NHL Trade Board: as Olympic mini-deadline arrives, will Leafs turn seller?
What will Wednesday bring at the NHL Central Registry? It doesn’t represent any final form of Trade Deadline but should produce a certain degree of urgency among GMs. As of 3:00 p.m. ET Feb. 4 through 11:59 p.m. ET Feb. 22, no trades can happen while the NHL shuts down for its 2026 Olympic break. When trading resumes, GMs won’t even have two weeks left to get their dealing done before the official deadline March 6.
Not only is there motivation to deal this week simply because of the time constraints, but doing so greatly benefits any traded players. Imagine getting dealt Feb. 4 but not having to practise with your new team until Feb. 17 and not playing until at least Feb. 25. That would provide significant time to acclimatize, figure out living arrangements, decide whether your family is staying or joining you and so on. Don’t be surprised, then, if we get a ‘Mini Deadline’ effect with a few deals leading up to 3:00 p.m ET Wednesday afternoon.
Since our last update, we also have, on paper, a much clearer divide between haves and have-nots in the NHL standings. We now have five Western Conference teams eight or more points out of playoff spots and six Eastern Conference teams seven or more points out. Plenty of eyeballs are trained on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who haven’t sold since 2015-16, the last time they missed the postseason and sit seven points out of a Wildcard position. Will they accept defeat and cash out their expiring assets? Will they embrace a larger retool and consider selling high on some impact players with term left? General manager Brad Treliving has major soul searching to do over the next month.
With that, here’s an updated edition of the Daily Faceoff Trade Board, tiered by trade likelihood.
I’ve compiled names for this board via a committee approach across The Nation Network, consisting of:
(a) Intel provided from the various insiders appearing across our shows and/or publishing content for us, from the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman to DFO’s own Anthony Di Marco and more;
(b) My own information;
(c) Absorbing the external reporting and trade chatter already out there as public knowledge;
(d) Hypothesizing a handful of names not yet publicly on the block that could be later this season.
Let’s dive into the board. Contract information courtesy of our friends at PuckPedia.
TIER 1: Obvious trade candidates
Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers
Age: 34
Cap hit: $11,842,657, pending UFA
(No-movement clause)
The Bread Man era is ending in Manhattan. Last month, the Rangers released The Letter 2.0, informing their fans the franchise is entering a retool phase and committing to get younger, and GM Chris Drury told Panarin he won’t be re-signed. That doesn’t come as a massive surprise given it was already established that he wouldn’t be taking a pay cut. And why would he when he’s still producing better than a point per game and almost every top-tier 2026 UFA has already re-signed with his team? He and the Rangers will work on a trade now. The list of suitors will be plentiful. The Rangers will want to find a package that brings in some combination of first-round pick + legit prospect + young NHLer (ideally all three), but they’ll be limited by Panarin’s leverage. He has a full NMC and gets to pick his destination in the end.
Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils
Age: 32
Cap hit: $9,000,000 through 2027-28
(10-team trade list)
Hamilton’s no-movement clause softened to a 10-team trade list beginning with this season. He’ll always have his knuckle-draggin’ haters as a player with lackadaisical body language, and his scoring has evaporated this year, but he’s perennially a strong play-driving defenseman. Not that he’s on this board for his perceived external trade value per se; it’s more that the Devils would like to offload his hefty cap hit to clear space. Hamilton’s camp has expressed a willingness to expand his 10-team trade list in hopes of finding him a new home, so a trade feels inevitable, albeit it won’t be the easiest to work out given his AAV. The playoff salary cap and double-salary-retention crackdown will make pricier players harder to move at the deadline this year, don’t forget.
Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues
Age: 34
Cap hit: $6,500,000 through 2027-28
(15-team no-trade list)
Schenn is not a $6.5-million player anymore. The Blues would almost certainly need to retain salary to facilitate a trade, especially since he has a couple years of term left. But Schenn at a discounted price could still boost a team’s third line and bring brawny veteran leadership.
Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues
Age: 33
Cap hit: $6,500,000 through 2026-27
(15-team no-trade list)
Faulk plays 22 minutes a night in his sleep. He’s still plenty mobile for his age. He’s one of the game’s more prolific shot blockers. He chips in a healthy amount of goals from the point, and he’s a right shot. So, yeah, he’ll have plenty of suitors should the Blues decide they can’t recover from their lackluster first half. Faulk offers the extra year of term as a ‘luxury rental’ to boot.
Blake Coleman, LW, Calgary Flames
Age: 34
Cap hit: $4,900,000 through 2026-27
(10-team trade list)
He’s a proven two-time Stanley Cup winner who can deliver 20 goals, occasionally more, while assisting on the penalty kill and playing a feisty, physical game. What contender wouldn’t want him for third-line and PK1 work? The Flames could always sit on him a year and move him as a rental next season, but the demand for his services should be sufficient this year when it’s stretch-run time. A reunion with the team that drafted him, the New Jersey Devils, could make sense given he can play center in a pinch, but should we also keep an eye on his other former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning? The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun floated that idea.
Ryan Hartman, C, Minnesota Wild
Age: 31
Cap hit: $4,000,000 through 2026-27
(15-team no-trade clause)
Ideally, a team acquiring Hartman uses him as a third-line center, not a second-liner, but the agitator has succeeded in the past playing as high as the first line, though he doesn’t seem to have the upside he once did. The Wild don’t appear to be done after landing Quinn Hughes. They want to upgrade at center next but may need to dump Hartman’s cap hit first and have been dangling him, reported Pagnotta on Daily Faceoff Live earlier this season.
Bobby McMann, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 29
Cap hit: $1,350,000, pending UFA
I can understand if some Leaf fans feel trepidation over the idea of cashing out McMann. A tenacious, late-blooming left winger going to market at 29 years old sounds a lot like Zach Hyman. But Hyman’s career trajectory is the exception, not the norm. McMann is likely close to his peak value and could return a second- or even first-round pick given his unique size/speed package.
Shane Wright, C, Seattle Kraken
Age: 22
Cap hit: $866,667 through 2026-27
The Kraken are seemingly searching for a splashy add to their top-six forward group and potentially willing to sacrifice Wright to do so, Pagnotta reported on The DFO Rundown last month. Wright would be a fascinating buy; he still has another year left at his entry-level AAV after this one, and he has proven to be an efficient scorer in his (extremely) limited opportunities, averaging 18 goals per 82 games for his career despite playing only 13:39 per night.
Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis Blues
Age: 26
Cap hit: $8,125,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)
Color me skeptical on this one. Thomas’ name is out there in the trade rumor mill, we know, but it would take quite an offer to pry St. Louis’ No. 1 center away. Over the past three seasons, he’s third in assists per 60 at 5-on-5 league-wide. He’s 26 and in his prime. The Blues would want to trade him why, exactly? Still, I’ve moved him up because the noise won’t go away. Friedman tabled Thomas as a interesting Leafs trade target last week, and I couldn’t shake the Doug Gilmour trade comparison in my head.
Vincent Trocheck, C, New York Rangers
Age: 32
Cap hit: $5,625,000 through 2028-29
(12-team no-trade list)
The Blueshirts aren’t obligated to move Trocheck the way they are the expiring Panarin, but it wouldn’t be the worst idea to explore a trade now while Trocheck’s value remains high. With his mix of scoring ability, agitation tactics, physicality and faceoff acumen, he’d be a dream No. 2 center for almost any contender. The Wild and Hurricanes, in particular, would be ideal landing spots for his services.
Steven Stamkos, C, Nashville Predators
Age: 35
Cap hit: $8,000,000 through 2027-28
(No-movement clause)
Stamkos is not the superstar he was in his Tampa Bay Lightning glory days, but he’s been far better this season than last, scoring at a 40-goal pace. Couldn’t he still help a contender as a cog in a high-functioning machine who assists the power play with his one-timer? Picture late-career Brett Hull as a Detroit Red Wing. Despite Nashville hanging on the fringe of the Western Conference Wildcard picture, there was no indication trade talks were called off as a result. But does that change now that Barry Trotz has stepped down as GM? Everything gets messier for Nashville’s would-be trade candidates.
Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames
Age: 35
Cap hit: $7,000,000 through 2028-29
(13-team no-trade list)
The classic conundrum for Flames GM Craig Conroy: even if you’re in the midst of a rebuild and have already traded most of your core over the past couple seasons…don’t you need a few veteran tone setters to hang around and teach the kids how to win? That would be a reason to hold Kadri. But he could also command a significant return given his impact as a scorer and emotional leader. Now that the Habs landed Danault, would the Wild be the most logical place for Kadri to land? They have interest, reports Di Marco. Dallas could be a strong fit as well.
Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators
Age: 34
Cap hit: $4,500,000 through 2026-27
It was jarring to see O’Reilly mercilessly trash his own play in a post-game scrum a few months back. The last time he spoke like that, he was on his way out of Buffalo, and he makes too much sense as a popular trade target given he’s a Conn Smythe Trophy winner and brainy two-way center who plays a clean shutdown game. He still has enough gas left in him to bolster a contender’s middle six. But the Preds are still in the playoff race.
Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 27
Cap hit: $11,600,000 through 2031-32
(No-movement clause)
Pettersson doesn’t get enough credit for his all-around play, but, yes, he’s nowhere close to an $11.6-million player right now. Insider Frank Seravalli has reported “growing suspicion” that a Pettersson trade goes down soon. Like, really soon. Like, before the Olympics soon. But that’s a monstrous cap hit to navigate, especially with the playoff salary cap in place now. Still, the Rantanen trade(s) last season have established that anything can happen. Pettersson is still young enough to reassert himself as a star if he finds the right situation.
Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Nashville Predators
Age: 35
Cap hit: $5,500,000 through 2028-29
(15-team no-trade list)
If you’re shopping in Music City, Conn Smythe winners apparently do grow on trees? Marchessault is another. But he’s a much more difficult player to appraise compared to Stamkos and O’Reilly. Is Marchessault worth taking on for three more seasons after this one? Was his 42-goal season at 33 years old an extreme outlier a couple seasons back? Given his competitiveness and playoff success, he’d still be a pretty nice depth add if Nashville retained some money. As Pagnotta explained on DFO Live last month, Marchessault was still in play despite the team’s improvement, but how does the Trotz news change things?.
Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild
Age: 23
Cap hit: $2,200,000 through 2026-27
Would the Wild really move their talented, cost-controlled young goaltender in the midst of his breakout season? There’s fire with that smoke. Between Kirill Kaprizov’s record-setting contract and the Quinn Hughes trade, GM Bill Guerin is as all-in as it gets. His team has a gaping hole at center. If there’s a chance to bring in a Thomas or Kadri type, do you sacrifice Wallstedt and roll with Filip Gustavsson as your unquestioned No. 1 going forward?
Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 22
Cap hit: $918,333, pending RFA
After multiple healthy scratches this season, Mintyukov is open to being moved if it means he’ll get a larger opportunity elsewhere, Friedman reported earlier this season. Mintyukov was the 10th overall pick in the 2022 Draft and still has a do-it-all skill set, but he’s been passed on the Ducks’ depth chart by dynamic young D-men such as Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger. Mintyukov’s potential hasn’t gone anywhere after just 181 career games. He makes a helluva buy-low on a franchise looking to retool.
Scott Laughton, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,500,000 (50% of $3,000,000 retained by PHI), pending UFA
Oh, the cruel irony. As a Trade Deadline acquisition for a buyer version of the Leafs a year ago, Laughton never looked comfortable or confident and seemed to press. This season, he looks more like himself and has become a much louder dressing room voice…just in time for the Leafs to plummet out of the playoff picture as his contract expires. He’s expressed interest in re-signing but would attract plenty of contenders seeking bottom-six center help.
Brad Lambert, C, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 22
Cap hit: $886,667 through 2026-27
As insider Frank Seravalli reported earlier this season, Lambert has been granted permission to seek a trade. Even during his draft year, he carried boom-bust status as a clearly gifted but volatile talent, and he’s skewed more toward the bust side, struggling to break through and earn a large opportunity at the NHL level. Still, he’s young enough and skilled enough that perhaps he’d blossom on a team willing to play him more. An interesting reclamation project.
Michael Bunting, LW, Nashville Predators
Age: 30
Cap hit: $4,500,000, pending UFA
Bunting’s 10-team no-trade list disappeared after last season, so he’s a clear trade candidate playing on an expiring deal. Throughout his career, he’s shown the ability to produce in spurts when paired with high-end linemates. His agitation skills can also shift momentum in playoff series if he stays on the right side of the line, which isn’t always a guarantee. Bunting’s value isn’t nearly what it was a couple years back, but he could still be a sneaky-helpful depth addition.
Andrew Mangiapane, LW, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,600,000 through 2026-27
(No-trade clause)
It just hasn’t worked in Edmonton. He’s scored six times in 47 games, he’s buried on the fourth line, he expressed anger over the healthy scratches, and his agent has been granted permission to find a trade for him. Maybe a new environment energizes Mangiapane, but his trade value isn’t exactly high right now, so a deal isn’t a lock to get done immediately.
Lukas Reichel, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 23
Cap hit: $1,200,000, pending RFA
That was quick. The Canucks acquired Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks in October, and the Canucks made him available for a trade by November. He’s running out of chances to translate his speed and skill into NHL production. Prospects of this ilk are common: your skill set only works on a scoring line, and if there are no opportunities there, your skill set doesn’t work on a depth line. It’s difficult for players like that to find homes at the NHL level. He passed through waivers unclaimed in December, which gives you a sense of how he’s valued around the league at the moment. Maybe he can increase his worth with a strong showing for Germany at the Olympics.
Emil Andrae, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 23
Cap hit: $903,333, pending RFA
Even though his under-the-hood numbers were strong last season, the undersized Andrae hasn’t won over the Flyers brass, per Di Marco, and doesn’t appear to be part of their long-term plans. His play driving continues to be better than the eye test, so he could actually be a low-key steal of an acquisition for a team that knows how to deploy him.
Evander Kane, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 34
Cap hit: $5,125,000, pending UFA
(16-team trade list)
The local-boy-returns-home story was neat, but Kane is an expiring, declining asset on a sinking ship. He won’t be a frontline player again at this stage of his career, but could a veteran contender with a strong dressing-room culture find a spot for him as a bottom-six shift disturber who can still chip in the odd goal? I think yes, if Vancouver retains half his salary.
Teddy Blueger, C, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,800,000, pending UFA
(12-team no-trade list)
Blueger has played just nine games this season and finally returned from his lower-body injury last month, just in time to boost his trade value. Strong on draws and a penalty-kill fixture, he’s a prototypical fourth-line pivot. He’s also the hottest he’s ever been, with five goals already in his nine games.
Luke Schenn, D, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 36
Cap hit: $2,750,000, pending UFA
Looks like we’re doing this again. Schenn is slowing down at 36, only logging 13:47 a night for the disappointing Jets, but his brute strength, nasty streak and dressing-room leadership will always make him attractive to a contender when, as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as too many defensemen during the playoffs. Schenn has played for nine teams in his 18-season career; will he add a 10th or rejoin a club he played for previously?
Mathieu Joseph, RW, St. Louis Blues
Age: 28
Cap hit: $2,950,000, pending UFA
The Blues remain open for business. And while they have multiple higher-end assets potentially available, plenty of teams can use fast, feisty checking forwards like the 2020-21 Stanley Cup winner Joseph and can likely get him for a mid- to late-round pick.
Oskar Sundqvist, C, St. Louis Blues
Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,500,000, pending UFA
See above re: Joseph, but as a bonus, fellow checker Sundqvist is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with a heavy game at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 25
Cap hit: $4,820,000 through 2029-30
(10-team no-trade list)
It’s easy to forget Kotkaniemi is still somehow just 25; he was the NHL’s youngest player when the Montreal Canadiens rushed him into duty straight out of the Draft in 2018-19. Perhaps that’s why he’s never realized his potential and never really settled in as a scorer or checker. Now truly an afterthought, he’s dressed for just 34 games this season, though some of his absences were due to an ankle injury. He averages a career low 11:06 of ice time per game. He’s a classic “fresh start” candidate, and, as Friedman reported last month, the Canes are fielding offers for him. Maybe he’d thrive with a larger opportunity elsewhere.
Brandon Carlo, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,100,000 through 2026-27
(Eight-team no-trade list)
Mike Komisarek 2.0? Carlo was big, physically imposing, heavy on opposing forwards…until he became a Maple Leaf, apparently. He’s a shell of his old self. He averaged 4.66 hits per 60 in nine seasons as a Boston Bruin. As a Leaf: 3.42, including 3.05 this season. Maybe that’s because he wasn’t healthy, dealing with a foot injury that required surgery after a setback. Or maybe Carlo isn’t cut out for the market. Still just 29, he could return to form in the right situation, and his AAV remains a bargain. He seemingly fit a need for the Leafs a year ago, but now they’re big, slow and redundant on ‘D.’ They won’t get the equivalent of Fraser Minten and a first-round pick for Carlo, but maybe they can recoup the pick portion of that package somewhere. Then again, with righty Chris Tanev likely done for the rest of the regular season, is Carlo no longer expendable? It’s a matter of whether the Leafs are ready to give up on this year.
Logan Stanley, D, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 27
Cap hit: $1,250,000, pending UFA
Stanley is still young enough to be part of Winnipeg’s present and future. But with his blend of size and snarl, he could be quite a sought-after commodity, the type that could net something pretty shiny in a trade. Winnipeg Sports Talk’s Michael Remis appeared on DFO Live last month and theorized that Stanley could net Winnipeg a high pick.
Simon Benoit, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 27
Cap hit: $1,350,000 through 2026-27
Benoit is your classic rugged depth defenseman who intimidates with his open-ice hitting and protects his net with his shot blocking. He carries a reasonable contract that extends through next season. Should the Leafs slip too far in the playoff picture, he’d be a logical piece to cash out for high mid-round pick.
Ilya Mikheyev, LW, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 31
Cap hit: $4,037,500 (15% of $4,750,000 million retained by VAN), pending UFA
(12-team no-trade list)
Every playoff team needs depth players just like Mikheyev. He can kill penalties, he’s strong on the wall, he’s reasonably big and he can chip in the odd goal. The question becomes: do the Hawks have to re-sign some of their veterans? They can’t churn them all into picks if they want to build a winning team around Connor Bedard.
Patrik Laine, RW, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 27
Cap hit: $8,700,000, pending UFA
(10-team no-trade list)
Laine has missed all but five games this season and will sit out the Olympics with an abdominal issue. But here’s where the playoff salary cap really makes things interesting. Laine is set to return before the season is up, and the Habs don’t have the cap space to make any additional moves with him in the lineup. They need to offload his $8.7 million if they want to add any important pieces by the Trade Deadline. Laine controls where he goes thanks to his 10-team no-trade list, but maybe he’d be happy landing somewhere he could enjoy a larger role. He could boost someone’s power play as a sniper for rent.
Jason Dickinson, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 30
Cap hit: $4,250,000, pending UFA
Your quintessential fourth-line center depth target. He and Mikheyev are Chicago’s PK1 forwards and, despite the team’s struggle to stay in the playoff race, the Hawks boast the NHL’s top-ranked penalty kill. Given he plays center, Dickinson might attract a larger return than Mikheyev.
Connor Murphy, D, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 32
Cap hit: $4,400,000, pending UFA
(10-team no-trade list)
See a theme? Make that three quarters of Chicago’s PK1 unit on our board, echoing The Athletic, whose Chicago-based reporters have Murphy, Dickinson and Mikheyev ranked as the Hawks’ top three trade chips. Murphy has munched minutes on bad teams but could function nicely as a third-pair banger and penalty-killing specialist on a higher-end club.
TIER 2: Names to keep an eye on
Charlie Coyle, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 33
Cap hit: $5,250,000, pending UFA
(3-team no trade list)
Coyle has been a revelation for Columbus this season, one of the league’s top defensive forwards. But if the Jackets find themselves too far out of the race in a couple weeks, they’ll have to punt here, right? His size, 100-plus games of playoff experience and penalty-killing ability scream “third-line center on Cup contender.” How about that three-team no-trade list, eh? He must really hate those teams.
Jordan Kyrou, RW, St. Louis Blues
Age: 27
Cap hit: $8,125,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)
Kyrou’s a first-line talent with three 30-goal campaigns to his name. But he’s been a disaster this year, an $8.125-million healthy scratch at one point, and it sure feels like he could use a reset on a new team. Note that he controls his destiny via a full no-trade clause that doesn’t become a modified no-trade until the final season of his deal.
Boone Jenner, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Age: 32
Cap hit: $3,750,000, pending UFA
(Eight-team no-trade clause)
Here’s where the East’s parity makes things so complicated. If the Blue Jackets can get hot for a couple weeks: no reason to deal their captain and all-time games leader and more reason to expect he’ll re-sign. If not: a heart-and-soul forward like Jenner would invite a feeding frenzy if he’s available.
MacKenzie Weegar, D, Calgary Flames
Age: 32
Cap hit: $6,250,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)
It’s been a rough year by Weegar’s lofty standards. But he can still eat huge minutes and move the needle as a versatile all-situations blueliner. Would anyone take on his AAV for five more seasons? His hometown Ottawa Senators have inquired about his services, reports The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch. And $6.25 million isn’t horrible filtered through the rising-cap lens. We go from $95.5 million this season to $104 million and $113.5 million in the next two, per the NHL’s most recent payroll estimates.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C, New York Islanders
Age: 33
Cap hit: $5,000,000, pending UFA
(16-team no-trade list)
Pageau could be off the table if the Islanders stay competitive into March. What a fun story they’ve been, led by historically amazing rookie blueliner Matthew Schaefer. If they slip, Pageau should attract interest, however. He’s a classic third-line center who excels on faceoffs and historically elevates his scoring rate in the playoffs. I moved Anders Lee down a couple tiers, as you can’t trade your captain when you’re third in the division, but Pageau is averaging his lowest ice time in 11 years and feels more expendable.
Sam Montembeault, G, Montreal Canadiens
Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,150,000 through 2026-27
Yes, he was always keeping the seat warm for Jacob Fowler, but we all thought Montembeault had a lot more time, right? His game went in the toilet this season, costing him an Olympic roster spot with Canada and earning him a conditioning stint with AHL Laval. He’s back with the big club now and trying to recapture his game, but a three-goalie battery feels crowded, and Montembeault has showcased sufficient upside to warrant another team taking a chance on him.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 34
Cap hit: $3,500,000 through 2027-28
(16-team no-trade list)
How “over” is it for the Treliving-era Leafs? If it’s “retool and reload,” you retain ‘OEL,’ who has two years left at an excellent price and has become a crucially malleable member of the D-corps. But if it’s “scorched earth” over, the Leafs would be wise to sell high given Ekman-Larsson has reached his mid-30s. He could fetch a nice return with his two extra years of term.
Braden Schneider, D, New York Rangers
Age: 24
$2,200,000, pending RFA
Schneider fits the classic bill of “Shouldn’t this seller team be looking for more Braden Schneiders rather than trading Braden Schneider?” Maybe, but he hasn’t blossomed as a Blueshirt, and he could command a nice trade return as big, strong, relatively young right-shot defenseman. Maybe Drury doesn’t actively shop him but at least fields the offers in case one is too good to pass up.
Tyler Myers, D, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 36
Cap hit: $3,000,000 through 2026-27
(No-movement clause)
Myers controls his fate and only changes addresses if he wants to. But he’s 36 and has advanced past Round 2 of the playoffs once in his 16 completed NHL seasons. His only chance to chase a ring is to accept a trade to a contender, on which he could play a third-pair role.
Nick Robertson, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 24
Cap hit: $1,825,000, pending RFA
Robertson has seemingly been on the trade block for so long that he’s paying rent at this point. He also requested to be moved before the 2024-25 season. And now he’s switched agents to share one with brother Jason. Does it still make sense to deal Nick, though? With all their injuries this season, the Leafs have finally granted him his wish and played him higher in the lineup for spurts, and he has produced on and off, though not without the odd healthy scratch. Dealing Robertson would make an old, slow team older and slower, so it’s hardly a foregone conclusion we see him moved.
Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Philadelphia Flyers
Age: 31
Cap hit: $5,100,000 through 2026-27
Ristolainen is back after triceps surgery and playing close to 20 minutes a night If available, he should attract some trade interest now that his contract is more palatable given the rising salary cap and the fact he has just one season left after this one. Under the tutelage of John Tortorella and Brad Shaw, Ristolainen improved as a rangy, physical defender, and Rick Tocchet, in theory, should be another good fit to help Ristolainen’s game. The Flyers aren’t actively shopping him but are definitely still open to moving him for the right price, Di Marco reported last month. And with the Flyers sliding in the standings, maybe the decision becomes easier, though interest doesn’t seem to be high.
Mario Ferraro, D, San Jose Sharks
Age: 27
2025-26 cap hit: $3,250,000, pending UFA
If Macklin Celebrini has anything to say about it, the Sharks will remain in playoff contention and won’t be sellers come March. The Sherwood addition changes a lot; it doesn’t feel like San Jose’s pending UFAs are locks to move unless the team slumps badly between now and March 6. Ferraro is a warrior who would make a fine addition to a second or third pair on a contender and whose defensive metrics would likely improve in that environment.
Jared McCann, LW, Seattle Kraken
Age: 29
Cap hit: $5,000,000 through 2026-27
(10-team no-trade list)
The Kraken can’t seem to get out of their own way, winning just enough to remain in the playoff race. If they’re smart, they’ll understand the need to reset and that McCann would be quite a coveted asset approaching the deadline. He’s had a hard time staying healthy this year but was pretty durable before 2025-26 and averages 32 goals per 82 games in four seasons and change since joining the Kraken.
Jake DeBrusk, LW, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 29
Cap hit: $5,500,000 through 2030-31
(No-movement clause)
Finding the right fit won’t be easy given all that term left on his deal. But the streaky DeBrusk could augment a contender; he averages 26 goals per 82 games in the postseason for his career. It’s a matter of whether short-term help is worth the long-term sting on your cap.
Conor Garland, RW, Vancouver Canucks
Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,950,000 through 2025-26; $6,000,000 from 2026-27 through 2031-32
Whoa. Garland on the block when his six-year extension hasn’t even begun? That contract was signed before the Canucks and Garland knew the team would veer off a cliff and trade Quinn Hughes. If we think of his already-signed contract as a price a team could pay in free agency…could there be a market for his speed and scrappiness? Per Pagnotta, the Canucks are taking calls on Garland, who is “not for sale” but whose NMC kicks in this summer.
Nick Foligno, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Age: 38
Cap hit: $4,500,000, pending UFA
Think Kyle Okposo in 2023-24. Foligno is almost at the end of the line, but perhaps a contender would pick him up as a legendarily great dressing-room presence in hopes of getting him a ring. He has no official movement restrictions on his contract, but he took a leave of absence earlier this season to be with his daughter who had heart surgery, so he obviously would only be traded if he really wanted to go.
Jonathan Quick, G, New York Rangers
Age: 40
Cap hit: $1,550,000, pending UFA
(20-team no-trade list)
Quick has his Stanley Cup rings. He’s playing for his hometown team. He has plenty of control over where he lands. He doesn’t have to go anywhere. But what if an injury arises and creates an opportunity for him to play a key role on a contending team, as he briefly did for Vegas three years ago?
John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks
Age: 33
Cap hit: $4,000,000, pending UFA
(14-team no-trade list)
Sharks GM Mike Grier would be smart to sell high on Klingberg’s revival, finding a trade partner needing power-play augmentation, but that can’t be the play now that San Jose has entered buyer mode, hence me dropping Klingberg down a tier. Interestingly, he had a no-trade clause until Jan. 30, which has now changed to a 14-team no-trade list.
Ryan Strome, C, Anaheim Ducks
Age: 32
Cap hit: $5,000,000 through 2026-27
Strome’s average ice time has dropped to 12:05 per game, and that’s when he’s not healthy scratched. He’s simply not a big part of Anaheim’s core anymore, it seems, despite the fact he’s a respected dressing-room leader on a young team. Could there be a hockey trade out there involving a team that could use him for a larger role in its top nine?
Max Domi, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 30
Cap hit: $3,750,000 through 2027-28
(13-team no-trade list)
Domi will always be a defensive liability. But he’s a productive 5-on-5 facilitator, quietly sitting sixth among all NHL forwards in primary assists per 60 over the past three years, and he plays with an edge. Given he can shift all over a team’s top nine, at wing or center, his AAV is hardly prohibitive.
Matias Maccelli, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 25
Cap hit: $3,425,000, pending RFA
Once the Leafs bumped out assistant coach Marc Savard and handed the power-play reins to Steve Sullivan, Maccelli saw looks on the top unit and seemed rejuvenated. The surge was short-lived, though, and he’s since been demoted to PP2. Back to expendable status?
Anthony Stolarz, G, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 32
Cap hit: $2,500,000 through 2025-26; $3,750,000 through 2029-30
(16-team no-trade list)
The Leafs have a logjam forming in net between Stolarz, Woll and the emerging Dennis Hildeby, with Artur Akhtyamov also showing promise in the AHL. If you have to move one netminder from the stable: Stolarz is the oldest, the most expensive, has the worst injury history, and has played the poorest of the group this season. Could that make him the odd man out? On the flip side, all those traits might give him the lowest trade value among Toronto’s tenders.
Gustav Nyquist, RW, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 36
Cap hit: $3,250,000, pending UFA
Nyquist will never again match his shocking 75-point campaign of two years ago with Nashville. But he’s a consummate pro whose attitude rubs off on young players, and he might have one more spark of offense in him if placed in the right role. He should come cheap given his age.
Calle Jarnkrok, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 34
Cap hit: $2,100,000, pending UFA
(10-team no-trade list)
He’s just a fourth-liner at this stage of his career, but he can dutifully play a checking role, and his simple hustle makes coaches happy. The Leafs may as well try to get something for him.
Ryan Lomberg, LW, Calgary Flames
Age: 31
Cap hit: $2,000,000 pending UFA
Lomberg plays bigger than his 5-foot-9, 184-pound frame. He’s a physical, energetic forward who can alter momentum with a hit-happy shift. He’s also a proven Stanley Cup cog, having dressed for eight games during Florida’s 2023-24 run. The winning pedigree and jam in his game should have some contenders sniffing around him.
Timothy Liljegren, D, San Jose Sharks
Age: 26
Cap hit: $3,000,000, pending UFA
It feels like Liljegren should’ve had a better career up to this point. As a smooth-skating righthanded blueliner with good puck skills, he has value in this league. But he struggled to establish himself as a regular with Toronto, and it doesn’t sound like he’s part of San Jose’s long-term plans. If they’re hovering on the bubble by March 6, it might be worth jettisoning him given he’s an expiring asset.
Claude Giroux, RW, Ottawa Senators
Age: 38
Cap hit: $2,000,000, pending UFA
(No-movement clause)
Giroux calls Ottawa his offseason home and thus has a comfortable situation there, hence the team-friendly cap hit. But he’s also in season 19 of a Hall-of-Very-Good career and doesn’t have that Stanley Cup. Should the Sens fall too far out of contention, would Giroux be up for joining a contender? He could be an asset for faceoffs, scoring depth and maybe a second power-play unit.
Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,750,000, pending UFA
(Five-team no-trade list)
Tuch was pretty open about wanting to remain a Sabre after last season ended, but no extension got done, and every ensuing report on the negotiations suggested the two sides were far apart. That’s likely because Tuch knows he can land a life-changing deal on the open market since so many of the top 2026 UFAs have already re-signed. So much has changed since our first trade board, though. The Sabres replaced GM Kevyn Adams by promoting Jarmo Kekalainen, then went 21-4-1 over their next 26 games. So we have a new GM who has already expressed interest in retaining Tuch plus a Sabres team that has clawed its way back into contention. We thus may have to wait until the 11th hour to understand what makes sense for Buffalo and Tuch. He’d obviously be a massive get for any contender given his blend of size, scoring touch and penalty-killing acumen. But you simply cannot trade him if you’re the contender. Tuch is speaking publicly about wanting to win a Cup, not just make the playoffs, this season with Buffalo. He stays unless the Sabres enter a sudden losing streak leading up to March 6.
TIER 3: Big names, blockbuster potential, but too soon
Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues: Wouldn’t make sense to do anything before the Olympics. Would make things awkward between Binnington and Blues/Canada GM Doug Armstrong in Milan. And with Binnington having such a bad year, the Winter Games offer a great opportunity to re-establish his trade value. His stock can’t get much lower than it is right now.
Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa Senators: He was pretty sick of losing…how will he take if it he’s right back out of the playoffs one year after it took him seven seasons to finally make it?
Alexis Lafreniere, RW, New York Rangers: Could seriously use a reset. Could he be part of a major “hockey trade?”
Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs: Plenty of term left and has never wanted out of Toronto, but if the Leafs remain far away from a playoff position by Deadline Day, maybe they blow it up. He’s hurt and won’t return until after the Olympic break, so we can put a pin in this idea, perhaps until the summer.
Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres: Change-of-scenery candidate, but the GM switch from Adams to Kekalainen slows things down in my mind. Jarmo will need more runway to decide what to do with his (surging) team.
Andrei Svechnkikov, LW, Carolina Hurricanes: Was talked up as someone open to a trade earlier this season, but he’s playing too well to move now, right? Back on top line and producing like a borderline star.
TIER 4: Theoretical trade chips if their teams fall out of contention
Jaden Schwartz, LW, Seattle Kraken
Nick Schmaltz, RW, Utah Mammoth
Erik Haula, C, Nashville Predators
Jamie Oleksiak, D, Seattle Kraken
Troy Stecher, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Jonathan Toews, C, Winnipeg Jets
Mason Marchment (again), LW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Jordan Eberle, RW, Seattle Kraken
Eeli Tolvanen, LW, Seattle Kraken
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, San Jose Sharks
Andrew Peeke, D, Boston Bruins
Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Boston Bruins
Nick Jensen, D, Ottawa Senators
Evgenii Dadonov, RW, New Jersey Devils
Rickard Rakell, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Anders Lee, LW, New York Islanders
Bryan Rust, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Anthony Mantha, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Brett Kulak, Pittsburgh Penguins
Lars Eller, Ottawa Senators
TRADED from previous boards
Quinn Hughes
Stuart Skinner
Marco Rossi
Yegor Chinakhkov
Mason Marchment
Laurent Brossoit
Rasmus Andersson
Kiefer Sherwood
Carson Soucy
Ondrej Palat
Maxim Tysplakov
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