Live Blog! 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

The last day for teams to make moves for their playoff push has arrived!  The NHL trade deadline is today at 3 PM EST.  In this post, I am going to note every single trade that takes place and what impact, if any, it will have in fantasy for the rest of the season and in dynasties.  At the bottom of the page, starting on Friday, it will say the last time that I updated this post.  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask them below.  Let’s get to it!

The Edmonton Oilers acquire defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2nd-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft:

Standard depth add for the Oilers.  Murphy will have a good chance to play in the playoffs for the first time in his career.  He doesn’t provide any fantasy value.  It does open up minutes in Chicago, but none of their guys are that appealing right now.

Minnesota Wild acquire forward Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators for a 2nd-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft:

Insane price for a fourth liner.  Nothing here for fantasy.

Vegas Golden Knights acquire forward Cole Smith from the Nashville Predators for defenseman Christoffer Sedoff and a 3rd-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft:

Smith is a fourth liner that has familiarity with Sissons, another fourth liner on Vegas.  Sedoff is AHL depth with no NHL future, as he has 0 goals in 38 games for Henderson this season.

Dallas Stars acquire defenseman Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2nd-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a 4th-round pick in 2029:

A second round pick seems to be the going rate for depth defenseman.  Myers have been getting caved for years, so Dallas decided it needed to make the same move it did last season with Ceci.  My assumption is that Myers is going to play with Harley.  I don’t see Myers providing much outside of a lot of blocks.

Colorado Avalanche acquire defenseman Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators for a 5th-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft:

Blankenburg has very good numbers on the third pair, so this seems like a nice depth add for the Avs at that price.  He’ll be the #7 for the Avs, so nothing for fantasy without a couple of injuries.

Utah Mammoth acquire defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Olli Maatta, forward Jonathan Castagna and three 2nd-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The first big move of the week, Weegar should step right into a big role for the Mammoth.  He’s had a difficult season in Calgary, but I’m willing to excuse a chunk of that with how poor the team has been.  I was shocked at how high Weegar’s ownership was considering that he has 21 points in 60 games and is -35.  At this point, if you still have him, you might as well see how things shake out in Utah.  Maatta is an afterthought at this point in his career, while Castagna is a former third round pick who is still playing college hockey.  He looks to be a solid bet to make the league as a bottom sixer.

Edmonton Oilers acquire forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks for forward Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 1st-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft:

Dickinson is fantastic as a bottom six center that can play the toughest minutes and hold his own defensively.  That provides value to the Oilers, but that doesn’t bring fantasy value.  Dach seems to be a tweener that has shown nothing to this point to indicate he’ll ever have fantasy value.  Mangiapane is interesting in Chicago.  They’re incentivized to give him a nice role to rehab his value.  Now, he’s been bad for the Oilers, so I wouldn’t be streaming him yet, but it’s worth monitoring.  The real winner here, in a weird way, is probably Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.  With Dickinson’s arrival, he shouldn’t be playing 3C at all anymore and should be on the wing in the top six.

Vegas Golden Knights acquire forward Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals for goalie Jesper Vikman, a 3rd-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a 2nd-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft.

Another fourth liner for Vegas at a steep price. Dowd doesn’t provide any fantasy value.  Vikman hasn’t had above a .900 sv% in any year in North American professional hockey yet.  He’s still only 23 (24 in another week) so maybe he blooms late because goalies are voodoo, but he looks like organizational depth.

Colorado Avalanche acquire forward Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional 1st-round pick in the 2027 or 2028 NHL Draft and a conditional 5th-round pick in 2026:

This is an interesting one, moreso for real life than fantasy.  The Avalanche are betting on Roy returning to the level he was at with Vegas than what he’s been with Toronto this year.  He should be their third line center and bump Drury down to the fourth line.  Colorado has so many guys that Roy could turn into a bottom end streamer in 12’ers again, but we’ll have to see how he looks to start.

Minnesota Wild acquire defenseman Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers for a conditional 7th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft:

I thought Petry could be Florida’s latest reclimation project on the blue line after OEL and Schmidt.  Instead, he’s provided very little, and it’s hard to imagine him being any better for the Wild.

Vancouver Canucks acquire defenseman Jack Thompson from the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Jett Woo:

This looks like a pure AHL swap.  Thompson is still 23 and Woo is 25 so it’s not impossible something changes, but neither has shown much to this point.

Dallas Stars acquire forward Michael Bunting from the Nashville Predators for a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft:

This is a pretty big boost to Bunting in the short term.  With Rantanen and Hintz out, Bunting should slide right onto the second line tonight for the Stars.  He’s been playing around a 40 point pace so far, so with that bump, Bunting moves into middling streamer range.  The impact on Nashville depends on who else is moved out by the deadline.  Some of the young guys could get a nice boost if Marchessault is gone too.

Ottawa Senators acquire forward Warren Foegele and a conditional 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2nd-round pick and a conditional 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft:

Foegele has had an awful season after years of being a solid middle sixer.  The big swing in his value will come down to whether he goes on the second line or third line.  He’s had 20+ in each of the previous two years, but the Kings have to be thrilled with that return with Foegele’s lack of production this year.  If he does play with Tkachuk and Cozens, Foegele becomes a middling streamer with upside.  Otherwise, he’s bottom end.

Detroit Red Wings acquire forward David Perron from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional 4th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Perron has looked pretty cooked this season.  I’ll have to see him string a few good games together before I consider streaming him again.

Columbus Blue Jackets acquire forward Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks for a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a 2nd-round pick in 2028:

Garland has had a rough season, but he’s been a very good middle sixer for years.  It’s a big bet by Columbus taking on his contract, but one that I like.  I’m bumping Garland up to solid streamer while Columbus is on a roll.

Buffalo Sabres acquire defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets for forward Isak Rosen, defenseman Jacob Bryson, a 2nd-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional 4th-round pick in 2026:

Pretty big letdown as a Sabres fan after having a Parayko deal done.  Schenn will be the #8 and a locker room guy.  He’s completely cooked.  Stanley’s underlying numbers are atrocious and his goals are a complete fluke.  His minutes will be down quite a bit in Buffalo, so the little fantasy value he had is decreased.  Bryson isn’t an NHL player; it’s incredible that he’s played as many games as he has.  Rosen is very interesting.  He’s been an AHL All-Star for a couple years now, but was passed in Buffalo by their other young players (Benson, Ostlund, etc.).  He might be a AAAA player, but we don’t know because the Sabres never gave him a chance.  I hope Winnipeg does the rest of the season.  Rosen is worth monitoring, but I could see a long term middle sixer that is good on the power play.  This also clears out room for Winnipeg to get a better look at Elias Salomonsson as well.

Anaheim Ducks acquire defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals for a conditional 1st-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a 3rd-round pick in 2027:

Man, I certainly didn’t see this coming.  It sure seems like the insiders didn’t either.  After 17 years in Washington, Carlson moves to the rising Ducks.  Overall, I think this is a slight win for his value.  The Ducks are a higher scoring offense, and while LaCombe could keep PP1, Anaheim does more of an even split between their units than Washington.  There’s also the chance Carlson takes that spot.  My guess is Rasmus Sandin takes over PP2 for the Caps, giving him a slight boost.

Buffalo Sabres acquire forward Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers for a 3rd-round pick and a 6th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft:

Carrick is a nice fourth liner.  He’s better than most of the guys who went for a second rounder, so this seems good for the Sabres.  No fantasy value though.

Boston Bruins acquire forwards Alexis Gendron and Massimo Rizzo from the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Brett Harrison and defenseman Jackson Edward. 

Minor league swap, no fantasy value.

Minnesota Wild acquire forward Bobby Brink from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman David Jiricek.

Jiricek is a former top ten pick that is already on his third team in four seasons since his draft year.  That is close to unheard of.  To this point, he has shown nothing at the NHL level.  His foot speed and decision making have been a real problem.  I like the move from Minnesota jumping ship after they gave up a lot to acquire him from the Blue Jackets.  I’m out on him long term.  Brink is a nice middle six forward who mostly provides defensive value.  He’s a bottom end streamer, possibly middling if it goes well there.

Minnesota Wild acquire forward Nick Foligno from the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations.

Nick gets to team up with his brother for a playoff run.  He can still bring some defensive value to a fourth line despite his poor speed, but the days of Nick’s fantasy relevance are a thing of the past.

Florida Panthers acquire forward Vinnie Hinostroza from the Minnesota Wild for future considerations. 

Hinostroza continues to bounce around the league.  He has nice speed, but not much else.  If it goes well, he can be a bottom end streamer.

Tampa Bay Lightning acquire forward Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2nd-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.

Perry returns to Tampa after losing two Cup finals to them and then losing one with them against the Avalanche.  For those tracking, that’s five of the last six years that Perry lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.  Perry has been surprisingly decent this season for the Kings despite being one of the worst skaters in the league.  He should go into the bottom six, but what happens on the power play is the interesting decision.  Do they consider putting him in the front on PP1 instead of having Bjorkstrand miss glorious chance after glorious chance?  That will swing his fantasy value.

Pittsburgh Penguins acquire forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings for a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Soderblom has been getting very sheltered minutes for the Red Wings and hasn’t done much with them.  He’s gigantic and could get PP2 time in front of the net, but I don’t see him doing much.

B. Schenn is going to the Isles and Liljegren to the Caps, news on them soon!

Chicago Blackhawks acquire forward Derrick Pouliot from the New York Rangers for forward Aidan Thompson.

AHL swap.  Pouliot was once a highly touted prospect, but hasn’t panned out.

Carolina Hurricanes acquire forward Nic Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional 7th-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Deslauriers is a fighter that doesn’t provide anything else.  Looking like a very disappointing deadline for the Hurricanes.

Boston Bruins acquire forward Lukas Reichel from the Vancouver Canucks for a 6th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Reichel is fast, but hasn’t been able to produce at all.  Hard to imagine him making an impact.

Detroit Red Wings acquire defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Justin Holl, unsigned forward prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov and a 1st-round pick and a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

On the surface, Faulk’s point production looks pretty good this season.  The problem is that the Blues have been much, much better offensively with him off the ice.  Now, he’s going to move to the Red Wings, presumably on the second pair with a boat anchor in Chiarot.  He certainly won’t be on the first power play unit because of Seider.  Overall, this is probably about break even for Faulk’s value, and if anything, I would guess a slight hit.  He remains on the fringe of 12’ers.  Holl is a cap dump, while Buchelnikov is a former second round pick still in Russia.  He’s an offensive first winger so there could be fantasy value eventually, but that is presumably years away if it happens.

Washington Capitals acquire defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 4th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.  

Liljegren gets reunited with Sandin in Washington.  Given the prices that everyone went for at the deadline, this seems like a very good move for the Capitals.  He’s been okay with the Sharks, and the shine has come off him over the years, but I was quite bullish on Liljegren a couple years ago.  It’s worth monitoring to see how he looks with the Capitals.  Perhaps he gets PP2 over Sandin now?

Buffalo Sabres acquire forward Tanner Pearson from the Winnipeg Jets for a 7th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

All the Jets to Buffalo!  I assume Pearson will be a healthy scratch most of the time and is purely for depth.

New York Islanders acquire forward Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues for a 1st-round pick and a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, forward Jonathan Drouin, and goalie Marcus Gidlof. 

I’m a bit baffled by this move.  The Islanders aren’t contenders and Schenn is a shell of his former self.  Now, that pick is the Colorado first so it’s not like it carries a ton of value, but still.  My guess is that Schenn goes on their second line?  The problem is that the Isles don’t have good wingers for the second line.  I’ll keep Schenn in the bottom end streamer category.  Drouin has been awful this season and carries very little fantasy value right now.  Gidlof is a recent 5th round pick playing in Sweden.  Like most goalies, but especially late round draft picks, he’s a lottery ticket.

Seattle Kraken acquire forward Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2nd round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, and a 4th round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Really like this move for the Kraken, especially considering the price of other forwards.  McMann is a speed demon who has been a great scorer at even strength over the last two seasons.  Now, the situation is clearly worse than Toronto’s top six, but McMann could get more power play opportunity?  He’s a solid streamer with upside.

Calgary Flames acquire forward Ryan Strome from the Anaheim Ducks for a seventh round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

I don’t really understand why the Flames want Strome and weren’t given anything for eating the contract, but to each their own.

Washington Capitals acquire forward David Kampf from the Vancouver Canucks for a sixth round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft

Depth forward for the Capitals.  Getting Kampf for a sixth while getting a second for Dowd seems like a clear win.  Nothing for fantasy though.

Los Angeles Kings acquire Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional 2026 third round pick

The pick turns into a second rounder if the Kings make the playoffs.  A much more reasonable price than the Leafs paid for him last season.  Laughton is a bottom six center who provides very little for fantasy.  I doubt that changes in Los Angeles.  Bottom end streamer.

Calgary Flames acquire Brennan Othmann from the New York Rangers for Jacob Battaglia.

I remember when Rangers fans thought Othmann was the next coming.  He has stalled massively, giving him a chance of scenery in Calgary (well, Abbotsford).  Battaglia was a second round pick who is still in the AHL.  Both have a bit of upside to be a middle sixer in time, but I don’t love either of them.

Colorado Avalanche acquire Nazem Kadri and a fourth round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft from the Calgary Flames for a conditional 2028 first round pick, a conditional 2027 second round pick, Victor Olofsson, and Max Curran.

The biggest trade for last!  Kadri goes back to Colorado after leaving following their Stanley Cup victory.  His name has been mentioned to the Avs, but I kind of ignored it because they have Nelson in that role now.  Well, this is what going for it looks like.  The Avs have really solidified their roster and are clearly the best team in the league now.  For Kadri, he gets a big boost.  At first glance, you’d think the drop in minutes is going to hurt, but he will clearly go onto PP1.  The Avs power play has been awful this season and it can’t really be explained.  It was at its best with him, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t take that spot back.  Just playing on a better team is going to help.  Olofsson could end up being a decent streamer if he gets the minutes.  He’s always been able to score goals, even if the rest of his game is lacking.  Curran was a fifth round pick in 2024 that has done well in the WHL the last two seasons, granted as an older player.  He’s a decent lotto ticket for the Flames.

And that’s it for the deadline!  I’ll be back on Monday with notes for the weekend’s games, including more information on where these players are slotting into their new lineups.