NHL 2026 Offseason Trade Predictor: Larkin, Rielly & More – The Hockey Writers – Previews and Predictions

NHL trade rumors are starting to heat up. The Stanley Cup Final is underway, and trades will begin sooner rather than later. With that, let’s look at some names on our first trade bait list of the offseason and predict where they could land once teams begin making moves.

Morgan Rielly: San Jose Sharks

What was the San Jose Sharks’ biggest flaw this past season? Their porous defense. Morgan Rielly may not be what he was during his prime a few years ago, but he would give the Sharks a much-needed veteran on their back end. He finished this past season with 11 goals and 36 points in 78 games, but there are some concerns.

Rielly is still a capable offensive defenseman, but his defensive game has fallen off a cliff. Specifically, he struggles to defend the rush, but the Sharks should still take a chance on him. Despite the defensive struggles, Rielly is still an effective puck-mover and can help the Sharks break out of the defensive zone more efficiently. I wouldn’t play him in a top-pair, shutdown role, but he can still be effective as a No. 3 or 4 defenseman.

Rielly has a no-move clause, so he has full control of where he ends up. The Sharks probably would have been a no-go a year or two ago, but they’re a team on the rise with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and their young core. They might appeal to Rielly as a trade destination since it appears his days with the Toronto Maple Leafs are coming to a close. I can’t imagine Rielly costs much since one) he has an NMC, and two) the Maple Leafs are just looking to clear cap space. He’d probably cost a couple of draft picks, perhaps second and third-round picks.

Vincent Trocheck: Montreal Canadiens

At the trade deadline, I had Vincent Trocheck destined for the Minnesota Wild. That’s still a possibility this offseason, but why be boring and say the Wild again? The Montreal Canadiens were three wins from winning the Eastern Conference. They have a talented young group to build around, but they’re missing a second-line center behind Nick Suzuki.

I know there’s a narrative that Americans generally don’t want to play in Canada. There’s certainly some truth to that, but the Canadiens should be a destination if Trocheck is looking to win a Stanley Cup. Their talented young core should appeal to him. They also have the assets to acquire Trocheck, who will likely cost around a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a depth NHLer. He’d be the ideal 2C behind Suzuki and would help the Canadiens solidify their status as a contender in the Atlantic.

Robert Thomas: Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres’ playoff run sure doesn’t look like a fluke. Now, they’ll have to build on it this offseason. Konsta Helenius looks like he’s going to be a player, but the Sabres could still use another top-six center behind Tage Thompson. That’s why Robert Thomas could be an excellent fit.

Thomas has been in the rumor mill for quite some time. He’s coming off another productive season that saw him total 64 points in 64 games. He’s an excellent scoring forward but also plays a well-rounded two-way game. He has a reasonable $8.125 million cap hit and plenty of team control. Thomas also fits the Sabres’ core, as he’s still only 26 years old.

It won’t be cheap to acquire Thomas, but the Sabres have the assets. They should be looking to part with their first-round pick, Helenius or a prospect of his caliber, and another asset to acquire Thomas. A 1-2-3 punch of Thompson, Thomas, and Ryan McLeod down the middle would give the Sabres one of the best center cores in the Eastern Conference, and maybe even the entire NHL.

Jordan Kyrou: New Jersey Devils

OK, now I’m going to be boring. I predicted Jordan Kyrou to the Devils around the trade deadline, and I’m sticking with it. The fit just makes too much sense. The Devils sorely need a top-six winger to complement Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, and they should have the assets to complete a trade and satisfy what the Blues are looking for in return.

The Devils hold the 12th overall pick in the 2026 draft, and one of Šimon Nemec or Dawson Mercer should be enough to make a deal happen. The Blues could use a right-shot defender on their blue line, especially if they’re planning to trade Colton Parayko. That’s where Nemec could help, and they can add a top prospect to their system with the 12th pick. Meanwhile, the Devils get the top-six winger they need to complement Hischier and Hughes.

Dylan Larkin: Tampa Bay Lightning

Dylan Larkin was not a part of our first trade board, but he’s among the biggest names available this offseason after Elliotte Friedman reported that Larkin had requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings. Plenty of teams will pursue Larkin. One team I considered for him is the Wild, but let’s go with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Why is that? Jack Han tweeted when the news first broke that he sees a team in a no-tax state, such as the Lightning, acquiring Larkin. Part of the reasoning for Larkin’s trade request was due to the Red Wings’ inability to make the playoffs. The Lightning, despite their early exit to the Canadiens this postseason, remain perennial playoff contenders. They fit what Larkin may be looking for.

The Lightning don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 drafts, but they have both of their second-round picks. Those, along with top prospect Sam O’Reilly and an NHLer, may be what it takes for the Lightning to acquire Larkin.

Mason McTavish: Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers made a surprise run to the second round of the playoffs. The goal for them is to avoid it being a fluke. Trevor Zegras had a solid rebound campaign in his first year with the Flyers, but they, like many other teams, need to bolster their center depth.

That’s where Mason McTavish could be a fit. While I believe McTavish profiles better as a winger due to his poor puck-carrying and defensive abilities, that may not be how other NHL teams view him. If the Flyers think he’s a center, he could help them improve their depth down the middle.

McTavish is coming off a down season in which he totaled just 17 goals and 41 points in 75 games, but he’s still only 23 years old. He’s under contract for five more seasons at a cap hit of $7 million and would be a good fit for what the Flyers need. A first-round pick and a prospect should be what it takes to acquire him, and the Flyers have the assets to get it done.

It’ll be interesting to see what the trade market looks like this summer, given how weak the free-agent class is. There is potential for some fireworks, but only time will tell. Any of these players getting traded could change the landscape of the NHL.