Ranking the 7 Biggest Trade Targets After the 2025 NHL Draft and Free Agency Day 1
Now that the 2025 NHL draft and the first day of free agency are in the books, a lot of the biggest moves of the offseason have already been made.
Noah Dobson is in Montreal.
Chris Kreider is in Anaheim.
John Gibson is in Detroit.
Trevor Zegras is in Philadelphia.
JJ Peterka is in Utah.
K'Andre Miller is in Carolina.
Those were some of the biggest names in the trade rumor mill going into the offseason, and all of them have found new homes.
But there are still some notable players potentially available for trade, so let's take a look at seven of the biggest.
7. Isaac Howard, Tampa Bay Lightning
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It seems to be a matter of when and where, as opposed to if, Isaac Howard gets traded. He has made it clear he was not interested in signing with the Lightning, and they seem determined to find a taker for him.
He is one of the top prospects in the Lightning farm system, and following a Hobey Baker-winning season at Michigan State he would likely rank among the top prospects of any team in the NHL right now.
It's a situation that is very similar to the one the Winnipeg Jets faced a year ago with Rutger McGroarty when he made it clear he would not sign with them. They ended up trading him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a comparable prospect in Brayden Yager. The Lightning have simply not been able to find a similar deal. At least not yet.
He is going to get traded at some point, but the only thing moving him down the ranking here is he may not make much of an impact this season. Any team that gets him would likely be doing so with a more long-term vision in mind, and even then, he's still a prospect so there is still some risk involved with acquiring him. It simply might not work out the way anybody hopes.
6. Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins
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Any team that is in need of goal-scoring or offense should be calling the Pittsburgh Penguins as often as possible. They are not only one of the few teams actually selling this offseason, but they also have a couple of top-six wingers who could help any team in the league.
Rickard Rakell is one of them.
Even though he is 32 years old, he is still coming off a career year in 2024-25 that saw him score 35 goals with 35 assists (70 total points) in 81 games. He was one of the Penguins' best players, and is signed long-term at a very manageable salary-cap number of $5 million per season. Even if his production regresses closer to 25 goals he would still be a good value given the contracts that have been handed out this offseason.
He's a creative playmaker with finishing ability, and is better than almost any player that has been available on the open market this summer with only a small handful of exceptions.
The only downside is he would cost some significant assets in a trade, and the Penguins do not seem to be in a hurry to deal him unless their price is met. They might be rebuilding, but they are not getting rid of everybody just for the sake of getting rid of them. They still want good value back in return.
5. Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins
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This is the Penguins' other top-six forward who could be available for the right price.
Bryan Rust's trade protections were seriously reduced when the calendar rolled over to July 1, meaning it would be easier for the Penguins to potentially move him without his approval.
Rust is the type of player every general manager in the NHL should want.
He plays an outstanding two-way game, can play any role, is highly productive, and has a proven track record of performing in big games, as he played a major role on back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning teams in Pittsburgh.
But because he is such an important player in the Penguins franchise, and such a great leader, and a preferred linemate of captain Sidney Crosby, it may not be easy to get him away from the Penguins without paying a lot.
His contract is also very reasonable at just $5.1 million per season over the next three years. Some teams might not like that term of salary given his age, but it is hard to ignore the production and intangibles he brings.
4. Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins
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Oh, hey, look, another Pittsburgh Penguins player potentially on the market.
While the Penguins may not be quite as willing to move Rakell or Rust, they would probably love to move on from Erik Karlsson and his remaining contract. The experiment with acquiring him simply has not worked as hoped or planned, and it would probably be in everybody's best interest for a fresh start.
Especially in Karlsson's case given his quest to get his name on the Stanley Cup.
Karlsson's defensive game really took a step backward this season, but he remains a strong offensive player that can produce points at a top-15 level among the league's defensemen. If the Penguins were willing to retain some salary on his remaining $10 million salary cap number, they should be able to find a taker that could use some scoring punch from the defense.
3. Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames
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Rasmus Andersson has been on the trade block for a while now given his contract situation.
He is eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, and with the Flames going through a retooling phase, they have not been shy about trading veterans with value before they potentially lose them for nothing.
Over the past couple of years they already moved out Noah Hanifin, Andrew Mangiapane, Chris Tanev and Jacob Markstrom, and there is good reason to believe Andersson could be next to go. Especially if the Flames can not get him re-signed.
He only counts $4.6 million against the salary cap this season, which would be an absolute steal given his value and defensive presence. Every contending playoff team in the league would love to have him at that price, and the Flames should be able to demand a sizable return if they were to move him.
2. Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild
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Marco Rossi took a big step forward offensively for the Wild in 2024-25, increasing his point total by 20 (from 40 to 60) from his rookie season. In terms of his development, he is probably right on track. Despite that, his name is still all over the rumor mill as he heads into restricted free agency.
The Wild do not seem comfortable paying him a large contract, while they might have some concerns about his size and durability.
If they are serious about listening to trade offers for him, there should be no shortage of teams lining up to acquire him. Especially teams in need of younger, skilled players that are just now entering their prime years in the league.
You're not going to find a better or younger forward in free agency at this point, especially not at center.
The Wild would be taking a big gamble if they moved him. They better be getting a great return to do so, or be absolutely correct in their long-term assessment of his value.
1. Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres
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The Sabres entered the offseason with two significant restricted free agents that they were likely to move. They already traded one of them (JJ Peterka). The other, Bowen Byram, might not be far behind.
Even though Byram has not quite become the superstar he was expected to turn into when he was taken No. 4 overall by the Colorado Avalanche a few years ago, he has still turned into an outstanding defensemen who is just now entering the prime of his career.
He still has top-pairing ability, and would be a great fit almost anywhere in the NHL.
If the Sabres do not trade him and offer sheet could absolutely be a possibility.
The Sabres would also probably be better off trying to re-sign him and making him a part of their long-term core, but that does not seem to be a realistic option at this point. A trade or restricted free agent offer sheet seem to be the far more likely outcome.
The Sabres' return on Peterka was a little underwhelming.
If they whiff on the Byram trade it would kick off another disappointing offseason—and likely lead to another disappointing season—for the Sabres.
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