Peterka, Karlsson, Andersson Spark Intense NHL Trade Frenzy: Which Teams Will Make the Boldest Moves?
Well, the offseason buzz is practically electric right now — with the Stanley Cup Final looming large on the horizon and the Scouting Combine set to kick off next week, most NHL teams have slipped into full rebuild-and-recalibrate mode. And finally, just as the calendar nudges us deeper into June, that elusive hockey trade market is starting to stir, shaking off its winter slumber. I’ve dusted off my Trade Targets board for the first time since Deadline Day, spotlighting 20 players who could very well be on the move this summer. These aren’t just names; it’s a calculated blend of impact, potential, and real chatter in the hockey grapevine about possible trades. So, hang on tight — this summer’s shakeups might just redefine teams before the puck drops next season.
And. Here. We. Go. The Stanley Cup Final is just around the corner. The Scouting Combine is next week. And 28 of the NHL’s 32 clubs are fully immersed in offseason mode. It’s about time the trade market starts to heat up.
With that, we’re back with 20 names in play to kick off our first Trade Targets board since Deadline Day in March. As always, our Trade Targets board seeks to blend a player’s prominence with his likelihood of a trade.
Trade Targets 🎯
1. JJ Peterka
Left Wing, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 23
Stats: 77 GP, 27 G, 41 A, 68 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: There may be no better player available, period, on the trade market this summer – let alone one of Peterka’s age at 23, already a top-line producer. Embattled Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has said publicly that he has no designs on trading Peterka, but the sense is a change of scenery is in order. Multiple teams put together significant offers for Peterka in the days leading up to the March deadline, but Buffalo was not biting then. They may have less choice now with a potential offer sheet waiting on the other end of July 1.
2. Chris Kreider
Left Wing, New York Rangers
Age: 34
Stats: 68 GP, 22 G, 8 A, 30 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $6.5 million AAV
Scoop: It was undoubtedly a difficult year for Kreider, the career-long Blueshirt, who dealt with a mangled hand, vertigo and oh yes, the spotlight of a league-wide memo that indicated his GM was open to offers for him. Kreider is just 11 goals away from second all-time for the Original Six franchise and he isn’t interested in leaving. He has a 15-team ‘no-trade’ that could complicate things for Chris Drury. But if we’ve learned anything with Drury (see: Jacob Trouba), when he is motivated to make change, he’ll find a way to see it through.
3. Marco Rossi
Center, Minnesota Wild
Age: 23
Stats: 82 GP, 24 G, 36 A, 60 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: Rossi himself seemed to cast some doubt on his future in the State of Hockey at his season-ending press conference, saying: “I don’t know. We’ll see.” He’s due for a big raise and the question is: Do the Wild want to pay him? It’s a tough spot because Minnesota could use more center depth, not less, but Rossi slid to the fourth line in the playoffs. But GM Bill Guerin’s original first-round pick in Minnesota would command a price in a thin center market – and perhaps he could swing a deal much like the one for the last RFA they chose to move on from in Kevin Fiala.
4. Bowen Byram
Left Defense, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 24
Stats: 82 GP, 7 G, 31 A, 38 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: So, what’s the plan for Byram in Buffalo? He was eligible for a contract extension 10 months ago, shortly after being acquired from Colorado. Yet one didn’t get done. His agent recently refuted a report that said Byram made a trade request. But there is still so much to unpack on Byram and his game. He turns 24 in a few weeks and just completed his first full, 82-game season after injuries had piled up in previous campaigns. That’s a big step.
5. Jonathan Marchessault
Right Wing, Nashville Predators
Age: 34
Stats: 78 GP, 21 G, 35 A, 56 Pts
Contract: 4 years remaining, $5.5 million AAV
Scoop: After a disastrous, 28th place finish, the Predators need to get younger. In a hurry. And they’d be smart to also shed one of their long-term commitments to older players, too. The belief is Marchessault is open to moving on after one year in the Music City. His production dipped, like everyone’s, as Nashville struggled to score. But he’s eminently capable of bouncing back with a 30-goal season with strong value to cap.
6. Rasmus Andersson
Right Defense, Calgary Flames
Age: 28
Stats: 81 GP, 11 G, 20 A, 31 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.55 million AAV
Scoop: This is where the rubber meets the road for Rasmus Andersson in Calgary. Fish or cut bait? Andersson presents great trade value, even after a relatively down year, for a right-shooting defenseman with an edge, double-digit goal scoring ability and a very reasonable cap hit. The Flames aren’t in a rush. They’d have no problem hanging onto him until the trade deadline to potentially watch his stock rise even higher.
7. Erik Karlsson
Right Defense, Pittsburgh Penguins
Age: 34
Stats: 82 GP, 11 G, 42 A, 53 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $10 million AAV
Scoop: League sources are expecting Karlsson’s name to percolate as GM Kyle Dubas spools up a retool or rebuild to get Pittsburgh back on track. Karlsson has played two seasons in the Steel City and this one was better than the first. That $10 million cap hit will be difficult to navigate. But is there someone willing to give their blueline a shot in the arm with a capable quarterback? Karlsson turned back the clock at 4 Nations Face-Off.
8. Connor Murphy
Right Defense, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 32
Stats: 68 GP, 2 G, 17 A, 19 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.4 million AAV
Scoop: And suddenly, the Blackhawks have too many defensemen. They might have even more if somehow Matt Schaefer falls to No. 3 in the Draft. With Alex Vlasic, Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov holding down the back end for the foreseeable future, Murphy could well be on the move. He is a steady and reliable veteran presence who can play physical – and he’s on the perfect contract.
9. John Gibson
Goaltender, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 31
Stats: 29 GP, 2.77 GAA, .912 SV%
Contract: 2 years remaining, $6.4 million AAV
Scoop: Is this the year? This is the fourth offseason Gibson has been readily available on the trade block, but everything seems to be lining up for both Gibson and the Ducks this time. There are only two years left on his deal. He is coming off a strong season, even if he ceded the starter’s job to Lukas Dostal. And the goaltending market is very thin this summer. Jake Allen is the big name free agent. Gibson should still have plenty left in the tank at age 31.
10. K’Andre Miller
Left Defense, New York Rangers
Age: 25
Stats: 74 GP, 7 G, 20 A, 27 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: One of the biggest lingering questions for GM Chris Drury is the makeup and foundation of the Blueshirts’ blueline. It’s no secret the Rangers have not defended well enough in front of Igor Shesterkin, and that spans multiple head coaches now. It’s on the personnel. Miller is just 25 and skates so effortlessly and efficiently, he should be part of the solution. But he’s also due a sizable raise and a contract that will have to buy UFA years. That’s expensive.
11. Vladimir Tarasenko
Wing, Detroit Red Wings
Age: 33
Stats: 80 GP, 11 G, 22 A, 33 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.75 million AAV
Scoop: There was word that Tarasenko wasn’t thrilled with his arrangement in Detroit, leaving open the possibility that he’s on the move this summer for a better fit. His production dropped to a career-low 11 goals. He had that many in a 43-game run in Florida that saw him contribute to the 2024 Stanley Cup champs. When everything clicks, there are few better natural goal scorers in the game.
12. Elvis Merzlikins
Goaltender, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 31
Stats: 53 GP, 3.18 GAA, .892 SV%, 1 SO
Contract: 2 years remaining, $5.4 million AAV
Scoop: Are the Blue Jackets going to shake up their crease? When you look at Columbus’ season, they were felled not by their offense (eighth in goals) but by their inability to keep pucks out of the net. They ranked 25th in goals against – giving up exactly as many as they scored. Part of that is on what happened in front of Merzlikins. Part of that is on Merzlikins. He holds a 10-team, no-trade list.
13. Lukas Reichel
Forward, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 23
Stats: 70 GP, 8 G, 14 A, 22 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $1.2 million AAV
Scoop: Speed to burn. Lot to learn. Consistency desired. There are moments when you watch Reichel play that you can’t believe he hasn’t strung it all together on a night-to-night basis in the NHL. He’s got some fantastic traits and could be an ideal contributor. And then there are moments where you aren’t sure if he was actually in the lineup or not. He won’t be expensive but he’s still relatively young. Some team has to be able to pull it out of him.
14. Erik Haula
Center/Left Wing, New Jersey Devils
Age: 34
Stats: 69 GP, 11 G, 10 A, 21 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $3.15 million AAV
Scoop: If there’s a list of disappointing seasons in New Jersey, Haula’s name will appear toward the top of it. The Haula Famer has typically been very consistent throughout his career, but he struggled to produce as the rest of the Devils‘ depth scoring dried up. He has the ability to play center, which is a nice versatile bonus, but if GM Tom Fitzgerald is beefing up his middle/bottom six forward group, Haula could be on the out.
15. Morgan Rielly
Left Defense, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 31
Stats: 82 GP, 7 G, 34 A, 41 Pts
Contract: 5 years remaining, $7.5 million AAV
Scoop: The Leafs need a puck-moving defenseman, someone who can help get them out of trouble efficiently and exiting the zone with more ease. Rielly isn’t that anymore. He’s been a fine playoff contributor, surprisingly enough, but he isn’t an effective quarterback on the first power play unit and his game showed significant signs of slowing down this season. Should the Leafs make a move before that contract becomes onerous?
16. Pavel Zacha / Morgan Geekie
Center/Left Wing, Boston Bruins
Age: 28
Stats: 81 GP, 14 G, 33 A, 47 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $4.75 million AAV
Scoop: On the whole, Zacha has done just about everything the Bruins could’ve hoped since they acquired him from New Jersey for Erik Haula. He’s nipped at 60 points twice. He’s played admirably at center when called upon. Geekie had a true breakout season with 33 goals, nearly doubling his previous career high. And he’ll need to be paid. Boston is in an interesting summer of transition. They’ll need to make some decisions about whom to keep and with both players positive relative to cap, they’ll have some real value on the market.
17. David Kampf
Center, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 30
Stats: 59 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 Pts
Contract: 2 years remaining, $2.4 million AAV
Scoop: With a late-season injury, Kampf really faded into the background, with coach Craig Berube opting to keep him out of the lineup for most of the Stanley Cup playoffs as a healthy scratch. Now, Kampf has two years left at a number that isn’t problematic, but probably still less than ideal for the Leafs. He is a quality utility player who competes, so they should be able to find a taker.
18. Thatcher Demko
Goaltender, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 29
Stats: 23 GP, 2.90 GAA, .889 SV%, 1 SO
Contract: 1 year remaining, $5 million AAV
Scoop: The Canucks have an interesting dilemma on their hands. They have a talented goaltender who is one of the faces of their franchise dealing with a significant injury. He battled through it and put up respectable numbers, and looked great on some nights. But the Canucks also re-signed Kevin Lankinen to a five-year extension. And Demko’s deal is up after one more. Will they try to move him? Or do they like the tandem? Demko seemed awfully loyal to coach Rick Tocchet. Wondering if a reunion in Philadelphia is possible.
19. Jamie Oleksiak
Defense, Seattle Kraken
Age: 32
Stats: 82 GP, 4 G, 13 A, 17 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining, $4.6 million AAV
Scoop: The Jason Botterill Era begins in Seattle and it will be fascinating to see how he remakes the Kraken. He has decisions to make, and one of the most pressing is what to do with a player like Oleksiak. He is eligible for an extension on July 1, but reaching an age that isn’t in sync with where Seattle is heading, so that would seem to suggest a trade is in order. But it doesn’t have to be this summer, he could be a trade deadline haul.
20. Elias Pettersson
Center, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 26
Stats: 64 GP, 15 G, 30 A, 45 Pts
Contract: 7 years remaining, $11.6 million AAV
Scoop: This is a massive summer for Pettersson, whether he’s skating with the Canucks in October or elsewhere. He says an injury prevented a normal offseason of training last summer; the Canucks have been very clear about their disappointment on how he arrived to camp. So, ahead of a full no-trade clause kicking in on July 1, will Vancouver check his market value this summer? Will they seek to cut ties? Or will they roll the dice and hope his game rebounds to where it was two seasons ago?
So far, 32 players have been traded off the Trade Targets board this season:
Traded: No. 1 Mikko Rantanen; No. 1 J.T. Miller; No. 1 David Jiricek; No. 2 Brock Nelson; No. 2 Scott Laughton; No. 3 Brandon Tanev; No. 4 Taylor Hall; No. 5. Brad Marchand; No. 5 Seth Jones; No. 5 Marcus Pettersson; No. 5 Reilly Smith; No. 6 Carson Soucy; No. 6 Jacob Trouba; No. 7 Casey Mittelstadt; No. 8 Joel Farabee; No. 12 Luke Schenn; No. 14 Trent Frederic; No. 14 Gustav Nyquist; No. 15 Cam Fowler; No. 18 Yanni Gourde; No. 18 Alexandre Carrier; No. 20 Oliver Bjorkstrand; No. 20 Brandon Carlo; No. 22 Cody Ceci; No. 23 Ryan Lindgren; No. 24 Morgan Frost; No. 24 Brian Dumoulin; No. 27 Dylan Cozens; No. 28 Andrei Kuzmenko; No. 32 Justin Brazeau; No. 34 Petr Mrazek; No. 38 Andrei Kuzmenko.
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