End to End Hockey Top 25 Trade bait list
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Hello everyone, we are back with the first End to End Hockey’s trade bait list of the year, so after a few early trades this year with the likes of Hughes and Danault we now have a trade board heading into the new year as we have wipe the slate clean from last year and have a 25 player trade board, now all of the players on this trade board are from every team in the NHL and this will be my first of a few trade boards to come out over the next few weeks, but for this first one of the new year we have 25 players on it, there are a handful of players on here who I think have a strong likelihood of being dealt at some point before this years trade deadline, so there are definitely some interesting names on here and the hope is to post another in a few weeks, so without further ado here is my updated trade bait list of the 2025 offseason with 25 players being on it.
1.) Rasmus Andersson
Contract Status: final year at a $4.55 Million AAV
Stats: 7-18-25 in 38GP
Position: RD
Age: 29
2 landing spots: Vegas and Dallas
Analysis: now one of the premium defensive trade candidates on the market right now and maybe even the best after the Hughes trade is Rasmus Andersson, he is a pretty solid offensive defender who isn’t half bad defensively and is on pace for 50+ points, isn’t terribly expensive at a $4.55 Million AAV and with Calgary being one of the worst teams in the NHL, even though a extension isn’t off the table a trade seems much more likely and for any team who wants a top 4 upgrade heading into the postseason, they may go hard after Andersson and could probably give the Flames a solid package in return.
2.) Brayden Schenn
Contract Status: 2 years left after this one at a $6.5 Million AAV
Stats: 7-8-15 in 39GP
Position: C,LW
Age: 34
2 landing spots: Carolina and Dallas
Analysis: now there is a need from a lot of teams for a 2nd or 3rd line Center so any selling teams who have a Center of that caliber could get a haul and that is the sort of situation with Schenn in St.Louis, Schenn was brought up last year in trade discussions but nothing ever came to fruition as they didn’t get the return they liked, but with St.Louis sub .500 again, the amount of teams needing Centers and Schenn having a few years of term left, he seems like a prime trade candidate and I wouldn’t be shocked if a team playoff bound gave St.Louis a big haul for him:
3.) Kiefer Sherwood
Contract Status: final year at a $1.5 Million AAV
Stats: 16-4-20 in 37GP
Position: RW
Age: 30
2 landing spots: Boston and Tampa
Analysis: now one of the most interesting potential trade candidates out there right now has to be Kiefer Sherwood, he is in the final year of his deal and for most of his career was a spare/4th liner, but the past few years in Vancouver he has really started to blossom having the single season hits record last year and already having a career high in goals this year, given he is on a cheap deal, can play in most teams bottom six and plays that playoff style hockey lots of teams love, I am going to guess a team or two out there will overpay for him and he will get dealt.
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4.) Artemi Panarin
Contract Status: final year at $11.64 Million AAV
Stats: 14-24-38 in 39GP
Position: LW
Age: 34
2 landing spots: Columbus and Minnesota
Analysis: now perhaps the biggest potential rental candidate on the market right now has to be Rangers superstar Panarin, now Panarin who is one of the highest paid wingers is in the final year of his deal and has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate if the Rangers don’t look good entering the deadline, now NYR has had a up and down season but don’t really look like a team who can compete right now in the playoffs and it seems like Panarin is reluctant to sign a extension, so I do believe that if NYR retained some money there would be a ton of landing spots for Panarin and I do think he would likely get dealt.
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5.) Alex Tuch
Contract Status: final year at a $4.75 Million AAV
Stats: 11-19-30 in 36GP
Position: RW,C
Age: 29
2 landing spots: Dallas and Los Angeles
Analysis: now another big potential rental that has been fooating around out there is Alex Tuch, now the Sabres have been doing better as of late, and Tuch is from Buffalo so I am not going to say he is for sure going to get dealt, but with reports of him wanting $10+ Million on a new deal the Sabres may not want to go that high and with Tuch being a solid power forward winger that a lot of teams would love to have at his current cap hit, it just may make too much sense for the Sabres to move Alex Tuch.
6.) Ryan O’Reilly
Contract Status: 1 year left after this one at a $4.5 Million AAV
Stats: 11-21-32 in 37GP
Position: C
Age: 34
2 landing spots: Montreal and Minnesota
Analysis: now as we mentioned previously there is a need for 2nd or 3rd line Center’s out there and another big time vet on a rather underwhelming team is Ryan O’Reilly, while I don’t think he is a 1st line Center anymore he can still be a valuable 2nd or 3rd line Center as he has actually had a solid season producing this year and knows what it takes to win (help St.Louis win the Cup) and I think lots of teams would love to add O’Reilly down the middle even if the ask is a bit high.
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7.) Dougie Hamilton
Contract Status: 2 years left after this one at a $9 Million AAV
Stats: 4-4-8 in 34GP
Position: RD
Age: 32
2 landing spots: San Jose and Detroit
Analysis: now a very interesting name I put on my trade bait list is Dougie Hamilton, now he isn’t on a bad team and besides some injuries he isn’t having half bad of a season, but the Devils are in a cap bind and would need to clear some cap space to make a much needed forward upgrade trade, so with that in mind any team who has some cap space and a need for a top 4 defender I feel would be all over a Dougie Hamilton trade.
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8.) Blake Coleman
Contract Status: 1 year left after this one at a $4.9 Million AAV
Stats: 11-7-18 in 38GP
Position: WIN
Age: 34
2 landing spots: Anaheim and Philly
Analysis: now we have another Flame on this list and this guy is one who helped a team win back to back cups and that is Blake Coleman, Coleman who was coming off a solid season a few years ago has looked pretty good for Calgary this year, now unlike some of the other guys Coleman is not a Pending UFA and therefore less likely to get dealt as it is less urgent, but he plays that playoff style game a lot of teams love and is signed for another season beyond this one so if a team would offer a nice enough package I could see him get dealt at some point this year.
9.) Steven Stamkos
Contract Status: 2 years left after this one at a $8 Million AAV
Stats: 15-7-22 in 37GP
Position: RW, C
Age: 35
2 landing spots: New Jersey and Toronto
Analysis: now a guy who signed in Nashville a few years ago and hasn’t really worked out is Stamkos, now he has trade protection and a very high cap hit so a trade would definitely be difficult, but he does have some term still left on his deal, and isn’t too far removed from his time in Tampa where he was a elite goal scorer and point getter, and I just think the fit isn’t there in Nashville but if he feels that he could be a good player on a better team and would be willing to waive his trade protection then I could see him get dealt.
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10.) Bryan Rust
Contract Status: 2 years left after this one at a $5.13 Million AAV
Stats: 13-17-30 in 34GP
Position: WIN
Age: 33
2 landing spots: Columbus and Carolina
Analysis: now another name that was heavily mentioned to potentially be dealt in the offseason but never happened and hasn’t been mentioned recently is Bryan Rust, now due to the Penguins hot start it seemed like the sell off was on hold, but after a few stumbles recently it seems more likely that the Penguins will be sellers at the deadline and a Rust will be a name to watch as he is a fantastic offensive contributor, signed for a few more seasons and would help basically any teams top 6 so if a team were to offer a big enough package I could see Rust get dealt.
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11.) Pavel Mintyukov
Contract Status: final year at a $.918 Thousand AAV
Stats: 4-5-9 in 33GP
Position: LD
Age: 22
2 landing spots: Calgary and Boston
Analysis: now a young player who might be on the move at some point is Pavel Mintyukov, now the Ducks former 1RD pick defender was unhappy with his playing time earlier in the year and while he didn’t ask for a trade it seems he may be open to a fresh start where he could get more playing time and I feel any semi bad team who is looking for some youth on the blueline would be all over trying to pry Mintyukov out of Anaheim so we could wing up seeing a Mintyukov trade at some point.
12.) Mario Ferraro
Contract Status: final year at a $3.25 Million AAV
Stats: 1-7-8 in 38 GP
Position: LD,RD
Age: 27
2 landing spots: Detroit and Toronto
Analysis: now another potential rental defender on the trade market is one that has been mentioned in trade talks over the past few years now and that is Ferraro, now the Sharks have had a better start then most people expected and that has brought into question how many pieces the Sharks are gonna move, but they still have a boatload of pending UFA defenders so I feel they will move at least a couple and with Ferraro most likely not coming back after this year and being a really solid defensive minded defender, I could still see him get dealt even if the Sharks are still in the playoff hunt.
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13.) Maxim Tsyplakov
Contract Status: 1 year left after this one at a $2.25 Million AAV
Stats:
Position: WIN
Age: 27
2 landing spots: Boston and Utah
Analysis: now a guy who has recently found himself on the outside looking in when it comes to the lineup is Maxim Tsyplakov, Tsyplakov had a great rookie year last year after coming over from the KHL but with the Isles forward depth this year he keeps finding himself a healthy scratch and seems to want to go to a place where he may have more opportunity to play, so if he gets more playing time I feel a trade is less likely to happen but if he still wants a fresh start and is a solid middle six forward I could see some teams trying to pry him out of NYI before the deadline.
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14.) Alex Lyon
Contract Status: 1 year left after this one at a $1.5 Million AAV
Stats: 2.87 GAA and .907 SV% in 20GP
Position: G
Age: 33
2 landing spots: Edmonton and Columbus
Analysis: now when it comes to net minders one of the more likely goalies that could get dealt before this year trade deadline is Sabres backup Alex Lyon, now Lyon over the past few years has shown that he can be a decent backup goalie and didn’t look terrible last year in Detroit and this year has some of the better numbers in Buffalo, but new GM Kenkalinen has mentioned that he doesn’t want a 3 goalie system anymore and with UPL signed and the Sabres high on Ellis, it makes sense that Lyon is the odd man out and teams who are in desperate need of some goalie help could be all over trying to acquire him.
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15.) Brad Lambert
Contract Status: 1 year left after this one at a $.886 Thousand AAV
Stats: 1-0-1 in 4GP
Position: C,RW
Age: 22
2 landing spots: Vancouver and Nashville
Analysis: now another young player who wants out of his current situation and doesn’t want to stay with his current team is Brad Lambert, now the former 1RD pick of the Jets is a decent prospect and has gotten a couple looks at the NHL level this year, but he just hasn’t been a consistent NHLer at this point in time and seems to want a fresh start where he may have more opportunity to play at the NHL level, and I think teams who are looking for youth up front and don’t want to pay too much to get it would be all over trying to acquire Lambert.
16.) Justin Faulk
Contract Status: 1 year left after this one at a $6.5 Million AAV
Stats: 10-10-20 in 39GP
Position: RD
Age: 33
2 landing spots: Vegas and Edmonton
Analysis: now another defender that has been brought up a ton this year and could be amongst some of the best defensive trade candidates heading into the deadline is Justin Faulk, now the Blues aren’t a good team and Faulk was one of the names mentioned as potentially being on the trade block, he has having a solid season and is on pace for 20+ goals, isn’t on a terrible contract and has another year left on his contract after this one, so if teams don’t want a rental like Andersson then they would probably target Faulk and I feel there is a strong likelihood that he gets dealt.
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17.) Jonathan Marchessault
Contract Status: 3 years left after this one at a $5.5 Million AAV
Stats: 7-3-10 in 28 GP
Position: WIN
Age: 35
2 landing spots: New Jersey and Carolina
Analysis: now another Predators veteran who has been mentioned in the rumour mill a lot of the past few months and seems could be dealt in the coming weeks is Jonathan Marchessault, now since coming over to Nashville as a free agent from Vegas he has not lived up to expectations as last year he did alright but not as good as Nashville was hoping and this year he hasn’t looked great at all, now he is signed for a few years but at a reasonable $5.5 Million per year and I feel he could get back to his scoring ways from Vegas with a new team, so I do feel he is very likely to get moved and maybe the most likely of the Preds vets.
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18.) Jean Gabriel Pageau
Contract Status: final year at a $5 Million AAV
Stats: 6-8-14 in 30GP
Position: C
Age: 33
2 landing spots: Carolina and Utah
Analysis: now a guy who can into the season as a trade candidate but might not be as much of one right now is JG Pageau, the 3 line Center in NYI was entering the final year of his deal and a lot of people thought it was a forgone conclusion he would get dealt, but the Isles have been off to such a good start I am not so sure they would like to move him, but he is a reasonably priced Center and hasn’t looked terrible this year and with the amount of teams still needing Center help I could see the Islanders still move him because of the return they would get.
19.) Andrew Copp
Contract Status: 1 year left after this one at a $5.63 Million AAV
Stats: 4-17-21 in 39 GP
Position: C,LW
Age: 31
2 landing spots: Sharks and Sabres
Analysis: now here we have a guy who was a top free agent signing a few years ago but hasn’t lived up to the contract so far and I could see being dealt later in the year and that is Andrew Copp, now Copp is still a decent 3rd line forward who could really help a few teams middle sixes but his $+5 Million AAV would scare a few teams off, however if the Wings are going big game hunting and need to move some cap I think Copp is the most likely option and I do think he could get dealt.
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20.) Anthony Mantha
Contract Status: final year at a $2.5 Million AAV
Stats: 11-12-23 in 36GP
Position: WIN
Age: 31
2 landing spots: Montreal and Ottawa
Analysis: now a very interesting potential rental that I could see being dealt that we haven’t heard much about is Anthony Mantha, now he signed a 1 year deal in Pittsburgh to be a stopgap replacement for the Pen’s but has fit in really well with guys like Malkin and Brazeau and is on pace to have 20+ goals and 50+ points, so I could see him staying but with Pittsburgh recent fall and the fact he is a pending UFA I could definitely see the Penguins flip him at the deadline if they are on the outside and I think lots of teams would love to add him to their middle six.
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21.) Timothy Liljegren
Contract Status: final year at a $3 Million AAV
Stats: 0-4-4 in 28GP
Position: RD
Age: 26
2 landing spots: Seattle and Vegas
Analysis: now another Sharks Pending UFA defender who could easily get moved by the trade deadline is Timothy Liljegren, now Liljegren was acquired last year from Toronto and has worked out alright as a top 4 defender but hasn’t had a great start this year and I feel there could be some teams who are looking for a 2nd or 3rd pair right shot defender who could bolster their blueline which I think Liljegren could do, and I also feel like the ask wouldn’t be terribly high so I could see Liljegren get dealt even if the Sharks were close to a playoff spot.
22.) Jamie Oleksiak
Contract Status: final year at a $4.6 Million AAV
Stats: 2-4-6 in 33GP
Position: LD,RD
Age: 33
2 landing spots: Edmonton and Montreal
Analysis: so a player I thought entering the year was very likely to get dealt and then I thought they might not trade him and now I think it is likely again is Jamie Oleksiak, now the Kraken had a solid start so I thought they would hold on to him but now after a rather sour stretch the Kraken may be more willing to deal him, he is a behemoth of a player and really good on the defensive aspects of the game and I do feel that any team wanting to add a 2nd or 3rd pair defender to the mix at some point before the trade deadline may give the Kraken a offer they can’t refuse so I could see him be a trade deadline deal for the Kraken.
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23.) Stuart Skinner
Contract Status: final year at a $2.6 Million AAV
Stats: 2.98 GAA and .885 SV% in 26GP
Position: G
Age: 27
2 landing spots: Montreal and Columbus
Analysis: now a maybe a bit of a surprising name to see here on my trade bait list after just being dealt a few weeks ago from Edmonton is Pen’s goalie Stuart Skinner, now Skinner was the Oilers starter for a long time but was recently dealt to Pittsburgh, however with Skinner in the final year of his deal and Pittsburgh already having 3 young goalies, it seems likely that Skinner is a prime candidate to get flipped at the deadline and I think any team in need of some goalie help would be calling on Skinner.
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24.) Alex Wennberg
Contract Status: final year at a $5 Million AAV
Stats: 7-17-24 in 38GP
Position: C,LW
Age: 31
2 landing spots: Carolina and NYR
Analysis: another Prnding UFA Shark that found he’s way onto my trade board is Sharks Center Alex Wennberg, now Wennberg is in a bit of a different situation then the Pending UFA D on the Sharks as the Sharks have some pretty decent depth on the forward group and could take due with dealing Wennberg better then a defender, and with the amount of teams needing Center help and if the Sharks were to retain on Wennberg, I could see a boatload of teams have massive interest in Wennberg and with the Sharks forward depth I would not be one bit surprised if a Wennberg trade happened at some point.
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25.) Nick Jensen
Contract Status: final year at a $4.05 Million AAV
Stats: 1-7-8 in 37GP
Position: RD
Age: 35
2 landing spots: Boston and Anaheim
Analysis: now a bit of a surprising one to many I guess as this player hasn’t been mentioned a ton in trade rumours but I also have Nick Jensen on my trade board, now after acquiring him from Washington in the Chychrun trade he has been a very serviceable 2nd or 3rd pair defender, however he is getting up there in age, the Senators already have 6 other solid defenders on their roster and are pressed for cap space and with Jensen making over $4 Million it would make a ton of sense for the Senators to move him to get a forward upgrade at the deadline, so although he hasn’t been mentioned much I could really see Jensen be a cap dump before this years trade deadline.
Honourable mentions
Nazem Kadri, Max Domi, Rickard Rakell
So this is my top 25 trade bait list, as these are players that I have heard could be potentially on the move but are also players I feel we could see dealt at some point before the deadline, so I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments, did I leave anyone off, should I have have put certain players higher or lower, and who would you have in the top 25 right now and who could be moved soon from teams before this years deadline who are sellers, definitely love to hear your thoughts as this is my current top 25 trade bait list down in the comments below.
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