B/R NHL Trade Block Big Board for October 2025

The start of the 2025-26 NHL regular season is fast approaching.

Since training camps opened in mid-September, general managers of the 32 NHL clubs have been evaluating their rosters. With the Oct. 7 start to the regular season drawing near, some of them could turn to the trade market to address any lingering roster weaknesses.

The sharp increase in the NHL salary cap to $95.5 million for this season has left 12 teams carrying over $5 million in cap space, but it hasn't led to any significant player movement in the trade market.

That hasn't prevented an increase in media speculation about possible trade candidates. Some of it involves three players from our September Trade Board, as Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, and Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha continue to surface in the rumor mill.

Several notable stars also popped up in trade rumors during September, including Pittsburgh Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks is one notable name to come off our board. The Ducks re-signed the 22-year-old restricted free agent to a six-year contract.

Here's our ranking of the noteworthy players to appear in trade rumors over the past month. The ranking is based on the likelihood of getting traded.

The thought of Sidney Crosby getting traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins used to be considered ridiculous. However, with management rebuilding the roster after missing the playoffs for the past three seasons, some pundits are embracing the possibility.

On Sept. 9, Crosby addressed the sporadic offseason speculation linking him to the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens, saying he knew that chatter arose because of the Penguins' recent record. His agent, Pat Brisson, didn't rule out the possibility, but felt it was down to how Crosby felt and the club was doing.

However, their remarks (especially Brisson's) stoked the trade speculation. Crosby offered up a more definitive answer on Sept. 15, telling reporters he wants to stay in Pittsburgh. He acknowledged he can't control what gets said or written about him, but he considers Pittsburgh a special place.

Crosby is signed through 2026-27 and has a full no-movement clause, giving him complete control over his situation. For now, the trade chatter has died down, but it could resurface later in the season if the Penguins are out of playoff contention by the March trade deadline.

The future of Quinn Hughes became a simmering topic for Vancouver Canucks followers throughout the offseason.

It began in May when Jim Rutherford, the club's president of hockey operations, floated the notion that the 25-year-old would one day like to play with his brothers, Jack and Luke, for the New Jersey Devils.

Hughes is two years away from unrestricted free-agent status. Rutherford said the Canucks cannot control the decisions the defenseman would make regarding his future, but they intend to do all they can to convince him to stay. However, the conjecture over the blueliner's future carried on throughout September.

During the NHL's player media tour in Las Vegas on Sept. 11, Jack Hughes told reporters he'd love to play with Quinn one day. The following day, Quinn acknowledged Jack's remarks, saying it was normal for a brother to say that. However, he insisted he's excited to be in Vancouver.

The Canucks aren't trading Hughes because they're attempting to rebound from last season's disappointing performance. Nevertheless, the questions about his future will persist, especially if Vancouver finds itself outside the playoff picture by the March trade deadline.

Trade rumors continued to swirl around Erik Karlsson throughout the offseason. The Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman frequently appeared on our summer trade block big boards amid speculation he could be shopped to a playoff contender.

The decline in the 35-year-old's performance over the last two seasons has hurt his trade value. Meanwhile, his contract remains a stumbling block. He's signed through 2026-27 with the Penguins carrying $10 million of his $11.5 million annual cap hit. He also has a full no-movement clause.

Despite those obstacles, some pundits still felt Karlsson could be moved. On Sept. 2, Josh Yohe of The Athletic expressed surprise that the blueliner, along with wingers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, hadn't been traded yet. He subsequently noted any interested teams didn't want to take on that $10 million cap hit.

For his part, Karlsson told reporters that he had a quiet summer, adding that the only trade talk he heard was in the media, which was typical for the offseason. Nevertheless, the conjecture will likely continue to hang over the veteran throughout this season

Trade rumors about the Dallas Stars were rampant after their elimination from the 2025 Western Conference Final. They made two notable moves, trading Mason Marchment to the Seattle Kraken and Matt Dumba to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jason Robertson was frequently mentioned as a trade candidate during the offseason. He's a restricted free agent after this season and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 if he ends up going to arbitration next summer.

On Sept. 17, Jim Nill told reporters that the rumors of Robertson's availability were blown out of proportion due to the Stars' need to shed salary for other signings. However, they addressed that issue by moving Marchment and Dumba.

Nill said he had no intention of trading Robertson, adding both sides know they have plenty of time to negotiate a new contract. Nevertheless, Sportsnet's Rory Boylen doesn't rule out the possibility of a trade this season, depending on how this season unfolds.

The New Jersey Devils' contract negotiations with restricted free agent defenseman Luke Hughes have overshadowed the club's efforts to prepare for the coming season. It's also generated questions about blueliner Dougie Hamilton's future in New Jersey.

Hamilton, 32, is signed through 2027-28 and has been the Devils' top defenseman since joining them as a free agent in 2021. However, the emergence of the 21-year-old Hughes as a future top blueliner prompted TSN's Pierre LeBrun to wonder if the Devils need two power-play quarterbacks.

LeBrun said nothing was imminent but felt Hamilton's situation could be worth monitoring by the March trade deadline.

However, on Sept. 23, Hamilton told NJ.com's Ryan Novozinsky that he's unconcerned about the rumors, saying he wants to remain with the Devils because he can win the Stanley Cup with them.

Hamilton's $9 million annual cap hit and 10-team trade list would be stumbling blocks towards a trade if the Devils were to go that route this season.

It seems unlikely they'll move him, but his situation could be worth keeping an eye on over the course of the season.

One of the biggest superstars in Pittsburgh Penguins history, Evgeni Malkin played a significant role in their three Stanley Cup championships during his 19 seasons with the franchise.

Approaching his 20th season, however, there is speculation that it could be his last in Pittsburgh.

Malkin is in the final season of his four-year contract. On Sept. 18, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said he planned to meet with the future Hall of Famer during the Olympic break in February to discuss his future.

On Sept. 20, RG.Org's James Murphy reported the Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning were among the clubs to inquire about Malkin since the 2024 offseason. The answer from Dubas was always a "hard no," because he wants to let Malkin and Crosby decide their futures.

During a recent meeting with reporters, Malkin didn't rule out playing beyond this season, expressing his wish to remain in Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, he also didn't rule out waiving his no-movement clause if he's playing well and gets an opportunity to play for a contender, which is why we're including him on our list.

The Boston Bruins enter the 2025-26 season hoping to rebound from missing the playoffs last season. Nevertheless, there's been ongoing speculation over Pavel Zacha's future with the club, landing the 28-year-old center on our September Trade Board.

Zacha is in the third season of a four-year contract with an annual cap hit of $4.8 million. Trading him would deplete the Bruins' depth at center when they're hoping to bounce back as a playoff contender. Nevertheless, trade speculation continued to swirl.

On. Sept. 11, RG.Org's James Murphy reported sources claimed the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens had inquired about his availability, going so far as to discuss trade scenarios. He also stated the trade chatter wasn't coming from the Bruins, but from clubs interested in Zacha.

Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald doesn't see the Bruins trading Zacha if they're in the playoff race this season. He also thinks the versatile forward could be useful to them if they decide to rebuild.

However, Conroy conceded Zacha could have good value for them at the March trade deadline.

The rebuilding San Jose Sharks signed Alexander Wennberg to a two-year contract in July 2024. They brought in the versatile forward to add some much-needed veteran depth at the center position, especially to take some of the burden off untested youngsters like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

Entering this season, Wennberg faces an uncertain future in San Jose. Celebrini has established himself as a first-line center, while Smith can play center or wing among their top-six forwards.

On Sept. 20, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News pointed out the Sharks added another promising young center by drafting Michael Misa with the second overall pick in this year's draft. They also have promising Filip Bystedt in their system.

Wennberg is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July. He could become a trade candidate this season if Misa earns a roster spot and Smith sees more playing time at center.

Given his experience and skills, Wennberg could become a trade target by playoff contenders seeking depth at center later this season.

On Sept. 17, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun speculated that Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving might move a forward before the start of the season. He suggested that the trade candidate could be Calle Järnkrok, David Kämpf or Nicholas (Nick) Robertson.

It was assumed Treliving might move someone in a cost-cutting move to make room for free-agent forward Jack Roslovic. However, on Sept. 22, TSN hockey insider Chris Johnston said that wasn't the case. If anything, they would move one or two forwards because they had too many.

The Athletic's Jonas Siegel suggested Robertson could become a trade candidate because of his difficulties establishing himself as a top-six winger. He also reported Kämpf believed he would be moved during the offseason. While that hasn't happened yet, Siegel believes Kämpf faces an uncertain future in Toronto.

Siegel noted Järnkrok was also the subject of offseason trade chatter. However, he's now playing pain-free after undergoing sports hernia and groin surgeries last November that sidelined him most of last season.

Siegel also pointed out Järnkrok seems to have the trust of head coach Craig Berube.

Chosen in the first round (17th overall) in the 2020 draft, Lukas Reichel was expected to play a key role with Chicago's rebuilding roster. A good skater with a strong shot, he was projected to become a reliable scoring winger on their top-six forward lines.

Reichel showed some promise in his second NHL season with seven goals and 15 points in 23 games in 2022-23. However, the 23-year-old winger has struggled to fill that role as a scorer, giving rise to offseason trade speculation this summer.

On Sept. 7, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported Reichel had heard rumors back home in Germany that he could get traded to the Edmonton Oilers. On Sept. 18, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said Chicago could consider moving the young winger if they can find a suitable trade partner.

The speculation continued on Sept. 29 as Scott Powers of The Athletic reported Chicago has informed other clubs that Reichel is available. He considers it anyone's guess if the young forward is traded or not, but his situation has earned him a spot on our October Trade Board.

A trade request made by Yegor Chinakhov through his agent in July garnered the 24-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets forward the No. 2 spot on our August Trade Block Big Board. It seemed like only a matter of time until he was shipped out to a new club.

Chinakhov's agent claimed misunderstandings with head coach Dean Evason were behind the request. Meanwhile, general manager Don Waddell said the young forward didn't take well to being a healthy scratch late in the season.

However, the relationship between the two sides could be improving. Chinakhov was among the first players to return to Columbus for training camp and was reportedly in good shape. He spoke to reporters on Sept. 18, saying he and Evason had a better understanding following a meeting between the two.

Chinakhov hasn't rescinded his trade request, but appears willing to finish the final season of his two-year contract with the Blue Jackets. He remains a trade candidate, though his apparently improved relationship with Evason makes him less likely to be moved than he was a month ago.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' status as a rebuilding club has made them the frequent subject of trade speculation. Some of it has recently raised questions over the futures of long-time Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Meanwhile, Erik Karlsson's declining play has made him the subject of media conjecture.

All three are long-time stars with expensive contracts and no-movement clauses that give them full control over their situations. However, forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust have modified no-trade clauses. They also carry more affordable contracts, making them more likely to be moved during this season.

On Sept. 2, Josh Yohe of The Athletic said he was surprised Rakell and/or Rust weren't moved during the offseason. Two weeks later, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wondered how long both players would remain with the Penguins.

Yohe followed up on Sept. 25 by speculating that the Penguins won't move Rakell and Rust because they don't want to make Crosby unhappy. However, another season near the bottom of the standings could result in one or both hitting the trade block at some point before the March deadline.

This season could be Rasmus Andersson's last with the Calgary Flames. Contract extension talks between Flames management and the 28-year-old defenseman broke down in June, making him the top trade candidate entering the 2025-26 regular season.

At the start of training camp, Andersson told reporters that he's happy to be back with the Flames despite his contract status. He denied a report from earlier in the summer claiming he'd only wanted to be traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, adding he didn't believe his situation would be a distraction for his teammate.

On Sept. 23, TSN's Pierre LeBrun said he believed Andersson would likely be moved by the March trade deadline. However, he indicated that the blueliner and Flames management have not closed the door on a contract extension.

LeBrun thinks Andersson would be open to an eight-year extension, but the Flames might not go that long. If neither side is willing to be flexible, the veteran blueliner could be suiting up with a new club before March. That's why he remains the player we consider most likely to be traded this season.

Stats via NHL.com, salary info via PuckPedia.