B/R NHL Trade Block Rankings for July 2025

Pickings were slim for notable talent before the July 1 start of this year's unrestricted free-agent market. It was further depleted in the days leading up to free agency when several notable players re-signed with their current teams.

With the UFA market picked clean, teams that missed out on the best available stars could return to the trade market to address their roster issues.

Thanks to the significant rise in the salary cap, 14 teams have over $10 million in salary-cap space. Not all of them will use it to invest in the trade market, but several could do so before training camp begins in September.

On June 2, we published our Trade Block Big Board ahead of the draft and the start of free agency. Since then, K'Andre Miller was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, JJ Peterka was shipped to the Utah Mammoth, and Chris Kreider was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks.

Several others, such as Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine, New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere, St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn and Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault, are no longer considered trade candidates.

Nevertheless, several players from that list are now part of our July Trade Block Rankings. Follow along to find out why they could end up moving on to other clubs this summer.

8. Jordan Kyrou, St. Louis Blues

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St. Louis Blues forwards Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou were part of our June board. Speculation about the former has quietened as he is expected to re-sign, but the latter continued to regularly surface in the rumor mill leading up to July 1.

Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggested Kyrou's trade value has never been higher, pointing out the Blues were deep with wingers but needed depth at center.

On June 27, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported the Montreal Canadiens were among several clubs interested in the 27-year-old winger.

Three days later, LeBrun indicated the Blues had spoken with several clubs attempting to gauge Kyrou's value in the trade market before his no-trade clause began on July 1. He noted it would take multiple assets to tempt them into parting with him.

Since then, Kyrou's NTC has kicked in, making a trade less likely. Still, with several clubs still flush with salary-cap space, one of them could become a destination that he's willing to accept, provided they meet the Blues' asking price.

7. Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Erik Karlsson was at No. 4 on our June board. The puck-moving blueliner is a three-time winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy. He is signed through 2026-27, with the Penguins carrying $10 million of his $11.5 million annual cap hit.

The 35-year-old's stock has tumbled since his career-best 101-point performance in 2022-23 with the San Jose Sharks. With the Penguins rebuilding their roster, there has been constant conjecture suggesting they could move the veteran blueliner despite his hefty contract and declining production.

On June 25, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported the Swede was open to waiving his no-movement clause for an opportunity to play for a contender. However, the Penguins would have to retain some salary to make the deal palatable.

Excluding the Penguins, there are 13 teams with over $10 million in cap space that could take on Karlsson at a reduced salary. However, only one of them (Winnipeg Jets) could be considered a contender, and they appear to have no interest in him.

6. Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild

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Perched at No. 2 on our June board, Marco Rossi looked likely to be changing teams this summer. He is a restricted free agent lacking arbitration rights after completing his entry-level contract.

Discussions between the23-year-old and Wild management remain at an impasse.

On June 11, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported the Vancouver Canucks were interested in Rossi. Eight days later, his colleagues, Michael Russo and Joe Smith, indicated the Canucks may have offered up their first-round pick in this year's draft.

Patrick Johnston of The Vancouver Province cited a source confirming the Canucks pitched that pick to Minnesota along with either a player or prospect. Three days later, Wild general manager Bill Guerin downplayed the speculation, insisting his priority is getting Rossi under contract.

The Rossi rumor mill has gone silent since then, but there is no indication he is any closer to accepting a new contract with the Wild. The longer he remains unsigned, the more likely he'll continue to surface in offseason media trade chatter.

4 and 5. Brian Rust and Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Bryan Rust (left) and Rickard Rakell.

Pittsburgh Penguins management is reluctant to admit it's in a roster rebuild, but that's exactly what general manager Kyle Dubas is doing.

Since shipping out Jake Guentzel before the March 2024 trade deadline, he has moved veteran players in exchange for draft picks, prospects and younger players.

Penguins forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell have been the subject of recent speculation. Rust, 33, sat at No. 13 on our June board. He's signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5.13 million and lacks no-trade protection as of July 1.

Rakell, 32, is also signed through 2027-28. He carries an AAV of $5 million and has an eight-team no-trade list.

A fast, hard-working winger, Rust has regularly skated alongside franchise icon Sidney Crosby, exceeding 20 goals and 40 points in each season since 2019-20. Rakell can play either wing and is coming off a career-best season with 35 goals and 70 points.

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reported on June 27 that the Penguins had had trade talks with the Buffalo Sabres regarding Rust. Meanwhile, Rakell was linked to the Los Angeles Kings, who had inquired about his availability before the March trade deadline.

On July 2, Josh Yohe of The Athletic felt Rust and Rakell would be with the Penguins when the regular season begins. However, he speculated one of them would be gone by the March 2026 trade deadline, calling them valuable commodities in their 30s. He thinks either one could fetch a first-round pick.

3. Isaac Howard, Tampa Bay Lightning

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Lost amid the hubbub of the recent draft and the start of free agency was the ongoing standoff between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Isaac Howard.

The 21-year-old Michigan State left wing is the Lightning's top prospect, but he remains unwilling to sign an entry-level contract with them.

Earlier this year, he won the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top U.S. college player. However, his impasse with the Lightning earned him the No. 11 spot on our June board. Since then, there has been no indication the two sides are any closer to a deal.

Before last month's draft, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times suggested it might make sense for the Lightning to trade Howard if both sides hadn't mended fences by then. However, he pointed out the winger's determination to decide where he'll sign could hurt his trade value.

Howard remains a player of interest among teams looking to add a promising young winger to their rosters. It wouldn't be surprising if a sign-and-trade scenario occurs at some point during the summer.

2. Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames

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Sitting at No. 8 on our June board, Rasmus Andersson is in the final season of his six-year contract.

The 28-year-old Calgary Flames defenseman will be eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

Flames management attempted to discuss a contract extension with the Andersson camp. However, on June 21, TSN's Pierre LeBrun cited multiple sources claiming those talks didn't go well. He indicated the Flames were taking trade calls for the right-shot blueliner.

Nine days later, LeBrun reported the thinning free-agent market for defensemen could generate more interest in Andersson. He speculated the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets were among the interested clubs.

The Golden Knights were reportedly the only club with which Andersson was willing to sign a contract extension. However, Flames general manager Craig Conroy said he hadn't given the defenseman's representatives permission to talk to other teams, nor had he singled out a specific team.

1. Bowen Byram, Buffalo Sabres

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Bowen Byram was atop our June board, with then-teammate JJ Peterka sitting sixth. The latter has since been traded to the Utah Mammoth, leaving the 24-year-old Buffalo Sabres defenseman as our leading choice as the player most likely to be traded this summer.

Byram is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, meaning he can sign an offer sheet from a rival club. However, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters on July 2 that his club would match any offer, having set aside $12 million in cap space for that possibility.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported the Calgary Flames, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues were among the clubs that have had trade talks with the Sabres about Byram. The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford claimed the Blues were "trying hard" to get the Buffalo blueliner.

Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News indicated the Sabres needed a top-six winger to replace Peterka. He suggested Byram could be their best trade chip to address that.

Salary info via PuckPedia.