The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
At long last, deadline day is here and the NHL has brought out all the big names: Laughton, Donato, Suter, Kuzmenko — it’s going to be an exciting day!
For now, you can still hope for the absolute best to happen to your favorite team. So that’s what we’re doing: Cooking up a best-case scenario for each team’s deadline day. Enjoy before everything we wrote becomes out of date, which will probably happen roughly five minutes after you finish reading. In fact, several things became out of date while we were writing it. Thanks for that, Colorado and Dallas.
1. Winnipeg Jets, 43-16-4
Last week: 1
Sean rank: 1
Dom rank: 1
Best case: A major offensive piece and third-pair help
Amazing as the Jets have been, there’s a reason that many aren’t quite fully sold. We’ve seen almost this exact same team look strong during the season only to get humbled quickly in the first round by a team with high-end talent. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor both deserve credit for how they’ve played, but they’re not Nathan MacKinnon or Jack Eichel.
If the Jets win, it’s because they’ll have waves of offensive talent to lean on. Find a 2C that can play with Nikolaj Ehlers, and they’ll have the pieces to go all the way.
Aside from that, some help on the third pair would be appreciated. If the Jets are hellbent on having someone extremely tall there, Jamie Oleksiak would be a major upgrade.
GO DEEPER
It’s a seller’s market, but Jets’ GM Cheveldayoff needs to buy as trade deadline nears
2. Dallas Stars, 41-19-2
Last week: 3
Sean rank: 2
Dom rank: 2
Best case: Find a way to spend all their LTIR dough
With both Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin likely done for the regular season, the Stars have a whoooooole lot of money to play with at the deadline. Basically, they can afford to do whatever they want.
The problem: they don’t actually have a lot of holes in their lineup to fill and there aren’t a lot of worthwhile players out there. It’s no shock the Stars are closing in on Mikko Rantanen, because why not, but aside from that there aren’t many things that make sense. At the very least, all the financial flexibility does mean one thing: not having to pay exorbitant prices for salary retention. If the Stars do make a splash, that could be a big advantage.
3. Washington Capitals, 40-14-8
Last week: 2
Sean rank: 3
Dom rank: 4
Best case: A 3C who fits is still out there
It’s been said plenty of times but still bears repeating; the Capitals don’t have to do much of anything. They have a relatively limited amount of money to play with, and there’s no real reason to mess with the secret sauce. They’re an elite offensive team in terms of chance creation and overall production, and they’re defensively good enough. Plus, Ryan Leonard could be on the way.
Still, in a perfect world, they’d find another bottom-six center. Lars Eller has been adequate, in the sense that the Caps aren’t losing his minutes, but “adequate” isn’t quite ideal. Jake Evans was an option, but he’s sticking with the Canadiens. Maybe they could clone Nic Dowd.
4. Florida Panthers, 39-21-3
Last week: 4
Sean rank: 4
Dom rank: 3
Best case: A bottom-six lottery ticket hits
Nobody should ever count out the Panthers when it comes to needle-moving trades. They’ve still got $4 million, give or take, of Matthew Tkachuk LTIR money to spend. Still, it feels like Seth Jones was their capital-M Move of the season.
If that’s indeed the case, you’ve got to assume Paul Maurice and Co. would settle for one of their recent bottom-six additions to pan out. Maybe it’s Jesse Puljujarvi; maybe it’s Nico Sturm. Maybe it’s someone else from the dollar bin. Anyone who can skate and forecheck at a high level would be welcome.
5. Vegas Golden Knights, 37-18-6
Last week: 6
Sean rank: 6
Dom rank: 5
Best case: Someone we haven’t heard about
After Thursday’s Reilly Smith re-acquisition, logic would dictate that the Golden Knights are done. They needed a half-decent winger, and they got one who they know quite well. Now, they’re capped out.
That’s never stopped them before, though. And hey, if they need pieces, they’ve got a first-rounder still in the organization. Literally, one. Trevor Connelly. Everyone else has been traded.
1st round picks in Golden Knights history
❌ = traded
✅ = still in organization❌ Cody Glass 2017
❌ Nick Suzuki 2017
❌ Erik Brannstrom 2017
❌ 2018 1st
❌ Peyton Krebs 2019
❌ Brendan Brisson 2020
❌ Zach Dean 2021
❌ 2022 1st
❌ David Edstrom 2023
✅ Trevor Connelly 2024…— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) March 6, 2025
6. Tampa Bay Lightning, 37-21-4
Last week: 7
Sean rank: 5
Dom rank: 6
Best case: The new guys do their job
The Lightning paid a hefty price at the deadline, as they always do. Usually it works out (Brandon Hagel, Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow), but sometimes they get a Tanner Jeannot situation. Tampa Bay’s latest move — acquiring Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde — looks a lot more like the former, and that’s really good news for the team’s Cup aspirations. The only thing left to do is see how it all turns out. It’s one thing to be better on paper, it’s another for the guys to go out there and prove they were worth the high cost of acquisition.
7. Carolina Hurricanes, 37-22-4
Last week: 9
Sean rank: 7
Dom rank: 7
Best case: Keeping Mikko Rantanen
Flags fly forever, and Rantanen gives Carolina the best chance to earn one this season. With him in tow, the Hurricanes are right there with the league’s absolute best teams — even if Rantanen hasn’t quite produced at his usual rate. With the Devils losing Jack Hughes for the year, Carolina’s path to go deep also just got a lot easier.
A roster with Rantanen on it at 3 p.m. ET is Carolina’s best chance to go the distance. There is nothing the Hurricanes can acquire that will make their team better than it is today.
There are other things to weigh here, obviously, and in a seller’s market it makes sense to do some due diligence. But, at the very least, Rantanen is the ultimate rental — might as well see how far the team can go with him and worry about the contract later. Rantanen was always going to go to July 1. It’s time for the Hurricanes to show him why he should stay: by winning it all.
8. Toronto Maple Leafs, 38-21-3
Last week: 5
Sean rank: 9
Dom rank: 8
Best case: Foe turned friend
If we’re talking best-case scenarios, how about the Leafs acquiring Mitch Marner’s buddy Brad Marchand? Toronto could still use a top six left winger and while that’s not the top priority (3C and defensive depth), Marchand is enough of a difference-maker to change those priorities. He’s been a thorn in the Leafs’ side for over a decade now, an absolute villain in a completely one-sided rivalry.
With the Bruins out of it and at least entertaining the idea of trading Marchand, the Leafs would be a perfect fit. It may feel wrong to even imagine Marchand in blue-and-white, and in fact, it’s probably a pipe dream to even imagine two rivals making this kind of deal. But we’re going to dare to dream anyway because it’s hard to deny that Marchand is exactly what the Leafs need: a talented veteran scorer who knows exactly why they always lose in the playoffs. His expertise could be the missing piece.
9. Colorado Avalanche, 37-24-2
Last week: 11
Sean rank: 8
Dom rank: 9
Best case: Brock Nelson. Your best case became reality, Avalanche fans.
You may notice that for every other team we wrote something vague that could apply to a multitude of players. For Colorado, it’s specific. That’s because for the Avalanche, it really was that simple: they needed a 2C and Nelson was kind of the only true 2C available. And they got him! Neat!
It was hard to imagine too many other players that would’ve checked off all the necessary boxes. In order for the Avalanche to really contend in a gruelling Central Division, they needed to fix their biggest hole. That’s Nelson.
And let this blurb serve as wishcasting for the rest. Fans of other teams, your dreams can also come true!
GO DEEPER
NHL trade grades: Avalanche pay big for Brock Nelson, but he’s worth it
10. Edmonton Oilers, 36-22-4
Last week: 10
Sean rank: 10
Dom rank: 10
Best case: Getting Evander Kane off their cap
Somehow, the Oilers didn’t need to put Kane, who’s still recovering from a buffet off offseason surgeries, on LTIR to acquire Jake Walman. Still, the situation isn’t resolved, and it’s stopping them filling more holes — maybe in goal or on the bottom six.
GO DEEPER
NHL trade grades: Oilers gamble on Jake Walman bolstering their blue line
11. Minnesota Wild, 36-22-4
Last week: 12
Sean rank: 12
Dom rank: 11
Best case: A Michael Russo article saying Kirill Kaprizov’s return is imminent
Simple. As Russo has already written, the Wild — assuming Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin come back this season — are basically handcuffed. Luckily, one of those guys is an MVP-caliber talent. That’s not meant as a knock on Eriksson Ek or Brodin, either. Both are great players. Kaprizov, though, is the Wild’s engine, wheels and soundsystem.
GO DEEPER
Wild trade Marat Khusnutdinov, Jakub Lauko to Bruins for Justin Brazeau
12. Los Angeles Kings, 31-20-9
Last week: 8
Sean rank: 11
Dom rank: 12
Best case: A meaningful offensive addition
No team allows fewer expected five-on-five goals per 60 than the Kings. In actual goals against/60, they’re second to the Jets (and Connor Hellebuyck) and nobody else. This is a good team. Still, if they’re going to make it past the Oilers, they’re probably going to need to add a little offensive juice.
Maybe that comes in the form of a premium winger like Mikko Rantanen. Maybe it’s a more complementary piece like Brock Boeser or Rickard Rakell. Maybe they sign up for the Erik Karlsson experience. Either way, they’ve got room to improve.
13. New Jersey Devils, 33-24-6
Last week: 13
Sean rank: 13
Dom rank: 13
Best case: Accept reality
Losing Jack Hughes for the rest of the year is a huge bummer. It means the Devils, who might’ve been a dark horse with Hughes in the fold, will likely be nothing more than first-round fodder in this year’s playoffs. We don’t want to say they’re cooked, but… have you seen their forward group? It’s rough. Add a Dougie Hamilton injury to that and it’s clear that this just isn’t going to be the year for New Jersey.
That’s the reality and New Jersey’s best deadline is one where the team doesn’t waste assets on a likely lost cause. Whether the Devils choose to accept that remains to be seen, but trading a second-round pick for Brian Dumoulin in 2025 is certainly not a good start.
14. Vancouver Canucks. 28-22-11
Last week: 16
Sean rank: 15
Dom rank: 14
Best case: Quinn Hughes in the lineup
The Canucks, for a variety of reasons, are one of the day’s most interesting teams. That starts with Brock Boeser, a rental winger one year removed from a 40-goal season. He’s going to be, at minimum, a fall-back option for teams who miss out on Rantanen. From there, who knows?
What’s most important for the Canucks as they try to regain their wild-cart spot, though, is that Hughes gets healthy and stays healthy. With him, they’ve got a shot. Without him, hoo boy.
15. Ottawa Senators, 31-25-5
Last week: 18
Sean rank: 14
Dom rank: 15
Best case: A top-six winger
As ever, it’s hard to figure out just what to do with the Senators; they’re in a playoff spot, but just barely, and because they’re capped out, it’d be tough to meaningfully improve the roster in one spot without weakening it in another. Their most realistic move might be hoping that David Perron, coming off one of his best games of the season against Chicago, turns back the clock for a few months.
16. Columbus Blue Jackets, 30-24-8
Last week: 14
Sean rank: 16
Dom rank: 17
Best case: Sensibly priced help
Don Waddell isn’t one for games. If he’s telling rival GMs that he’s looking to buy but not interested in expensive rentals, you can assume that’s indeed the case. Seems like the right move to us; Columbus can make the playoffs, and no roster is more deserving of reinforcements, but there’s no reason for Waddell to upset the apple cart, either. Down the line, the Blue Jackets can be a legit contender. That — not a sell-out, short-term run — should be the priority.
17. New York Rangers, 31-26-5
Last week: 17
Sean rank: 17
Dom rank: 16
Best case: Their main playoff competition striking out or standing pat
Of all the teams not currently in a spot, the Rangers are probably still the best on paper. Even after selling some pieces off.
That’s their key to still making the playoffs, but that calculus can change depending on what Columbus, Ottawa, Detroit and the Islanders do at the deadline. With the Rangers (probably?) unlikely to buy further after adding Carson Soucy and likely done selling, their best-case deadline day is making sure their competition doesn’t get better.
18. Detroit Red Wings, 30-26-6
Last week: 15
Sean rank: 18
Dom rank: 18
Best case: To not do anything stupidly short-sighted
Wings fans have been very patient with the Yzerplan, and it’s important to stay patient on a day known for its wackiness. While the Red Wings may be on the cusp of the playoffs, actually making it isn’t very likely. That’s a reality that they need to weigh properly. That could mean rewarding the team with a small push that can help them beat the odds or staying pat, but the key is to not do something that might jeopardize the long-term picture.
Making the playoffs would be a terrific bonus, and as long as Detroit avoids anything that jeopardizes future postseason runs, it’ll be a successful deadline.
19. Utah HC, 28-25-9
Last week: 19
Sean rank: 19
Dom rank: 19
Best case: A high pick for Nick Bjugstad
After re-signing seemingly everyone on their roster, it feels like a quiet deadline for the Utah Hockey Club. That means the best-case scenario is cashing in on Bjugstad, the team’s lone trade chip. With this year’s deadline being a seller’s market, maybe Bjugstad could fetch a shockingly high pick, assuming that whatever kept him out Thursday night was a short-term ailment.
20. Calgary Flames, 29-23-10
Last week: 20
Sean rank: 20
Dom rank: 20
Best case: A Rasmus Andersson trade?
It’ll never happen — Calgary is in a playoff spot and could certainly use a playoff series — but Andersson should probably be on the block. Is he a foundational piece for a good team? Nope. But he’s certainly better than Brian Dumoulin, and Dumoulin just netted the Ducks a second-rounder. If that’s a representative price on defensemen, look out.
21. New York Islanders, 28-26-7
Last week: 22
Sean rank: 22
Dom rank: 21
Best case: A haul worthy of trading away a fan favorite
Brock Nelson wasn’t just the best center on the market; he was one of the best players in Islanders’ history. He also produces offense like a legit first-liner, with a well-rounded game as a scorer and playmaker. Isles fans saw it up close for years. Now, it’s time to hope that Calum Ritchie, the main piece they received from Colorado, comes through.
22. Montreal Canadiens, 30-26-6
Last week: 24
Sean rank: 21
Dom rank: 23
Best case: A second-round pick for David Savard
We said something similar back in the Flames blurb. Seriously, if that’s what Dumoulin brought back to Anaheim, why not? A Joel Armia bidding war would be pretty funny, too.
In the meantime, the Canadiens can bask in their early playoff push, and Jake Evans can buy some nicer stuff.
23. St. Louis Blues, 30-27-6
Last week: 21
Sean rank: 23
Dom rank: 22
Best case: Apparently, all three of Toronto’s top prospects for Brayden Schenn
The price for Brayden Schenn has been rumoured to be extremely high. So high that TSN’s Darren Dreger reported it could take Toronto’s top three prospects to make it happen… before somehow adding, “Would that be enough?”
Needless to say, one of the biggest deadline day hauls ever in exchange for an overpaid 33-year-old with three years left on his deal would be an incredible win for the Blues.
24. Anaheim Ducks, 27-27-7
Last week: 25
Sean rank: 24
Dom rank: 24
Best case: Sending John Gibson to Edmonton
This one might be tough considering Gibson is out with injury — again. It just makes too much sense not to consider this for both sides. Lukas Dostal is the team’s goalie of the future and has outplayed Gibson in each of the last three seasons. Gibson has played well and should carry some real value on the market. Why not make the most of it?
After thumping Edmonton 6-2, the Oilers should be a lot more desperate in the goaltending department. The key word being “should.” Not much Anaheim can do if there’s no market out there for a goalie, but if the Ducks can extract a high pick for Gibson, that would be a big win.
25. Boston Bruins, 28-28-8
Last week: 23
Sean rank: 26
Dom rank: 25
Best case: A blissfully ignorant team to overpay for Brandon Carlo
For those who haven’t been paying attention to the Bruins, Carlo has had a tough season. It seems not having Hampus Lindholm by his side hasn’t been ideal for the shutdown defender which has led to career low on-ice numbers at both ends of the ice. Carlo plays tough minutes, but without Lindholm he’s struggled mightily in them, looking closer to a 4/5 than a bonafide top-four guy.
And yet, it’s hard to deny that Carlo’s name carries a certain level of cache. We’d still bet on him being a solid defensive defender, especially on the right team. But in a seller’s market there’s high potential for Carlo to not be worth the likely significant bounty he’s traded for.
26. Philadelphia Flyers, 27-28-8
Last week: 26
Sean rank: 25
Dom rank: 26
Best case: A first-round pick for Scott Laughton (and maybe more for Rasmus Ristolainen?)
It’ll be fun to see how many different ways Canadian TV networks manage to say, “Scott Laughton is a decent, high-character third-liner who pushes play but doesn’t score all that much.” Because he is! No lies detected! Whether that’s worth the price tag, though, is another issue entirely.
27. Buffalo Sabres, 24-31-6
Last week: 27
Sean rank: 27
Dom rank: 27
Best case: A surprise blockbuster with Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram as the centerpieces
The Sabres seemed like a deadline non-factor last year and then out of nowhere, they pulled off the most shocking trade of the day: Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram. One for one.
That trade worked out damn well for the Sabres, and now we’re on the edge of our seats waiting for the next trick. With Cozens and Byram both on the block, we’re hoping for something seriously spicy where the Sabres turn two solid players into one actually great one. The kind of trade that brings this franchise back to relevancy this time next season.
28. Pittsburgh Penguins, 24-30-10
Last week: 28
Sean rank: 28
Dom rank: 28
Best case: That Mikko Rantanen drives the cost of wingers even higher
The Penguins, it would seem, are sitting pretty; they can offer Rickard Rakell as a consolation prize to the 31 teams who don’t currently employ Rantanen. Rakell has rediscovered his 30-goal form, and he’s posting some solid two-way impacts at five-on-five. If you want a productive, well-rounded winger who can play with elite linemates and is signed to a favorable contract with term, he’s your guy. He won’t come cheap — and given the market, he shouldn’t. The Penguins aren’t burning to move him, but it’s easy to imagine a Godfather offer hitting Kyle Dubas’ desk.
29. Nashville Predators, 23-32-7
Last week: 30
Sean rank: 29
Dom rank: 29
Best case: A haul for Ryan O’Reilly
Who knows what Barry Trotz is doing? We ask that with all honesty because the Michael Bunting/Tommy Novak trade was bizarre (on Nashville’s end, at least). A big-time offer for O’Reilly would be interesting. It’d also force the Preds to seriously consider blowing the whole thing up, which … might not be a bad idea.
30. Seattle Kraken. 26-33-4
Last week: 29
Sean rank: 30
Dom rank: 30
Best case: A home for Brandon Tanev and Jamie Oleksiak
The Kraken already scored one of the biggest seller wins, getting two firsts and a second for Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde. Now it’s time to bring it home with their other two pieces on the block. It’s unlikely either Tanev or Oleksiak net a first, but both players will be sought after and can definitely add to the pile.
31. Chicago Blackhawks, 19-35-8
Last week: 31
Sean rank: 31
Dom rank: 31
Best case: Two high picks for Ryan Donato and Connor Murphy
In Donato and Murphy, the Blackhawks have two fairly coveted pieces: a solid middle-six winger and a decent top-four defensive defender. In a seller’s market, that could net a pretty big haul. Maybe not “two firsts and a second” big, but enough to get at least one first out of the deal. There aren’t many wingers who bring more value than Donato, and Murphy might genuinely be one of the better defensemen remaining on the board. Chicago needs two big wins.
32. San Jose Sharks, 17-38-9
Last week: 32
Sean rank: 32
Dom rank: 32
Best case: A desperate team to give them a first for Mario Ferraro
On one hand, with Jake Walman headed to Edmonton, the Sharks are going to need someone to play defense. On the other, Ferraro doesn’t seem like anything close to a long-term answer and NHL GMs do weird stuff when they’re short on time.
(Top photo of Brock Nelson: Brad Penner / Imagn Images)
