As June arrives, the Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers captures the focus of the hockey community. Following the conclusion of the playoffs later this month, the NHL offseason will intensify, including the upcoming 2025 NHL draft set to take place in Los Angeles on June 27-28. While the trade market has remained relatively stagnant since the March 8 trade deadline, activity is expected to resume as teams initiate efforts to bolster their rosters for the upcoming season and beyond. A significant amount of trade activity could arise as clubs prepare for the draft weekend, with rumors surrounding various prominent NHL players circulating as the postseason unfolds.

Among those players are Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers and Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins, both of whom were previously featured in Moneyline's May NHL Trade Block Big Board. Additionally, Jonathan Marchessault of the Nashville Predators and JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres have emerged as new names in trade discussions. Seven players previously listed, including Vancouver's Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko, New York Rangers’ Mike Zibanejad, and Boston's Joonas Korpisalo, have seen reduced rumor activity and have been removed from the current consideration. The focus now shifts to Kreider, Karlsson, Marchessault, and Peterka, who are among the 15 noteworthy players on the June NHL Trade Block Big Board.

In a noteworthy transaction last August, the Montréal Canadiens acquired Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets in hopes of enhancing their offensive capabilities. Despite encountering a knee injury that sidelined him for the first two months of the season, the 28-year-old winger managed to score 20 goals and accumulate 33 points in 52 games, primarily as a power-play specialist. However, Laine's production diminished as the season progressed, resulting in limited playoff appearances due to a broken finger. Media reports indicated a crossroads for Laine in his relationship with the Canadiens, as Pat Hickey of The Montréal Gazette suggested a potential trade, citing Laine's mismatch with the Canadiens' fast-paced system. However, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes defended Laine's contributions, emphasizing his importance to the playoff run. With Laine entering the final year of his contract, speculation continues regarding his status as a trade candidate, contingent on the Canadiens' desire to clear salary cap space for future actions.