5 Stars Who Could Be Traded at the 2026 NHL Draft

Every year the NHL draft is one of the biggest weekends of the offseason as teams not only look for the stars of tomorrow, but they also make some of their biggest trades of the year. Even more than at the trade deadline.

It is a time for teams to get a start on their offseason and add both immediate help to their NHL roster, as well as additional draft picks and prospects.

There are a handful of big-name players who could be on the trade market going into this year's draft, so let's take a look at five of them that could be moved next month.

Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs

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Almost immediately after the Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and received the No. 1 overall pick, the trade speculation started to grow.

Could they trade out of the No. 1 spot, get more picks and maybe add defensive help?

Could they do something that is almost unthinkable and trade the pick itself in a blockbuster deal?

Could they potentially deal Auston Matthews and replace him with Gavin McKenna?

None of those seem like realistic options.

What does seem like a realistic option is potentially trading forward Matthew Knies.

His name has already been involved in trade rumors going back to the deadline, and it would make a lot more sense to deal him for defensive help or more future draft assets than it would to try and more the No. 1 pick or Matthews. There would also be a pretty robust market for Knies given his age, production, long-term potential and the fact he is already signed long-term. Toronto needs picks and defensemen, and they have few options to acquire either. Knies could be their best choice, especially with a No. 1 overall pick forward joining the organization.

Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars

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This would be a pretty seismic move on the NHL landscape, and it is one the Stars should try to avoid.

They don't have to move him. They don't need to move him. As long as their Stanley Cup window is open (and it still very much is) they are a better team with him on their roster.

He is also still a restricted free agent and the Stars still hold a lot of the cards here.

In an ideal world they would move somebody else (even if multiple players), shed salary elsewhere on the roster and do everything in their power to keep one of the NHL's best, most productive players that is still in the prime of his career.

That is still the most likely option.

But until he gets signed there is going to be trade speculation floating around, and at this point there is no new contract signed. There is also a real concern as to how high the Stars are willing to go with their offer, and if they can meet Robertson's asking price. If they can't, or if they won't, a trade suddenly becomes more in play. The draft would be an ideal time for that to happen as it would allow the Stars to at least get some prime picks back as part of a potential return.

It's not a move you should be expecting.

It's also not a move that is completely out of the question.

Keep it on the radar.

Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers

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The Rangers told their fans in the middle of the 2025-26 season that it was time for another re-tooling or rebuild, and it began with some trades involving pending unrestricted free agents.

But is that all they had in mind when it came to turning the page on this disappointing core?

It can't be.

They are not really close to being a contender, and they still have too many players on the wrong side of 30 with big contracts.

Trocheck isn't necessarily a problem for the Rangers. Quite the opposite. He is still a very good player and signed to a really reasonable contract for a second-line center. But it's that production, level of play and contract that could make him a massive trade chip going into the summer.

A lot of contending teams (or teams that hope to be a contender sooner rather than later) need a center like Trocheck, and there are not many options on the trade market that could be had. There are also almost no good options on the free agent market which is mostly full of third-tier players just waiting for a bad contract. This could be a great opportunity for the Rangers to really add a significant long-term piece or two into their organization. Sometimes you have to sell high on a good player, and the market for Trocheck may never be higher than it is right now.

Dougie Hamilton, New Jersey Devils

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Hamilton may not be quite on the level he was a few years ago when he was getting significant Norris Trophy consideration, but he is still a heckuva player that can push play, drive possession and chip in offense. He has also consistently been a better defensive player than he has ever received credit for being throughout his career.

He can still help a lot of teams, including the Devils.

The issue is his $9 million per year price tag.

The Devils have defensive options, still need to re-sign restricted free agent Simon Nemec, have to worry about top center Nico Hischier entering the final year of his contract, while also needing to make necessary improvements to fix a roster that badly underachieved during the 2025-26 season. That is a lot of work.

Moving Hamilton could not only help bring back some help elsewhere on the roster, it could also help clear up significant salary cap space over the next two full seasons.

Jordan Kyrou, St. Louis Blues

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The Blues top forward duo of Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have been regular names on the trade rumor mill for more than a year now, and that looks like it will continue going into this offseason.

While Thomas would bring back a significant return, that is kind of the problem with potentially trading him -- not many teams are going to have the assets to meet what the Blues would need to consider moving him. Thomas is one of the best playmaking centers in the league and a legitimate top-line producer. He is also still signed long-term for what is now starting to look like a wildly team-friendly contract under the rising cap. It would require a massive haul to move him, and there are not many teams that have the resources to pull that off.

Kyrou, on the other hand, could be a little more attainabl, while also giving the Blues a potential trade chip to continue re-tooling a team that has become stale and has already undergone some major changes in recent months (already trading both Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk). Kyrou could also probably benefit from a fresh start in a new environment coming off a down year offensively.

Unless he forces his way out, Thomas should remain a part of the Blues' core alongside Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud. But Kyrou could be a player that is made available to help bring in some much-needed defensive help.