2025 NHL Trade Deadline: Analyzing the Top Stories Ahead of March 7

We're just 48 hours and some change away from the 2025 NHL trade deadline. This year's deadline period has been stretched out, given the Mikko Rantanen deal and the 4 Nations roster freeze that triggered some early moves in February.

However, the final two days in which to make any playoff-eligible roster moves are upon us.

There haven't been many rumblings, and considering 75 percent of the league is in a position to make the playoffs, the quiet atmosphere is just adding to the anticipation.

What will all those teams on the delicate Eastern Conference bubble do? What can the teams at the top, with limited cap space and Cup dreams, realistically do? What's the overall market looking like for sellers ahead of the deadline?

Let's prepare for the frenzy of the next two days with a last look at the headlines.

Where Hurricanes Stand With Rantanen

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It's been quieter after reports the Carolina Hurricanes considering flipping recent acquisition Mikko Rantanen surfaced.

As usual with Carolina, it seems like a situation where it's willing to hear out just about anything before doing the logical thing, i.e. not trading the 100-plus-point player you just acquired in the blockbuster of the year.

The 'Canes love to be in the mix and explore options regardless of what comes to fruition. It's a rare front-office philosophy in the NHL so we tend to believe they're going to do all the things they're considering.

We must also remember Rantanen has every right to figure out what he wants to do with his future. This is a player who spent his entire career with one team, got traded in a whirlwind, has been in his new location for less than two months and has the opportunity to sign the largest contract of his career this offseason.

The situation is unique, but the Hurricanes should keep him if they want the best opportunity to win in the postseason. Plus, not signing him long-term before March 7 doesn't necessarily mean not signing him long-term at all.

Will cooler heads prevail? We'll see.

Bruins Begin Sell Off With Frederic Trade

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It ain't quite trading captain and homegrown franchise star Brad Marchand, but the Bruins made a significant statement by sending Trent Frederic to the Oilers Tuesday.

For the first time in his decade-long tenure, general manager Don Sweeney signaled to the world that he'll be selling at the 2025 trade deadline.

Frederic is off to Edmonton in a three-team trade in which the Bruins and Devils are retaining half of his salary, leaving the Oilers with a $575,000 pro-rated tab for the rest of the season.

The Bruins get a 2025 second-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick and defenseman Max Wanner. The Devils get the Oilers' unsigned draft pick Shane Lachance. The Oilers get Frederic at 50 percent off, Max Jones, plus Boston's unsigned draft pick Petr Hauser.

Frederic, who is week to week with an ankle injury, brings a playoff edge and a bit of depth scoring (though he's having a down year) to a third- or fourth-line wing or center position.

He was set to test the market July 1 and the Bruins were set to let him go, so multiple picks including a second-rounder is a pretty decent return for a team entering a selling era.

What's Next for the Canucks?

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So, what is next for the Canucks?

This is a dreadful question with an answer equal parts mysterious and familiarly grim.

They have already "solved" part of their conundrum by trading away J.T. Miller to the Rangers. Of course, that hasn't improved play on the ice, as trading away a franchise cornerstone and top scorer doesn't tend to do that in the short term. 

So, what's next for the team that was at one point No. 1 in the league last year and sits two points out of a playoff spot?

If the Canucks were going to hit the full reset button and trade Elias Pettersson, too, his value has probably never been lower. You've got less leverage considering the whole situation, and he's only had one shot in his last four games.

Trading pending UFA Brock Boeser would be wildly unpopular: He's one of the few leaders on the team who has really stepped up when it counts, carried several playoff games with his scoring and remains focused on winning.

Still, you get the feeling this season is falling apart and you would hate to lose him for nothing. In reality, though, the Canucks are just out of the playoffs and all is not lost. Maybe sucking it up and adding a piece or two for the run is the way to go.

What Moves Will Top Stanley Cup Contenders Make in the Next Few Days?

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While the numerous bubble teams mull over the correct deals to send them into the playoffs, the teams that have been at the top of the standings all season are looking for the tweaks that send them to the Stanley Cup Final. (Unless you're the Oilers, of course, who refuse to even whisper the word "goalie.")

The Golden Knights have everything they could need and it shows, but knowing them, we can expect a rogue forward or two added to the mix for fun.

Will the Leafs add a long-coveted third-line center in a Yanni Gourde-style? We're aware of their constant cap struggles, so if they go that route and/or the insurance defense route, it's not going to be a blockbuster.

Should the most dominant teams, the Jets and the Caps, even do anything? The Caps made their extremely successful moves in the offseason, and the Jets are as complete of a hockey team as you'll see.

You'd think some in-house extensions (like the Capitals and goaltender Charlie Lindgren), and some depth moves in case of injury are the only things on deck, there.

The Panthers already went for Seth Jones, the pricey-but-hungry defenseman who wanted to prove himself on a playoff team. We'll see how that pans out, but Florida had nothing to lose as Sergei Bobrovsky is its guy and Spencer Knight was not getting much of an opportunity in net.

Can the Oilers Find an Answer for Goalie Problem?

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Reports of the Oilers shopping Evander Kane as he prepared to exit LTIR are surfacing, and you'd hope so because Edmonton will be in trouble if he and his $5.125 million cap hit return to the lineup after the deadline.

Still, I keep looking for any report that indicates GM Stan Bowman has changed his tune and will explore the goaltender market, but nothing. It looks like the Oilers have no interest in changing their netminder situation, which is extremely frustrating when John Gibson would reportedly waive his no-trade clause to play for them.

Edmonton's defense and goaltending have become more questionable upon return from the 4 Nations break. Tuesday night's 6-2 loss to the Ducks featured a .636 save percentage from Calvin Pickard and a .875 save percentage from Stuart Skinner.

This doesn't have to be so difficult. Add a seasoned veteran goaltender to the mix, perhaps the one who would change his contract specifically to play for you.