Countdown to Chaos: 10 NHL Stars Whose Surprising Trades Could Shake the 2025-26 Season

The NHL trade landscape has been in a bit of a standstill since mid-July, with only a couple of noteworthy moves slicing through the usual quiet—like goaltender Pheonix Copley’s odd return trip from Tampa Bay to Los Angeles, or that gritty swap between the Devils and Senators involving Kurtis MacDermid and Zack MacEwen right around training camp’s end. Outside these exceptions, the past few months have been more about salary shuffles and minor-league lateral moves than headline-grabbing trades. General managers are clearly wrestling with a tougher market, squeezed by new collective bargaining agreement rules tightening salary retention and ushering in a playoff cap that could suppress midseason roster shake-ups even more. Yet, the frantic pressure to build a winner remains fierce. So, while it might be a bit early for a definitive trade Big Board, it’s already prime time to spotlight some intriguing players who could very well stir the pot as the trade deadline nears. Ready to dive in? Let’s take a look at ten players who might just be the talk of the NHL’s upcoming trade buzz. LEARN MORE

The NHL’s trade market has basically been jammed up since mid-July.

Transactions completed in the past three months have been limited to cap-motivated salary maneuvers or those involving minor-league players, save for two: Goaltender Pheonix Copley was sent from the Tampa Bay Lightning to Los Angeles Kings for future considerations on Oct. 15, essentially reversing a waiver claim made earlier in the month; and the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators swapped hard-nosed forwards with the Kurtis MacDermid for Zack MacEwen deal at the end of training camp.

Beyond that, it’s proven to be a tough environment for general managers to either acquire upgrades or garner a meaningful return for those in need of a fresh start.

The rules of engagement are changing with an extension to the collective bargaining agreement taking effect. New limitations on salary retention, plus the creation of a playoff salary cap, may wind up reducing the amount of player movement we see before the March 6 trade deadline.

What hasn’t changed is the pressure on front offices to win.

While it’s still early to roll out a full-blown Big Board, it’s not too soon to start identifying some of the names that could play a role in the upcoming trading season.

Let’s start with 10 players to watch.

1. Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames

Age: 28
Position: RHD
Contract term: 2026 UFA
Cap hit: $4.55 million

The subject of trade talk since the summer, Andersson is a pending unrestricted free agent who represents the biggest chip for Flames management to play if the team doesn’t get itself back on track following a dreadful start. The veteran right-shot defenseman remains open to staying in Calgary on an extension, but with his 29th birthday approaching and the organization looking toward the future, a move appears more likely.

Andersson plays a premium position and a rugged game. He’s effective at winning puck battles and doesn’t shy away from engaging physically. He’s also averaged more than 23 minutes per night across the last five seasons while playing in all situations.

2. Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins

Age: 33
Position: Winger
Contract term: 2028 UFA
Cap hit: $5.125 million

A beloved member of the Penguins and cherished linemate of Sidney Crosby, there’s a strong possibility that Rust finds himself as one of the best forwards available ahead of the trade deadline. It’s no secret that Pittsburgh is well into a retool and focused on getting younger. While Rust’s speed, forechecking prowess and two-way ability have allowed his game to age gracefully, the fact remains that the 33-year-old is on a cap-friendly contract ($5.125 million average annual value through 2027-28), which arguably makes him more valuable to a team trying to win the Stanley Cup right now. He also saw the no-movement clause in his deal disappear last summer, which means that his fate rests entirely in the hands of Penguins management.

The Penguins are off to a 5-2-0 start, but Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell could be gone by the deadline. (Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)

3. Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins

Age: 32
Position: Wing
Contract term: 2028 UFA
Cap hit: $5 million

Rakell turned back the clock by scoring 35 goals last season and drew plenty of interest ahead of the trade deadline as a result. The Penguins chose to hang on to him then, unable to garner an offer that compelled them to part ways with a top-line winger, but there’s no guarantee they’ll do the same this time around.

Rakell is a finisher who pairs well with a high-end playmaker and should bring back the kind of futures Pittsburgh covets if moved to a contender in-season. It certainly helps that his contract looks extremely affordable in a rising cap environment.

4. Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres

Age: 29
Position: Wing
Contract term: 2026 UFA
Cap hit: $4.75 million

The Sabres expressed interest in extending the Western New Yorker before he entered the final year of his existing contract, but couldn’t come to terms on something that made sense. While it’s certainly possible that the sides re-engage at some point down the line, they’ve decided to let talks cool for the time being in order to focus on the on-ice business at hand.

This is a critical season in Buffalo. In Tuch, the Sabres have a big, fast power forward with a proven ability to put the puck in the net. He’s the kind of player they’ll be looking to keep around long term, but he’s also too valuable to potentially lose for nothing, especially if they aren’t firmly in the playoff race come the trade deadline.

5. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, New York Islanders

Age: 32
Position: Center
Contract term: 2026 UFA
Cap hit: $5 million

A versatile right-shot center with plenty of big-game experience, Pageau will find himself in demand if the Islanders start to sell before the trade deadline. Not only is he strong in the faceoff circle and a capable penalty killer, but he’s also shown an ability to produce some offense down the lineup.

Pageau profiles as a classic rental player. He’s currently playing on an affordable expiring contract that includes a modified no-trade clause.

6. Jaden Schwartz, Seattle Kraken

Age: 33
Position: Wing
Contract term: 2026 UFA
Cap hit: $5.5 million

Schwartz is among a group of intriguing forwards playing out the final year of their contracts with the Kraken — joining captain Jordan Eberle, Mason Marchment and Eeli Tolvanen, among others — and will carry trade value if Seattle becomes a seller for a second straight year.

A quick, skilled winger coming off a 26-goal season, Schwartz has a little extra shine thanks to his Stanley Cup bona fides, earned during the 2019 run with the St. Louis Blues. He’s cracked the 20-goal plateau on six occasions during his career and is off to a solid start early in the 2025-26 campaign.

Jaden Schwartz, who won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, has five points in seven games this season. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)

7. Jamie Oleksiak, Seattle Kraken

Age: 32
Position: LHD
Contract term: 2026 UFA
Cap hit: $4.6 million

One of the largest men in the league at 6-foot-7 and nearly 260 pounds, Oleksiak represents the kind of depth contenders crave. While he’s seen a small decline in his minutes in recent years, he’s shown he can handle second-pairing deployment at even strength while logging big minutes on the penalty kill. He can also line up on either side of the ice.

There will always be demand for massive defensemen who can take care of business, and Oleksiak finds himself as a candidate to be dealt because he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026.

8. Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks

Age: 27
Position: LHD
Contract term: 2026 UFA
Cap hit: $3.25 million

No stranger to trade rumors over the past couple of seasons, Ferraro is poised to again hear his name circulate around the league’s hot stove. This has the makings of another long season for the rebuilding Sharks, and the veteran profiles as one of their more attractive assets to sell.

Still just 27, Ferraro is a minute-munching, shot-blocking defenseman who appears capable of producing much better numbers on a more complete team. He’s also a decent puck mover and penalty killer with a competitive streak to match.

9. Nick Robertson, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 24
Position: Wing
Contract term: 2026 RFA
Cap hit: $1.825 million

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Robertson is in need of a fresh start, and the Leafs are at least exploring the available options to provide him with one.

It probably doesn’t help that the 24-year-old winger didn’t find the back of the net in his first seven games to start the season. Robertson does carry a track record of production, though, including 29 goals scored in relatively minimal usage over the past two years combined.

Crafty and competitive, and in possession of a deadly shot, the former second-round pick has plenty of tools. But he’s also on the smaller side, which puts him at a disadvantage in puck battles and tends to lead to issues on the defensive side of the ice.

10. Brennan Othmann, New York Rangers

Age: 22
Position: Wing
Contract term: 2026 RFA
Cap hit: $863,333

The Rangers system is stocked with wingers, including the 16th pick from 2021, and they’re gauging the market on those players. While certainly not in a position where they feel they have to move Othmann, they’d be willing to part with him at the right price.

Othmann’s dangerous shot and ability to win back the puck are both considered strengths, albeit traits he’s yet to show with any consistency in limited looks at the NHL level.

Othmann didn’t make it to the end of training camp with the Rangers before being sent down to AHL Hartford and could benefit from a fresh opportunity elsewhere. Rival teams are intrigued by his potential.