It is an exciting time for hockey fans with the new season approaching. Soon, NHL teams will be back to playing regular-season hockey, as it officially begins Oct. 7. 

With the 2025-26 season getting close, let's take a look at five prime NHL trade candidates who could be moved during the campaign, or even before it begins. 

Rasmus Andersson, D, Calgary Flames

It is not a secret that Rasmus Andersson is a prime trade candidate.

Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund even said that an Andersson trade is "obvious" in an interview with The Athletic's Michael Russo. 

Andersson is a pending UFA, so the expectation is that the Flames will flip him before the 2026 NHL trade deadline, unless a surprising contract extension occurs. Teams who could use a top-four right-shot defenseman could be in the mix for the 28-year-old. In 81 games last season, Andersson recorded 11 goals, 31 points, and a minus-38 rating. 

Connor Ingram, G, Utah Mammoth 

Connor Ingram is certainly a trade candidate to watch as we get closer to the season. According to Cole Bagley of KSL Sports, the Utah Mammoth are looking to give the goaltender a change of scenery. In addition, Bagley reported that Utah GM Bill Armstrong said Ingram will be placed on waivers, but a trade could occur before then. 

Ingram, who was cleared by the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in August, could be a solid goalie for a team that needs help between the pipes. While he had a tough 2024-25 with Utah, where he posted a .882 save percentage and 3.27 goals against average in 22 games, he is a clear bounce-back candidate.

In each of his two previous seasons with the Arizona Coyotes in 2022-23 and 2023-24, he posted a .907 SP. That is solid play, especially on a Coyotes team that didn't contend for playoff contention. 

With this, Ingram could be a good buy-low goaltender for an NHL club to take a chance on. 

Bryan Rust, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins 

Bryan Rust was a popular name in the rumor mill all off-season, and that will continue in the regular season if he ends up starting the year with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the Penguins in the middle of a serious retool, Rust is exactly the kind of player who could land them a big return. 

Teams looking for a proven top-six winger should be interested in Rust. The 5-foot-11 right winger is coming off an excellent season with the Penguins, posting new career highs with 31 goals and 65 points. This was after he scored 28 goals and 56 points in 62 games with Pittsburgh in 2023-24, so he can certainly still make an impact.

Due to this, Rust should be a very popular trade target this season if Pittsburgh find themselves near the bottom of the NHL standings again.  

Rickard Rakell, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins 

Rickard Rakell is another Penguins winger to watch for in the trade market. Like Rust, Rakell was the subject of plenty of trade speculation this summer. This will likely continue if the Penguins do not move him before the start of the season. 

Following his strong 2024-25 campaign, Rakell's trade value is very high. The 32-year-old just put together the best season of his 14-year career, recording new career highs with 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games. Therefore, if the Penguins want to move Rakell, now would be a good time.

Nick Robertson, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs 

Questions about Nick Robertson's future with the Toronto Maple Leafs have come up for years now, and they have not stopped with the 2025-26 season nearing. When looking at the Maple Leafs' current roster, there is no question that they have a surplus of NHL-caliber forwards. Thus, it is fair to wonder if this could be the year the Leafs trade Robertson. 

If Robertson is made available by the Maple Leafs, there could be considerable interest in him. The skilled left winger is still 24 years old and could hit a new level if he's given more opportunity in another market. Thus, he could be a solid addition for a rebuilding team, in particular. 

In 69 games last season with Toronto, Robertson scored a career-high 15 goals and recorded 22 points, while averaging 12 minutes of ice time per game, also a career-high. 

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