In NHL trades, “future considerations” is a vague, catch‑all term that usually means the real return will be decided later, or is so minor it doesn’t need to be specified publicly.

What “future considerations” means

  • A placeholder in a trade when teams haven’t fully agreed on the exact asset coming back, or want flexibility to decide later.
  • Can be used when the return is expected to be very small (e.g., a low‑end minor‑league asset or nothing meaningful at all). Fans sometimes joke it means “nothing,” but it can turn into a real asset.

Common forms of future considerations

  • A late‑round draft pick (for example, a conditional 6th or 7th rounder decided later).
  • A minor‑league player or depth prospect whose identity is chosen after the season.
  • Cash or other small considerations allowed under league rules.
  • In some cases, it simply expires with no tangible return if conditions aren’t met, effectively becoming a favor between front offices.

Why teams use future considerations

  • Roster or cap maneuvering: A team may need to clear a contract or roster spot quickly, so they move a player for “future considerations” just to create space, not to get value back right away.
  • Timing and uncertainty: At the trade deadline or during busy periods, GMs may not have time to hammer out exact details; they agree to sort out the minor return later.
  • Relationship building: Sometimes it functions as a goodwill move; one team helps another now, expecting cooperation or a small asset down the road.

Conditional future considerations

Often the “future considerations” are tied to conditions, for example:

  • If the acquired player plays a certain number of NHL games, the sending team gets a specific pick.
  • If the player re‑signs with his new team, the sending team receives a higher pick; if he doesn’t, maybe a lower pick or nothing.

This lets teams match the cost to how much impact the player actually has.

How it fits into the bigger NHL picture

In the broader context of NHL trades and the modern tight salary cap, “future considerations” is a tool that:

  • Greases the wheels on otherwise minor or cap‑motivated deals.
  • Gives flexibility when exact values are hard to pin down in the moment.
  • Helps GMs manage long‑term planning, not just the immediate season.

In forums and fan discussions, “what are future considerations NHL” usually boils down to: “It’s a flexible, often minor return that can be decided later, sometimes ending up as a small pick, depth player, or effectively nothing.”

TL;DR: In NHL trades, “future considerations” is a deliberately vague term covering a small, to‑be‑determined return—often a late pick, depth player, or conditional asset—used to give GMs flexibility and to make minor or cap‑driven deals easier to complete.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.