The NHL trade deadline this season is a perfect storm of conditions for maximum drama: aggressive Stanley Cup favorites, over two-thirds of the league in playoff contention and clarity over the salary cap’s continued rise over the next three seasons.

The fireworks began before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. They’ve only grown more frequent as names come off the board.

Here’s a look at the players who could be move before the NHL trade deadline today at 3 p.m. ET.

We begin with the top 15 most fascinating players at the deadline, followed by several categories ranging from shocking possibilities to the pending free agents to the bargain beauties who could be the difference in winning the Stanley Cup.

This list was compiled through conversations with league executives and other sources, as well as media reports. ESPN insiders Kevin Weekes and Emily Kaplan added their input in its creation. Salary figures are from PuckPedia.

Let’s begin with the biggest names.

Age: 28 | AAV: $9.25 million | Status: 2025 UFA

The Hurricanes acquired Rantanen in a blockbuster trade with the Colorado Avalanche in January, adding the NHL’s sixth-leading scorer over the past three seasons (279 points in 223 games).

They’ve attempted to sign him to an extension, presenting Rantanen and his agent with a detailed contract proposal during the 4 Nations Face-Off, with ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reporting that the average annual value was somewhere between $13 million and $14 million. But it’s clear the pending unrestricted free agent won’t commit long term to the Hurricanes before Friday’s trade deadline.

Once that impasse became apparent, teams started to reach out to Carolina with “Hey, please think of us if this goes sideways” explorations if GM Eric Tulsky decided to flip him a second time. Part of the appeal: that if the Hurricanes retain 50% of his remaining salary, Rantanen could be added at just a $2.3 million cap hit.

As of Thursday, the Hurricanes were doing due diligence on those trade inquiries while weighing the benefits of keeping Rantanen, despite that contract uncertainty, for a shot at the Stanley Cup this season. Their decision on Rantanen will set a lot of other things in motion at the deadline.

Age: 28 | AAV: $6.65 million | Status: 2025 UFA

The only way Boeser, a pending free agent, moves at the deadline is if the Canucks are convinced there’s no way to bridge the contractual gap with him on an extension — and even then, Vancouver might keep him as an “own rental” as they push for a wild-card spot in the West.

Boeser had 18 goals through 54 games after potting 40 goals in 81 games last season. He’s not expected to sign an extension this week. “Any time you have uncertainty, it’s scary. The unknown is scary,” he said this week.

Age: 31 | AAV: $5 million | Status: 2028 UFA

Rakell (29 goals) is having his best goal-scoring season in eight years and is signed through 2027-28 at a very reasonable $5 million AAV. Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas has signaled that teams might be more apt to acquire a player like Rakell in the offseason.

That said, this is a sellers’ deadline and Rakell’s value might never be higher. Of course, the counterargument is that Rakell is important to the core of veteran players returning to the Penguins next season. Do they really want to trade away Sidney Crosby’s most productive linemate at consecutive deadlines?

Age: 36 | AAV: $6.125 million | Status: 2025 UFA

It’s hard to imagine captain Brad Marchand wearing anything other than a Bruins sweater, but here we are. Marchand turns 37 in May and is a pending unrestricted free agent. Boston’s struggles this season necessitate a retool, and the return on a Marchand trade could expedite that, especially if they retained part of his $6.125 million cap hit.

Marchand is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Before the injury last weekend, there was a growing sense that Marchand would remain in Boston, as the sides continue to talk extension. But it’s still very much possible that Marchand is sent to a contender at the deadline, with Vegas and Edmonton two of the logical landing spots for his unparalleled blend of scoring, grit and opponent agitation.

Age: 30 | AAV: $3 million | Status: 2026 UFA

Laughton’s name was prominently featured at last season’s trade deadline for the same reason it is this time: He’s a tenacious glue guy that can also contribute offensively (27 points in 56 games) down the lineup. They didn’t move him then. “With all the rumors and stuff, it maybe feels a little more real this year,” Laughton said this week.

The center makes $3 million against the cap over the next two seasons. The Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs are two teams linked to Laughton, but it’s possible the Flyers see his intangibles as important for their own eventual return to contention. Perhaps a trade now and a re-signing in the summer?

Age: 34 | AAV: $5 million | Status: 2025 UFA

The 15-year veteran winger is a pure finisher, hitting 30 goals last season and scoring 20 goals in 61 games this season, shooting 16.9%. He’s an ideal depth addition offensively for a contender that had 10 power-play goals last season.

Palmieri has an expiring contract, makes $5 million and has limited trade protection. But only Lou Lamoriello knows where Palmieri will play after the deadline.

Age: 23 | AAV: $855,834 | Status: 2025 RFA

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan said to keep an eye on Peterka as a trade option. He’s a pending restricted free agent for a team that needs to do something to shake up the mix.

There’s certainly an argument that he’s part of the solution — 23 years old, 49 points in 58 games last season — but that’s exactly why this tenacious winger has a lot of interested suitors at the deadline. There’s also the possibility that Peterka could receive an offer sheet this summer, which complicates matters for the Sabres.

Age: 28 | AAV: $4.1 million | Status: 2027 UFA

The Bruins have been taking calls on their 6-foot-5, 220-pound defensive stopper. He has averaged 18:46 in ice time per game this season in 62 contests and is their primary penalty killer on the blue line (2:50 shorthanded ice time per game).

Despite this being his ninth season with the Bruins, he’s only 28. Carlo is signed through 2026-27 with a $4.1 million annual cap hit. Boston is in no rush to deal one of their most important defensemen, but given the market already for players like Carson Soucy and Ryan Lindgren, it’s hard to imagine they aren’t listening intently at what the returns could be.

Age: 33 | AAV: $3.5 million | Status: 2025 UFA

Tanev is the kind of tenacious forechecker teams drool over at the deadline. His $3.5 million AAV is a little rich for the role, but the Kraken should find any number of contenders interested if Seattle retains salary. Tanev has nine goals and eight assists in 60 games this season, with just 10 penalty minutes.

Age: 31 | AAV: $6.4 million | Status: 2027 UFA

Wednesday night’s game was the perfect microcosm of Gibson’s recent NHL career: Makes the save of the season, leaves with an injury.

He is easily the best available goaltender at the deadline. He has some trade protection and is signed for two more seasons at $6.4 million — a contract that has become increasingly less daunting each passing season and with the salary cap rising dramatically. Gibson has a .910 save percentage and 7.1 goals saved above expected per Stathletes.

Age: 28 | AAV: $4.75 million | Status: 2026 UFA

Tuch is a prototypical trade deadline darling: a big, rugged winger who skates well and finishes his chances. Tuch’s 81 goals over the past three seasons is second only to Tage Thompson among Sabres. Tuch has one more year left on his contract with limited trade protection and a $4.75 million cap hit. That extra year of control would be hugely appealing to teams looking to add his intangibles to their lineup.

The only part of the package missing is a Stanley Cup ring, although he went on a few lengthy runs while with the Golden Knights. The Syracuse native has expressed an affinity for playing in Buffalo, which is something the Sabres should not take for granted. But as they look to retool, dealing the 28-year-old in a sellers’ market might be too tempting.

Age: 35 | AAV: $2.75 million | Status: 2026 UFA

Schenn was traded from the Predators to the Penguins this week. He’s signed through next season at $2.75 million.

Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas has talked about the intangibles Schenn brings that the Penguins might like to have for next season, along with his stout defensive play. But that’s just what other teams are looking for, too. Turning him into a second-round pick would be solid asset management from the Penguins.

Age: 26 | AAV: $5.75 million | Status: 2027 UFA

The Avalanche traded Bowen Byram to acquire Mittelstadt last season, but Mittelstadt has only 34 points in 62 games this season, skating to a minus-12.

There is increased speculation around the league that the Avs could move him again during the first year of a three-year deal to which they signed him ($5.75 million AAV). That could be more likely to happen after Colorado addressed its hole at No. 2 center with the Brock Nelson trade.

Age: 28 | AAV: $2 million | Status: 2025 UFA

Donato is part of a grand trade deadline tradition of “guys on expiring contracts who shoot the ever-loving lights out before free agency.”

Through 60 games with the Blackhawks, the eight-year veteran has a career-high 23 goals and 23 assists. He’s shooting an astounding 16.9% on the season and makes $2 million against the cap — but note that Chicago would have to find someone else to retain salary on a trade if necessary, because the Blackhawks have used all three of their retention slots this season.

Age: 26 | AAV: $3.25 million | Status: 2026 UFA

There’s a lot to like about Ferraro, the 26-year-old blueliner for the Sharks. He’s not an offensive dynamo — his 21 points last season were his career high — but he blocks shots and kills penalties. He also makes just $3.25 million against the cap through next season and has the kind of personality that’d make him an instant fan favorite wherever he goes.

It’s been a down year for him on a terrible team. But the Sharks are headed in the right direction thanks to their youth movement — would it benefit them more to keep Ferraro as a building block or trade him in a torrid market for defensemen?

Shocking possibilities tier

Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers
Erik Karlsson, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
Chris Kreider, RW, New York Rangers
Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks

One name has already graduated from this tier: Seth Jones, who went from “shocking possibility” to a member of the Florida Panthers after the Blackhawks traded him.

Kreider is skating again for the Rangers but has been injury-plagued during a disastrous offensive season by his standards (17 goals in 48 games). Vince Z. Mercogliano of the Journal News reported that “the Rangers are heading toward an eventual split” with Kreider, but that move could come in the offseason. Kreider was named in that infamous “open for business” memo that GM Chris Drury sent to 31 of his peers earlier this season. The other player named: Jacob Trouba, now of the Anaheim Ducks.

Ekblad is also on an expiring contract. The 29-year-old defenseman has 26 points in 50 games this season. There was a report last summer that the Panthers were “shopping” Ekblad ahead of this contract year, but he’s on the record as wanting to remain in Sunrise. While one can never assume anything with the bold Floridian front office, their aspirations to repeat as Stanley Cup champs and figure out the rest later likely means he stays put.

What about the other defenseman here, Erik Karlsson? The 34-year-old saw his stock rise during the 4 Nations Face-Off with a vintage performance, reminding everyone what he can do when motivated. He has 45 points in 64 games for the Penguins. He also makes $10 million against the cap through 2026-27 with a full no-movement clause. Pittsburgh has shopped him, but Karlsson has not been asked to waive. “I have full say if anything happens or not,” he said recently.

Finally, there’s Elias Pettersson, whose value couldn’t be lower at the moment. The J.T. Miller trade was supposed to unburden him of his locker room feud and allow the star center to find his game again. He responded by registering two assists and zero goals over his next 10 games, registering less than two shots on goal in nine of them.

Pettersson is in the first season of an eight-year contract that carries a $11.6 million annual cap hit. Vancouver engaged in trade talks about Pettersson concurrent to those regarding Miller. His no-movement clause kicks in this summer. But what value could they hope to get for him now, unless another NHL team is convinced that a change in scenery means the return of his superstar production?

Elite players with term tier

Rasmus Andersson, D, Calgary Flames
Viktor Arvidsson, F, Edmonton Oilers
Evander Kane, LW, Edmonton Oilers
Mike Matheson, D, Montreal Canadiens
Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C, New York Islanders
Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues
Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Detroit Red Wings

Among the interesting names here:

• Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Evander Kane is causing his team headaches. In this case, it’s the Oilers being unsure if Kane’s $5.125 million salary will remain on long-term injured reserve through the end of the regular season. Kane has yet to play this season after knee surgery. The Oilers would love to leverage his cap space for other areas of need, but Kane has expressed a desire to play before the postseason begins. Will Edmonton address that uncertainty by taking advantage of his limited no-trade clause and moving him before the deadline? Kane is signed through next season. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug notes that “it’s perhaps becoming more apparent that a return at playoff time is more likely.”

• Schenn has been discussed as a trade option all season — with the Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly hot for him — because of his age (33), contract cost certainty, effectiveness at center and the Blues’ necessity for retooling. Standing in the way of a Schenn trade is his no-trade clause, GM Doug Armstrong’s asking price — reportedly quite high — and the fact that the Blues are actually in the playoff race at the deadline, with a 37.3% chance of making the postseason heading into Thursday night’s action. Armstrong has a history of holding onto players if no one meets his ask: See Pavel Buchnevich last trade deadline.

• O’Reilly is in his second season with the Predators (39 points in 58 games). Teams have inquired about him, but the 34-year-old has two more years at $4.5 million AAV left after this one. If Nashville is retooling this summer rather than tearing it down, O’Reilly could remain part of its core.

The 25-and-under tier

Bowen Byram, D, Buffalo Sabres
Dylan Cozens, C, Buffalo Sabres
Brandt Clarke, D, Los Angeles Kings
Noah Dobson, D, New York Islanders
Mason Lohrei, D, Boston Bruins
Matias Maccelli, LW, Utah Hockey Club
Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks
K’Andre Miller, D, New York Rangers
Josh Norris, C, Ottawa Senators
Lukas Reichel, LW, Chicago Blackhawks
Nicholas Robertson, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Jack Quinn, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Trevor Zegras, C, Anaheim Ducks

Some particularly captivating players here:

• As the rest of the league attempts to figure out what exactly the plan is in Buffalo after another disastrous season, Cozens has been in trade discussions pretty much all season. How much of that is wish fulfillment from NHL teams that covet the 6-foot-3 “Workhorse from Whitehorse” two years removed from a 31-goal season? How much are the Sabres really looking to move a 24-year-old in the second of a seven-year deal ($7.1 million AAV)?

• Peterka, another Sabre, is a pending restricted free agent for a team that needs to do something to shake up the mix, which is why he has ended up on some trade boards. There’s certainly an argument that he’s part of the solution for Buffalo — 23 years old, 49 points in 58 games last season — but that’s exactly why this tenacious winger has a lot of interested suitors at the deadline.

• Clarke’s name is out there, according to multiple sources. The 22-year-old, who was taken eighth overall in 2021, is in his first full NHL season and has 25 points in 56 games, but his ice time has dropped precipitously over the last two months. He is still on his entry-level deal through next season.

The goalie tier

Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Alexandar Georgiev, San Jose Sharks
Petr Mrazek, Chicago Blackhawks
Alex Nedeljkovic, Pittsburgh Penguins
Dan Vladar, Calgary Flames

While there was some thought that Blues could trade Binnington, his Team Canada heroism, trade protection and their playoff contention likely nix that.

Keep an eye on Mrazek, who is the odd man out in Chicago after they acquired Spencer Knight from the Panthers. He has played at a replacement level on a bad hockey team this season, but when he’s on, he’s really on.

Help up front tier

Josh Anderson, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Joel Armia, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Nick Bjugstad, C, Utah Hockey Club
Lawson Crouse, LW, Utah Hockey Club
Christian Dvorak, C, Montreal Canadiens
Radek Faksa, C, St. Louis Blues
Andrei Kuzmenko, LW, Philadelphia Flyers
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Luke Kunin, C, San Jose Sharks
Pat Maroon, RW, Chicago Blackhawks

Among the interesting names here:

• Armia is a pending unrestricted free agent who is a defensive stopper and pitches in offensively. His best value is as a penalty killer. The 31-year-old makes $3.4 million against the salary cap.

• Kuzmenko was acquired from the Flames in the deal that saw Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee go to Calgary. The 29-year-old winger is a pending UFA, has a $5.5 million AAV and a limited no-trade clause. Philly could get some calls on him, but they also could decide the need the rest of the season to see what they have in the goal-scoring Russian. (Which, in the end, might be someone to help their much younger goal-scoring Russian, Matvei Michkov).

• Faksa ($3.25 million AAV) would seem to be an ideal trade target for a contending team: a big frame with a great work ethic and playoff experience. But the Blues reportedly really like him.

Help on the blue line tier

Robert Bortuzzo, Utah Hockey Club
Jeremy Lauzon, Nashville Predators
Connor Murphy, Chicago Blackhawks
Alec Martinez, Chicago Blackhawks
Jamie Oleksiak, Seattle Kraken
David Savard, Montreal Canadiens
Ryan Suter, St. Louis Blues

Savard can play both sides and makes $3.5 million against the cap. Stu Cowen of the Montreal Gazette said Savard “will almost certainly get traded.”

For the Blackhawks, keeping Murphy around might make more sense than dealing him now, especially because his $4.4 million cap hit and expiring contract status make him more attractive to other teams in 2025-26. As for Martinez, he’s a three-time Stanley Cup champion goalie who would be ideal for a contender. But The Athletic reports that both he and forward Pat Maroon will likely only be traded if they sign off on a move.

Bargain-beauty contracts tier

Ethan Bear, D, Washington Capitals
Anthony Beauvillier, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Michael McCarron, C, Nashville Predators

Even with Trent Frederic traded to the Oilers and Mathieu Olivier (Columbus) and Jake Evans (Montreal) re-signed, this group still has some interesting options. McCarron, a 6-6 Predators forward, can bring a physical game. He had 12 goals and 100 PIMs last season. He’s signed through next season at a $900,000 cap hit.

These aren’t the biggest names available at the trade deadline, but sometimes it’s the little moves that matter most for a championship run.