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NHL Trade Talk’s 2024-25 Top 20 Trade Bait Board 2.0
NHL Trade Talk’s 2024-25 Top 20 Trade Bait Board: Which names are among those in the NHL most likely to be traded?
With the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline only two months away, the buzz around potential moves intensifies. Teams are evaluating their rosters, factoring in their playoff odds, and exploring deals to address critical needs. Whether it’s acquiring a game-changing forward, a reliable defenseman, or freeing up cap space, the trade market is set to deliver some blockbuster moves. And as the roster freeze kicks in on Friday, some teams are getting ahead of the rest of the market.
This year’s trade bait board is packed with intriguing names—veteran stars looking for a fresh start, pending free agents who could be valuable rentals, and players on expiring contracts whose teams may choose to capitalize on their value.
These 20 names represent some of the most likely—and most exciting—candidates to be on the move before the deadline.
NHL Trade Talk Top 20 Trade Bait Board
| Board Ranking | Player | Team & Contract | Interested Teams |
| 1 | Elias Pettersson | VAN 8 YRS/$11.6M | BUF, CAR, NYR |
| 2 | J.T. Miller | VAN 6 YRS/$8M | CHI, NYI, NYR |
| 3 | Mika Zibanejad | NYR 6 YRS/$8.5M | CHI, NSH, VGK |
| 4 | Chris Kreider | NYR 2 YRS/$6.5M | BOS, CAR, TOR |
| 5 | Brock Nelson | NYI 1 YR/$6M | DAL, EDM, TOR |
| 6 | Ivan Provorov | CBJ 1 YR/$4.7M | FLA, TBL, WSH |
| 7 | Yanni Gourde | SEA 1 YR/$5.1M | DAL, TBL, TOR |
| 8 | Bowen Byram | BUF 1 YR/$3.8M | FLA, SEA, VAN |
| 9 | John Gibson | ANA 3 YRS/$6.4M | CAR, DET, EDM |
| 10 | David Savard | MTL 1 YR/ $3.5M | DAL, EDM, LAK |
| 11 | Ryan O’Reilly | NSH 3 YRS/$4.5M | BOS, COL, TOR |
| 12 | Mathieu Olivier | CBJ 1 YR/$1.1M | MIN, MTL, WSH |
| 13 | Trent Frederic | BOS 1 YR/$2.3M | LAK, STL, WIN |
| 14 | Taylor Hall | CHI 1 YR/$6M | EDM, FLA, NYR |
| 15 | Marcus Pettersson | PIT 1 YR/$4M | EDM, FLA, VAN |
| 16 | Scott Laughton | PHI 2 YRS/$3M | OTT, TBL, TOR |
| 17 | Brandon Saad | STL 2 YRS/$4.5M | CAR, COL, PIT |
| 18 | Mike Matheson | MTL 2 YRS/ $4.8M | DAL, EDM, TB |
| 19 | Ryan Lindgren | NYR 1 YR/$4.5M | EDM, DET, TB |
| 20 | Mikael Granlund | SJS 1 YR/$5M | CAR, EDM, VGK |
| 21 | Vincent Desharnais | VAN 2 YRS/$2M | COL, EDM, MTL |
| 22 | Brandon Tanev | SEA 1YR/$3.5M | DAL, EDM, TOR |
| 23 | Rasmus Ristolainen | PHI 3 YRS/$5.1M | CGY, DAL, VAN |
| 24 | Cody Ceci | SJS 1 YR/$3.2M | CHI, EDM, FLA |
| 25 | Kyle Palmieri | NYI 1 YR/$5M | MIN, NJD, WIN |
| 26 | Will Borgen | NYR 1 YR/$2.7M | DAL, LAK, WIN |
| 27 | Gustav Nyquist | NSH 1 YR/$3.1M | CAR, FLA, WIN |
| 28 | Alexandar Georgiev | SJS 1 YR/$2.9M | DET, OTT, PIT |
| 29 | Nick Bjugstad | UHC 1 YR/$2.1M | EDM, MIN, TOR |
| 30 | Barclay Goodrow | SJS 2 YRS/$3.6M | COL, TBL, VGK |
| 31 | Alex Kerfoot | UHC 1 YR/$3.5M | COL, DAL, VGK |
| 32 | Ryan Donato | CHI 1 YR/$2M | CAR, FLA, LAK |
| 33 | Reilly Smith | NYR 1 YR/ $3.7M | COL, NJD, VGK |
| 34 | Jason Zucker | BUF 1 YR/$5M | FLA, NJD, VGK |
| 35 | Nick Robertson | TOR 1YR/$875K | CBJ, SEA, UH |
Next: Who Says No to Trade: Vancouver Canucks or New York Rangers?
