NHL Trade Deadline 2025: Analyzing Potential Deals
Trade speculation intensifies as the NHL’s trade deadline approaches, with several teams exploring roster moves to strengthen their lineups.
Oilers-Blackhawks: Seth Jones Deal
The Edmonton Oilers could acquire defenseman Seth Jones ($1.5M retained) from the Chicago Blackhawks for Jeff Skinner, prospect Matt Savoie, and a 2025 second-round pick.
Jones would fill Edmonton’s need for a right-side defenseman, joining Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, and Darnell Nurse in the top four.
The 30-year-old Jones has five years remaining on his contract at $9.5 million annually. Chicago retaining $1.5 million makes the deal workable under Edmonton’s salary cap.
Savoie, Buffalo’s ninth overall pick in 2022, leads Edmonton’s prospect pool. The 5-foot-9 forward shows promise but hasn’t dominated in the AHL this season.
Boeser to Minnesota Proposal
Minnesota native Brock Boeser and Carson Soucy could head to the Wild, with Vancouver receiving Liam Ohgren and a conditional 2025 second-round pick.
Boeser scored 40 goals last season and becomes an unrestricted free agent after 2024-25. Minnesota’s cap situation improves significantly next season when buyout penalties decrease from $14.7M to $1.66M.
Vancouver remains in playoff contention, holding the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Trading Boeser would remove a key offensive piece after already dealing J.T. Miller and Bo Horvat recently.
Cozens-Zegras Swap
A proposed one-for-one trade would send Dylan Cozens to Anaheim for Trevor Zegras.
Both players were top-10 picks in 2019 and posted career years in 2022-23:
– Cozens: 68 points
– Zegras: 65 points
Cozens carries a $7.1M cap hit through 2030. His 6-foot-3 frame and two-way ability provide more positional certainty than Zegras, who’s played both center and wing.
Kings-Penguins: Rakell Trade
Los Angeles could acquire Rickard Rakell from Pittsburgh for Trevor Moore, prospect Jack Hughes, and a 2025 first-round pick.
Rakell has recorded 48 points (25G, 23A) in 56 games this season. Moore, a Thousand Oaks native, has 23 points (8G, 15A) in 44 games.
Both players have term remaining:
– Rakell: $5M annually through 2028
– Moore: $4.2M annually through 2028
Avalanche-Utah Center Swap
Colorado could move Casey Mittelstadt to Utah for Barrett Hayton.
Mittelstadt has 32 points in 57 games but hasn’t perfectly fit Colorado’s system. His contract runs through 2026 at $5.75M annually.
Hayton, two years younger at 24, carries a $2.65M cap hit through 2025. The fifth overall pick from 2018 has 29 points in 56 games this season.
