Buy or Sell the Latest 2024 NHL Trade and Free-Agent Rumors (2024)

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final begins onJune 8 with the seventh and final game of the series slated for June24. Following that series, NHL fans can expect the trade market to return to life asteams prepare to make moves for next season.

That activity will be spurred by theapproaching of the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas from June 28-29,followed by the start of the NHL free-agent market on July 1.

Fuelled by the hockey media, the NHLrumor mill has been churning in anticipation of another busyperiod of player movement. Notable stars like Toronto Maple Leafswinger Mitch Marner and Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark havebeen mentioned as trade candidates. There could even be some contractbuyouts following the postseason.

Here's a look at which of the past week's noteworthyrumors are worth buying or selling. Feel free to give us your thoughts in the app comments below.

The Carolina Hurricanes successfullysigned away Jesperi Kotkaniemi from the Montreal Canadiens with aone-year, $6.1 million offer sheet in Sept. 2021. They signed him to an eight-year contract extension the following March with anaverage annual value of $4.82 million.

At the time of those contracts,Kotkaniemi was a promising young center chosen thirdoverall by the Canadiens in the 2018 NHL Draft. He appeared on theverge of a breakout performance last season with a 43-point effort in 82 games.

However, Kotkaniemi's productionslipped to 27 points in 79 games this season and just onepoint in 11 playoff games. That prompted Sportsnet's Rory Boylen towonder if they could afford his contract when they've got forwardsJake Guentzel and Seth Jarvis to re-sign, along with four defensem*neligible for UFA status on July 1.

Boylen pointed out that buying out the23-year-old Kotkaniemi this summer would only be at one-third ofhis contract's remaining value instead of two-thirds if he were 26 or over.While it would count against the Hurricanes payroll for 12 years, theannual cap hit of the buyout would be just $835,000 for all but threeyears, when it would dip to $455,000.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Boylen noted thatthe Hurricanes don't have to rush into this buyout as they can waitanother couple of years to see if Kotkaniemi will bounce back andreach his full potential. If necessary, they could buy him out for the same one-third rate for only eight years instead of 12.

On Feb. 26, 2023, the Tampa BayLightning acquired Tanner Jeannot from the Nashville Predators. Theygave up five draft picks, including a conditional first-rounder in2025, and defenseman Cal Foote to get him. Last summer, he signed atwo-year contract extension with the Lightning worth an annualaverage value of $2.7 million.

A rugged checking-line winger with adecent scoring touch, Jeannot enjoyed a career-best performance in2021-22 with 24 goals and 41 points in 81 games with the Predators.Though his production was down the following season, the Lightninghad hoped he'd regain his 20-goal form.

Instead, Jeannot struggled through aninjury-shortened 2023-24 campaign that limited him to sevengoals and 14 points in 55 games. With the Lightning looking to freeup salary cap space to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos, Jeannot couldbe on the move by the NHL Draft before his 16-team no-trade clausekicks in on July 1.

During the May 27 episode ofSportsnet's 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman said Jeannotcould be a player to watch in the trade market. His co-host JeffMarek suggested he'd be a good fit with the Calgary Flames. TheHockey News' Michael Augello suggested the Buffalo Sabres couldbenefit from Jeannot's physical style of play.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Things haven'tworked out as expected for Jeannot with the Lightning. If there'sinterest from other clubs, they could ship him to another club for alow-cost return of two draft picks to offset some of those theytraded to Nashville to acquire him. Moving his full salary off theirbooks could free up enough room for Stamkos' next contract.

Filip Hronek enjoyed a career-bestperformance in his first full season with the Vancouver Canucks.Acquired from the Detroit Red Wings before last season's tradedeadline, the 26-year-old defenseman netted 48 points this seasonskating alongside Canucks captain Quinn Hughes on the top blue-linepairing.

Completing a three-year contract withan average annual value of $4.4 million, Hronek is a restricted freeagent with arbitration rights this summer. He's in line for asignificant raise on his next contract, but whether he'll get it fromthe Canucks has been a hot topic in the rumor mill.

The Athletic's Thomas Drance thinksthose contract talks could be tense given Hronek's disappointingplayoff performance and his arbitration status. His asking price willbe the biggest issue.

CHEK-TV's Rick Dhaliwal reported on May21 that the Hronek camp sought an annual cap hit of $8 millionon his next contract. That's more than the $7.9 million AAV thatHughes is getting, and he's a finalist this season for the JamesNorris Memorial Trophy.

Buy or Sell: Buy

The Canucks preferto keep Hronek as he's formed a strong chemistry alongside Hughesthis season. However, they could put him on the trade block if heinsists on an $8 million AAV. They could swap him for anotherdefenseman or offload him for futures and use the cap savings on moreaffordable blue-line assets.

A frequent fixture in the NHL Rumor Mill this season, Linus Ullmark was part of our May Offseason Trade Block Big Board. With Jeremy Swayman taking over as the Boston Bruins' starting goaltender, the 30-year-old Ullmark could end up on the trade block soon.

The Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch reported last month the Senators looked into Ullmark's availability leading up to the March trade deadline. He believes general manager Steve Staios could revisit his interest in the Bruins netminder.

Goaltending was a primary weakness for the Senators this season. Their tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg combined for a goals-against per game of 3.43, the fifth-worst among the 32 NHL clubs. Korpisalo has four years left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $4 million while Forsberg has a year left at $2.8 million.

Ullmark has a 16-team no-trade list which drops to a 15-team list on July 1, giving him some control if the Bruins peddle him this summer. Garrioch also cited a league executive suggesting the Bruins could set a high asking price for defenseman Jakob Chychrun, a first-round pick, and a top prospect for the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Too many factors work against this scenario. Ullmark could be unwilling to accept a trade to the rebuilding Senators. The Bruins' proposed asking price could be too expensive for Staios to accept. Staios would also have to find a taker for Korpisalo, which will be difficult given his struggles this season.

Another early playoff exit by theToronto Maple Leafs sparked calls for change from their fans and theToronto media with Mitch Marner considered the prime trade candidate.Criticized for his postseason performance, the 27-year-old winger hasa year left on his contract with a cap hit of $10.9 million plus afull no-movement clause.

Marner is a talented two-way forwardbut his contract could be difficult to move. That hasn't stoppedpundits from suggesting possible destinations.

The Nashville Predators were suggestedas a potential destination after they traded Ryan McDonagh back tothe Tampa Bay Lightning last month. The move cleared McDonagh's $6.8million cap hit from their Predators books, giving them $26 million in projected cap space with 15 active roster players undercontract for next season.

Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros hasfrequently surfaced in the rumor mill since before theMarch trade deadline. The Leafs need a reliable starting goalie whilethe Predators could use more scoring punch. A swap of Saros forMarner with other pieces in the deal seems like a win-win forboth clubs.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Predators general manager Barry Trotz dismissed the chatter as "just rumors." The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported no trade discussion between the Leafs and Predators, or with any other club. He also reminded us that Marner's no-movement clause gives him full control over his future, which doesn't appear to be in Nashville.

Stats are available via NHL.com, and salary info is available via Cap Friendly.