5 Biggest Stars Who Could Be Traded at the 2025 NHL Draft

The 2025 NHL draft will be held on June 27-28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Most of the focus will be on which prospects are selected in the first round, with Matthew Schaefer expected to be chosen first overall by the New York Islanders.

Some trade activity will also take place during the draft. Most of it will involve teams swapping picks, but there could also be a few established NHL players on the move, providing a jolt of additional excitement to the proceedings.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn were frequently mentioned in trade rumors during the regular season, and they may end up changing teams during the draft.

Karlsson and Kreider are just two notable stars who could be trade candidates at the draft. Let's look at five of them and why they could be moved.

Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild

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This season was the best yet in Marco Rossi's young NHL career. He finished second among Minnesota Wild scorers with a career-best 60 points, which will provide him validation to seek a significant raise as a restricted free agent this summer.

Despite the 23-year-old's stats, however, he struggled in the second half of the season and was relegated to fourth-line duty down the stretch. That prompted Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic to ponder his future in Minnesota.

Rossi surfaced in the rumor mill earlier this season and earned a spot on our April offseason trade targets list. He lacks arbitration rights, giving the Wild leverage to sign him to an affordable short-term bridge deal, but a rival club could give him a more lucrative offer sheet.

That could make Rossi a potential trade candidate before his RFA eligibility on July 1. The promising young center could draw plenty of interest from rival clubs, but it could take a player-for-player swap to entice Minnesota into parting with him.

Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres

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On March 6, 2024, the Buffalo Sabres traded center Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Bowen Byram.

That swap worked well for the Sabres, as the oft-injured 23-year-old enjoyed a career-best 38-point performance in his first full 82-game season.

However, Byram's tenure in Buffalo could be short. The left-shot blueliner is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, coming off a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.9 million.

On May 1, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News speculated that Byram could be expensive to re-sign. He suggested the Sabres peddle him in the trade market and use the cap savings toward re-signing forwards JJ Peterka, Alex Tuch and Ryan McLeod.

A good young defenseman like Byram will be an enticing trade target for clubs in the market for a skilled, all-around blueliner. The Sabres could prefer a player-for-player swap as they're already loaded with prospects and draft picks.

Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues

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The St. Louis Blues' late-season surge propelled them into a playoff berth, where they battled the Winnipeg Jets in a first-round series that went the full seven games before they were eliminated.

Despite that effort, some observers feel Blues captain Brayden Schenn could be a trade candidate.

Following the Blues' postseason exit, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic noted Schenn was the subject of speculation before the March trade deadline. However, the center declined to waive his no-movement clause, preferring to stay in St. Louis.

The 33-year-old has three years left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $6.5 million. His no-movement clause reverts to a 15-team no-trade list on July 1. The Blues could shop him for the right offer if he no longer fits their long-term plans.

If there's sufficient interest in Schenn, Blues management could ask him to select a preferred trade destination during the draft. He could attract the attention of contenders seeking a two-way center with Stanley Cup experience and leadership skills.

Chris Kreider, New York Rangers

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Chris Kreider's status as a trade candidate made the New York Rangers left winger a fixture in this season's rumor mill. He was also among our April Offseason Trade Targets and topped our May Trade Block Big Board.

The 34-year-old appeared in a leaguewide memo of available players sent out last November by Rangers general manager Chris Drury. There were no takers as he struggled through an injury-hampered season, but he still eclipsed the 20-goal plateau (22) for the 10th time.

Teams seeking an experienced scoring winger with leadership ability could be drawn to a healthier Kreider. He has two years left on his contract with a 15-team no-trade list. He also carries an average annual value of $6.5 million, but it could be more palatable for interested clubs under a rising salary cap.

Drury was among the busiest GMs in this season's trade market. It's expected he'll continue tinkering with the roster this offseason, which could include moving Kreider during the draft weekend.

Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins

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On Aug. 6, 2023, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Erik Karlsson in a blockbuster three-team trade from the San Jose Sharks.

The three-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner was expected to help the Penguins return to the status of perennial playoff contenders.

Two seasons later, trade speculation is dogging the 34-year-old as he has not been a good fit with the now-rebuilding Penguins. He appeared on our April and May Trade Boards despite his expensive contract and no-movement clause through 2026-27.

As noted on those boards, Pittsburgh pundits suggested Karlsson could be moved during the offseason. However, the defenseman's value is not as high as it was two years ago when he won his third Norris Trophy with a career-best 101-point performance.

Nevertheless, we can't dismiss the possibility of the Penguins peddling the Swede during the draft. They might be willing to retain up to half of their share of his annual cap hit ($10 million) to facilitate a deal that frees up some cap space and opens a roster spot for a young defenseman.

Regular-season stats via NHL.com. Salary info via PuckPedia.