The NHL offseason is a time when teams bolster their rosters through signings and trades. Sometimes that’s for the long haul, but often the player is a stopgap whose eventual fate is pulling on another team’s jersey at the next trade deadline.
Look at Jason Zucker last season. He signed a one-year deal for a good amount of money with the Arizona Coyotes after four seasons in Pittsburgh. Arizona knew it would get some solid veteran play from the 32-year-old. Zucker knew his pedigree and pending free agent status meant he’d probably be flipped at the deadline. Sure enough, the Coyotes traded Zucker to the Nashville Predators, whom he helped reach the Western Conference playoffs.
Here are 10 players who signed deals or were acquired in the 2024 offseason who could end up on the move by the 2025 trade deadline — some of them by design; others out of necessity because conditions changed.
