NHL Trade Deadline Player Rankings: Top Targets for 2025 Deadline

We’re just three days from the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline, and the market is still in flux. 

There are seven teams in the NHL within two points of a Wild Card spot, another set of teams holding on for dear life to a playoff spot, and still some contenders looking to shore up for a run. 

All that uncertainty, with teams still in the Jim Carrey ‘So you’re telling me there’s a chance’ zone, makes it hard to predict which players are really on the move.

With that in mind, though, here’s an updated ranking of the players most likely to be dealt at this year’s deadline. 

NHL Trade Deadline Player Rankings

1. Brock Nelson

It’s tough to sort out whether the Islanders’ recent success, mixed in with an ugly 4-0 loss to the Rangers, will lead Lou Lamoriello to determine this deadline as a ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ moment. The 82-year-old hockey legend will probably keep his cards close to the chest. 

The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reported Tuesday that “all options are on the table” for the UFA Nelson at the deadline, including a trade or an extension. 

But, if and when the Islanders and Lamoriello settle on a direction, Nelson is this deadline’s biggest draw. 

Insiders believe that the 33-year-old, who just recently passed the 900 games played mark with the Islanders, will garner a first-round pick and potentially one or two prospects, depending on how much of his salary is retained. 

2. Ryan Donato

First, it was Seth Jones, then Taylor Hall, and now it’ll be Ryan Donato. The Blackhawks sell-off is bound to continue, and Donato is the next veteran out the door. 

ESPN and TSN’s Kevin Weekes reported there are “multiple clubs” checking on the price for Donato. He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer with a relatively small $2 million cap hit. He will probably land the Blackhawks at least a second-round pick. 

Sure, there’s a chance that Chicago keeps him, but they’re at the bottom of the league right now, and it’s highly unlikely that Donato decides to re-sign in the offseason. 

3. Mikko Rantanen

Mikko Rantanen was last week’s number one option on the trade board, and while not much has changed in the haul that Carolina could get for him or the reported interest of other teams, it’s still unclear what the Hurricanes want to do with him. 

Last we heard, according to Kevin Weekes, Carolina had reportedly offered Rantanen a significant contract extension with a reported AAV of $13-14 million. However, there’s been no buzz about a signing since. 

The Hurricanes then have two options: trade him now or wait to see whether the UFA will re-sign in the offseason. 

There will be interest from contending teams if they choose the former. 

4. Reilly Smith

If you’re out there reading the trade deadline tea leaves, you’ve probably already seen the New York Rangers sending out smoke signals about forward Reilly Smith. 

Smith was held out of the lineup for New York’s win over the Nashville Predators on Sunday for roster management reasons. Translation: he’s on the move.

He’s scored 10 goals this season for the Rangers and contributed 19 assists. The 33-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. 

5. Brock Boeser

Vancouver is moving in the wrong direction. They’re 4-5-1 in their last ten and are on the outside looking in for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. 

They were already one of the first teams to get in on the trading action this season when they dealt JT Miller to the New York Rangers and picked up defenseman Marcus Pettersson on the same day at the end of January. This shakeup hasn’t done much to improve the team. 

Boeser, a free agent this summer, reportedly feels disrespected by trade talks that have stalled recently with the Canucks, now, they’re exploring trade offers for the 28-year-old forward. 

A recent Sportsnet article linked Boeser to four teams: the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, and Utah Hockey Club.

6. Rasmus Ristoloainen

The Philadelphia Flyers are another team caught in a no-man’s land as the trade deadline approaches. 

If the Flyers decide to sell, Rasmus Ristolainen becomes one of the more likely candidates. Unfortunately, he’s having one of the best stretches of his Philadelphia career and has expressed interest in sticking around. 

“I do believe in this locker room. I feel we’re a very tight group,” Ristolainen said. 

Still, he’s been linked to a variety of contending teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.

7. Erik Karlsson

In this week’s edition of the NHL Team Power Rankings, Erik Karlsson’s Pittsburgh Penguins dropped a spot, landing at number 30. 

The former Norris Trophy winner’s $10 million contract includes a full no-trade clause, but GM Kyle Dubas could still try trading him. 

He reminded reporters of this after the Penguins lost to the Maple Leafs in overtime on Sunday, saying, “I’m not going to worry about it because I have nothing to worry about.”

With his uncharacteristically poor play as of late and two years left on his deal, he’s a more difficult piece to move for Dubas, but he’s one of the only cards the Penguins have left to play outside of their Big Three, who aren’t going anywhere. 

8. Jordan Binnington

Ever since his masterful performance for Team Canada in the Four Nations tournament, Jordan Binnington’s name has popped up as a trade candidate for this year’s deadline.

He was pretty disrespected by fans and media alike, who said that Canada didn’t have an elite goalie to play in the tournament. But his winning performance in the title game in particular silenced those doubters. 

Binnington’s deal has two years left, with $6 million in AAV and a partial no-trade clause, which makes him hard to move. However, some contending teams, like the Edmonton Oilers, are reportedly interested. 

9. Brad Marchand

The Boston Bruins are on a one-way private jet trip to the bottom of the league. Sure, GM Don Sweeney could try booking a return ticket. But would the fine people at Boston’s Logan International Airport let them off the plane?

The Bruins should be selling like a 12-year-old with a lemonade stand saving up for a new bicycle. And they’ve already started, sending Trent Frederic to Edmonton. Brad Marchand should be out the door next. 

Is it a bad look for the Bruins to trade their captain and longest-tenured player? Yes. 

Is it potentially a worse look for a Bruins team needing a reset to hold onto one of their most desirable trade assets simply out of respect for a championship run that’s probably over? Yes. 

The bottom line is that Boston needs assets, whether in the form of draft picks or quality prospects. Marchand is one of the best ways for them to get those assets. 

10. Trevor Zegras

This one is a long shot, but it’s still possible. The Anaheim Ducks are six points out of the final Wild Card spot, and their 6-3-1 record over their last ten should not convince them that they’re moving up in the standings. 

Zegras has not turned into the star Anaheim expected, and if they want to squeeze some value out of him, they should do it now before his trade stock completely craters. Various teams at differing levels of contention will likely be interested in him. 

If you’re an asset-rich team like Capitals looking for a run at the playoffs, maybe you add Zegras as an overqualified depth forward. Or if you’re a retooling team, you could roll the dice on whether the 23-year-old rounds into shape and becomes that star he was expected to be.