We are beyond the halfway point of the 2024-25 NHL season, which means the March 7 NHL trade deadline is the next big date on the schedule.

We're starting to get a good sense of which teams will be buyers, which will be sellers, and which might not be in position to do much of anything.

That makes this a good time to take a look around the NHL at each team's best trade chip, whether it's an asset to trade for immediate help or a player to sell for future help.

There aren't a lot of big-name rental players available, but there still could be some intriguing names on the move.

Anaheim Ducks: Brian Dumoulin

It has been another lost season for the Ducks in the middle of their rebuild. The question isn't going to be whether or not they sell, but how much they sell.

It wouldn't make much sense to move somebody like Trevor Zegras, and starting goalie John Gibson still might not have much value given his contract. The one veteran piece who might fetch them a surprisingly strong return is defenseman Brian Dumoulin.

Dumoulin is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. While he may not bring back a first-round pick or prized prospect, he plays enough minutes, has enough of a track record as a championship player and is still viewed as a defensive presence that contenders might be interested in him for the bottom of their defense.

There is little reason for him to be in Anaheim after the trade deadline. He should be on a contender by that point.

Boston Bruins: Trent Frederic

What the Bruins will do at the deadline remains a bit of a mystery. It might depend on how their season unfolds over the next month.

They're currently in position to make the playoffs, but they aren't doing anything to inspire confidence that they can go on a deep run. The Bruins are a flawed team that has had big problems this season, so it might not be worth giving away future assets to add to this roster, especially since their farm system is not particularly deep.

If the Bruins decided to sell, Trent Frederic might be a prized player at the deadline because of his physical play and toughness. NHL teams love that come playoff time, and even though he hasn't had a great year offensively, he does provide enough scoring punch to be useful in a depth role.

Buffalo Sabres: Bowen Byram

The Sabres still can't break the cycle of perpetual rebuilding and losing.

Pending unrestricted free agents like Jason Zucker certainly have some trade value, but they are not going to bring back any sort of a significant return. But what about Bowen Byram?

The Sabres acquired Byram from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt in the hopes that he could add to a young, talented defense that had a ton of upside. It also seemed possible that with a bigger role than he was getting in Colorado, he could break out and emerge as an impact player. But that hasn't happened yet.

Given that the Sabres do have a talented young defense (with better players than Byram) and that he's set to become a restricted free agent after this season, it might make sense to see what kind of market there is for him. He's still young enough, talented enough and has enough potential that a team might be willing to give up something valuable for him.

Calgary Flames: Dan Vladar

The Flames are still hanging around in the Western Conference playoff race, but there's no reason for them to be a serious buyer. They also don't have a ton to sell after sending away so many pending unrestricted free agents and veterans over the past two years.

Andrei Kuzmenko could probably go, but he is having such a down year that it's unlikely any team would give up something of real value for him.

However, Dan Vladar could be an intriguing trade chip. There aren't expected to be a lot of goalies on the trade market, and the Flames already have a better option ahead of him on the depth chart in Dustin Wolf.

The Flames don't figure to be overly busy at the deadline one way or the other.

Carolina Hurricanes: 1st-Round Pick

The Hurricanes have been knocking on the door of the Stanley Cup Final for years, but they've been unable to knock it down. They are again one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and should have a legitimate chance to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Not only should they be buyers; they should be aggressive buyers. They have all of their first-round picks at their disposal and should be willing to use that as trade capital for whatever help they need.

Chicago Blackhawks: Taylor Hall

The Blackhawks are one of the NHL's worst teams again and are going to be selling again. None of that should be a surprise.

They have a lot to sell between pending unrestricted free agents Taylor Hall, Ryan Donato, Pat Maroon and Alec Martinez. Any of them could be moved at some point, but Hall probably has the most value because he's currently the best player out of that group.

Hall has clearly lost a step or two from his prime years, but he is still a productive player at even strength and can play all over the lineup. If the Blackhawks retain some of his salary or get a third team to funnel his contract through, it could increase their return even more.

Colorado Avalanche: Calum Ritchie

Calum Ritchie is arguably the Avalanche's best prospect, and it would likely take quite a haul to get them to part with him. But if they were going to swing for the fences on a big trade, it would probably include him.

They do not have a 2025 first-round pick, nor do they have a particularly deep farm system, and their NHL roster is not full of many young players. That limits their potential trade options a bit.

But the Avalanche also already made some of their biggest trades this season by retooling their goaltending depth chart. They should now be focused on adding some scoring depth.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Ivan Provorov

The Blue Jackets are going to be fascinating to watch at the trade deadline.

They have significantly overachieved this season and are in the middle of the Eastern Conference wild-card race. They are also swimming in salary-cap space and have an outstanding young talent pool to deal from if they so choose.

But is this the time to go all-in on that? They still aren't guaranteed to make the playoffs, and while there are brighter days ahead for them, it might not be their time just yet. Instead, it might make sense to strategically sell on the fringes and with some pending unrestricted free agents, specifically defenseman Ivan Provorov.

Provorov could be one of the top defensemen on the trade market, and given what it may cost to re-sign him, he might have more value to them as a trade chip than a long-term building block. Do they want to commit $7 or 8 million (or more) annually to him on a contract extension? Because that's what it might take.

If the Blue Jackets can get a first-round pick for him, they should take it and then flip that for another player who is younger, under team control and fits in with the timeline of the other young players on the roster.

Dallas Stars: 2025 1st-Round Pick

The Stars have been in the Western Conference Final two years in a row. They're capable of not only reaching that same point this season, but also winning the whole thing.

Their time is now.

Their 2025 first-round pick, which figures to be toward the bottom of the first round, should mean next to nothing to them unless it is "how can we use this to get a player who can help us this season?"

Detroit Red Wings: Vladimir Tarasenko

It remains to be seen what (if anything) Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman does at the trade deadline.

The Red Wings have rapidly turned things around after replacing Derek Lalonde with Todd McLellan behind the bench. But is that a real turnaround or just a short-term burst after a coaching change?

If it's a real turnaround, they might be in a position to add something. But Yzerman does not seem happy to just make the playoffs and lose in the first round. He wants to build a consistent contender and still may be patient with his trade deadline approach.

If the Red Wings cool off and slow down, they could become sellers. Tarasenko should be toward the top of that list.

Things have not worked out as planned for him in Detroit, and even though his numbers are down this season, he is a small enough investment and has enough of a track record that there might still be a market for him.

If they buy, it's hard to imagine the Red Wings dipping deep into their prospect pool. It's also hard to imagine selling off anybody major should they fall back out of the race.

Edmonton Oilers: Prospects

The Oilers should have a Stanley Cup-or-bust mentality this season. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are still searching for their first championship ring, and after getting to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year, they have added incentive and motivation to get back.

The Oilers roster is good, but it still has some flaws. However, they don't have a lot to trade.

They have no 2025 first-round pick and only four picks total in this year's class. They do have a 2026 first-round pick, and it should not be off the table. Neither should any of their prospects, including 2024 first-round pick Sam O'Reilly.

The Oilers don't have an overly deep system with many high-end players. They shouldn't take them off the table if they have a chance to add a piece who can put them over the top.

Banners hang forever, and McDavid is still looking for one of his own. The Oilers should get him the help he needs, no matter the cost.

Florida Panthers: Justin Sourdif

The defending Stanley Cup champions do not have a lot of weaknesses. They still look like they have a chance to make another run at a championship. But like the Oilers, they don't have a ton to trade.

That tends to happen with recent champions and teams that go on several deep playoff runs. You spend a lot of resources to get there, which leaves you shorthanded in future seasons. Nobody in Florida should be complaining about that. It's just the cost of the game.

If the Panthers did want to make another move this season, they would either need to start dipping into their 2026 crop of draft picks or their farm system. It might be one of the thinnest in the league, but 2020 third-round pick Justin Sourdif might have an NHL future and could be attractive to teams looking to sell.

Los Angeles Kings: 2025 1st-Round Pick

The Kings have established themselves as a strong playoff contender over the past three years. They are one of the top teams in the Western Conference this season. But they have to get over the hump that is the Edmonton Oilers after three straight defeats at their hands.

If the playoffs started today, do you know who they would be playing? The Oilers.

As currently constructed, are they good enough to beat them? That remains to be seen, but at some point, the Kings may have to do that. They should be willing to make another significant move to give them the best chance.

The Kings' once-strong farm system has taken some hits in recent years, both by players graduating to the NHL and some not panning out, but they still have some pieces to move. They also still have their 2025 first-round pick, which they should be willing to trade.

The Kings have arrived at the point where it's time to start making moves with a championship in mind. That pick might have more value to them as a trade asset than a long-term building piece. Use it.

Minnesota Wild: Future Draft Picks

The Wild already made a big move earlier this season when they traded their 2025 first-round pick for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek. That limits what they might be able to do now.

However, they are finally starting to get into a good position with the salary cap.

After this season, the worst of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts will go away. That will finally give them the cap flexibility to build a deep team that they've been lacking over the past few seasons. They also have a good core of young players to build around.

Maybe they trade some future draft picks? But again, they may have already made their big move this year. Next season might be their all-in year given their cap situation.

Montreal Canadiens: Jake Evans

Montreal is doing everything it can to stay in the playoff race, but this might not be the year. The Canadiens shouldn't be buyers, but they also aren't in a position to sell much from their improving roster.

That leaves the pending unrestricted free agents. The most marketable of those might be forward Jake Evans.

He carries a small salary cap hit ($1.7 million) and is having a career year offensively. He might bring back a bigger return than expected, and moving him would not hurt the long-term development of the current roster.

Nashville Predators: Gustav Nyquist

The Predators are the most disappointing team in the NHL this season. They've already made a handful of smaller moves on the fringes of the roster, but there will probably be more.

It's hard to imagine general manager Barry Trotz doing anything too dramatic, but soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Gustav Nyquist seems like a great bet to get moved before the deadline.

Yes, the Preds turned things around in the second half of the season late year. But this team is even further down the standings and would need a nearly impossible run just to give itself a chance. As disappointing as this season has been, a lot of their offseason moves were made with the long-term in mind. They might not be willing to give up on that just because this season went south.

Nyquist could probably fetch at least a second-round pick.

New Jersey Devils: Draft Picks

The Devils already made major moves this offseason by trading for Jacob Markstrom to fill their goaltending need and by signing Brett Pesce in free agency. The other big move was mostly out of their control—having their key players stay healthy.

The combination of those two things has once again made the Devils a contender in the Eastern Conference around a strong young core. They will almost certainly be buying.

From a prospect perspective, players like Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey could be trade chips. However, the Devils would likely need quite a return to part with them (even though both have lost out on numbers games so far with the NHL roster).

Draft picks are the Devils' more likely trade chip. Specifically, the three second-round picks they have in 2025. They shouldn't deal all of them, but they should try to move one or two to land somebody who can help them make a deep playoff run this season.

Second-round picks are only a 50-50 bet to even make it to the NHL, but they still have big value at this time of year.

New York Islanders: Brock Nelson

If there's one thing you can say about Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, it's that he has never waved the white flag on a season as long as he has been in New York. However, he might not really have much of a choice this season.

The Islanders likely aren't going to the playoffs, and soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Brock Nelson appears poised to be one of the most valuable rentals at the trade deadline. There may not a better center available, so it would be foolish for the Islanders to lose him for nothing when he carries as much value as he does.

It might also be foolish to re-sign him.

As good as he has been for the Islanders, Nelson is going to be 34 next season and is already showing some signs of slowing down. His next contract might not age well, and the Islanders should not be the team to make that mistake.

Instead, they should move him for the first-round pick they can almost certainly get for him and start fresh this offseason.

New York Rangers: Artemi Panarin

The Rangers are the biggest wild card in the NHL right now.

They entered the season with Stanley Cup expectations but have fallen badly short of them. They already traded Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko, and they still have an uphill fight when it comes to making the playoffs. The core of the team might need a reset.

Rangers fans would probably love to move on from Mika Zibanejad, but the 31 other NHL teams likely want nothing to do with his contract.

If the Rangers don't make a big move to get back into a playoff spot, there's a scenario where they become sellers. If they do, would they be willing to dangle Artemi Panarin? This would certainly be the time to do it.

He still has one year remaining on his contract and is still a top-tier offensive player. The Rangers could probably get a haul for him to help them hit the reset button.

It's a long shot, yes. It likely won't happen. But it's something to ponder.

Ottawa Senators: 2025 Draft Picks

The Senators could buy, sell or some combination of the two.

This might be their best chance in years to end their playoff drought, and when Linus Ullmark returns, they do have a goalie who's capable of being a difference-maker. They also still have a lot of high-end talent at forward. Having said that, they shouldn't be too aggressive here.

If they think the playoffs are a strong possibility, their 2025 draft picks could be viable trade chips. Maybe not even their first-rounder, but perhaps their second- or third-rounder to add smaller depth pieces to help balance out the lineup and improve their scoring depth.

This isn't the year to go all-in unless they get someone back who can help them for multiple seasons. It's also not a year that they want to give up on finally getting back to the playoffs.

They have to be smart and careful ahead of the deadline.

Philadelphia Flyers: Scott Laughton

The Flyers will likely do nothing at the deadline. Or close to nothing.

They play hard. They are competitive. But they also seem to know where they are in their rebuild, know what their realistic expectations are for this season and know they do not have the goaltending to seriously contend right now.

That could make them sellers.

Even though he still has two years remaining on his contract, Scott Laughton could again find himself on the trade block at the deadline. He's a valuable leader, but the Flyers wouldn't disrupt their long-term process by trading him. All of those factors (his play, his leadership, his contract) could result in a substantial return if they did move him.

They likely won't. But if they wanted to make a big move for the future, he would be the guy at the top of the list.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Marcus Pettersson

If the Penguins wanted to kickstart a rebuild, they could probably deal Rickard Rakell (who is having a career season) or Bryan Rust (a championship player who still produces at a top-six rate) and get strong returns. But there's no indication that is going to happen, especially if they're still hanging around the fringes of playoff contention.

That doesn't mean they won't sell at all, though. They have a few pending unrestricted free agents who should draw heavy interest.

Forward Drew O'Connor is on that list because of his cheap contract and versatility. But defenseman Marcus Pettersson is at the top of that list because he is a legit top-four defenseman and might be one of the best rental defenders available.

They might be able to get a first-round pick for him or something of comparable value.

San Jose Sharks: Mikael Granlund

Mikael Granlund deserves a ton of credit for going into San Jose the past two years and turning his career around offensively. He has been one of the Sharks' most consistent scorers.

The Sharks should be thankful for that given what it should mean for his trade value. Because they should absolutely trade him.

They might be tempted to re-sign him given how well he has scored since arriving in San Jose, but he isn't someone whom they're going to build the franchise around. He isn't likely to be a productive player on the next good Sharks team, either.

Granlund is getting top-line minutes on a bad team. Somebody has to get points, and every bad team still has somebody that leads them in scoring. They boosted his value; now they have a chance to flip him at the deadline and get something back that they can use toward the future.

He's their best trade option. They should not waste it.

Seatle Kraken: Yanni Gourde

The Kraken have not been able to get it right from the very beginning, and they are quickly headed toward another disappointing season.

Their best option when it comes to selling is almost certainly center Yanni Gourde. He would likely be one of the top rentals available.

Gourde's production has steeply declined this season (only six goals and 16 total points in 35 games), but he could still be a middle-six center option for a contender.

There's no good reason for the Kraken to re-sign him given his age and decline, and given what they might be able to get for him from a contender. Take the draft pick or prospect you will get for him and try again this offseason.

St. Louis Blues: Brandon Saad

The Blues have been one of the NFL's more oddly aggressive teams over the past year, dipping into the restricted free agent pool with offer sheets and also making a head coaching change less than one year into Drew Bannister's official tenure.

The result has been, well, pretty much the same. A .500 team on the fringes of playoff contention that isn't good enough to win and isn't bad enough to start to rebuilding. It's just average. Disgustingly average.

The Blues don't have a lot of rentals to sell—Radek Faksa is basically the only unrestricted free agent on the roster, and he isn't bringing much back—but they might be able to move veteran forward Brandon Saad. He's still a good depth player, and he has term remaining on his contract that could be attractive to contenders.

It likely would not be a franchise-changing trade or return, but it might bring some value if they moved him.

Tampa Bay Lightning: 2nd-Round Picks

The Lightning may not be the top-tier team they were a few years ago, but as long as they are in the playoff picture and have their core of players, general manager Julien BriseBois is going to have something up his sleeve and a desire to make his team better.

The Lightning do not have a deep farm system, and they have no first-round pick this season, but they do own two second-round picks (and two fourth-round picks) that they could use as trade chips for somebody who can help on the lower half of the lineup. Don't rule out that 2026 first-round pick being flipped, either.

The Lightning are not going to go away without a fight, and nothing in their recent history suggests they will not be active buyers.

Toronto Maple Leafs: 2026 1st-Round Pick

The Maple Leafs have made it known they would like to add another center to their lineup. With Brock Nelson and Yanni Gourde sitting out there, they have some high-end options for the bottom of their lineup.

They do not have a 2025 first-round pick, but they do have a 2026 pick to dangle. They shouldn't sit on it.

No team in the NHL is facing more pressure to win this season than the Maple Leafs. Making the playoffs and losing in the first round is no longer enough. It has not been for a while.

There is added pressure given the pending free agencies of Mitch Marner and John Tavares. They have to win now. Nobody is going to care about that 2026 first-round pick if they can move it for somebody who helps make that happen.

Utah Hockey Club: Alexander Kerfoot

As exciting as it would be to see Utah in the playoffs, it does not seem to be in the cards this season. They are swimming in cap space and could probably add anybody they wanted if they were closer to a playoff spot, but that might be more of an offseason thing.

In the short-term, they should trade around the edges and try to pick up as many extra future assets as they can by dealing veterans like Alexander Kerfoot and Nick Bjugstad.

It doesn't make for the most exciting trade deadline, but getting something for players whom you might lose for nothing and adding extra assets for the offseason when you might be better-positioned to make a big move is the smartest approach.

Good days are ahead here. It is just not their time yet.

Vancouver Canucks: Elias Pettersson

Things can change rapidly in professional sports. The Vancouver Canucks are finding that out the hard way this season.

After being one of the NHL's best teams last year and looking like a team on the rise, they find themselves on the playoff bubble this season. They're in so much turmoil that two of their best players—Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller—are reportedly on the trade block.

If they decide to trade Pettersson, they have to be 100 percent certain that the situation with him and Miller is not fixable. Players like him typically don't get traded. That alone makes him their best trade chip, because he would bring back the biggest return.

Miller is still a productive player, but if the Canucks moved him, they probably would not get back as much in terms of long-term value. They'd also probably have to take back a bad contract that they wouldn't want.

Vegas Golden Knights: Trevor Connelly

If there's one thing we know about the Vegas Golden Knights, it's that they aren't going to sit back and do nothing.

The future? Worry about that when you cross that bridge. Everything about this team's operation is focused on the present day and how they can win a Stanley Cup.

For the most part, it has worked extraordinarily well for them. It did produce one championship so far. They're in a position where they could possibly win another one, and they should leave no stone unturned in trying to make that happen.

They do not have many draft picks to trade, and their prospect pool is thin, but 2024 first-round pick Trevor Connelly could be on the table.

The Golden Knights have never been shy about trading what few prospects they have. You shouldn't expect anything less this season.

Washinton Capitals: 2025 Draft Picks

After barely sneaking into the playoffs last year, the Washington Capitals came back this season and put together one of the best teams in the NHL. What's even more impressive is that they did it while Alex Ovechkin missed more than a month with a broken leg.

And unlike last year's team, they might have a real chance to do something in the playoffs this season. They should not waste that opportunity, because they will not get many more before Ovechkin retires.

The Capitals have three picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 draft. They should be shopping them around to see what sort of immediate help they can get with them.

The Eastern Conference is wide open, and there's no reason why the Capitals cannot make some noise.

Winnipeg Jets: Nikolaj Ehlers

Okay, just hear me out on this.

The Jets, thanks to an incredible start to the season, are still one of the top teams in the Western Conference even after dramatically cooling off in the second quarter of it.

They are a playoff team. They are going to make the playoffs. Because of that, there is little reason to expect they would trade somebody like Ehlers, even with his contract expiring after this season and even though he has been part of the trade rumor mill for years.

But what if they did.

What if they said, we know we're probably not re-signing you, we're going to move you and get a first-round pick or something similar back in return.

And then what if they took that return, and then flipped it to somebody else to get back a comparable player that might still have some term on their contract? Somebody that could help this year's team make a run, and also be around in future years?

That would require a level of creativity and roster movement that general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has never really done, but I also don't see what else the Jets can or will do here.

They are just not typically very active in the trade market no matter where they are in the standings or what their team looks like.