Two Surprise Names Still on NHL Trade Block

The NHL offseason is slowing down, but a few names still float around the trade block.

Mar 24, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Martin Necas (88) takes a shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports / James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

NHL teams appear to be pretty comfortable with their current rosters as the 2024-25 season approaches. The trade market has come to a halt, and the only work that is getting done is signing restricted free agents. Some unrestricted free agents still linger, but most aren’t moving the needle.

This quiet period won’t last forever, though. Once the NHL season picks up, trade rumors will come roaring back. Who around the league could be a surprise trade target in 2024-25?

Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report mapped out the top 10 players that could still be on the trade block in August, but it may be a quiet month. Could these surprising names be moved closer to the year or even in the midst of the 2024-25 season?

Martin Necas

Martin Necas headlined trade rumors through the early portions of the offseason, but the Carolina Hurricanes put those on pause by signing him to a two-year contract. The Hurricanes avoided arbitration by signing Necas out of restricted free agency.

Despite a new deal, that doesn’t mean the Hurricanes won’t revisit trade negotiations. The Hurricanes reportedly had a deal on the table with the Buffalo Sabres, but that was shot down.

The Hurricanes also had a high asking price for Necas, possibly looking for a couple of big names the Winnipeg Jets weren’t willing to part with.

If the 2024-25 season kicks off and Necas isn’t meeting expectations, there are no clauses in his contract tying him to Carolina. He’s a player with a ton of upside that surely plenty of teams would be willing to bring on.

Two years at $6.5 million annually for Necas is a favorable contract for several teams to consider.

Yaroslav Skarov

The Nashville Predators have a good problem between the pipes. A starter who will regularly be in Vezina Trophy discussions in Juuse Saros and one of the top goalie prospects in the world in Yaroslav Askarov.

The 22-year-old Askarov has captured most of the trade talk since the Predators recently signed Saros to a hefty eight-year contract extension. With Saros locked into Nashville for possibly his whole career, Askarov will probably see his talents take him elsewhere.

Askarov only has three appearances at the NHL level but has shown incredible promise in the American Hockey League. In 92 games played at the AHL level, Askarov has a 56-29-6 record.

If the Predators find themselves in a predicament and need to fill a hole, they hold arguably one of the top trade chips in the league with Askarov.

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