How the top prospects dealt at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline are doing now
The NHL Trade Deadline is more than just for teams chasing the Stanley Cup – many others are hoping to build for the future.
Prospects are always key trade chips each spring, with contenders often willing to part ways with players further down their contention timelines to bring in immediate help. In some cases, young players are thrown in just for contract reasons, with their new teams having no intention of ever bringing them into the fold. But if you can find some magic along the way, you won’t complain.
From future impact NHLers to potential flops, here’s a look at how 13 players who moved ahead of the 2025 deadline have performed since then:
Herman Träff, RW, 20 (Anaheim Ducks)
Previous Team: New Jersey Devils
Trade Details
There’s a real chance the best part of this deal is the draft pick sent to Anaheim, with the Ducks electing to select World Junior Championship standout Lasse Boelius. But Träff is still intriguing. He split last year between three levels of Swedish hockey but has been the most productive U-21 player in the second-tier Swedish league by a mile. The 6-foot-3 winger uses his big frame to check hard, win battles and power through to the net consistently. Träff has a good shot, battles tenaciously and makes you pay if you hold onto the puck too long. There’s some good power-forward energy here, but Träff does enough in his own zone to be intriguing. His deal in Sweden ends this spring, meaning we could see him in the AHL full-time next season.
Fraser Minten, C, 21 (Boston Bruins)
Previous Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Trade Details
Minten’s name is becoming popular around here. He bounced around the NHL and AHL last year, but it always felt like he was the team’s most attractive trade asset. Most scouts agreed early on that Minten had a bright future as a bottom-six, two-way center, and he’s a solid penalty killer, as well. Minten was one of Toronto’s top prospects, so packaging him up to acquire immediate help always made sense. But, so far, the deal has seemingly worked out better for Boston, with Minten playing at a 40-point pace already in his first full NHL campaign. He has been a perfect fit on the third line and has skated in every Bruins game so far. There hasn’t been a better “prospect” on this list this season.
Max Wanner, RHD, 22 (Boston Bruins)
Previous Team: Edmonton Oilers
Trade Details
There was hope the 2021 seventh-rounder would eventually pan out and become a legit player in the Oilers’ system. Instead, injuries have limited Wanner’s overall playing time, with the 6-foot-3 defender skating in just a handful of games in the AHL and ECHL. At this point, he’s far away from being an NHL call-up, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team not qualify him ahead of the 2026 free agency period this year. It’s too bad, because he’s a solid shutdown defender who plays a physical game. But his development has taken a step back this year.
Will Zellers, C, 19 (Boston Bruins)
Previous Team: Colorado Avalanche
Trade Details
No prospect’s stock has improved more over the past few months than Zellers’. One knock against him in recent years was the lack of quality competition he faced, but that’s not a concern these days. He went on an absolute heater with the University of North Dakota back in November and became a late addition on USA’s World Junior roster. He then parlayed that into one of the best tournaments of any forward, despite USA ultimately getting bounced out of the quarterfinal. He has quieted down a bit since returning to college, but he has still shown plenty of speed, skill and hockey sense. Zellers is still a few years away from the NHL, but his development curve continues to fly high.
Aku Räty, RW, 24 (Chicago Blackhawks)
Previous Team: Utah Hockey Club
Trade Details
Räty’s inclusion in the Shea Weber salary-dump deal was always going to be just to move a contract out and nothing more. He had a difficult season in the AHL and there was no clear path to getting him back to the NHL after making his debut the season prior. Räty has since joined Kärpät in the top Finnish league and has been one of the most productive players there. Given he’s 24, there’s still a chance he could become a bottom-six NHLer one day if he continues to impress back home. But as of now, his NHL dreams seem unlikely to materialize.
William Dufour, RW, 24 (Colorado Avalanche)
Previous Team: New York Islanders
Trade Details
Dufour was once a promising AHLer, putting up 48 points and making his NHL debut during the 2022-23 season. But he never came close to matching that again, and the Avalanche elected to release him over the summer. Dufour started the season in the KHL but left before the end of September. He then signed in the senior semi-pro league, the LNAH, for three games before landing a short-term gig with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was released on Dec. 30 after just six games and hasn’t played since.
Hank Kempf, LHD, 23 (Colorado Avalanche)
Previous Team: New York Rangers
Trade Details
Kempf turned pro after his fourth year at Cornell University last year, although he didn’t sign an NHL deal. Instead, he inked a contract with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, but he hasn’t played since Oct. 28 due to injury. Known more as a defensive specialist, the odds of Kempf ever making the NHL were extremely low, and that hasn’t changed this year.
Petr Hauser, RW, 22 (Edmonton Oilers)
Previous Team: Boston Bruins
Trade Details
Hauser is a depth player in the Czech league, so the odds of him signing an NHL contract before his rights expire this summer are extremely unlikely. He’s a big forward who doesn’t do much offensively, but he has some speed. Sorry to any Oilers fans who bought his jersey in advance, though.
Shane Lachance, LW, 22 (New Jersey Devils)
Previous Team: Edmonton Oilers
Trade Details
Lachance was always viewed as a bottom-six forward, and, honestly, it’s hard not to love his experience. He’s on track for about 30 points in his first pro season with the AHL’s Utica Comets, and he even made his NHL debut with New Jersey. At 6-foot-5 and nearly 220 pounds, he’s absolutely massive. You can count on him to get a couple of good looks every game, and he has become more dangerous as a shot generator. He’s physically dominant, great around the net, and can play with more skilled guys as more of a complementary option.
Calum Ritchie, C, 20 (New York Islanders)
Previous Team: Colorado Avalanche
Trade Details
It’s been a learning year for Ritchie, who was the biggest fish moved a year ago. The 20-year-old has dealt with some injuries, and he was sent down to the AHL for a bit, but has primarily played with the big club this year. The two-way forward has tremendous hockey sense, allowing him to make plays out of seemingly nothing. He has played some of his best hockey as of late, which is promising. His ice time is still lacking a bit, but they’ll continue to ease him in over time. The goal right now is to help Ritchie become more comfortable with his assignments.
Brendan Brisson, LW/RW, 24 (New York Rangers)
Previous Team: Vegas Golden Knights
Trade Details
Brisson has aged out of being a prospect, and it just seems like an NHL career is never going to pan out for the winger. A first-round pick in 2020, Brisson has yet to suit up for the Rangers over the past year and is tracking for one of his least effective AHL campaigns to date. Many believe he was rushed out of college a bit too early, but hindsight is 20/20. Brisson will be an RFA this summer, but you have to wonder if he’ll head to Europe for a bigger opportunity elsewhere. Right now, it’s just not working in Hartford.
Nikita Grebenkin, RW, 22 (Philadelphia Flyers)
Previous Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Trade Details
Grebenkin wow’d Toronto fans early in his North American pro career, and many were sad to see him go as part of the Scott Laughton deal. Grebenkin has built a decent career for himself early on, mixing in a bit of toughness and skill in Philadelphia’s bottom six. His offense is nothing to get too excited about – he’s on pace for about 20 points. But the ultimate goal is for him to become difficult to play against while mixing in some skill. I wonder how high the playmaking forward can push himself up Philly’s lineup down the road.
Kyle Aucoin, LHD, 23 (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Previous Team: Detroit Red Wings
Trade Details
After four years at Harvard University, Aucoin elected to play a fifth and final year with Miami University. He has just one assist to show for, with his focus being more on shutting guys down. He’s good at that at the college level, but it’s unlikely he’ll be anything more than AHL fodder once his time at Miami comes to a close. Puckpedia reported that Aucoin’s rights with Tampa Bay expired this past summer.
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