5 Trade Targets NHL Buyers Should Avoid at the 2025 Deadline

The NHL's annual trade deadline is on March 7. While we're only two months into the 2024-25 regular season, we can already get a good idea of which players could draw plenty of attention by deadline day.

Trade candidates are typically players on teams out of playoff contention and eligible for unrestricted free-agent status following the season. They get peddled because they don't intend to re-sign with their teams or no longer fit into their club's plans.

Several pending UFAs on current non-contenders could draw attention if they continue playing well by the trade deadline. They include San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund and goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson, and Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano.

However, several players should be avoided by playoff contenders looking to boost their rosters before the deadline. They include a future Hall of Fame winger and a former Hart Trophy winner. Here's our take on five of them.

Do you agree or disagree with our list? Are there other players you believe more deserving to be here? Let us know in the app comments below.

It's been another difficult season for the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. Stuck at the bottom of the NHL standings, they're almost certain to become a seller at the March trade deadline.

Ryan Donato could be an interesting trade chip for Chicago. The versatile 28-year-old forward can play center or wing and carries an affordable $2 million cap hit.

Donato has played well in his contract year thus far. He leads Chicago with 10 goals and is second in points with 15 in 25 games. At this pace, Donato could reach 30 goals and 50 points for the first time in his career.

Those numbers would make Donato an enticing trade target for contenders seeking scoring punch for the playoffs. However, he could prove to be a risky acquisition. He's only seen limited postseason action and has just two points in 19 playoff games

Donato's best season was 2021-22 with the Seattle Kraken, tallying 16 goals and 31 points. He's seeing second-line minutes with a rebuilding Chicago team but could end up on checking line duty with a better club. Donato is a streaky scorer not known for his skating speed, which could be an issue for teams that emphasize a swift offensive attack.

That's not to say Donato wouldn't be a worthwhile, affordable addition as a checking forward. Nevertheless, clubs should be wary about expecting him to maintain his current offensive output. Those teams might be better served to address their scoring needs elsewhere.

A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Yanni Gourde was selected by the Seattle Kraken during their 2021 expansion draft. He proved to be a solid addition in his first two seasons in Seattle with back-to-back 48-point campaigns, helping the Kraken reach the playoffs in 2021-22.

Gourde's production dropped to 33 points in 80 games last season but so did that of the entire team. His leadership and defensive skills remained invaluable.

However, Gourde surfaced in the rumor mill earlier this season following a slow start with just three points in his first 15 games. His production has improved since then with 12 points in 27 games.

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli had Gourde at No. 2 on his Nov. 20 list of NHL Trade Targets. Seravalli noted that Gourde's production has steadily dropped along with his ice time as he was kept primarily in a checking role. He indicated teams were interested in the 30-year-old center but that the Kraken weren't rushing to move him.

Gourde's playoff experience and defensive play could make him worthwhile for a contender seeking checking-line depth. However, the decline in his production suggests his best offensive seasons are behind him. If so, acquiring him to fill a two-way role on the second line could lead to a disappointing outcome in the postseason.

The Nashville Predators entered this season expecting to be playoff contenders. During the summer, they bolstered their ranks with free-agent acquisitions Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. They also ensured goaltender Juuse Saros' future in Nashville signing him to an eight-year contract extension.

Fast-forward to December, and the Predators are near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Unless they can quickly climb out of this hole, they'll be sellers when the trade deadline rolls around.

Gustav Nyquist could be among the Predators on the trade block by March. The 35-year-old two-way forward is in the final season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.2 million. He's seen top-six duty this season with the Predators and sits among their top-10 scorers with six goals and 10 points in 28 games.

A versatile forward who can play center or wing, Nyquist had a career-high 75 points last season. Playoff contenders seeking an experienced top-six forward could be interested in his services.

Acquiring Nyquist at this stage of his career could be risky. That decline in his production could be due to his age, which would explain his offensive struggles despite seeing top-six minutes. If his numbers haven't improved over the remainder of the season, teams should consider other scoring options in the trade market.

Eyebrows were raised when Taylor Hall was scratched from Chicago's Nov. 16 game against the Vancouver Canucks. The 33-year-old winger was surprised by the move, though he and then-head coach Luke Richardson said they smoothed over the issue. Richardson was fired on Dec. 5 as the club flounders at the bottom of the standings.

Nevertheless, the move raised questions about Hall's role with the Blackhawks. Acquired in June 2023 from the Boston Bruins, he played only 10 games in 2023-24 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery. His return to form has been slow this season, with just 10 points in 26 games.

Hall is in the final season of a four-year contract with a cap hit of $6 million and a 10-team no-trade list. If the playmaking winger hits the trade block, The Hockey News' Adam Proteau suggested offensive-starved clubs like the Bruins, New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken, and St. Louis Blues as potential destinations.

The first overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 draft, Hall amassed 707 points in 858 games, including four seasons exceeding 60 points. His best campaign was with the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18 with a career-best 93 points, winning the Hart Trophy as he carried the Devils into the playoffs.

Injuries, however, have hampered Hall since then. His last best season was 2021-22 with the Bruins, netting 61 points in 81 games. Despite his long career, Hall has only appeared in 39 postseason games in five playoff years, collecting 29 points.

Hall may be struggling to regain his form following his knee surgery. His production could improve as the season continues. However, the wear and tear from Hall's lengthy career combined with his age could be taking a toll, making him a risky acquisition for playoff contenders.

A space in the Hockey Hall of Fame awaits Patrick Kane when he hangs up his skates. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, the gifted winger has also won the Calder Memorial Trophy, the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award and the Conn Smythe Trophy. Kane is perhaps the greatest American-born player of all time.

He wrote an inspiring chapter of his career last season. After undergoing hip surgery in June 2023, he signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games as he helped the Wings get within a whisker of qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.

It's not surprising the Red Wings wanted him back, signing Kane to a one-year, $4 million contract. However, the Wings are struggling this season and risk becoming non-contenders by the March trade deadline. That could prompt playoff hopefuls looking for a scoring winger with Stanley Cup experience to kick the tires on Kane.

Those clubs will be drawn to the type of player he once was, rather than the player he is now. Nobody expects the 36-year-old winger to be the superstar of his youth, but some could gamble on him regaining some of his scoring touch on a deeper roster

With three goals and 10 points in 22 games, Kane could reach 40 points by season's end. However, he collected those points in just seven games, with seven coming in October. He also missed five games with an upper-body injury.

Kane's production could improve between now and the trade deadline. Maybe he'll be worth the gamble if he stays healthy and lands with a better team. However, time could be catching up with Kane after 18 long NHL seasons. If so, contenders might want to consider younger options to boost their scoring.

Trophy info, injury updates, and stats via NHL.com. Salary info via PuckPedia.