1 Trade Idea for Every Eliminated 2025 NHL Playoff Team
We are on to the NHL's conference finals, with the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers all advancing.
All four teams are regulars at this point in the playoffs. They have also knocked off some outstanding opponents along the way.
So, what can those eliminated franchises do this offseason to turn the table and make deep runs in the future?
Trades tend to be a big part of the team-building process.
So let's take a look at one potential trade idea for each of the eight teams that have already been eliminated this postseason.
Important reminder: These are not rumored trades or anything that has necessarily been talked about or is close to happening. We are just trying to give some helpful suggestions for who might make sense on each team.
Colorado Avalanche: Elias Pettersson (from Vancouver Canucks)
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Hey, why not dream big right at the start of this?
Do I expect Vancouver to trade Elias Pettersson? No. There is every reason for the Canucks to keep him. They made their decision by moving J.T. Miller out. Moving Pettersson now would probably be doing so at his lowest possible value, and there is way too much potential for them to give up on him after one down year.
But any front office that has Jim Rutherford in it is unpredictable.
The Canucks seem to have lost confidence in Pettersson despite their public support of him.
He might also welcome a fresh start, and Colorado would be a great place to get that, given the style of play and the offensive talent that is already in place.
Beyond that, Colorado has shown time and time again that it is not afraid to be aggressive.
After the team traded Mikko Rantanen and then lost in the playoffs to him, there has to be some pressure on the Avalanche to go after a big fish this offseason. Pettersson would be a great target to give them another potentially dominant center behind Nathan MacKinnon (something they desperately need).
Martin Necas (acquired in the Rantanen trade from the Carolina Hurricanes) could be a potential starting point, and then build out from there.
As long as we're spitballing ideas here, we might as well aim high.
Los Angeles Kings: Rickard Rakell (from Pittsburgh Penguins)
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I made this suggestion during the season, and I will make it again because it makes a ton of sense for everybody involved.
After a fourth straight first-round exit at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers, the Kings need more help, especially with their goal-scoring and finishing ability. They were 14th in the NHL in goals during the regular season
Rakell is coming off a 35-goal season, is an extremely creative offensive player and is signed long-term at a very reasonable salary-cap number of $5 million per season. While it might cost them some big assets in a trade, they are not likely to find a better per-dollar bargain on the free-agent market.
Even if Rakell does not duplicate his 35-goal performance and regresses into the 25-goal range, he would still be a fair value financially against the cap.
The Penguins were very patient with Rakell in trade talks during the season and know they don't have to move him, but the Kings have some intriguing younger players (perhaps an Alex Turcotte?) that could be of interest to a Penguins team that is looking to retool.
Minnesota Wild: Anders Lee (from New York Islanders)
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Now that the worst parts of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts are in the rear-view mirror, the Minnesota Wild are finally going to have a chance to build out their roster and potentially give their superstar, Kirill Kaprizov, the supporting cast he needs and deserves.
The Wild will have a big need for some additional scoring depth to keep pace with the rest of the Central Division contenders, and Islanders forward Anders Lee might be a worthwhile target if the Islanders try to move him.
Lee is in his mid-30s and counts $7 million against the salary cap this season, but he is still a remarkably consistent 25-goal scorer. They wouldn't need him to be the focal point of the offense, but as a net-front presence and finisher, he would be a great complementary addition to a lineup that needs more depth and a power forward on the power play.
Minnesota's power play was 20th in the NHL during the regular season, while Lee has scored at least five power-play goals in each of the past four seasons.
Montreal Canadiens: Marco Rossi (from Minnesota Wild)
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The Canadiens' rebuild took a huge step forward with a surprising playoff appearance, and given the young talent on the roster, there is every reason to believe this could be the start of something consistent in the coming years.
Now it's time to complement their young core.
Rossi would be a fascinating trade target.
For one, he is still going to be only 24 years old when the 2024-25 season begins, so he should fit in perfectly with their current core of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson.
Second, he would certainly help upgrade their No. 2 center spot, which should be an offseason priority.
And third, he is already productive coming off a 24-goal, 60-point season and still has some untapped potential that could make him an outstanding player into the future.
Given his contract status as an RFA, there is some debate as to where (or if) he fits in with the Wild long-term, which has put him on the trade rumor mill going into the offseason.
The Canadiens can't sit on their hands and just expect things to keep getting better. They need to be aggressive, and with nine draft picks in the first four rounds of this year's draft (with two in each of those rounds), they certainly have the trade capital to make a big move. Rossi should be a realistic player to go after.
New Jersey Devils: Jared McCann (from Seattle Kraken)
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The Devils bounced back this season—as many expected—and returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a bitterly disappointing 2023-24 season. But it was an extremely short postseason appearance as they were easily dispatched by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round.
With Jack Hughes injured again, and the Devils limping down the stretch run of the regular season, a first-round exit seemed to be inevitable and only highlighted how far away this team is from a Stanley Cup.
There is a good core of players in place, but that core still needs more help around it. Especially offensively, and especially given how many games Hughes has missed in his career.
McCann's name came up at times prior to the trade deadline, but nothing ever appeared to get close. He would be an extremely interesting name for the Devils to pursue because of his finishing ability and flexibility throughout the lineup. He can play anywhere on a team's top-three lines, while also having the ability to shift between center and wing when needed.
Seattle is still trying to find its way as an expansion franchise and has not been able to replicate the immediate success of Vegas. It is an organization that still has a lot of holes, and McCann could be the type of trade chip that could bring back some meaningful pieces.
The Devils have some young players that might be enticing to a team like Seattle (Simon Nemec?), while also owning two second-round picks in the 2025 NHL draft Class.
Ottawa Senators: Rasmus Ristolainen (from Philadelphia Flyers)
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The Senators already have some big contracts on their defense with Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Artyom Zub and Nick Jensen each making more than $4 million next season. Sanderson and Chabot both make over $8 million. So adding another $5 million contract to that group might seem like overkill, but they could use an upgrade on the right side of their top four.
When the Flyers originally acquired Ristolainen and re-signed him to a long-term contract extension, it was a series of moves that were loudly jeered. And at the time, that was a justified reaction. But Ristolainen has improved his game in recent seasons and could be a really useful second-pairing option for a playoff team.
Are the Flyers ready to be that team?
Or could Ristolainen finally get moved after being on the trade rumor mill for so long?
The rising salary cap, as well as the lack of good defense options on the open market, could make him an attractive trade option for teams. The Senators should be one of the teams interested.
St. Louis Blues: Trade Brayden Schenn
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Schenn's name surfaced in trade speculation leading up to this year's trade deadline, but nothing ever came of it as the Blues made their push for the playoffs (and it worked).
But the idea of moving him should be explored again this offseason.
A playoff team trading its captain is not the most common thing, but it's also not unheard of.
And it also might not be the worst long-term idea for the Blues.
The Blues are pressed to the upper limits of the NHL salary cap and do not have a ton of flexibility going into the offseason. They also have to worry about long-term extensions for forward Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg, while also trying to make the necessary upgrades to the roster that are needed.
Schenn is still productive, but he will be 34 years old when this season begins and his full no-trade clause goes to a modified no-trade clause where the Blues would have some additional flexibility to move him.
Given his age, there is going to come a point in the not-too-distant future where his production decreases, and perhaps even significantly. The Blues should try to get out in front of that and move him while there still might be a market for him.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Matias Maccelli (from Utah Mammoth)
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Over the first two years of his career, Maccelli looked like he was on his way to becoming a key contributor to the Arizona Coyotes/Utah franchise. He was averaging more than 40 assists and close to 60 points per 82 games, was displaying great playmaking skills and was coming along really well.
Then he took a huge step backward with his production in 2024-25 and has found himself potentially on the trade block.
This just seems like the type of move that would really work well for the Lightning.
He is younger, he is under team control, he is still pretty affordable this season at just a little more than $3 million against the salary cap and he has had success as a playmaker in the NHL.
Macceli could probably use a fresh start and a change of scenery. Tampa Bay seems like the type of team that could get the most out of him while also bringing in some young blood to a roster that is getting older.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Chris Kreider (from New York Rangers)
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After another postseason meltdown, this has to finally be the offseason the Toronto Maple Leafs make significant changes to their core.
Mitch Marner and John Tavares are unrestricted free agents, and while Tavares has already expressed a desire to return, Marner has been a little more standoffish about it. Even if he returns, the Maple Leafs have to ask serious questions about whether or not they should pay him his asking price, and if they can continue running it back with the same group.
So let's just pretend one, or both, of their two big UFAs leave. They are going to need to bring in some additional forwards to help fill those spots.
This is where Chris Kreider could be an option.
He is coming off a down year. He is 34 years old. He is still signed long-term for $6.5 million per season over the next two years. There are some potential red flags there and some reasons to not do it.
But it's also the sort of move you could absolutely see Toronto and general manager Brad Treliving going for.
Especially since Kreider has had some huge playoff performances in recent seasons.
Vegas Golden Knights: Trade a Center for Help on the Wings
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The biggest offseason priority for the Vegas Golden Knights is going to be getting superstar center Jack Eichel re-signed to a long-term contract extension.
He will be eligible for a new deal in early July, and it will be significant whenever he signs it. As it should be for one of the league's best players and the Golden Knights' franchise star.
It would also be helpful if they could create some salary cap flexibility for that new contract in the future, especially as they need to make other fixes around the roster in the short term.
One way they could potentially take care of two birds with one stone is to dip into their center depth and make a hockey trade for help on the wing.
Between Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson, Brett Howden and Nicolas Roy, the Golden Knights are overflowing with players who can play down the middle, while also having a weakness on their wings.
It's not hard to figure out where the potential trade matches would be given that roster structure. They could (and perhaps should) potentially flip a Karlsson or Roy this summer to try and land some scoring winger help to balance out the lineup a little more, while also potentially creating some future salary cap space for a new Eichel deal.
Washington Capitals: Go After Jean-Gabriel Pageau (from New York Islanders)
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The Washington Capitals were one of the bigger surprise success stories in the NHL during the 2024-25 season, making the massive jump from fringe playoff team to No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
An aggressive offseason that saw them completely re-shape their defense (Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy), as well as the additions of goalie Logan Thompson and forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane, was the driving force behind that improvement.
Even though it ended with a second-round loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, it was still a wildly successful season that should keep their window for contention open a little longer. Especially with Alex Ovechkin likely to return for another season.
One position that could use an upgrade is their third-line center spot, and New York Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau could be an intriguing target -- assuming the Islanders are willing to move him within the division.
The Islanders will have a new general manager coming in at some point, and need to start re-tooling their roster to get younger and Pageau could be one of their more intriguing trade chips.
Pageau is not only a strong defensive presence, he can also chip in some offense after scoring 14 goals and 42 total points this past season.
The Capitals tried to get by with Lars Eller in that role, but there just was not enough offense to make a difference. Pageau's $5 million salary is not cheap, but with the cap rising and with the Capitals having some money come off the books this offseason, they could easily make it work.
Winnipeg Jets: Ryan O'Reilly (from Nashville Predators)
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After winning the Presidents' Trophy for the first time with the NHL's best record, the Winnipeg Jets still fell short in the playoffs by going out in the second round. As close as they came to moving on, they still have some weaknesses on their roster that need to be addressed.
One of those needs: An upgrade at second-line center.
O'Reilly might be an ideal solution.
Not only is he still very affordable at a $4.5 million salary cap hit over the next two seasons, but he is also the perfect second-line center for a contender.
While he may not be the Selke Trophy player he was at his peak, he is still a solid defensive presence and can still score 25 goals and 50 points offensively.
It would require making a trade within the division -- not always easy -- but after one of the NHL's most disappointing seasons in 2024-25, the Predators might be ready to make some changes. The Jets do not have any second or fourth-round picks over the next three years, but they do still have their full allotment of first-round picks. They will also have the salary cap flexibility to take on O'Reilly's remaining deal.
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