Forwards
Nazem Kadri (Calgary Flames)
This season: 60 games, 41 points (12+29)
Experts agree it’s not a question of if Kadri will leave, but when. At 35, the veteran’s departure seems inevitable. The Flames’ top scorer this season brings a wealth of experience - he’s played over a thousand regular-season games and celebrated a Stanley Cup win with Colorado a few years ago. However, with a -27 rating, he’s also the fourth-worst player in the league this year. Kadri’s contract, with a $7 million cap hit, runs for another three seasons.
Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers)
This season: 46 games, 39 points (12+27)
Another player with three years left on his deal. The newly crowned Olympic champion’s contract carries a slightly lower cap hit than Kadri’s, at $5.625 million. Since returning from the Olympics, Trocheck has registered points in all three Rangers games and made his ambitions clear. "I’m 32, I want to win the Stanley Cup," said the former Florida and Carolina forward. His contract includes a no-trade clause for 12 teams, and he’s stated he wants to stay in the Eastern Conference.
Blake Coleman (Calgary Flames)
This season: 48 games, 22 points (13+9)
Another Flames player, highlighting just how disappointing Calgary’s season has been. The Texas native is a proven playoff performer, having appeared in the postseason only four times in his 10-year career, but twice helped Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup. The 43-year-old winger has just one year left on his contract.
Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues)
This season: 43 games, 35 points (12+23)
The Blues’ most productive player over the past two seasons is underperforming this year, on pace for just 53 points - his lowest total since 2020/21. The fact that the Blues are even considering trading him signals that a rebuild is coming. The 2019 Stanley Cup winner is signed through 2030. There’s strong speculation that Buffalo are interested, and he could end up with the Sabres in the coming hours...
Evander Kane (Vancouver Canucks)
This season: 59 games, 27 points (11+16)
With just 43 points, Vancouver sits at the very bottom of the NHL. Bigger stars may be on the move, but for the fourth overall pick in 2009, a trade seems almost certain. The gritty forward has lost two finals with Edmonton and always steps up in high-pressure games. He’s running out of chances to chase the Stanley Cup. With 78 penalty minutes, he’s the most penalised Canuck this season.
Other notable names: Andrew Mangiapane, Bobby McMann, Steven Stamkos, Elias Pettersson, Ryan O'Reilly, Brayden Schenn, Warren Foegele, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, David Kampf, Shane Wright.
Defensemen
Justin Faulk (St. Louis Blues)
This season: 60 games, 32 points (11+21)
The Blues’ top-scoring defenseman this season may be getting older, but it hasn’t affected his numbers. He’s already matched last season’s point total and is on track for one of the best years of his career. His contract runs for another year and would add $6.5 million to any new team’s cap.
Dougie Hamilton (New Jersey Devils)
This season: 56 games, 25 points (9+16)
The Devils are having another strange season. Since the start of the calendar year, the ambitious team is the seventh-worst in the NHL and currently sits eleven points out of the last playoff spot. The biggest issue for the former ninth overall pick is his contract, which has two years left with a $9 million cap hit. On the other hand, he put up 74 points as recently as 2022/23 - he’s still got plenty of game.
Other notable names: Mackenzie Weegar, Rasmus Ristolainen, Luke Schenn, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mario Ferraro.
Goaltenders
Jordan Binnington (St. Louis Blues)
This season: 33 games, 8-18-6
While his form is notoriously inconsistent, Binnington can deliver elite performances, as he showed during the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup run and at this year’s Olympics for Canada, where he made crucial saves. Still, the longtime team stalwart is enduring the worst NHL season of his career, with his last win coming on January 3rd against Montreal.
Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers)
This season: 43 games, 22-19-1
TSN ranked the Russian netminder just 50th among trade targets, but insider Kevin Weekes - who rarely gets it wrong - has reported Bobrovsky could be leaving the champion Panthers. Another expert, Pierre LeBrun, also says Florida is open for business. The former Columbus and Philadelphia goalie’s contract expires after this season. Could Edmonton bring him in for a playoff run? That would be a fascinating twist...
Other notable names: Jesper Wallstedt.
