B/R NHL Trade Targets Big Board: December 2024

Nearly two months have passed in the 2024-25 NHL regular season but the trade rumor mill is picking up steam, stoked in part by recent activity in the trade market.

Five trades involving NHL regulars took place in November.

On Nov. 8, the Seattle Kraken acquired winger Daniel Sprong from the Vancouver Canucks for future considerations. Four days later, the Pittsburgh Penguins sent center Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals for two draft picks. On Nov. 25, the Penguins acquired winger Philip Tomasino for a 2027 draft pick.

The latest occurred on Nov. 30. The first saw the Colorado Avalanche ship goaltender Justus Annunen and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for netminder Scott Wedgewood. That was followed by the Columbus Blue Jackets trading defenseman David Jiříček to the Minnesota Wild.

Throughout November, there was growing speculation around several notable players. Some involved players who appeared on our November 2024 NHL Trade Block Big Board, like Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov and Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson.

As November drew to a close, other significant players surfaced in media trade chatter. They included two members of the New York Rangers, a Penguins defenseman, and a promising young Minnesota Wild forward.

The league's annual holiday roster freeze goes into effect from 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 19 to 12:01 a.m. ET on Dec. 28. Perhaps we'll see more trade activity before the freeze or soon afterward as January 2025 approaches.

Here's our take on the most noteworthy NHL trade targets entering December 2024. Let us know your thoughts on this topic in the app comments below.

A regular fixture in NHL trade rumors over the last two years, John Gibson was part of our November NHL Trade Block Big Board. Despite being sidelined by an emergency appendectomy since the start of the season, the 31-year-old goaltender's future with the Anaheim Ducks remained a hot topic.

Returning to action on Nov. 10, Gibson looked good in his six appearances, winning four games with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. Nevertheless, he's been supplanted by young netminder Lukas Dostal as the Ducks starter, which could spur management to peddle Gibson this season.

Gibson's contract has been a major obstacle in the path toward a trade. He's signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million and carries a 10-team no-trade list. Nevertheless, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun speculated on Nov. 20 that the Ducks might be willing to retain part of his cap hit to facilitate a deal this season.

LeBrun suggested the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes as clubs that could use an upgrade between the pipes. He also reported Gibson would consider a trade to the Edmonton Oilers. However, The Edmonton Journal's Kurt Leavins doubted the cap-strapped Oilers could afford him even if the Ducks retained half his salary.

It's been seven years since the Ottawa Senators last qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The rebuilding club entered this season hoping to end that streak but found themselves again near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

On Nov. 23, the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch reported league sources were claiming general manager Steve Staios was calling around to find any upgrades to his roster. Two days later, RG.org's James Murphy reported his sources speculated there could be a major roster change. He cited TSN's Marc Methot suggesting a core player could be shopped.

Garrioch cited one source suggesting Josh Norris might be available. The 25-year-old forward can play center or left wing. He's in the third season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $7.9 million. Hampered by injuries over the last three seasons, Norris has nine goals and 15 points in 22 games this season.

Norris' injury history and expensive contract could make it difficult to move at this stage in the season. However, he could be moved for a player with a comparable cap hit. The Senators forward could be worth monitoring if his club struggles through December.

This isn't the first time Mackenzie Blackwood of the San Jose Sharks has popped up on one of our trade boards. The 27-year-old goaltender was No. 4 on our November NHL Trade Block Big Board.

Blackwood is in the final season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.4 million and lacks no-trade protection. With the Sharks still rebuilding, the pending unrestricted free agent might not fit into their plans beyond this season.

During an episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on Nov. 11, Elliotte Friedman reported the Colorado Avalanche had revisited their previous interest in Blackwood. On Nov. 26, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli also linked the Avalanche to the Sharks goaltender

The Avalanche might no longer be interested in Blackwood following their acquisition of Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators for Justus Annunen on Nov. 30. Nevertheless, Blackwood's solid performance on the rebuilding Sharks and his UFA eligibility should ensure he remains a trade target in the coming weeks.

Chosen ninth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild, Marco Rossi made his full-time debut with the club in 2023-24 with 21 goals and 40 points in 82 games. This season, the 23-year-old sophomore skates among the Wild's top-six forwards, sitting third among their scorers with 18 points in 23 games.

Despite Rossi's solid play, The Athletic's Chris Johnston included him on his Nov. 20 NHL Trade Board. Citing the young forward is in the final season of his entry-level contract, Johnston believes the Wild must decide if they'll commit to the 5'9", 182-pound playmaking forward. He considers Rossi a candidate to be part of a player-for-player swap.

Two days later, Johnston's colleague Michael Russo appeared on the "Worst Seats In The House" podcast saying he still believed Rossi could get traded at some point this season or next summer (link provided by Philly Hockey Now's Jonathan Bailey). Russo doesn't believe the Wild will commit to Rossi long-term.

A rising star, Rossi would generate plenty of attention if the Wild decide to peddle him this season. There's no indication that general manager Bill Guerin has had any trade discussions with other clubs involving the young center or anyone else on his club. Still, Rossi could surface again in the new year as the March 7 trade deadline approaches.

The Boston Bruins are struggling to remain in playoff contention after being among the dominant teams in the Eastern Conference since 2018-19. On Nov. 19, they made a coaching change, replacing Jim Montgomery with Joe Sacco hoping the latter could reverse their fortunes.

General manager Don Sweeney could consider trades to shake things up if the coaching change doesn't get the Bruins on a winning track. That could involve peddling pending unrestricted free agents like Trent Frederic. A gritty, energetic checking-line forward, the 26-year-old Frederic carries an affordable $2.3 million cap hit.

ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported on Nov. 5 that several teams were interested in Frederic, citing the 6'3", 221-pounder's "size, speed, toughness, character and skill." On Nov. 21, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said the Bruins forward was drawing attention from contenders looking for forwards who play with an edge.

The Bruins won't go into sell mode unless they're out of playoff contention by the trade deadline. Frederic could become an invaluable trade chip if Sweeney decides it's time to retool his roster.

The improvement in Rasmus Ristolainen's performance this season prompted Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco to suggest the 30-year-old Philadelphia Flyers defenseman could become a valuable trade chip. On Nov. 15, The Athletic's Kevin Kurz reported the Flyers were getting calls about the big blueliner but hadn't yet set an asking price.

Ristolainen has two more years remaining on his contract. The 6'4", 208-pounder carries an average annual value of $5.1 million and lacks no-trade protection. His salary could be an issue for cap-strapped clubs but perhaps the Flyers could consider retaining part of it to facilitate a deal for the right offer.

Di Marco felt the Flyers could get a first-round pick for Ristolainen, citing what comparable defensemen like Ben Chiarot and David Savard fetched on the trade market. On Nov. 26, TSN's Darren Dreger claimed the Finnish rearguard was drawing plenty of attention.

The rebuilding Flyers aren't in a hurry to move Ristolainen but appear open to offers. If they believe they can get a first-rounder for him, they could wait until the trade deadline when contenders become desperate and more willing to meet that asking price.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' glory days are long past as the club struggles near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. General manager Kyle Dubas has already been busy remaking his roster, shipping out veteran center Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals and acquiring young winger Philip Tomasino from the Nashville Predators.

More moves are expected before the March 7 trade deadline involving players eligible to become unrestricted free agents next July with Marcus Pettersson the most notable. The 28-year-old defenseman carries a $4.03 million cap hit and an eight-team no-trade clause.

On Nov. 14, The Athletic's Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal examined if the 6'5" Pettersson would be a good fit for the Vancouver Canucks. Four days later, their colleague Rob Rossi declared the lanky blueliner "as good as gone," linking him to the Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.

The Canucks could have the inside track on Pettersson. General manager Patrik Allvin knows the blueliner from his days with Penguins management. However, Dubas could be content to wait until closer to the trade deadline to drive up Pettersson's value in the market.

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba sat at No. 3 on our July NHL Trade Block Big Board following reports indicating the club attempted to ship him to the Detroit Red Wings in a cost-cutting move. Nothing further came of it and the 30-year-old defenseman disappeared from the rumor mill.

However, Trouba resurfaced in trade chatter after Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Nov. 25 that he was among several players being floated as potential Rangers trade candidates. The New York Post's Mollie Walker indicated general manager Chris Drury was looking to shake up his struggling roster by making multiple players available.

Walker's colleague Larry Brooks felt it was time for Rangers management to blow up the roster. He called on them to trade Trouba, noting he now carries a 15-team no-trade list instead of the full no-movement clause that prevented him from getting dealt in June.

Trouba's performance began declining last season partly because of an ankle injury. However, he could still attract attention from clubs seeking an experienced shutdown defenseman. His contract remains a sticking point, carrying an $8 million cap hit through 2025-26. Still, his rumored availability puts him high on our Trade Targets board.

The top player on our November NHL Trade Block Big Board, Ivan Provorov remains among this season's notable trade candidates. UFA eligible next summer, the 6'1", 213-pound defenseman has an annual cap hit of $6.8 million, of which the Blue Jackets carry $4.8 million as the Los Angeles Kings retained the rest as part of a three-team trade in June 2023.

On Nov. 21, TSN's Pierre LeBrun said he considered Provorov to be this season's top rental defenseman leading up to the March 7 trade deadline. He indicated teams were contacting the Blue Jackets about the 27-year-old blueliner. The Jackets aren't in a hurry to trade Provorov but LeBrun believes it's only a matter of time.

LeBrun believed the Blue Jackets will seek a first-round pick as part of their asking price for Provorov He indicated that's what comparable defensemen like Noah Hanifin and Sean Walker fetched last season in the trade market.

A durable, all-around defenseman, Provorov has the size and skills to interest playoff contenders near the March trade deadline. He'll likely remain a fixture in the rumors mill in the coming months.

The longest-serving active member of the New York Rangers, Chris Kreider made his NHL debut with the club during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. During his 13-season career, the 33-year-old winger has become one of the greatest scorers in franchise history, sitting third all-time with 313 goals and 10th with 834 games played and 561 points.

Any suggestion of the Rangers trading a core player like Kreider would've been dismissed as absurd at the start of this season. However, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Nov. 25 that the power forward was among the players that general manager Chris Drury made available in the trade market as he attempts to shake up his struggling roster.

Later that day, Friedman discussed Kreider's situation during an appearance on The FAN Hockey Show with Matt Marchese and Mike Futa. He noted the winger lacked full no-trade protection but was uncertain if the Rangers were serious about trading Kreider or just trying to spur their players to perform at a better level.

Kreider is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.5 million and a 15-team no-trade clause. Trading him would be a seismic shakeup to the Rangers' core and he would draw plenty of interest. His cap hit would make it difficult to move at this point in the season when most clubs have limited salary-cap space.

Nevertheless, Kreider's solid reputation among the league's top power forwards and the Rangers' willingness to entertain offers for him makes the 6'3", 230-pound winger the top name on our December NHL Trade Targets Board.

Stats (as of Nov. 30, 2024) via NHL.com and Hockey-Reference.com. Salary info via PuckPedia.