The 6 Bargain Players Teams Should Target at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline

With all the big names we've seen traded already in the NHL it makes you wonder who will be left by the time the trade deadline rolls around on March 7.

When you see Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall moved in the same trade it sends the message that just about anyone could be had just so long as the price is right and very, very high. But not all trades need to come at the hands of big name, big money players, right? There are some thrifty, savvy moves to be made and there are players out there that fit that description very well.

We've picked out a handful of players who could help a team in the playoff race or in the playoffs, period, who could be had by the deadline and not break the bank either in cost against the cap or in assets in a trade. Some names may not jump out at you right away, but trust us here, we know what we're talking about.

If you don't think we know our stuff, let us know about it in the comments.

With the Nashville Predators all but out of the playoff picture, soon-to-be unrestricted free agent forward Gustav Nyquist stands out as someone who could help a contending team come deadline time.

Nyquist has been in this position before and any team in need of a veteran scorer would be more than happy to add a player like him for the stretch run and postseason. Although he's got just nine goals so far this year and 20 total points, those could be seen as reasons why now would be a great time to spring for a trade.

His $3.185 million cap hit this time of year is easier to handle and since Nyquist is 35 years old and hunting a Stanley Cup, the motivation within him would be strong. Any team adding him wouldn't necessarily be getting a top six forward, but a guy with his history of scoring and offensive touch would be a welcome addition.

One player who's making a case for being a hot commodity by the deadline is Chicago's Ryan Donato.

Donato is having a very good season, and his scoring has picked up in recent weeks. He leads the Blackhawks in goals with 18 and with 18 assists to go with it, his all-around offensive play has showed through well.

Donato has a $2 million cap hit which makes him easily affordable for any contending team and after putting up 12 points in the past nine games (5 goals, 7 assists) he's making sure his cost to acquire might be a bit higher to meet. He's even making a case for Chicago to sign him to an extension to continue playing alongside Connor Bedard.

Given the position Chicago is in battling with San Jose for the worst record in the league, adding futures is never the wrong idea and if Donato is going to score like this, he'll fetch a better haul as time goes on.

The Buffalo Sabres certainly didn't intend on being in a position to trade players away come deadline time this season and with the way Jason Zucker has played, they really shouldn't want to trade him either.

The Sabres signed Zucker to a one-year, $5 million deal in the offseason and the lesson learned this year was they probably should've found a way to sign a couple more guys like him if they were going to perform the way he has.

The 18 goals Zucker scored are second most on the team and his 40 points make him one of their top scorers. Even though Buffalo's power play has struggled again this year, Zucker has nine goals and 15 points with the man advantage to lead the team in those categories.

The Sabres don't have to trade Zucker, in fact they probably very much want to sign him to a multi-year extension, but if he doesn't want to lock in with the Sabres, trading him wouldn't be difficult. His cap hit would be easier to take and even though GM Kevyn Adams isn't in the mood to hoard draft picks, Zucker would at least bring a good one (or two) from a contending team.

We swear we're not trying to pick on the Canucks all the time with trade suggestions, but they've made it easy to cite them for various reasons and forward Pius Suter is another one.

The Canucks are right in the battle for the playoffs, and they've swung two massive trades already with J.T. Miller and Marcus Pettersson so they're not in a big hurry to make more. But, if a team that's a definitive Stanley Cup contender wanted to add Suter, they'd have good reason to do that.

Suter has 14 goals and 11 assists this season which is very good for a versatile player like him. He's played up and down the Vancouver lineup and his reputation for playing well defensively is supported by his advanced stats as well as the eye test.

With a $1.6 million dollar cap hit, Suter's production makes him one of the better bargains in the league regardless of whether or not he's a trade candidate. If the Canucks can solidify a playoff spot of their own, hanging onto him makes far more sense. But if they've gotten addicted to making trades and getting a good return, Suter would scratch that itch as well.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' season hasn't gone how anyone there has hoped it would and GM Kyle Dubas having to face up to the possibility of having to shake things up a bit more vigorously must feel difficult.

Even though a lot of fans are having daydreams of seeing Sidney Crosby traded, moving a useful player like Anthony Beauvillier makes a lot more sense in the real world.

Beauvillier's contract was a one-year deal with a $1.25 million cap hit which was the kind of bargain signing the Penguins needed to make to stay in line with all of their superstar contracts. Unfortunately, his raw stats haven't jumped off the page with 11 goals and six assists this year.

However, Beauvillier has been solid enough in the defensive end of the ice and with double-digit goals and a low cap hit, that would make him an ideal candidate for a team looking for depth and useful contributions on the cheap.

Even though the Penguins reportedly want to get young, NHL-ready players in trades, they could stand to add more draft picks to fatten up their prospect coffers too and that's just what they would be able to get by dealing Beauvillier.

Even though San Jose Sharks forward Carl Grundström hasn't put up big offensive numbers this season, his advanced stat metrics are what make him an intriguing player for contenders to check out. Well, that and his affordable contract, too.

Grundström's $1.8 million cap hit lasts for this season and next and the physical forward has the kind of pedigree that tends to make teams drool. He's good around the net offensively to help generate chances and he's done well enough in the defensive end of the ice to be noticeable on a bad team.

However, his cap hit will make teams blanch at the thought of acquiring him when they see he's got two goals and four assists this season. Two years ago, he had a career-high 12 goals for the Los Angeles Kings, and he would almost certainly be a fourth line player for any team that wanted to add him.

That said, if any contending team has a questionable fourth line that's causing more problems than it's solving, adding Grundström for what we'd assume would be a low cost could make an enterprising GM look good in the end.