The NHL trade deadline is two days away.
So far, the NHL season had two blockbuster trades before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Mikko Rantanen was dealt by the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes and J.T. Miller was traded by the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers.
Also this season, the Avalanche have changed up their goaltending, the Dallas Stars acquired Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks, the Florida Panthers added Seth Jones and the Tampa Bay Lightning added two forwards.
Other moves will be made in the next two days as teams beef up for the playoffs or move veterans for draft picks and prospects.
Here is analysis on the deals that have happened leading up to the NHL trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 7.
TRADE DEADLINE: Team needs | Who has signed extensions?
March 5: Lightning acquire Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde
The Lightning land forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde, plus a 2026 fifth-round pick, from the Kraken for forward Mikey Eyssimont, two first-round picks (2026 and 2027) and a 2025 second-round pick. The Lightning’s depth has been thinned since their 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup win because of salary cap concerns. Gourde, a pending unrestricted free agent, was part of those Cup wins and Bjorkstrand is on pace to hit 20 goals for the sixth time in seven seasons. He can move onto the Lightning’s second line and has another year left on his contract.
The Lightning have won nine of their last 10, and this trade is a sign that they’re going for it. Tampa Bay is always willing to deal draft picks to keep the championship window alive. The first-rounders will help the Kraken long-term with the team out of the playoff picture. The Kraken retain 50% of Bjorkstrand’s salary and the Red Wings retain 25% in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
March 5: Panthers acquire Vitek Vanecek from Sharks
This deal is a follow to the Seth Jones trade, in which the Panthers sent goalie Spencer Knight to the Blackhawks. Vanecek, a pending unrestricted free agent, will fill the backup role behind Sergei Bobrovsky. The Panthers had the room to take on the remainder of Vanecek’s $3.4 million cap hit after they placed Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. The Sharks get Patrick Giles, 25, a 6-foot-5 former Boston College forward who has played all but nine games of his professional hockey career in the American Hockey League.
Sharks acquire Vincent Desharnais from Penguins
The Penguins receive a 2028 fifth-round pick. The defenseman played only 10 games (no points) with Pittsburgh after arriving last month from the Canucks as part of the Marcus Pettersson trade. Desharnais played 16 games during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. He has another year left on his contract.
Also: Rangers forward Reilly Smith sat out a third consecutive game for trade-related reasons.
March 4: Oilers acquire Trent Frederic in three-team trade
The Edmonton Oilers acquired pending unrestricted free agent forward Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins, with the New Jersey Devils getting involved to help retain part of his salary. Frederic’s offensive numbers have dropped this season, but he’s valuable in the playoffs because of his feisty style of play. Edmonton, which reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season, has been missing that this season after Evander Kane had multiple surgeries. Frederic is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Boston gets two draft picks and defenseman Max Wanner, a 2021 seventh-round pick, in the trade.
Here are the details of the trade:
Trade 1: Boston Bruins trade Trent Frederic (50% salary retained) to New Jersey Devils in exchange for unsigned draft choice Petr Hauser.
Trade 2: New Jersey trades Trent Frederic (50% salary retained) to Edmonton in exchange for unsigned draft choice Shane Lachance.
Trade 3: Boston trades Max Jones and unsigned draft choice Petr Hauser to Edmonton in exchange for Max Wanner, St. Louis’ second-round pick in 2025 (owned by Edmonton) and Edmonton’s own fourth-round selection in 2026.
March 1: Panthers acquire Seth Jones from Blackhawks
The Florida Panthers send goalie Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round pick (which could move to 2027) to the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Seth Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick. The Blackhawks retain 26% of his salary. Jones’ recent comments expressing frustration with the team’s play essentially pushed the trade. The Panthers get a right-shot defenseman who plays big minutes after losing right-shot Brandon Montour to free agency last summer. Knight, who won’t be stuck behind Sergei Bobrovsky any more, gets a chance to prove he can become a No. 1 goalie. Knight and the first-rounder are a good return, considering trade demands usually put teams at a disadvantage.
TRADE GRADE: Who won Seth Jones trade?
March 1: Wild acquire Gustav Nyquist from Predators
The Minnesota Wild give up a 2026 second-round pick to the Nashville Predators, who retain 50% of pending unrestricted free agent Gustav Nyquist’s $3.185 million salary. Minnesota is in need of help at forward because of injuries to Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. Though Nyquist has struggled along with the Predators this season, he had 75 points last season. This is the second time the Wild have made a deadline deal for Nyquist. They previously acquired him in 2023 and he had five points in three regular-season games plus five points in six playoff games. He signed with the Predators as a free agent in July 2023.
March 1: Avalanche acquire Ryan Lindgren from Rangers
The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers in a five-player deal involving two draft picks. The Rangers retain 50% of Lindgren’s salary. He plays a top-four role, which Colorado has needed after trading Bowen Byram last season, and kills penalties. Lindgren, who had two recent two-assist games but often seems to get hurt, and forward Jimmy Vesey are pending unrestricted free agents, so the Rangers get something in return. Juuso Parssinen, 24, is a pending restricted free agent who played a depth role in Colorado. This is his second trade of the season. Calvin de Haan is a pending UFA with 676 games of regular season experience.
Feb. 24: Red Wings trade Ville Husso to Ducks
The Detroit Red Wings get goaltender Ville Husso’s $4.75 million cap hit off their books. Husso has played only nine games with the Red Wings and had spent much of the season in the American Hockey League. Detroit receives future considerations in the deal. The Anaheim Ducks sent Husso to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, where goalie Calle Clang is out with an injury.
Feb. 1: Stars acquire Mikael Granlund, Cody Ceci from Sharks
The Dallas Stars give up a 2025 first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick for forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci. Dallas was short on both positions because forwards Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment are injured, as are defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Nils Lundqvist.
Granlund led the Sharks with 45 points in 52 games and will add to a solid forward group, especially with Marchment getting closer to returning. Ceci led San Jose in ice time and blocked shots. Both newcomers are pending unrestricted free agents. The conditional third-round pick will be a fourth-rounder if the Stars don’t reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Jan. 31: Rangers acquire J.T. Miller in deal with Canucks
The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, two teams in the midst of disappointing seasons, swung a big trade Friday night they hope will shake things up for the better.
Vancouver shipped center J.T. Miller along with Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington to the Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 draft, the teams announced. The pick is top-13 protected, according to multiple reports.
The Canucks weren’t done dealing Friday, either, flipping that first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a separate deal, along with Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais and Melvin Fernstrom. They got back Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. – Jace Evans
ANALYSIS: Who won the trade?
Jan. 31: Flyers, Flames swap forwards in four-player trade
Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost went to Calgary and Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2028 seventh-rounder went to Philadelphia. The deal was announced early Friday morning following the two teams’ games.
Farabee, a two-time 20-goal scorer, and Frost, who has hit double digits three times, can give the Flames scoring depth as the team tries to hold on to a playoff spot. Farabee is signed through 2027-28 and Frost is a pending restricted free agent.
Kuzmenko, a pending unrestricted free agent, wasn’t going to be re-signed in Calgary after the former 39-goal scorer (with Vancouver) had four goals this season. But it gives the Flyers a chance to see how he fares with Russian rookie Matvei Michkov, a fellow former Kontinental Hockey League player. Pelletier can fit in the Flyers’ bottom six forward group and kills penalties. He’ll be a restricted free agent.
Jan. 31: Golden Knights sign Brandon Saad for rest of the season
Not a trade, but the Vegas Golden Knights made an addition ahead of the deadline. They signed forward Brandon Saad (pro-rated $1.5 million) for the rest of the season after he was cut loose by the St. Louis Blues. The Blues had waived the two-time Stanley Cup winner, but the sides agreed to terminate the rest of his contract so he could become a free agent. Saad’s numbers (seven goals) have dropped off this season, but he scored 26 last season.
Jan. 27: Islanders acquire Scott Perunovich from Blues
The New York Islanders give up a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick for Scott Perunovich to address another injury on their blue line. The trade was announced after Ryan Pulock (upper body) was placed on the injured list. Perunovich had six points in 24 games with the St. Louis Blues this season. Last week, the Islanders signed free agent defenseman Tony DeAngelo for the remainder of the season because Noah Dobson is out with a lower-body injury.
Jan. 24: Mikko Rantanen traded in blockbuster deal
The Colorado Avalanche no longer have to worry whether they can fit pending free agent Mikko Rantanen in their salary structure. The two-time 100-point scorer was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder. The Hurricanes also get Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks, who retained 50% of Rantanen’s salary.
The Avalanche pay MVP Nathan MacKinnon $12.6 million a year, and that was likely their top limit for Rantanen. Though Colorado loses a prolific scorer, Necas is the Hurricanes’ top scorer and is signed through next season. Drury is also signed through 2025-26 and will be a restricted free agent.
Last year, the Hurricanes were also aggressive before the deadline, but they lost in the second round and weren’t able to re-sign Jake Guentzel.
Dec. 28: Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche make trade
The Nashville Predators called up forward Vinnie Hinostroza, the American Hockey League’s leading scorer, then traded forward Juuso Parssinen to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche also get a 2026 seventh-round pick and the Predators get back forward Ondrej Pavel and a 2027 third-round pick.
Hinostroza, a 374-game NHL veteran, signed a two-year deal with the Predators in the offseason but had spent the entire season in the AHL. So has Pavel. Parssinen had five points in 15 games with Nashville this season. The Predators and Avalanche swapped backup goaltenders earlier in the season.
Dec. 18: Rangers trade Kaapo Kakko to Kraken
The New York Rangers get back defenseman Will Borgen and 2025 third- and sixth-round picks in exchange for Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick of 2019. The trade happened less than a day after Kakko complained about being a healthy scratch. ‘It’s just easy to take the young guy and put him out,’ he said Tuesday. ‘That’s how I feel.’
Kakko, 23, has never matched the expectation of being that high a pick, getting 40 points in his top season in 2022-23. He has 14 points this season and was named by Finland to the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The trade is the second recent shake-up move by the sliding Rangers, who dealt captain Jacob Trouba, a defenseman, to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6. Borgen, who was taken by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft, had 20 or more points and averaged nearly 200 hits the past two seasons but has just two points and a minus-13 rating this season.
In other Dec. 18 trades:
The Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators swapped defensemen with Justin Barron, 23, heading to Nashville in exchange for Alexandre Carrier, 28. Carrier signed a three-year deal this offseason and gives the Canadiens a veteran right-shot defenseman. The Predators save $2.6 million in cap space.
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman P.O. Joseph from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations. Joseph will help the Penguins with defenseman Marcus Pettersson out with an injury. Joseph played his first four NHL seasons with Pittsburgh.
Dec. 14: Blues acquire Ducks’ Cam Fowler in trade
The St. Louis Blues give up minor league defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka and a 2027 second-round pick to land defenseman Cam Fowler, 33, who spent his entire NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks. St. Louis also gets a 2027 fourth-round pick and the Ducks retain about 38.5% of Fowler’s remaining salary.
The Blues, who will be without Torey Krug (ankle) this season, get a veteran defenseman who averages more than 21 minutes a game in ice time. Fowler was moved eight days after the Ducks acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba in a trade.
Dec. 9: Avalanche land Mackenzie Blackwood in goalie trade with Sharks
The Colorado Avalanche’s season-opening goaltending tandem of Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen is out after a subpar start. Now they’re running with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood after separate trades with the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators, respectively.
The Blackwood trade is the latest one and includes forward Givani Smith and a draft pick going to Colorado, while forward Nikolai Kovalenko and two picks go to San Jose. Blackwood has a .904 save percentage to Georgiev’s .874, and he made 49 saves in his last game. Georgiev was pulled in his second-to-last start.
Dec. 6: Rangers trade Jacob Trouba, extend Igor Shesterkin
The sliding New York Rangers dominated the news Friday by trading captain Jacob Trouba and giving Igor Shesterkin an eight-year extension that makes him the highest-paid NHL goalie.
The Rangers officially announced the extension on Saturday.
The Trouba trade happened first Friday with the Rangers getting back defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth-round pick. But the biggest part is the Anaheim Ducks took on Trouba’s $8 million cap hit, giving the Rangers flexibility. Trouba, who has struggled this season and didn’t waive his no-trade clause this summer, adds a veteran presence to the young Ducks. He and new teammate Radko Gudas are two of the hardest hitters in the league.
Shesterkin will average $11.5 million in his new deal, according to reports, moving him past Carey Price ($10.5 million) as the top-paid goaltender. The Rangers rely heavily on Shesterkin, who faces a lot of high-danger shots.
Also: The Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens pulled off a minor trade. Forward Jacob Perreault, son of former NHL player Yanic Perreault, heads to Edmonton for defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer.
Nov. 30: Wild acquire defenseman David Jiricek from Blue Jackets
The Minnesota Wild acquired former first-round pick David Jiricek, 21, from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a package that includes 22-year-old defenseman Daemon Hunt and a package of draft picks including a top-five protected 2025 first-round pick. Jiricek, a 2022 sixth-overall pick who had been sent to American Hockey League, will report to the Wild’s AHL team. The other picks heading to Columbus: 2026 third- and fourth-rounders and a 2027 second-rounder. The Wild get a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Nov. 30: Predators, Avalanche swap goaltenders
The Colorado Avalanche acquired backup goalie Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators for backup goalie Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick. The Avalanche, who have the league’s third-worst team goals-against average, were expected to make some sort of goaltending move but not necessarily this one. Annunen, 24, has slightly better stats this season, but he’s a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Wedgewood, 32, who was signed in the offseason and played five games for the Predators, has another year left on his contract.
Nov. 25: Penguins acquire Philip Tomasino from Predators
Philip Tomasino (one point in 11 games) is the final year of his contract so the struggling Nashville Predators get something in return, a 2027 fourth-round pick. The equally struggling Pittsburgh Penguins get another person for their bottom six. The former first-round pick’s best season was 32 points as a rookie in 2021-22.
Nov. 12: Capitals reacquire Lars Eller in trade with Penguins
Center Lars Eller, 35, is a familiar face for the Washington Capitals after playing in Washington from 2016-23 and winning a Stanley Cup there in 2018. He kills penalties and is strong in the faceoff circle. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ side of the trade might be more interesting. They get a 2027 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder, and this also could be an indication that the Penguins are shaking up the roster after a disappointing start. Eller’s trade will allow the team to give more ice time to younger players. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent.
Oct. 30: Sharks acquire Timothy Liljegren from Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs get defenseman Matt Benning, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder. Liljegren, 25, had been limited to one game in Toronto this season, and the Maple Leafs recently committed to blue-liner Jake McCabe with a five-year extension. But Liljegren should fit in well in San Jose, which is building around younger players. Benning, 30, and Liljegren are signed through 2025-26.
This is the second day with an NHL trade after none previously since the season opened in North America.
Oct. 29: Utah acquires defenseman Olli Maatta from Red Wings
The Utah Hockey Club gives up a third-round pick as it addresses a desperate need for a veteran defenseman. Sean Durzi and John Marino are out long-term after surgery. Utah has been leaking goals during a four-game losing streak, including blowing a 4-1 lead late in the third period against the previously winless San Jose Sharks. Maatta is solid defensively and has nearly 700 games of NHL experience.
This post appeared first on USA TODAY
