NHL Trade Bait List for 2025 Offseason

The UFA class may be weak this offseason, especially after the recent signings of Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri, and Yanni Gourde. But that could make for a more robust trade market since the salary cap is rising to $95.5 million, and plenty of teams are looking to improve their rosters. Aggregating from sources like Daily Faceoff, Sportsnet, and The Athletic (From ‘NHL offseason trade board: An early look at the summer’s top targets, from Kreider to Rossi to Ehlers’ – The Athletic, 5/30/2025), let’s look at some players who could get traded in the coming weeks.

There’s Talent Available Via Trade

The most buzz with potential trade candidates seems to be around JJ Peterka and Marco Rossi. There are reports of unrest in Buffalo, with players unhappy with the lack of progress coming from the Sabres, and Peterka could be one of those players unhappy with his situation. He finished this past season with 27 goals and 68 points and would upgrade just about any team’s top six.

Peterka is not the only Sabre who could be on the move, too. Bowen Byram’s name has popped up on trade boards, and more names could emerge in the next few weeks as rumors ramp up and the Sabres look to make changes to their roster to end their 14-year playoff drought.

As for Rossi, he doesn’t appear unhappy with his situation, at least publicly. But the Minnesota Wild don’t seem to be in a rush to pay him the seven-year, $49 million contract he’s looking for. He’s coming off a 24-goal, 60-point season and should generate plenty of interest since many teams are looking to add second-line centers.