Here are Four NHL Players on the Trade Block for Cap Space

The St. Louis Blues showcased mastery in this subtle art. They first acquired center Radek Faksa and his $3.25-million cap hit from the Dallas Stars for future considerations, giving Dallas room to re-sign RFA Thomas Harley. Faksa has won at least 54% of his faceoffs in each of the last four seasons.

St. Louis then acquired Mathieu Joseph and his $2.95-million cap hit from the Ottawa Senators, who needed to re-sign RFA center Shane Pinto. Joseph is a quality third-line right winger, effective in penalty kills, and recorded a career-high 35 points last season. The Blues likely won't be the only team to acquire useful pieces for cheap.

The following four NHL players could be trade options if their teams need to clear cap space:

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C, New York Islanders ($5-million cap hit, two years remaining)

The New York Islanders have exited in the first round of the last two playoffs and ranked 22nd and 18th in goals-for and goals-against last season, respectively. Even the most optimistic observers agree the Islanders need another top-six winger but have just $1.075 million in cap space. Pageau is overpaid for a center whose career-high season points is 43. However, the 31-year-old plays with an edge and has a career faceoff win percentage of 54%. GM Lou Lamoriello might need to attach an asset or retain salary to offload Pageau, which could appeal to a rebuilding team or a playoff contender with cap space. Pageau has a 16-team no-trade list.

Ross Colton, C, Colorado Avalanche ($4-million cap hit, three years remaining)

Avalanche GM Chris McFarland may not want to move Ross Colton after just one year, but he may need to for cap flexibility. The Avalanche would be $1,337,500 over the salary cap if Gabriel Landeskog is healthy and the roster doesn't change when Valeri Nichushkin is cleared by the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Otherwise, they still only have about $3.9 million in space and could use more additions to their fourth line. Colton is a high-end, speedy third-liner who generates scoring chances and plays with grit. Moving him might be their best chance to upgrade the roster, net a mid-round pick, and maintain flexibility for Landeskog and Nichushkin's situations.

Brayden McNabb, D, Vegas Golden Knights ($2.85-million cap hit, one year remaining)

If the Vegas Golden Knights want to trade at the deadline, they'll need more cap space and trade assets. Trading Brayden McNabb would achieve this. The Knights have four other left-handed defensemen, and Theodore has had to play on the right side, which is challenging. Dealing McNabb, a tough, stay-at-home defenseman, could recoup assets for a top-six winger to replace Chandler Stephenson and Jonathan Marchessault. McNabb, 33, is still effective, but with Vegas only cap-compliant if Robin Lehner starts the season on LTIR, they could consider trading McNabb for mid-round picks and a prospect.

Evan Rodrigues, F, Florida Panthers ($3-million cap hit, three years remaining)

Fresh off scoring the most goals in the 2024 Stanley Cup final, Evan Rodrigues is a valuable depth forward. However, the Panthers lost Brandon Montour. Rodrigues is a stellar middle-six piece with 26 points in 40 career post-season games. But the Panthers need another top-four defenseman and are currently $933,334 over the salary cap. Florida did sign Adam Boqvist and Nate Schmidt, but Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola currently make up Florida's second pair, which might not be enough to win the Stanley Cup again. Eetu Luostarainen and his $3-million cap hit could be another option, but he's five years younger than Rodrigues, whose value may never be higher.