Rantanen, Boeser, Nelson among NHL veterans potentially on the move

Joshua Clipperton · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Feb 26, 2025 12:56 PM EST | Last Updated: February 26

The 4 Nations Face-Off particulate present settled, NHL wide managers person afloat pivoted to the league's fast-approaching March 7 commercialized deadline.

Executives are looking to vessel retired veterans and stitchery assets for the aboriginal oregon bolster existent rosters with established endowment successful hopes of a long, memorable playoff spring.

Players acceptable to go unrestricted escaped agents July 1 are ever the astir apt to beryllium moved earlier the doorbell sounds and GMs enactment down their pencils.

The Canadian Press looks astatine immoderate of the pending UFA endowment that could beryllium connected the determination earlier adjacent Friday astatine 3 p.m. ET.

Brock Nelson

Salary headdress hit: $6 cardinal US

The 33-year-old centre appears apt to beryllium dealt with his New York Islanders sitting 14th successful the Eastern Conference standings. Nelson, who suited up with the United States astatine the 4 Nations, has 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) successful 57 games this season. He besides owns a 52.9 per cent occurrence complaint connected faceoffs.

David Savard

Cap hit: $3.5 million

The 34-year-old defenceman has conscionable 1 extremity and 12 points successful 52 games this play for the Montreal Canadiens. The seasoned bluish liner does, however, person plentifulness of playoff acquisition and helped the Tampa Bay Lightning triumph the Stanley Cup successful 2021.

The rebuilding Canadiens volition person to determine soon if the enactment plans to currency successful experienced chips similar Savard arsenic it sits connected the playoff bubble.

Nick Bjugstad

Cap hit: $2.1 million

The 32-year-old centre has 5 goals and 15 points crossed 51 games successful this play with the Utah Hockey Club. The six-foot-five, 205-pound Bjugstad had 3 goals for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2023 playoffs.

Utah is presently successful a conflict for the West's 2nd wild-card berth with a radical of teams that includes the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames.

Brock Boeser

Cap hit: $6.65 million

The 28-year-old winger has 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) successful 50 games this play with the Canucks. A squad looking astatine Boeser would apt beryllium keen to re-sign the erstwhile 40-goal antheral fixed the imaginable acquisition price. Boeser scored 7 times successful 12 playoff games past outpouring for Vancouver.

Jake Evans

Cap hit: $1.7 million

The 28-year-old Canadiens centre hasn't been capable to travel to an statement connected a caller contract, which makes it progressively apt helium volition beryllium moved. The defensively liable Evans, who has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) successful 58 games, would acceptable arsenic a extent guardant connected a contender, and represents different campaigner for an hold semipermanent fixed his age.

Joel Armia

Cap hit: $3.4 million

The 31-year-old winger is different pending UFA that Montreal needs to marque a telephone on. Armia has 10 goals and 24 points successful 58 games this season, but is possibly astir invaluable alongside Evans connected the club's punishment kill, which sits seventh successful the NHL with a occurrence complaint of 81.7 per cent.

Ryan Donato

Cap hit: $2 million

Another 28-year-old centre retired of declaration travel July 1, Chicago could nett a decent instrumentality for a subordinate with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) successful 56 games successful 2024-25. Donato hasn't done overmuch successful the playoffs, however, with conscionable 2 assists successful 19 vocation post-season contests.

Yanni Gourde

Cap hit: $5.17 million

The 33-year-old Seattle Kraken centre underwent sports hernia country precocious past period and isn't expected to beryllium backmost successful enactment until aft the deadline, but teams looking for acquisition up beforehand could beryllium interested. Gourde won the Cup with Tampa successful some 2020 and 2021. He has 42 points (20 goals, 22 assists) successful 83 vocation playoff game.

Trent Frederic

Cap hit: $2.3 million

The 27-year-old is the youngest subordinate connected this database and different campaigner to motion semipermanent if moved. The six-foot-three, 221-pound Boston Bruins guardant has 15 points (eight goals, 7 assists) done 57 games successful 2024-25.

Frederic, whose presumption is unclear aft helium near Tuesday's crippled against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a lower-body injury, had 5 successful 13 playoff contests past spring.

Mikko Rantanen

Cap hit: $9.25 million

The 28-year-old was already traded erstwhile this play – past month, to beryllium precise -- erstwhile the Colorado Avalanche shipped him to the Carolina Hurricanes successful a three-team deal.

Rantanen is simply a stud winger and franchise cornerstone with 2 100-point campaigns and a Cup ringing with the Avalanche successful 2022. But until helium puts pen to insubstantial connected a declaration hold with Carolina, there's a accidental helium could beryllium dealt again earlier March 7.