We have officially made it to 2025 NHL Draft week. With just five days to go, talks have ramped up to warp speed. Smokescreens are up all over the place. But starting Friday night, the truth will be revealed.
In this part of our countdown to Los Angeles, we’re going to focus on the six teams that are eager to make a big trade either leading into the draft or entering the free-agent period. In case you missed any of our previous parts of the countdown, you can check those out below.
This offseason feels like there will be more chaos than normal. One look at the overall situation reveals some interesting trends. When you combine a weaker than usual free-agent class with an abundance of buyers hoping to improve their teams, you get a situation where multiple, big trades are possible.
The six teams who make our list of being eager to make a trade stand out for different reasons. Our first team is perhaps the only true seller on the market at this time. That alone makes them a popular team this coming week.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The age-old adage of supply and demand. GM Kyle Dubas is in a unique position. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the only team that is clearly trying to sell. Arguments could be made the other 31 teams are looking to buy to varying degrees.
Dubas has a few players that will attract a lot of attention in the market. Bryan Rust is the biggest name that contenders will battle over. The Penguins could set a higher price given the expected competition that would present.
Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell will generate interest too. Other players such as Ryan Graves could be had if a team meets the price set by the Penguins.
Dubas has the difficult task of managing their aging stars while trying to add young talent to their team. This makes the Penguins a willing seller.
Dubas will even consider taking on a bad contract or two if it means getting valuable futures to go along with that. In terms of the potential number of trades that could happen this offseason, the Penguins could be among the leaders in that department.
Don’t be surprised if the Penguins try something at the draft also. They own the 11th overall pick. If a player they like could be had by trading down a few spots, that would net them additional assets.
There’s no wondering on this one. Dubas and the Penguins are eager to make multiple…
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