5 NHL Restricted Free Agents That Could Be Traded in the 2026 Offseason

The NHL's free agent signing period is setting up to be a real snooze fest this summer, as most of the top pending unrestricted free agents have already re-signed with their respective teams.

Alex Tuch could be available.

Anthony Mantha might score 30 goals and he could be available.

John Carlson could be available as a free agent if somebody still thinks he has something left in the tank as a top-pairing defenseman.

Other than that? There are a lot of third-and fourth-tier players that teams might be lining up to throw big money at because, heck, they have to spend it on somebody.

Teams have always made it a priority to keep their star-level players, especially through their prime years, so the unrestricted free agent market has always been a risk. The rising salary cap has only made it easier for teams to keep their star players (and other top players), further watered down the unrestricted free-agent market.

While restricted free agent offer sheets are rare, there is still a potentially robust trade market for those players. Trades might be the way teams have to go in order to seriously improve their rosters in the offseason. That includes restricted free agents. So let's take a look at some potential restricted free agents that could be on the move this offseason in the form of trades.

Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars

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As crazy as it seems, Robertson's name has been mentioned in trade speculation for about a year now. It has nothing to do with Robertson as a player and more with what it would cost to keep him and the Stars' salary-cap situation, especially in the wake of the big-money deal given to Mikko Rantanen.

Should the Stars trade him? No. Absolutely not. They should do whatever they can to make salary cap space and make cuts elsewhere on the roster to ensure that they keep Robertson, an in-his-prime, top-tier offensive player who is a key part of their success.

But until he gets a new contract extension in Dallas, there will be speculation, and a lot of teams around the league will probably be willing to pay a premium to get him on their roster. Pittsburgh needs a young star, is loaded with salary cap space, and draft pick capital. Washington is in a nearly identical situation. You can never rule out other big-market teams.

The Stars are still the most sensible option, and even though it may not be a high percentage, there is definitely a non-zero chance he is playing for a different team next season.

Braden Schneider, New York Rangers

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Nobody really knows how much of a re-tool the Rangers are looking at right now, but following their most recent letter to fans, the only major moves they made at the trade deadline involved moving out pending unrestricted free agents. Will they become more aggressive in the offseason? And to what extent?

Schneider has been mentioned in trade talks for a while now as his game has yet to really evolve the way the Rangers hoped it would, even with increased minutes and a bigger role this season. He is naturally a right-shot defenseman, but has bigger-money players like Adam Fox and Will Borgen to contend with on that side of the ice.

Not that Borgen should be the type of player that blocks anyone, but the Rangers clearly value him, and that might be a tough contract to move. All of those things could leave Schneider as a potential odd man out, especially as his development remains mostly stagnant.

He does not have great counting stats; his underlying numbers are among the worst on the Rangers this season, and he has not really become a major impact player. Have the Rangers seen enough to invest in him beyond this season? Or does he still have some trade value with a team that might think a fresh start in a new environment can help him reach his ceiling?

Cole Perfetti, Winnipeg Jets

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Like most of his Winnipeg teammates, the 2025-26 season has been a step backwards for Cole Perfetti. There were also several reports that teams were calling about him leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline earlier this month. Ultimately, Winnipeg decided to keep him (for now) and is preparing to go into the offseason with him as the only restricted free agent they have to deal with.

In all honesty, they probably should not be looking to move him. He is still only 24 years old and has been a productive player in the early stages of his career. He has shown 20-goal, 50-point potential and still has some untapped upside that could break out sooner than later. Plus, Winnipeg needs as many good young players as it can get, and there are simply not a lot of them in the organization.

Having said that, Winnipeg also has a lot of big needs elsewhere on its roster, including a potential second-line center and more help within the top four of its defense. If management were going to make a move for that sort of player in a trade, Perfetti is the type of young player rival teams would be asking about as a potential return.

Simon Nemec, New Jersey Devils

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Nemec has, at times, had a pretty tumultuous run with the Devils since being a No. 2 overall pick in the NHL Draft. He has been in the minors, been a healthy scratch, been unhappy with his role and usage, flashed moments of brilliance, and been the subject of trade rumors, including at this year's deadline. There is a lot to like about his upside and what he has done so far. He is also still a very unfinished product and a bit of a wild card long-term.

Moving him would be a risk.

Good right-handed defensemen are hard to find, and teams that have them generally do not like to trade them without getting something major back in return. Especially when they have flashed big-time potential and could still be significant long-term players.

But he is also going to want a big-money deal; the Devils already have a lot of big-money contracts invested in their blue line, and the Devils have some big long-term needs that could potentially be filled by using Nemec as a trade chip.

Matias Maccelli, Toronto Maple Leafs

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This is more about the Maple Leafs needing to make significant changes than Maccelli himself. He had a slow start with the Maple Leafs, but has come on strong in the second half and is going to put together a solid season offensively.

But is that enough to warrant a long-term investment? Is he good enough for the Maple Leafs to make a key part of their long-term outlook? Probably not.

This entire season has been such a disappointment that they should be open for business on pretty much everybody outside of Auston Matthews and William Nylander. They need to keep accumulating more long-term assets and draft picks to help restock what has been depleted in recent years, and even though he is an RFA, there might be a market for Maccelli in a trade.

They probably should have been more proactive in trading to move players like him in advance of this year's NHL Trade Deadline. This team just needs changes. What it really needs is a different general manager making those changes, but that is probably a different discussion for a different day.