Top 5 Players Available for Trades Ahead of Roster Freeze, per the Athletic

As the NHL season rolls on, teams are getting a much better idea of where they stand ahead of the trade deadline, and with the half way mark approaching for plenty of teams, trade rumours have begun heating up.

This Friday, a roster freeze goes into effect for the holiday period, and ahead of that, The Athletic have compiled their list of the top five players that are available to be had via trade.

The biggest name of all is Chris Kreider, who was made available by the Rangers a few weeks ago, and with the team simply spiralling after that, it's more likely than not that a blockbuster trade comes soon in New York.

In 28 games this season, Kreider is off to a slow start with 10 goals and 11 points while accumulating a -4 differential, but given his track record, contending teams should be lining up to add the veteran.

The most likely player of all to be moved on the list is Blues veteran Brandon Saad, who could provide great depth for contending teams, and with a likely lower price tag than the other players on this list, he's a very safe option for teams searching for an upgrade.

Then there's Ivan Provorov of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who could be a solid addition as he heads into free agency over the summer, although a recent report reveals that the veteran may not want to hit free agency and leave Columbus after all.

To round out the list there is Boston's Trent Frederic and Pittsburgh's Marcus Pettersson, both of whom are free agents at seasons end, and while they may not be the biggest names, they're the two most likely players on this list to be moved at some point this season.