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Mar 11, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (17) skates with the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

When Will The Next NHL Trade Happen

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Who will break the month-long drought the NHL is currently stuck in? The last trade took place over a month ago, when the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks swapped minor league forwards. To find the last big trade, you’d have to go back to the opening day of free agency, when the Carolina Hurricanes acquired and extended puck-moving defenseman K’Andre Miller from the New York Rangers.

It’s been a frustratingly quiet offseason in the NHL. Almost certainly a result of the rising salary cap in the league, few teams are in desperation mode to become salary cap compliant before the next season begins. The few teams that are in cap trouble have another few weeks and over half of the league to work with to free up money, leaving the likelihood of late-offseason lopsided trades shockingly low. But something’s got to give, right? Where is the next trade coming from and what can fans expect when the next major announcement his the wire? These are the three likeliest options for the next trade to take place in the NHL.

Maple Leafs and Penguins, Trade Partners Once Again

The Toronto Maple Leafs could use another proven top-six winger as they try to break their organization’s championship drought. The Pittsburgh Penguins have two highly coveted wingers in Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, both of whom are likely to be traded this season. The Leafs and Penguins are familiar trade partners over the years, and that relationship only improved when Kyle Dubas was hired by Pittsburgh. With just under $2 million in cap space heading into the season, Toronto has more flexibility than you might think.

If the Penguins take a contract back form the Leafs, a move for Rakell or Rust might make sense. Rust makes $5.125 million, while Rakell makes just a bit less at $5 million. It would take some finagling, but there’s a deal to work out here. If the Maple Leafs want to give their team the best chance to win in the post-Mitch Marner era, adding one of the Penguins’ scorers would be a strong addition.

Sabres Ship Out Prospect Goalie

I just have this sneaking suspicion that the Buffalo Sabres have given up on 23-year-old goalie Devon Levi. The former top prospect is still stuck in the limbo between full-time NHL goalie and too good for the AHL, but the Sabres aren’t making decisions that would lead to Levi leaping to NHL starter. They have their top goalie, Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen, under contract through the 2028-2029 campaign and signed veteran Alex Lyon to be his backup for the coming season.

The trade value for Levi has reached a new low over the past year, and the Sabres are the biggest cause. They may hold hope that another strong season in the AHL is the final stop before becoming an NHL goalie or that his value increases to the point where it makes sense to trade him, but the harsh reality is that is a long-term bet that is unlikely to pay off. The Sabres might just be ready to take the loss on this, however, and move on from their former top prospect goalie.

There’s plenty of organizations that would gladly give Levi another chance. The Edmonton Oilers remain a logical landing spot with their own goaltending under fire. A team like the Philadelphia Flyers could take a risk and add him to the carousel of fringe puck-stoppers competing for starts. The Nashville Predators could use a running mate for Juuse Saros as they try to bounce back from a miserable 2024-2025 season. The Los Angeles Kings chose the veteran route all offseason, but their goaltending duo heading into the season are both over 32 and have injury histories. The Columbus Blue Jackets have a starter that they “trust,” but between Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves, they lack a truly dependable starter.

Levi might not be the answer to any of these franchise’s issues, and the best path for him might just be to wait things out in Buffalo and take hold of the next opportunity. The rising goalie still has promise and potential, but where that will be further developed is a wide-open question.

Canucks Add Firepower

The Vancouver Canucks are starved for top of the lineup depth. After trading 100-point scorer JT Miller to the New York Rangers last year, their offense is nowhere near good enough. They re-signed former 40-goal scorer Brock Boeser to an extension, keeping one of their best players around for the foreseeable future, but plenty of work remains. Even with the trade addition of 34-year-old Evander Kane, their top-six is thin and it’s hard to envision them competing in a powerful Pacific Division.

Which is why the always-aggressive Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford are likely to pounce early. After shipping rugged winger Dakota Joshua out earlier in the summer, they have just under $4 million in cap space, meaning they have some serious runway to add. The team has shown an aggressive tendency to get what they want, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make one more move before the season begins.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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