The 5 NHL Players Who Could Request a Trade During the 2025-26 Season

Trades are a common occurrence in the NHL and a fact of life for most players. At some point, many of them can expect to be dealt at least once in their career. As the old saying goes, if Wayne Gretzky could get traded, anybody can.

It's rare, however, for a player to request a trade. Most are happy with their teams, have settled down with their families in their respective NHL cities, and prefer to remain where they are.

That's one reason why most NHL stars seek no-trade protection in their contracts once eligible. As per PuckPedia, players who are 27 or older or who have seven accrued seasons are eligible for no-trade and no-movement clauses.

Nevertheless, sometimes a player will ask their general manager for a trade. It can be for a variety of reasons. They might prefer joining a team with a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup, or it could be for family reasons, or they don't intend to re-sign and want to hasten their departure.

We're taking a look at five NHL stars who could request a trade during this season. We'll examine the significant factors that could entice them to make that decision.

Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames and Rasmus Andersson could be parting ways between now and the March 2026 trade deadline. He's in the final season of his contract and eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

Andersson is earning an average annual value of $4.55 million on a six-year contract. Extension discussions with Flames management reportedly didn't go well, earning the 28-year-old defenseman the No. 2 spot on our July Trade Block Rankings.

On June 26, Flames general manager Craig Conroy insisted that Andersson's situation wouldn't be a distraction if he entered training camp. He indicated things were good between the two sides after speaking with the blueliner.

Conroy could entertain trade offers throughout this summer. However, if he doesn't get something to his liking, he'll hang onto Andersson for the coming season and wait for better proposals. Keeping him in the lineup could also help the Flames push for a playoff berth this season.

However, Andersson could push things along by requesting a trade, especially if the Flames struggle and fall out of playoff contention by midseason. He had a six-team no-trade list, which would still give the Flames a considerable number of potential trade partners.

Andersson would draw plenty of attention from contenders hoping to bolster their defense for a Stanley Cup run. However, he could seek permission from Flames management to speak with teams that he would be interested in joining on a long-term contract.

Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks entered last season with heightened expectations. Coming off the third-best regular season in franchise history in 2023-24, they seemed poised to become a powerhouse in the Western Conference in 2024-25.

Instead, the Canucks missed the playoffs for the ninth time in 12 years. It was a season of turmoil, including a rift between centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller that led to the latter's trade to the New York Rangers on Jan. 31.

That prompted questions about what the future might hold for team captain Quinn Hughes. Winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2023-24, the 25-year-old defenseman is two years away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

Rumors swirled after Jim Rutherford, the Canucks president of hockey operations, remarked on Apr. 21 that Hughes might want to play one day with brothers Jack and Luke with the New Jersey Devils. Rutherford quickly added that his club would do everything it could to keep Quinn in Vancouver.

Nevertheless, his comment prompted Larry Brooks of the New York Post to suggest the Devils attempt to reunite Hughes with his brothers sooner rather than later. On May 3, he proposed a trade package that included center Dawson Mercer and a promising defenseman like Šimon Nemec or Seamus Casey.

Hughes has not publicly expressed the desire to join his brothers in New Jersey, and there's no indication that the Devils and Canucks have discussed that possibility. A strong bounce-back performance by the Canucks this season could silence that speculation.

However, another disappointing effort by the Canucks will certainly stoke the trade chatter. It could also force Hughes to ask management for a trade if he believes the club isn't heading in the right direction.

Given Hughes is signed through 2026-27, the Canucks wouldn't have to rush into honoring such a request. But if he doesn't intend on signing an extension, he could convince management that it would be in everyone's best interest if they could work out a fair trade with the Devils.

Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins

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On Aug. 6, 2023, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks in a three-team trade involving the Montreal Canadiens. He was coming off a career-best 101-point season, earning his third James Norris Memorial Trophy.

The Penguins hoped Karlsson's puck-moving abilities could help them return to the playoffs after their 16-season postseason streak ended in 2022-23. However, Karlsson struggled with the aging Penguins. His production dropped as they missed the playoffs over the following two seasons.

That made Karlsson the frequent topic of trade conjecture since the March 2024 Trade Deadline. The rumors persisted throughout last season and into the offseason, with the 35-year-old defenseman sitting at No. 4 on our July NHL Trade Block rankings.

After two seasons, it's apparent that Karlsson hasn't been the fit the Penguins were hoping for. That's not solely on him, as the rebuilding club is transitioning out veterans for draft picks, prospects, and promising NHL-ready players.

Karlsson is signed through 2026-27, with the Penguins carrying $10 million of his $11.5 million annual average salary. He also has a full no-movement clause, but he could waive it if a trade to a contender could be arranged. The Penguins would have to retain part of his cap hit to facilitate a deal.

Karlsson may attempt to speed things along during this season by requesting a trade. He could provide Penguins management with a list of acceptable trade destinations, hoping that one of them could be enticed to acquire him.

Martin Necas, Colorado Avalanche

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Martin Nečas was involved in one of the biggest trades of 2024-25. On Jan. 24, the 26-year-old forward was shipped by the Carolina Hurricanes to the Colorado Avalanche as part of the return for Mikko Rantanen.

Nečas had been the subject of frequent trade speculation since the summer of 2024, so it wasn't surprising when he was part of that deal. He was in the first year of a two-year contract, but it was easy to assume that he could be part of the Avalanche's long-term plans.

Nečas enjoyed a career-best 83-point performance last season, split between Carolina and Colorado. He appeared to be a good fit alongside superstar Nathan MacKinnon on the Avalanche's first line.

However, staying in Colorado might not be a certainty. During the July 8 episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wondered if Nečas intended to commit to the Avalanche beyond this season. If he doesn't, Friedman wondered what the Avs would do about it.

Necas is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July. The Avalanche could hang onto him as an “own rental” for next season's playoffs, or they could attempt to trade him to a club where he'd be willing to sign a contract extension.

However, Nečas could take matters into his own hands by requesting a trade if he doesn't feel his future rests in Colorado. He lacks no-trade protection, but he could inform Avalanche management of which teams he'd like to sign with, setting up a possible sign-and-trade scenario.

Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild

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Contract negotiations between the Minnesota Wild and Marco Rossi have been at an impasse since early June. It earned the 23-year-old a spot on our June NHL Trade Block Big Board and our July Trade Block Rankings.

There's little indication thus far that the standoff will end soon. Nevertheless, Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune considers it only a matter of time until Rossi signs. He's completing an entry-level contract, giving him little leverage in negotiations with Wild general manager Bill Guerin.

On July 6, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Wild hadn't received any suitable trade offers to tempt Guerin into parting with Rossi. Three days later, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported Guerin told rival teams that he would match any offer sheet for the young center.

Rossi will likely sign a short-term bridge contract before the start of the regular season. However, this standoff could carry on through training camp and into the regular season, with the young center's camp requesting a trade to a club willing to pay him his worth.

According to Russo and Smith, that could be over $7 million annually on a long-term deal, something the Wild aren't interested in doing. With the significant rise in the salary cap, there could be clubs carrying the cap space willing to meet that price.

Salary info via PuckPedia.