Nine prospects that could be on the go

With less than two months up to 2025 NHL trading deadline on March 7, we deliver at least one deadline-focused story every day on the Daily Faceoff.

Today we look at some of the top NHL views that could be moved in the coming weeks:

2025 NHL Trade Deadline Countdown: 38 days

Nothing is guaranteed in sports, especially in a game that can be as random as hockey. Many GMs don’t care what the club will look like in five years due to how much revenue is happening on an annual basis.

You get the rare long-term NHL GMS-Doug Armstrong has been in his job in St. Louis since 2010, longer than anyone else. A total of 20 current GMs did not have their positions when the league closed operations due to Covid-19 in 2020, including two of the last three Stanley Cup masters.

So while you always want a closet of future high -quality assets that are ready to go, reality often has to focus on the present more than what lies ahead. Sometimes this means that trading in large assets for help, such as former Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell, sending three prospects and two draft elections (and forward Michael Bunting) to get a few months of decent hockey from Jake Guentzel.

Today we look at nine prospects that could be moved before the deadline this year. In the case of each, they play on a team that projects to go all-in, is part of a positional logjam or maybe just need a change in the landscape.

This does not connect any players to specific trade rumors or requests, but will not be surprised if these guys are moved to bring in immediate help.

The hurricanes have a certain solid defensive depth, with Alexander Nikishin, Dominik Badinka, Scott Morrow, Noel Fransén, Timur Kol and Simon Forsark, who make up a solid depth card. And that does not include veterans Scott Walker and Jaccob Slavin, both of whom are signed for long -term offers. Eventually, the hurricanes will down to fill some open security spaces when the veterinarians move on, but given that they have four active defenders signed, until at least the end of 2026-27, it could be difficult to earn a place on This team.

Heimosalmi, however, could be an attractive parlor. The hurricanes traded for Mikko Rantan this weekend, but they are probably not done. Heimosalmi is in his first year in North America and he has a solid view at a 20-point pace. He has never been an advanced offensive opportunity, but he is skilled and is a huge skater. Heimosalmi has fallen slightly down Carolina’s depth card, but lots of organizations could use the 2021 rounds.

Antonio Stranges, LW, 22 (Dallas Stars)

Stranges has a breakout season with Texas Stars that starts with 70 points in so many games. It’s a huge bump up from his first full AHL campaign last year, as he had only 23 points in 55 excursions-long during his 19-game race with 12 points in 2022-23. Stranges will be 23 at the time of the deadline, so he is still young enough to be of interest to teams as a nice value -added piece when he sends help to Dallas.

Mavrik Bourque is perhaps a better piece of the stars, but moving him would not be ideal. Stranges has never been expected to be a guy who could thrive in the six lower six because he lacks physicality and can fight defensively. With the puck – both with speed and at a standstill – choking can compete with almost anyone, and a team that wants to take a chance on the highly educated wings could make him a solid Nhler.

One of Carter George/Hampton Slukynsky/Erik Portillo, G (Los Angeles Kings)

The kings have the deepest target pipeline in the league, which could give them incredible gearing. It’s not every day that a team is moving a top young keeper (Kings got Portillo in an appointment from Buffalo a few years ago due to Sabres’ own depth) and they could move one of them to hang one Solid return. George’s stock is on an all -time high after an excellent world’s juniors and considering how he wears Owen Sound this year. Slukynsky, meanwhile, hasn’t played lots of hockey for Western Michigan this year, but should be the team’s # 1 after Cameron Rowe finishes his college career. Snukynsky has been a prominence at all levels and should earn plenty of interest if the kings seem to buy this year.

However, both goalies are still a few years away from Pro Hockey. Portillo, meanwhile, is a 24-year-old who won his NHL debut earlier this year and is in the middle of another solid season in AHL. He is currently sharing the web with veteran Pheonix Copley, which limits Portillo’s playing time. There does not seem to be a good, short-term route to him to get a consistent NHL time so he could be an interesting piece of a team that needs some organizational depth.

Nemec turned some heads recently when he suggested a Slovak newspaper that he was unhappy with being in the American Hockey League after spending most of 2023-24 with Devils. Had it not been for an abundance of damage to the main club last year, Nemec would probably have been in minors for at least another year before trying to go full time this time. The 20-year-old D started the season in the NHL, but he was eventually sent back to Utica, where he has thrive.

But after choosing the second total three seasons ago, you have to wonder if Nemec is in the team’s long -term plans. Based on his game in Utica, there is a good argument that he does not have much more to prove in AHL. And while playing a game other than Anton Silayev and Seamus Casey, Nemec might use at this point. He still has to prove that he can be a consistent NHL contributor, but maybe it will be elsewhere.

Would the penguins move on from a guy they traded with another top perspective (Brayden Yager) to get this last summer? Some scouts around the NHL have wondered about it. The high -rated view fought in training camp and was eventually sent down to AHL after only three NHL games. It has not been smooth sailing to McGroarty in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where his 19 points tie him up in team scoring.

McGroarty does so much with and without the puck that can sometimes be overlooked. He has size and speed, and the offense has been incredible this year when he jumped past the 50-point mark as another in college. McGroarty struggles so hard so he has an impact away from the puck. But there are still many who expect more of him and it will be interesting to see if a team is trying to buy low on him before the deadline.

Niemelä has been one of Toronto’s top prospects for about half a decade now, but he still has not seen any NHL action to date. Under GM Brad Treliving, the team has looked to add grain and size to the rear end, so that the six-foot Niemelä has been a little lost in the mixture. He has also taken a step back in production with the Marlies while not showing a wealth of progress with and without the puck.

But there are still many who believe that Niemelä can be an NHL defender. A fantastic view during the two-game series against Montreal Canadiens in September turned some heads, which is nice. Niemelä does not have explosive speed and is not excellent in any other skill-in the place he beats defenders with his players and ability to get the puck out of the zone. The leaves should be willing to move on from him at the deadline, even though Niemelä would not bring the type of influence player that Easton Cowan would.

Brendan Brisson, LW/RW, 23 (Vegas Golden Knights)

Brisson is one of only a few first rounds that the Golden Knights have not traded yet, but it may make sense for both parties to move on. Taken 29. Overall in 2020, Brisson showed a promise after an electric two-year race at the University of Michigan, but there has just not been enough progress in AHL to suggest that he is a good fit for the golden knights moving on.

In fact, this has been his least productive season to date. He had 19 goals and 38 points in Henderson last year and a decent eight points in 15 NHL games. This year he has not registered a single point in Vegas and has only four goals and 14 points in 31 AHL-Games-what gives him a career-low rate of 28 points in 62 AHL excursions. Being 13. In team scoring doesn’t make him many favors. Some scouts feel like he still has a decent ceiling and his ability to play just as well on both wings help. But as it stands, it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever make it work in Nevada.

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