NHL Trade Deadline | Best Team Fits for Top Targets
- Francesco Ferro
- Mar 3
- 6 min read
The NHL trade deadline is approaching quickly, yet the market has been almost completely silent. With much of the league looking to buy, everyone is waiting to see who makes the first splash. Let’s analyze the best fits for some of the top targets, if they’re eventually dealt.
Nazem Kadri - Colorado Avalanche
Other fits: Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins
Nazem Kadri returning to the league-leading Avalanche would be a match made in heaven. He was a part of their 2022 Stanley Cup run, and they've been missing his playstyle ever since. Colorado has been searching for an elite third-line center to round out its top nine; Kadri fits that role perfectly.
His gritty style and scoring touch may be exactly what the Avs need to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Many teams are looking at Kadri for their second-line center role, so being able to play him on their third line will be a massive advantage.
Vincent Trochek - Minnesota Wild
Other fits: Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins
Guerin showed he clearly values Trocheck’s game after controversially selecting him for Team USA. The Wild have been searching for a top-six center ever since they traded away Marco Rossi in the blockbuster trade that landed superstar defenceman Quinn Hughes.
Trochek has plenty of familiarity with Guerin and the Wild, as he just spent the entire Olympic break with him and the other Americans on the Wild in Hughes, Boldy, and Faber. Every report indicates that the Wild are heavily in on Trochek.
Elias Petterson - Detroit Red Wings
Other fits: Seattle Kraken, Carolina Hurricanes
Petterson to the Red Wings has picked up some steam of late, and the longer it goes on, the better the fit sounds. With Detroit’s deep Swedish pipeline and long history of Swedish stars, the cultural fit feels natural.
The Red Wings finally find themselves in a playoff spot after years of heartache. However, years of rebuilding have left them with a stockpile of assets, which would make them one of the only teams that can pay the Canucks' ask.
The player is a fit, the age is a fit, but the contract poses an issue. The Canucks have declined to retain any money in trade talks surrounding Pettersson, which has turned many teams away. Will his $11.6M cap hit turn the Wings off as well?
Jordan Kyrou - Seattle Kraken
Other fits: Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders
Seattle was one of the teams that kicked around on Kyrou during last year's NHL draft. The Kraken have been desperate for another true scoring threat in the top six, and with Kyrou becoming available again, it feels like the perfect fit.
Kyrou is a 30-goal guy who is having a down year on a bad St. Louis Blues team. His confidence also seems like it's taken a hit, and being a healthy scratch at times earlier this year certainly hasn't helped.
With his no-trade clause now active, Seattle’s interest may not matter if Kyrou isn’t willing to waive, something Artemi Panarin already declined to do earlier this year. Will Kyrou do the same even if a deal gets done?
Patrik Laine - Los Angeles Kings
Other fits: Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders
LA reportedly moved off the idea of Patrik Laine, even after Kevin Fiala’s injury. But with Andrei Kuzmenko now sidelined as well, the Kings may be forced to revisit the conversation if a better option doesn’t materialize.
Everyone talks about the poor play of Laine at 5v5. However, his power play expertise could do wonders for the Kings, who find themselves near the bottom of the league in both power play percentage and total goals for.
Rasmus Ristolainen - Boston Bruins
Other fits: Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers
Can't really explain this one. Ristolainen just feels like a Bruin. Boston is actively searching for right-handed defencemen, and many names have been mentioned in rumours, Ristolainen included.
The Finnish defenceman's strong Olympic play has made him a hot commodity league-wide, but Boston feels like the perfect landing spot for a big, physical defenceman like Ristolainen.
Mackenzie Weegar - Ottawa Senators
Other fits: Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings
Being an Ottawa native, Mackenzie Weegar has been rumoured to the Senators in the past, and the talks surrounding him have resurfaced with the Sens scouring the market for right-handed defencemen.
Ottawa finds itself in a weird spot, being out of the playoffs but forced to be buyers, as they don't own their first-round pick. Being a player with term, Weegar makes sense as he can help propel them into the playoffs this year, but also be a key piece for the years to come.
Justin Faulk - Detroit Red Wings
Other fits: Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins
Steve Yzerman seems to have a preference for veteran defencemen over the age of 30, so Justin Faulk fits the mold. The Red Wings have struggled to find much production from the back end outside of Mo Seider, so Faulk can help fix that with his ability to contribute offensively while being solid defensively.
Rookie Axel Sandin Pellika has flashed for Detroit, but he doesn't have a good enough overall game to be playing in the top four of a playoff team just yet. Faulk has the playoff experience that the Wings desperately need.
Blake Coleman - Dallas Stars
Other fits: Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens
Along with right-handed defenceman, Dallas has also been scouring the market for gritty top-nine forwards. Blake Coleman is a natural fit, with his style of play and Stanley Cup experience with Tampa Bay, which is why they're also a strong fit.
With the loss of Tyler Seguin, Dallas needs someone who can be that gritty forward, but also provide scoring upside, which is why Coleman is the ideal fit.
Evander Kane - Tampa Bay Lightning
Other fits: Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins
Evander Kane's playstyle just screams Tampa Bay bottom-sixer. Another gritty forward with scoring touch that doesn't have a very high acquisition cost, fits right into the Lightning's identity.
Kane has had countless off-ice issues throughout the years, but playing under a highly respected coach like John Cooper should mitigate this. Kane is getting up there in age now, so he should be able to put issues aside for one last shot at a cup.
Robert Thomas - Utah Mammoth
Other fits: Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes
Utah is a team that was only recently added into the mix for Thomas, but frankly, they might be one of the most likely destinations. The Mammoth are one of the only teams that have the assets to obtain a player of his caliber, and he can be the perfect addition to their top six.
A top six consisting of:
Keller-Thomas-Guenther
Peterka-Cooley-Schmaltz
Makes the Mammoth very dangerous come playoff time and gives the squad the big-time move they've been teasing for some time now. Feels like a perfect fit.
Tyler Myers - Dallas Stars
Other fits: Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins
The Dallas Stars love trading for bottom pairing defenceman, so when a 6'8 right-handed behemoth like Myers becomes available, you have to assume they'd be all over it. Myers was held out for trade-related reasons a few days ago, but nothing has materialised yet.
Detroit was reported to have an offer on the table for Myers, which fell through as he declined to waive his NMC. Hard to believe that Myers wouldn't waive for a no-income-tax state like Dallas if they were to make an offer.
Bobby McMann - Edmonton Oilers
Other fits: Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning
After the Connor Murphy trade to Edmonton, the Oilers would have to find a way to offload money before acquiring McMann. Regardless, the fit is perfect, as the Oilers are desperate for help in the middle six.
McMann plays the brand of hockey the Oilers have been needing, being a fast, physical, 200-foot forward with scoring touch. If Edmonton can make the money work, this feels like a no-brainer.
Ryan O'Reilly - Carolina Hurricanes
Other fits: Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings
Ryan O'Reilly specifically stated that if he were to be dealt, he prefers it to be to a smaller market team, after his time spent in Toronto. This has made trade talks somewhat difficult for Nashville.
Carolina feels like a great fit, as they are a top-tier contender with much less fan pressure than the big-market squads. O'Reilly gets his wish, while also getting a couple more shots at a Stanley Cup before retirement with a top contender.
Braeden Schneider - San Jose Sharks
Other fits: Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins
Schneider has been a reported target for the Sharks for quite a while now. He fits the age range of their core and fits a stylistic need. The asking price on him shouldn't be something astronomical either, as he just hasn't been anything special yet.
With the Rangers going into a rebuild, trading away younger players may be a bad idea. However, Schneider could definitely develop better elsewhere, as the Rangers have a poor reputation for developing young players over the last few years. A change of scenery might benefit both player and team, and the Sharks have the assets to pry him away.
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