Over the past few years, more and more star players have asked for trades and that likely will continue to be the case.
Last year, we saw Matthew Tkachuk ask out of Calgary and be moved to Florida. This year, Pierre-Luc Dubois asked out of Winnipeg and was dealt to Los Angeles.
Now, here are three NHL stars who could ask for a trade.
3. Jordan Binnington
Ever since Jordan Binnington won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues, many hailed him as the next great goaltender.
Unfortunately, he has failed to replicate that success and has had a very up-and-down career as of late. Binnington is still just 30 years old and is under contract for four more seasons.
However, the Blues have Joel Hofer in the pipeline and could start to take away some starts from Binnington. If that is the case, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Binnington ask for a trade and try and be a full-time starter elsewhere. A change of scenery could also be needed for the netminder.
2. Alexis Lafreniere
Alexis Lafreniere was drafted first overall by the New York Rangers in 2020 but he has failed to live up to the hype.
Ahead of the draft, Lafreniere was hyped up as a can't miss prospect and someone that would be a first-line winger in the NHL. However, in his NHL career, he has just 91 career points in 216 games and is a third-liner on the Rangers.
Yet, Lafreniere is still 21 years old and could develop into that star player. However, the Rangers are loaded upfront and there is a chance Lafreniere wants a change of scenery and try and live up to his potential on a different team.
1. William Nylander
William Nylander is one of the key players for the Toronto Maple Leafs but has been the subject of trade rumors.
Nylander is entering the final season of his six-year deal. Hence, the Maple Leafs have reportedly asked him to take a team-friendly deal so Toronto can keep Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares. However, none of those three players took a discount so if the Leafs hold him to that, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Nylander ask for a trade.