With the NHL Olympic break looming and a roster freeze set to kick in at 3 p.m. on February 4, the trade market is heating up fast. We’ve already seen some early movement - the New Jersey Devils sent veteran winger Ondřej Palát to the New York Islanders in exchange for Maxim Tsyplakov - and there’s every reason to believe more deals are on the horizon.
Let’s take a closer look at four names that could be on the move before the freeze, and how they might fit into new homes.
Vincent Trocheck to the Minnesota Wild?
The Minnesota Wild have already made one splash this season, landing elite defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. That move signaled their intent to hang with the big dogs in the West - namely Colorado and Dallas - but if they’re serious about a deep playoff push, they’ll need more down the middle.
Joel Eriksson Ek continues to fly under the radar as one of the league’s better two-way centers, but the Wild are thin behind him. That’s where Vincent Trocheck comes in.
The Rangers center has been quietly productive this season - 11 goals and 33 points in 40 games - and over his time in New York, he’s averaged 24 goals and 67 points per 82 games. That’s solid second-line center production, and exactly the kind of depth Minnesota could use.
Wild GM Bill Guerin is familiar with Trocheck, having included him on both the Team USA 4 Nations and Olympic rosters. That familiarity could grease the wheels for a deal, especially with the Rangers reportedly open to selling.
Trocheck isn’t a top-line pivot, but those guys rarely hit the market. What he does bring is experience, versatility, and a proven scoring touch.
The cost? Likely a first-rounder, a secondary pick, and either a prospect or depth NHL player.
A name like David Jiricek could be in play, given his struggles to stick at the NHL level. That might seem steep, but if Guerin believes Trocheck can help Minnesota go toe-to-toe with the West’s elite, it’s a price he may be willing to pay.
Evander Kane to the Dallas Stars?
The Dallas Stars are eyeing a deep playoff run, but they’ve got some cap gymnastics to consider. Jason Robertson is due for a hefty raise this summer, so adding a player with term might not be in the cards right now. That’s why a rental like Evander Kane could make sense.
Kane hasn’t exactly lit it up this season - just nine goals and 24 points in 52 games - but he’s also been stuck in a Vancouver situation that hasn’t done many players any favors offensively. A change of scenery, especially to a contender like Dallas, could be what he needs to jumpstart his game.
The Stars have a little over $3.4 million in cap space, so they’d need the Canucks to retain salary to make it work. But with Kane in the final year of a $5.125 million deal, a 50% retention would likely be manageable.
The acquisition cost shouldn’t be too high either - a second- or third-round pick should get it done. Dallas owns their second-rounders for the next two years and also holds Seattle’s third-rounder in 2026.
Kane would bring grit, playoff experience, and some scoring upside to the Stars’ middle six - a valuable addition in a Western Conference that’s shaping up to be a grind.
Nazem Kadri to the Carolina Hurricanes?
The Hurricanes have been knocking on the door in the Eastern Conference for a while now, but something always seems to be missing. More often than not, it’s scoring - particularly down the middle. With the East wide open this year, this could be the time to go all-in, and Nazem Kadri might be the kind of player who helps them finally break through.
Kadri’s numbers this season - 35 points in 52 games - are respectable, especially considering he’s shooting just 6.3%, well below his career average. That suggests some positive regression could be coming, and a new environment might help unlock it.
He’s not a rental, though. Kadri is under contract through 2028-29 with a $7 million cap hit, so any team acquiring him has to be thinking long-term.
That likely puts the price tag in the range of a first-round pick, an additional draft asset, and a prospect or NHL-ready player. Carolina could also look to include Jesperi Kotkaniemi in a deal - the Hurricanes are reportedly open to moving him, and the Flames need NHL bodies to finish out the year.
One potential snag: Kadri has a no-trade list, and the Hurricanes are reportedly on it. But if he sees a real shot at another Cup run in Raleigh, maybe that changes. He’d slot nicely into Carolina’s top six and give them the edge they’ve been missing.
Jordan Kyrou to the New Jersey Devils?
Scoring at five-on-five has been the Devils’ Achilles heel all season. They’ve struggled to finish chances, and it’s threatening to derail what looked like a promising campaign. A rental doesn’t make much sense for New Jersey right now, but if a longer-term solution like Jordan Kyrou becomes available, they need to be in on it.
Kyrou’s raw numbers are down - 11 goals and 24 points in 43 games - but the underlying metrics tell a different story. His expected goals percentage (xG%) is over 62%, one of the best in the league for players with at least 250 minutes played. In other words, he’s generating quality chances - the puck just isn’t going in right now.
From 2023 to 2025, Kyrou averaged 35 goals and 71 points per 82 games. That’s elite-level production, and if he lands on a line with Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier, there’s reason to believe he could get back to that level.
Kyrou’s contract runs through 2030-31 at $8.125 million per year, which isn’t cheap, but the Devils opened up some cap room by moving Palát, even after taking on Tsyplakov. The acquisition cost would be steep - think a first-round pick plus a high-end young player like Dawson Mercer or Šimon Nemec - but Kyrou is only 27 and fits the Devils’ timeline.
If New Jersey is serious about building a contender around its young core, this is the kind of bold move that could pay off big.
With the Olympic break around the corner and playoff races tightening across the league, don’t be surprised if the next few days bring a flurry of moves. Front offices know the clock is ticking - and for teams looking to make a run, now’s the time to get aggressive.