NHL Trade Rumors: Top Reports Following 2024 Stanley Cup Final (2024)

While the Florida Panthers celebrate a grueling Stanley Cup victory over the Edmonton Oilers, the other 28 teams across the NHL continue to look for ways to get better in hopes of one day hoisting the most coveted prize in professional hockey in victory.

One such way is via trades amongst themselves, several of which are making headlines across the league.

Teams are jockeying for positions, hoping to acquire young stars and other role pieces to bolster their rosters and ensure they have the best possible crop of talent to guide them to the playoffs and beyond next season.

Who are the most buzzworthy trade targets ahead of this summer's NHL Draft and which teams are calling about them, according to one of the most prominent industry insiders?

Find out with this preview of what is bound to be a busy off-season for top NHL executives.

Trevor Zegras may have had an uncharacteristically bad season in 2023-24, with just 15 points in 31 games, but that has not stopped him from being at the center of trade calls from no less than eight teams across the NHL.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, and Buffalo Sabres have all contacted Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek about trading for the 23-year-old center.

They have all been met with very high asking prices. "Regarding the specific asking price, it varies team-by-team and so far, nobody will elaborate on the specific demands aside from emphasizing it's a "big price," Pagnotta wrote.

Before the disappointment that was this season, Zegras was a two-time 60-plus point guy, with 23 goals in each of the previous two years and a shooting percentage of over 12. He also played in 75 and 81 games respectively.

Zegras missed training camp with a broken ankle and struggled all year to get back on the ice and be the player he had previously been. While that would seemingly adversely affect one's value, that does not appear to be the case with Zegras, for whom contending teams have been all too eager to assess his price.

There may be no moving Zegras, though, as Verbeek plays hardball with the talented young potential star. Pagnotta wrote:

"The consensus among teams is that Verbeek is playing hardball and is not looking to give a key asset away for a package centered around draft picks and prospects. The Ducks remain high on Zegras' potential and unless a team steps up to the plate this week and offers what Verbeek is looking for, Zegras is likely starting the 2024-25 campaign in Orange County."

The Rangers, in particular, need help at center and would be, somehow, even more improved with by adding a player like Zegras.

That he is originally from Bedford, New York would be icing on the proverbial cake as the team would have a young star from the state who could further build goodwill with a fan base that saw the team inexplicably falter in the playoffs despite a historically great season.

It will take a haul, including players, though, and that may be something no contending team is in much of a hurry to provide depending on exactly what Verbeek is seeking in return.

Speaking on Ducks players generating interest, Pagnotta also reported that teams are calling about 30-year-old right winger Frank Vatrano.

Vatrano had the best season of his nine-year career in 2023-24, with 37 goals, 23 assists, and 60 total points. He saw his most ice time yet at 18:20 and compiled a shooting percentage of 13.6.

He was among Anaheim's best offensive weapons in what was a lost season for the Ducks as a whole and is entering the final season of his current contract, so it is no wonder that teams are calling to gage the organization's interest in a trade and what it might take to get a deal done.

Pagnotta's report does not mention any teams, specifically. Several squads could benefit from the addition of a veteran winger playing the best hockey of his career, including but not limited to Vegas, Montreal, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.

Keep an eye on those teams if the Ducks decide to trade Vatrano, despite their own need for players at that position.

Martin Necas might be one of the most intriguing young players on the trade market this offseason.

The 25-year-old center followed up a breakout season a year ago, in which he scored 71 points, with one in which he tallied 53 on 24 goals and 29 assists in 77 games.

With so many key players on expiring contracts garnering preference by the front office, Necas appears to be the odd man out, making him expendable, no matter how young and talented he is.

An excellent skater with the ability to expertly dish the puck to teammates and set up scoring, the interest in him from teams such as the Flyers, Blackhawks, Canucks, Jets, Sabres, and as-of-yet unnamed Utah team makes sense.

The Nashville Predators will gain the inside track to acquiring him, under one condition, as the busy Pagnotta reported.

That condition? The inclusion of goalie Juuse Saros in a larger trade.

"Nashville has known since mid-season what type of contract Saros is looking for – $8 million to $8.5 million per year on a long-term extension – and it still doesn't sound like they are overly interested in dishing out that contract," Pagnotta wrote.

Saros had the second-lowest save percentage of his career with .906, but also played in the second-most games at 64. A Vezina Trophy candidate in the 2021-22 season, he is a quality goalie who could immediately improve the Hurricanes' situation at that position.

It is a potentially mutually beneficial deal; one that would see both teams upgrade at a position of need.

Both teams would be wise to come together to get the deal done and move on, focusing on adding more pieces and re-establishing themselves as threats to emerge out of the Eastern Conference as legitimate playoff and Stanley Cup contenders.