The NHL trade deadline is less than a week away, but some front offices have started work early with big trades.
As Stanley Cup contenders part ways and those sitting outside the playoffs begin to consider pawning their assets to the highest bidder, off-ice drama keeps hockey fans hooked as the teams go through the hot days of the season.
Here’s a breakdown of all NHL trades and news ahead of the March 3 deadline.
February 27
The Buffalo Sabers acquired defenseman Riley Stillman from the Vancouver Canucks on Monday in exchange for prospect Josh Bloom. Stillman, 24, has been held scoreless in 32 games for the Canucks this season, registering five assists this year.
Bloom, 19, has 58 points in 59 OHL games this season, split between North Bay and Saginaw.
February 26
THE The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired forward Tanner Jeannot from the Nashville Predators on Sunday, but it didn’t come cheap. In return, the Predators receive the defender Cal Foote, a 2025 first-round pick (top 10 protected), a 2024 second-round pick, as well as 2023 third-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks.
Jeannot played 56 games with the Predators this season, scoring five goals and 14 points, including 85 penalty minutes.
February 26
The Colorado Avalanche have reunited with defenseman Jack Johnson, having acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Andreas Englund, the team announced Sunday. Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2021-22. He has four points in 58 games this season. Englund has three points in 36 games in 2022-23.
February 26
The New Jersey Devils landed the biggest fish available at the deadline by acquiring star forward Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks. The deal is still pending an official trade call and the Sharks’ return is yet to be known.
February 26
The Montreal Canadiens have acquired forward Denis Gurianov from the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Evgenii Dadonov, the teams announced Sunday. The Canadiens will keep 50% of Dadonov’s salary until the end of the current season. Gurianov has two goals and seven assists in 43 games this year, while Dadonov has four goals and 14 assists in 50 games.
February 26
The Vegas Golden Knights acquired forward Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a prospect, according to several reports. The 27-year-old has registered 10 goals and 19 assists in 59 games this season and will be free at the end of the campaign.
February 25
The Winnipeg Jets acquired forward Nino Niederreiter from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. Niederreiter, 30, has 18 goals and 28 points in 56 games this season. Niederreiter signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Nashville after spending the previous four seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.
February 25
The Vancouver Canucks acquired forward Vitali Kravtsov from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Will Lockwood and a 2026 seventh-round pick. The Rangers’ ninth pick in 2018, Kravtsov reportedly asked for a trade earlier this this month. He has five goals and five assists in 45 career NHL games. Lockwood, 24, has one assist in 12 games for the Canucks this season, in addition to 12 goals and 18 points in 28 AHL games.
February 25
The Colorado Avalanche acquire goaltender Keith Kinkaid from the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Shane Bowers. Kinkaid, 33, provides the Avalanche with veteran protection behind goaltenders Alexandar Georgiev and Pavel Francouz. Bowers, a 2017 Senators first-round pick, hasn’t made the NHL move since being traded to Colorado with Matt Duchene. The 23-year-old has four goals and 14 points in 37 AHL games this season.
February 23
The Boston Bruins aren’t waiting for the deadline to prepare for the stretch run.
The best team in the NHL acquired a defenseman Dmitry Orlov and striker Garnet Hathaway of the Capitals on Thursday, sending forward Craig Smith with a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third in the other direction.
To make the salary work, the Minnesota Wild got involved in the trade, getting a fifth-round pick to keep part of Orlov’s salary.
February 23
The Blackhawks and Ducks traded depth players from the AHL, with Chicago sending forward Josiah Slavin to Anaheim in exchange for winger/defender Hunter Drew.
February 22
The Ottawa Senators cleared valuable cap space ahead of the NHL trade deadline, trading defenseman Nikita Zaitsev — along with a second-round pick in 2023 and a fourth in 2026 — to the Chicago Blackhawks for trades. “future considerations” in a wage dump movement.
Shipping Zaitsev and his $4.5 million cap — this season and next — to Chicago helps pave the way for a potentially big move, as Ottawa is likely to be a deadline buyer this year for the first time in a long time.
“We are thrilled to give Nikita a fresh start,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement.
“He’s a pro of pros who has proven to be a caring teammate and quiet leader throughout his tenure with the Senators. We are grateful for his time in Ottawa and wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said Chicago intends to keep Zaitsev in hopes he can add NHL-caliber depth to the team’s elite right side.
February 22
The Vegas Golden Knights acquired defenseman Dysin Mayo from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Shea Weber and a 2023 fifth-round pick. Weber is currently on long-term injured reserve and has not played since Game 5 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. He has three years left on his contract.
February 19
Rangers acquire Tyler Motte from Ottawa Senators, traded for 27-year-old for the second consecutive season.
Ottawa will receive forward Julien Gauthier and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2023. The pick becomes a sixth-round pick if New York advances to the first round of the playoffs.
On paper, Motte is not a flashy addition. In nine games for Rangers last season, he failed to pick up a point. The 27-year-old, however, generated two points (both goals) in 15 playoff games.
February 17
The St. Louis Blues traded forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for 2023 first- and third-round picks, a 2024 second-round pick, as well as forwards from the minor leaguers Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette. St. Louis retained 50% of O’Reilly’s salary as part of the deal. The Minnesota Wild kept 25% of O’Reilly’s salary in exchange for the Toronto 2025 fourth-round pick, while shipping prospect Josh Pillar to the Maple Leafs.
February 9
The St. Louis Blues traded forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2023 conditional first-round pick, a 2024 conditional fourth-round pick, the forward Sammy Blais and prospect Hunter Skinner.
February 5
The San Jose Sharks traded defenseman Jaycob Megna to the Seattle Kraken for a fourth-round pick in 2023. In 48 games this season, Megna has 12 points and 21 penalty minutes. The 30-year-old is signed through 2024 at an AAV of $762,500.
The Islanders also announced that they had signed Bo Horvat to an eight-year, $68 million ($8.5 million AAV) contract extension.
February 4
The Washington Capitals have signed forward Sonny Milano to a three-year, $5.7 million contract extension. Milano, 26, had 22 points in 40 games after signing a one-year deal with the Capitals in early November.
February 3
The Capitals agreed to a five-year, $25 million contract extension with forward Dylan Strome after the 25-year-old joined Washington on a one-year deal in the offseason. Strome is third on the team in scoring with 36 points in 52 games.
January 30
The Vancouver Canucks traded captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders for forward Anthony Beauvillier, prospect Aatu Raty and a 2023 first-round protected pick. Horvat, 27, is on the point of enjoying a career year, scoring 31 goals and registering 54 points in 49 games.
Beauvillier, 25, struggled in 2022-23, posting just 20 points in 49 games. Raty, 20, was selected by the Islanders with the 52nd overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
January 25
The San Jose Sharks have traded defenseman Ryan Merkley and forward Matt Nieto to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Martin Kaut and defenseman Jacob MacDonald.
The Avalanche took a chance on Merkley after the 24-year-old puck-moving defenseman asked for a trade to San Jose in January, while also gaining a familiar face in Nieto, who played at Colorado between 2016 and 2020 In return, the Sharks brought in Kaut, a once highly touted lottery pick who couldn’t find a footing with the Avs, and undrafted veteran defenseman MacDonald.
When is the NHL Trade Deadline?
The NHL trade deadline is 3 p.m. EST on March 3.
What are the best players available?
The Arizona Coyotes’ Jacob Chychrun is the top defenseman up for grabs, with a number of league teams interested in acquiring the 24-year-old under team control until 2026.
Once the cornerstone of an NHL dynasty, forward Patrick Kane may be packing his bags to leave Chicago, but any potential move will hinge on how comfortable he is with a trade. Forward Max Domi is also likely to be moved.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov will also be one of the most coveted players on trade deadline day, with a number of championship contenders keen to add his solid defensive presence to their backend.