“Players With Term Are in Play”: Thin NHL Rental Market Could Bring More Hockey Trades
The NHL trade market is going to be very different this year. Even though we’ve seen a few teams announce their intentions to trade some of their veterans, like the New York Rangers or the Vancouver Canucks, the types of trades will differ from those of years prior.
Usually, as we gear up for the NHL Trade Deadline, all the talk centers on the pending unrestricted free agents of note playing for underachieving teams. That is likely the case with Rasmus Andersson (Calgary), Artemi Panarin (New York), and Mario Ferraro (San Jose), but the pool of quality rental pieces is very small.
That’s largely due to the flurry of signings between July 1 and December 31 in the NHL, which saw long-term contracts handed out to a majority of what was expected to be a monster 2026 UFA class.
Sources confirm to Ratings that the thin rental market has forced GMs to get a bit more creative and explore solutions with a bit more term, breaking away from the risk-free rental options of the past.
“Teams have had to get a little more creative when it comes to trade talk. More players with term are likely to get moved before the deadline because of the small amount of sellers and rental options. It’ll make for more complicated deals, but more exciting as well.”
In the last few days, chatter has picked up across the league regarding some high-level players who could be made available, given their teams’ downward trajectories.
Buyers and sellers alike have had multiple conversations, looking to see if there is a fit. Here are a few names that have come up.
Ranger Retool Creates Interest in Trocheck
After GM Chris Drury released the Rangers’ second fan letter in a decade, it’s clear the team wants to get younger.
Artemi Panarin and Carson Soucy will surely be moved, and there is likely to be some noise on Mika Zibanejad, but it’s Vincent Trocheck that will likely be the most valuable piece the Rangers could move at this time.
The 32-year-old has three more years on his $5.625M deal and has put up more than respectable 11 goals and 27 points in 34 games. Given his experience, premium center position, offensive output, and defensive acumen, Trocheck checks way too many boxes.
“I know a few teams have already asked the Rangers what the plan is with him right now,” said an NHL source.
The Rangers have a lot of leverage here, given how thin the center market is, but will have to navigate Trocheck’s 10-team no-trade clause as well. Nonetheless, the list of suitors would be very long if the Rangers opened the possibility to the rest of the league.
“I know there has been some interest in him. He’d be the perfect 2C on a contending team at a really good salary,” continued the source. “If the Rangers get a big offer for him, which I’d expect to happen, Chris is going to have to think long and hard.”
Trocheck is a player who can help stabilize one of hockey’s most crucial positions. Teams like the L.A. Kings, Minnesota Wild, or the Carolina Hurricanes would be expected to be involved, assuming they aren’t on his NTC.
“Everyone knows the Kings and Wild need another center, and Trocheck would fit well with what Bill Guerin has built in Minnesota. They’d look good enough to go up against Colorado, and that’s why they’d show interest. Guerin knows him well from running Team USA, so you know they’ll want in.”
Elias Pettersson Generating Interest
The Vancouver Canucks are ready to undergo a rebuild, which was unofficially announced when they traded Quinn Hughes.
They are now working with pending UFA Kiefer Sherwood to find him a new home, potentially with a contract extension in hand to maximize his trade return.
But after that, the names of top players like Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek have come up in terms of questioning the Canucks’ direction with them.
A couple of sources have indicated that there is more appetite to listen to Pettersson at this time than Hronek, simply because Hronek has absolutely taken off since Hughes was traded and only recently signed an eight-year extension with the club 18 months ago.
Pettersson, on the other hand, feels like it’s been a long time coming, especially when you remember the J.T. Miller debacle from last year, when management weighed the possibility of trading either pivot before the deadline.
“The thing with Pettersson is that he is a good player, but the $11.6M price tag may be too much for an ownership group that is looking to rebuild to be willing to pay,” explained another NHL source. “The Carolina Hurricanes were in on him last year before the Rantanen trade, and they want to make a splash again this year.”
It’s also worth noting that there have now been two trade discussions (Pettersson last year and Quinn Hughes this year) in which the Carolina Hurricanes have been asked for Jesperi Kotkaniemi in any prospective deal, which shows the Canucks have interest in the Finnish center as well.
But Carolina would be far from the only fit.
“A team like the Flyers — with Tocchet being very familiar with Petey and having unlocked his best offensive seasons — could make a lot of sense. Philly has a few young centers and defensemen and lots of picks. A team to watch, I’d say.”
Many teams would be lining up to make that kind of splash, like the Utah Mammoth or Philadelphia Flyers.
Pettersson’s numbers continue to dip from his point-per-game pace of previous seasons for the second straight year, and a change of scenery could be exactly what the doctor ordered for both him and the Canucks.
Robert Thomas Not Untouchable
Going into the season, it seemed almost insane to fathom that the St. Louis Blues would ever consider trading their number one center, but here we are.
Robert Thomas has had a subpar season by his standards, with only 11 goals and 33 points in 42 games. But that can be said for every single member of the organization this season.
So why consider moving Thomas?
Sources across the league have said since the summer that the Blues have quietly been retooling over the last three seasons, aside from a monstrous playoff push last spring.
“If you look at their decisions over the last few seasons, they haven’t really bought or sold major pieces, and they’re likely to miss the playoffs for a third time in the last four years,” said the Western Conference source. “They want to get younger. (Brayden) Schenn and (Justin) Faulk are likely going to go, which means it’ll take a few years to get to the point of being able to compete again in the West.”
That’s where the idea of trading some bigger names like Thomas or Jordan Kyrou comes in.
A well-placed source indicates that if a team were to bring an aggressive offer to the table — one that looks similar to the Quinn Hughes package — the Blues will consider a Thomas move. But they aren’t shopping him or giving him away at a low cost, regardless of the season they’re having.
Thomas seems like more of a summer deal, if that, but Blues GM Doug Armstrong is open for business and is willing to keep an open mind should a serious offer come down the line.
Big Game Hunting
As the deadline approaches, what is becoming increasingly clear is that this will not be a market defined by safe, short-term rentals or minor depth additions. With so few impact expiring contracts available and more teams either retooling or recalibrating their timelines, general managers are being forced into harder conversations and riskier decisions.
That has opened the door for players with term, higher cap hits, and real organizational value to enter the discussion, fundamentally changing the type of deals being explored across the league.
The teams willing to think beyond the next few months, absorb money, or part with premium futures may ultimately define the market, and with so many franchises at crossroads, the coming weeks could be more exciting than in past years.