The Capitals took a negative (no players in the 4 Nations Face-Off) and turned it into a positive (a boatload of rest and recovery that has clearly paid off post break). Washington took care of most of its needs in a super successful offseason, and again, the vibes are vibing. Look at Washington’s former coach Barry Trotz, who has done entirely too much as the GM of the Predators with bad results.
Perhaps if any team should stand pat at this deadline, it’s the Capitals.
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