2024 NHL Trade Deadline: Trade Tracker and Analysis Leading Up to March 8
The 2024 NHL trade deadline is set for 3 p.m. ET on Friday.
Contending teams will look to bolster the ranks and increase their chances at a long Stanley Cup run. Rebuilding and disappointing teams will try to bring back value for players who are on expiring contracts or just aren't a part of the future. Teams on the playoff bubble will have to decide which group they belong to.
Though this year's list of trade targets is light on top-end talent, that can change. Remember that the 2023 deadline appeared to run out of juice early. Then teams such as the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals gave it new life, unexpectedly moving stars like Mattias Ekholm and Dmitry Orlov.
There is a lot of time between now and the deadline. The rise and fall of teams in the standings can create new agendas.
Though we're including the surprising Jamie Drysdale-Cutter Gauthier trade between Philadelphia and Anaheim, it's the departure of Elias Lindholm from Calgary to Vancouver that officially puts the NHL in deadline mode.
Bookmark this page, as we will update it with news and analysis of every notable trade as each is announced.
March 8: Vegas Blows Minds Yet Again with Blockbuster for Tomáš Hertl
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Vegas Golden Knights
They've done it again! The Vegas Golden Knights have pulled off a blockbuster trade. Not only is it for a player for whom nobody really linked them to, but Hertl was at no point a real consideration to be traded at all!
Tomáš Hertl, 30, is one of the most visually thrilling players to watch in the NHL. He's 6'3" and built. The things he can do with the puck are magical.
His tantalizing skillset sometimes leads to overrating his general impact. Even if with filter out for this season in which the Sharks are terrible and Hertl has been injured, Evolving Hockey's model ranked the Czech center in the 66th percentile of NHLers from 2020-21 through 2022-23 and in the 81st percentile by offensive impact. He's only played at above a 65-point pace in two seasons, maxing out at 74 points in 77 games in six seasons.
That's a good player. A really good player. Probably not worth the $65.1 million the Sharks allotted to him over eight years in 2022 and he won't be the clear-cut first-line center on a really good team.
The Sharks are eating some of Hertl's cap hit, dropping his cost to Vegas down $6.75M through 2030. That's a lot closer in line to his true value.
Plus, he won't be the first-line center in Vegas. Jack Eichel takes that spot and Chandler Stephenson now becomes about as good of a third-line center that any NHL team can claim to have. Hertl goes from a team with zero talent to one overflowing with it. Other teams won't be able to isolate him like they could in San Jose.
At 30 years old, there will be a time when his contract becomes a burden. The Golden Knights don't care. The next few years are a golden window to contend. With that in mind, the allocation of assets towards Hertl is worthwhile and in line with the organization's principles. Lots of teams pay at the deadline to rent players and then have to do it all over again next year. They traded more up-front for a player who will play in Vegas for several years.
And the cost isn't even as significant as it might look at first glance.
David Edstrom was the 32nd-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and his value is in line with where they selected him. The first-round pick will probably land in the late 20s or early 30s.
Meanwhile, they get back two third-round picks. Hertl is a star second-line center who more or less cost a drop 40-50 spots in the draft.
They added Hanifin earlier and now have Hertl. Those are two big players with a lot of skill. Vegas won the Stanley Cup last season and are an even better team now.
San Jose Sharks
First and foremost, this is the end of an era in San Jose. The Sharks drafted him in 2012 and he has been on their NHL roster since 2013.
Emotions aside, moving on from Hertl was the right thing to do both for the player and for the organization. San Jose is at the beginning stages of a titanic rebuild. At 30 years old, Hertl will not be a top player by the time they turn things around, and at some point that $8 million contract would have been prohibitive.
David Edstrom is having a good post-draft season in Sweden, registering six goals and 11 assists in 42 games for Frölunda. He has size and he plays to it, leveraging his body in battles along the walls or to protect the puck. He has no standout offensive abilities but does lots of things at a satisfactory level; shooting, passing, and skating. They all grade as sufficient for an NHL career.
If all goes well, he could be like Winnipeg's Adam Lowry; a physical shutdown third-line center who chips the occasional goal and earns frequent back-pats from his coaches.
March 8: Devils, Sharks Swap Goaltenders Vanecek, Kähkönen
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New Jersey Devils
The Devils end the day with two completely different goaltenders.
They get a fresh face in Kaapo Kähkönen. Spiritually, he's not much different than Vanecek. In his best moments, he's a good backup goaltender. At other moments he has been among the worst in the league.
The Finnish goaltender is currently playing much better hockey. Kähkönen has a .895 save percentage for the Sharks, who have the worst defense in hockey. Measure that up to Vanecek's .890 behind a decent, if not good, Devils team. If the Devils have any chance of saving this season and getting into the playoffs, Kähkönen gives them better odds than Vanecek.
The bigger-picture motivation for this move is that the Devils rid themselves of Vanecek's salary. His $3.4 million cap hit for the 2024-25 season is now San Jose's problem to figure out. The Devils have Jake Allen at a $1.925M cap hit and they will pursue a true starting goaltender in the offseason. Kähkönen, 27, will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
San Jose Sharks
This is a curious move by San Jose. Though Kähkönen played admirably in San Jose, keeping his head above water despite battling behind a truly horrendous team in front of him, he is a backup-caliber NHL goaltender.
Why they did the Devils a favor by taking Vanecek's contract off of their hands is a mystery that an added seventh-round pick does not solve. He's in the middle of the worst season of his NHL career. Though he's put together some good shifts for the Devils and Washington Capitals in the best, he is ideally a backup goaltender for a good team, and his cap hit should be half of that $3.4 million.
They did revive former Devil Mackenzie Blackwood this season and maybe they can do the same with Vanecek. If so, they'll be able to move him for a draft pick at next season's trade deadline.
Still, it seems like the Sharks bailed the Devils out of a moderate problem for virtually no benefit to their own organization.
March 8: Devils Finally Address Goaltending, Grab Allen from Habs
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New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils desperately needed to bring in a competent goaltender. Jake Allen is a competent goaltender.
The timing and context of this move indicates a total lack of planning and asset management by the Devils.
It was a mistake to enter the season with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid as their two goaltenders. That's a sketchy duo for any team, let alone a team that traded for Tyler Toffoli and expected to be a Tier One Cup contender.
They could have fixed that at any moment earlier in the season. They did not. The Devils kept losing despite playing competitive hockey because they could not get a save. They hit a crossroads somewhere in early February when the playoffs were in jeopardy. That should have been when they added a goaltender. They would have had a few weeks to assess how the team looked under Head Coach Lindy Ruff with a different goaltender. Maybe they turn things around. Maybe they then keep Tyler Toffoli.
They instead waited, continued to get zero saves, lost a lot more games and went from a 50/50 playoff team to today's 11-percent odds, per The Athletic. That's when they fired two games prior to the trade deadline and then traded Toffoli today. They took an axe to the team.
And NOW they add Allen?
A third-round pick that could become a second-round pick is a pretty heavy cost to pay for a 33-year-old goaltender who, in his best moments, has been an average NHL goaltender. Over the last three seasons, Allen has saved 1.78 more goals than expected based on shots faced, a total that ranks 40th out of 59 goaltenders that have faced at least 2000 shot attempts.
With the Habs retaining 50-percent of his salary, Allen's adjusted $1.925M cap hit carries through the 2025 season. Are the Devils going to try again next season with Allen and Vanecek? That's certainly better than this season's group but hardly inspiring enough to make them Cup favorites.
Or are the Devils going to go after another goaltender in the offseason, such as Jacob Markstrom? In that case, why move a meaningful draft pick to acquire a $1.925M backup goaltender?
Would it really have cost the Devils much more to do this move weeks, if not months ago, when Allen could have plausibly saved their season?
Allen is too little too late for this season and a hindrance to building better for next season. Nothing about this trade makes sense for the Devils.
Montreal Canadiens
Not sure that I'm as high on the Canadiens are on their tandem on Samuel Montembeault and Caden Primeau, but they're in the thick of a rebuild and Allen was never going to be on the team when they were competitive again. He's a stable but uninspiring goaltender and his $3.85M cap hit is overpayment.
They did well to move him and get a credible asset with material worth to their rebuild.
March 8: Rangers Settle for Blue Jackets' Jack Roslovic
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New York Rangers
Roslovic was not the Rangers' first choice. Or their second, or third, and probably not fourth or fifth. It's not the ideal answer to massive questions about their problems at right wing and we'll dedicate a separate article to that development later in the day.
I would like to talk Rangers fans away from hysteria, though.
Jack Roslovic, 27, does play into some of the Rangers' weaknesses. He's quick. He plays with a high motor. He has enough skill in his game to produce secondary offense at times he does so with a high-skill play.
His defensive play is inconsistent and that gets him in trouble with coaches. He does, however, do lots of little things to drive offense. He plays fast through the neutral zone and gets after it on the forecheck.
He has only six goals and 17 assists in 40 games for the Blue Jackets. Then again, who is playing well in Columbus this season? Jonny Gaudreau has struggled immensely. One has to believe he is being dragged down by a greater team-wide problem.
Last season, Roslovic tallied 44 points in 77 games. The season before he potted 22 goals. The season before, The American produced 34 points in 48 games.
There's no mistaking him as a first-line right wing and the second line is pushing it as well. His ability to play center gives Head Coach Pete Laviolette some versatility and he can push the pace for the Rangers.
Having missed on better targets, the Rangers will have to hope for a communal effort between him, Lafreniére, and Kakko on the right side.
And while lots of fans were pressing the Rangers to go all-in this season, they invested many big assets in the previous two deadlines and do have a worthwhile future to consider. A fourth-round draft pick that might become a third-round pick if the team makes the Stanley Cup final gets them a versatile player who makes them better without sacrificing a meaningful asset.
The remaining question is whether he makes them better enough.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Roslovic is an unrestricted free agent in July and his time in Columbus was turbulent. On some level, the Blue Jackets need to look within themselves and figure out why they have problems keeping players productive and engaged. In the meantime, getting a draft pick for a player who had no future there was the correct path forward.
Marc 8: Devils Ship Defenseman Colin Miller to Jets
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Winnipeg Jets
The Jets were a good team that filled out the forward group with the additions of Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli. The final piece needed was a depth defenseman. Logan Stanley should not be an everyday NHLer.
Colin Miller fits the bill. The 6'1", 200-pound defenseman has a hard shot with which he can occasionally score (four goals in 41 games this season) but makes his money as a shot-suppression specialist. He defends well in the neutral zone and against the rush. He's good at angling puck carriers toward the perimeter and sometimes lighting them up with a heavy hit.
While Miller isn't a big point producer and won't point-guard from the back, he is steady enough with the puck and can play his part within a tactical scheme for breakouts.
Worse defensemen were moved at this deadline for a similar or costlier price. Miller is more than capable of playing a third-pairing role. The Jets are now a titan in the West.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils add to their emergency fire sale. Miller holds on to a $1.85 million cap hit that expires this summer. Though he played well for the Devils, he should be due for a raise and the Devils are rightfully sellers.
Which makes it all the more curious that they simultaneously moved a good draft pick for Jake Allen a few hours earlier.
March 8: Leafs Add Defensive Forward Dewar from Wild
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Connor Dewar is a shutdown center. He plays a lot of minutes in the defensive zone and on the penalty kill and does a really good job of preventing the opposition from creating scoring chances.
He has 10 goals this year but the Wild have also played him higher up the lineup than he should. Dewar provides little offense but is a tenacious forechecker, thereby keeping play out of the defensive end as much as possible.
Dewar is 24 years old and a restricted free agent in the summer. Currently holding an $800K cap hit, he will remain the property of the Leafs beyond this season.
A fourth-round pick is the going rate to rent a similar player. Dewar isn't scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent until 2026. This is a nice low-key addition by the Leafs.
One has to wonder if Dewar, along with Edmundson and Lyubushkin, materially improves their odds of finally going on a long playoff run.
Minnesota Wild
Dewar was likely a victim of Minnesota's financial circumstances. He's due for a raise over the summer and the Wild are counting pennies against the salary cap.
The Wild are also stocked with young centers below the NHL. They just signed Marat Khusnitdinov out of the KHL. The 21-year-old is on a $925K entry-level contract through 2025 and may be ready for the NHL.
March 8: Lightning Nab Defenseman Dumba from Coyotes
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Tampa Bay Lightning
Dumba did not have a good season in Arizona. An offensive defenseman, Dumba has just four goals and six assists in 56 games.
We can Dumba some benefit of the doubt. He was a good player in Minnesota for many years. The Coyotes aren't exactly the most calming environment for several reasons and he was playing a role beyond his means, averaging over 20 minutes per night.
He'll be a depth player in Tampa Bay and play cushier minutes. He'll have better support around him. Head Coach John Cooper gets the most out of defensemen. If it works, it works. If not, the Lightning's investment in moving down from round five to round seven is negligible. For a team that couldn't afford to move any more assets, it's a good reach into the bargain bin.
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes were looking for a first-round pick in return for Dumba. They settle on moving up from round seven to round five. Most teams set aggressive initial asking prices for their rentals but a gap in ask and return this seismic indicates a serious disconnect from reality in Arizona's analysis of their player and the market.
Better to get something than nothing for a depth player who had no future in Arizona. That the Coyotes did not retain salary on him makes it even more bizarre that they did not do so to get more in return for Jason Zucker.
Mar 8: Bruins Blow Cap Space on Depth Defenseman Peeke
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Boston Bruins
Really strange move by the Bruins. They have limited assets and limited cap space. They're a contender and it's not a problem that they wanted to add to the end of the depth chart on defense.
Peeke is a weird hill to die on. The 25-year-old brings little offense to the table. He's not very good at defending the rush. He doesn't prevent high-quality shooting opportunities. He can't move the puck from the defensive end. The Bruins may like that he blocks lots of shots but he's doing that because he spends a lot of time in his own end and doesn't prevent those scoring chances.
Maybe the Bruins believe the a switch from the Blue Jackets' tense environment will unlock better play. That's a major risk given not only his play but his contract; Peeke is signed for $2.75M annually through the 2026 season. For a team with little margin for error, that's quite the expensive project to take on. Not to mention at the cost of a third-round pick.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Peeke had been in and out of the lineup in Columbus. That says as much about their environment as it does about Peeke.
Getting rid of his $2.75M cap hit is good news. So is acquiring a third-round pick. They get an asset and create room with which to more efficiently improve their blue line going forward.
March 8: Flyers Get Leadership, Experience, and Worse with Sabres' Erik Johnson
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Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers, despite being in something of a soft-selling mode, are inexplicably third in the Metropolitan Division. They have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. One can understand why rookie GM Daniel Briere wanted to replace the departed Sean Walker with a veteran defenseman.
Erik Johnson was the wrong idea. Yes, he was captain of the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche in 2022 and was one a really good defenseman. That was then and this is now. He turns 36 in 2 weeks. The Avalanche moved on from him for a reason after the 2022-23 season in which his play plummeted. It's been more of the same in Buffalo this season and one could argue that the expectations that he could help take them to the next level were part of why the Sabres are yet again a disappointment.
This season, Evolving Hockey's model ranks Erik Johnson in the third percentile of all NHLers.
If the idea here is that the Flyers needed a veteran and professional who has been through playoff battles before, does Marc Staal not already address that archetype on the Flyers' roster? Why not pay a similar price for Chad Ruhwedel out of Pittsburgh, as the Rangers did?
A fourth-round pick won't make or break the Flyers' rebuild, but it's a silly concession for a player who makes them a worse hockey team.
Buffalo Sabres
If the Flyers think that Johnson's experience and accomplishments will offset his lack of hockey ability at this late stage of his career, then they should look at the Sabres to see why they are likely to be wrong. The Sabres signed him to a one-year contract worth $3.25M and his play was not worthy of a lineup spot. With an actual difference-maker in his place, maybe the Sabres have a different fate this season.
They do save face by trading him for a fourth-round pick. Now the Sabres need to learn a lesson from this. It's okay to value some of the things that Johnson brings to the table existentially and they could use a vocal veteran on the back-end next season, but they have to make sure his play is up to snuff.
March 8: Bruins Pick Up Three-Time Cup Winner Maroon from Wild
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Boston Bruins
Maroon is a 6'3" winger who plays a rugged game. He's heavy and throws potent checks. He pays attention to details in the defensive zone. He is good for the occasional offensive moment. He's won three Stanley Cups and his $800K cap hit is readily affordable for the Bruins, who are limited in financial malleability.
A sixth-round pick and a bottom-six AHLer is a low price to pay for a player of his makeup and reputation. The Bruins may have been able to get him at such a low price for two reasons. One is that Maroon has a partial no-trade clause that allows him to veto trades to 16 NHL teams.
The more crucial reason, reflected in the condition attached to the draft pick, is that he underwent back surgery a month ago. He's expected back in a few weeks but that's a tough recovery for a 35-year-old to make midseason.
If he can return to health, he's a good fourth-line winger who won't be fazed by a playoff atmosphere or the Bruins' aspirations. It's a no-brainer move for Boston.
Minnesota Wild
Maroon is a fourth liner on an expiring contract. The Wild are long shots to make the playoffs. For the price of a sixth-round pick that isn't even guaranteed, there may have been some logic to just keeping him in case the Wild turn things around. But assets are assets and the Wild needs to inject some new life into the organization.
March 8: Predators Grab Zucker out of the Coyotes' Bargain Bin
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Nashville Predators
My eyebrows raised when Nashville's name was connected to Zucker. The Predators aren't a lock to make the playoffs and, if they do, they'll be major underdogs to get out of the first round. They traded a quality bottom-six forward in Yakov Trenin yesterday for a third-round pick. Now they're turning around and adding?
It's hard to argue with this addition given the price. Jason Zucker is past his prime due to age and injuries but he's still a good hockey player. He scored 27 goals for the Penguins last season. This season, the 32-year-old has nine goals and 16 assists in 51 games. A 40-pace puts him in the territory of a passable second-liner or great third-liner, and he may have the potential to do more. Zucker has averaged only 14 minutes in Arizona and his shooting percentage is unusually low.
And Zucker is a good two-way winger. Ignorant of context, the cost for a player of this ability is often at minimum a third-round pick, maybe more. The Predators have played well this season and a sixth-round pick is a negligible asset to move to reward the team for its success.
Arizona Coyotes
Teams are allowed to retain up to 50-percent of a player's salary and cap hit at one time. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is one. Matt Dumba, an unrestricted free agent and current trade bait, may end up being the second.
There is no obvious candidate to be the third. Well, there was; Jason Zucker. He's a good player whom playoff contenders would have been eager to add, but that $5.3M cap hit would have been a very tough fit. Had Arizona eaten half of that salary, one has to believe that teams like the Rangers would have been all over it. He should have returned the Coyotes a third-round pick at a bare minimum.
Instead, the Coyotes offload him to the Predators, who are one of the few potential playoff teams that could fit all $5.3 million of his cap hit.
It seems that the Coyotes took a worse return on Zucker in order to get out of having to send Zucker a few more paychecks between now and June 30th.
Coyotes fans can assert their own feelings about those priorities.
March 8: Rangers Add Veteran Ruhwedel for Defensive Depth
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New York Rangers
A depth defenseman was not the Rangers' most pressing need and all eyes were on whom they acquire to fix their woes on the right wing. At a minimum, Peter Laviolette has not appeared overly comfortable with the Rangers' current seventh defenseman, Zac Jones. Furthermore, Jacob Trouba is dealing with an injury of unknown magnitude.
When it comes to depth defensemen, Chad Ruhwedel is one of the league's better options. He's not an offensive contributor, as his 13 points in 2021-22 represented a career high.
He is a true shot-suppressor. Ruhwedel takes good angles when defending in the neutral zone. He keeps up with puck carriers who carry with speed. He is responsible in defensive zone assignments and he can capably move the puck out of his end.
A fourth-round pick is a lower cost than some teams paid for inferior defensemen, and that may be because he's 5'11". That seems like a problem of optics rather than a problem of ability to play playoff hockey. That he played a role in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2017 Stanley Cup championship is objective proof.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Jake Guentzel trade will be a debate for the ages, but few people will argue with the Penguins' decision to move depth players at the deadline. Ruhwedel was a good depth defenseman for Head Coach Mike Sullivan over multiple years, but he's a pending free agent and 33 years old. The Penguins desperately need any prospects and draft picks that they can get their hands on.
March 8: Jets Land Top Remaining Winger Toffoli from New Jersey
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Winnipeg Jets
In early February, the Jets traded a first-round pick for the first time since the 2018-19 season to acquire center Sean Monahan from Montreal.
They do so again a month later to get Tyler Toffoli from the Devils.
Toffoli is a pure goal-scoring winger. He had a career year last season in Calgary, lighting the lamp 34 times. This season, he has 28 goals in 61 games. With great north-south speed and a really good shooting release, Toffoli can score while in motion and from a distance.
He fills a major need in Winnipeg, who aren't low on talent but were a bit soft at the top of the right-wing depth chart; previously, Vlad Namestnikov was taking shifts on the top line. Toffoli, Scheifele, and Connor would be an electric trio who are brilliant off the rush, but can also put the puck in the net during offensive-zone possessions.
Winnipeg's acquiring him for a second and third-round pick is incredible value.
New Jersey Devils
That the Devils are trading Toffoli at all is a major failure. The Devils traded young winger Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick to the Flames last summer to rent Toffoli for a full season. They had their eyes on a Stanley Cup.
They probably aren't even making the playoffs. To that point, good on GM Tom Fitzgerald for swallowing his pride and mitigating the damage by recovering assets for the impending unrestricted free agent. Perhaps re-signing him was an option, but the Devils are not short on wingers. They need veteran help on defense and, more than anything, a competent goaltender. Maybe two.
Not getting a first-round pick or a good prospect from Winnipeg adds insult to injury, though. The net effect of this move is trading Yegor Sharangovich for a second-round pick. Sharangovich, 25, is on a two-year contract at a $3.1 million cap hit and he's collected 25 goals and 20 assists in 65 games for Calgary. The Devils probably wish they had Sharangovich right now.
March 8: Sabres Trade Captain Okposo to Panthers
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Florida Panthers
The Panthers are already 12 forwards deep and don't necessarily need Okposo, but there's security in depth for a top team that's hoping to go on a long playoff run.
While Okposo isn't the player he once was, he is still an NHL contributor. The former Sabres' captain is a two-way winger. He has ten goals and 12 assists in 61 games in Buffalo. He holds to his defensive duties and battles in front of the net. He's a low-maintenance veteran whom the Panthers will be happy to have available to them for a bottom-six role.
Similar players might go for a fourth-round pick this time of year. It's hard to knock the cost of a seventh-round pick or, in the "worst" case scenario where they win the Stanley Cup, a fifth-rounder.
And good for Kyle Okposo. In 16 full NHL seasons, he has only played in four playoff series, making it to the second round just once and not having played on a playoff team since 2016 on Long Island. He also had to overcome devastating health issues just to keep his NHL career alive. After that personal struggle and many frustrating years in Buffalo, he's going to get a chance to play for the best team in the league.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres didn't get the best possible value here for Okposo but we're talking about low degrees of magnitude in the later rounds of the draft. He was their captain, overcame those health issues, and was a good representative of the organization for many years during an ugly era. They're doing right by a player who deserves some goodwill by sending him to a Cup contender.
Calle Själin, 24, was a very good defenseman in the Swedish Hockey League, but probably is not an NHLer.
March 8: Kuznetsov Starts Fresh in Carolina
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Carolina Hurricanes
Evgeny Kuznetsov was, for some time, one of the league's premier playmaking centers. Just two seasons ago he had 78 points in 79 games on the back of 54 assists.
A lot has changed since. Kuznetsov is now 31 and has struggled immensely over the past two seasons. Last season he sharply declined to 55 points in 81 games. This season he has 17 in 41 games.
That drop-off in production is a death knell for a player who doesn't provide much off the puck. He is one of the league's worst defensive centers. He's a total non-factor on the forecheck. His ability to create zone entries has dissipated. His legs lack the thrust they used to have.
Kuznetsov entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in early February and has since been cleared to play. The Capitals had waived him and, upon clearing, sent him to AHL Hershey.
If Kuznetsov has found answers and rediscovers his playmaking form in Carolina, then he could be great value for the cost of a third-round pick. But this is not a rental. The Russian will be on the books at a $3.9M cap hit for next season as well. There's a strong possibility that he no longer can create offense like he once did. It's a very risky move by the Hurricanes.
Washington Capitals
Kuznetsov was a great player for several years and integral to the Caps' first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2018. The relationship between him and the team had fractured. Moving on is in the best interest of both sides.
The Capitals were on the path of buying Kuznetsov out over the summer, which would have come with cap penalties of $3.8M in 2024-25 and $2M in 2025-26.
By trading him with 50 percent of his contract retained, they will instead only have a $3.9M cap penalty for next season. Financially, it's the best possible outcome for a tough situation. To get a third-round pick as well is a bonus.
March 7: Hurricanes Win the Guentzel Sweepstakes
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Carolina Hurricanes
Barring something spectacular in the coming 14 hours, this is the marquee trade of the deadline.
The Carolina Hurricanes are dominant in terms of controlling play. They generate lots of offensive-zone time. They're currently third in the NHL by expected goals percentage and rank first among all teams over the last three seasons.
Their fatal flaw? Putting the puck into the net. It's one aspect of the game but, really, the only aspect of the game, if you think about it. That problem has manifested for Carolina in many ways in the last few years, but never more visibly and consequently as last season's Eastern Conference Final. The Hurricanes scored six total goals in a four-game sweep by the Florida Panthers.
Jake Guentzel is a pure goal scorer. He's fast and can score off the rush. He knows how to find soft areas below the faceoff dots, receive a pass, and quickly fire it on net. He can battle through traffic and find loose pucks around the crease. His shot itself is effective. As of Feb. 25, he ranked ninth among all NHL wingers by five-on-five goals since 2017-18. This season he had 52 points in 50 games, including 22 goals.
Did Crosby and Malkin and Letang have something to do with his success? Yes. Have any other wingers in this era been able to match those numbers while playing alongside those guys? Absolutely not. The Hurricanes generate scoring chances at an exceptional level. They need someone to help them put the puck in the net. They found the right guy for the job.
While they gave up some meaningful prospects in this trade, they managed to keep their top guys. It was an expensive splurge by the Hurricanes and unlike them to do so for a rental, but he fit the need and they built up enough organizational strength to be able to afford the move.
For more on how this trade impacts Carolina, please check out Sara Civian's analysis of the move. She is plugged in on all things Hurricanes.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Roughly two weeks ago I made the argument that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be making a big mistake in trading Jake Guentzel rather than re-signing him. I stand by that take.
Having said that, I'm going to go against consensus and argue that the Penguins prioritized the right type of return in this deal.
The Penguins did not guarantee a first-round pick in this deal; they'll get a second-rounder unless the Hurricanes make the Stanley Cup Final this season. Considering that players like Sean Walker and Adam Henrique returned first-round picks, the optics of this are admittedly very bad.
But the Hurricanes' first-round pick, if they don't make it to the Final, will likely be in the range of 25th-30th overall. There is hardly a guarantee of getting a meaningful player in that range of the draft. Yet even if they did, the Penguins would be picking an 18-year-old. Perhaps that player could turn into a good NHLer in four or five years. Maybe even a really good one.
There is no four or five years as far as the Penguins are concerned. Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang will be 37 at the start of next season. Evgeni Malkin will be 38 and Erik Karlsson will be 34. A pit of despair awaits the Penguins as those players age out of the league. They have two years to try to milk one more Stanley Cup out of this generational core. Maybe three if we're being generous.
Michael Bunting, 28, is in the trade. He's a similar archetype to Guentzel, albeit a much worse version. But the former Leaf battles below the faceoff dots, gets open near the net, and scores when he's fed the puck. He scored 23 goals in each of the past two seasons playing alongside Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner. He won't pot 40 like Guentzel, but he will work well with Crosby and Malkin in that type of manner. He's signed to a $4.5M cap hit through 2026.
Ville Koivunen, 20, has 55 points in 57 games in Finland's Liiga. He is the top point producer on one of the top teams in Europe. The former second-round pick is clever with the puck, particularly in small areas of the ice. While he's not fast in straight lines, he does have good edgework and can cut around defenders. He has some work to do away from the puck and defensively but he makes plays happen in the offensive zone. He could become a middle-six winger.
Vasily Ponomarev, also a 2020 second-round pick, is a no-nonsense center. He's well-rounded and does everything at an average or better level. A defensive-minded player, Ponomarev has 29 points in 39 AHL games this season and earned an NHL call-up, tallying a goal and assist in two games. He's not enthralling but he's a good bet to become a bottom-six center who kills penalties and chips offensively.
Chaz Lucius, 19, was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and has been a point-per-game player for Wisconsin in the NCAA for the past two seasons. He is a flashy scoring winger but needs to improve his skating and become a more complete player who can produce from the middle of the ice.
Should the Penguins have received better prospects? Perhaps. It's hard to know what the competing offers were and how much more the Hurricanes would have buckled.
Philosophically, I think the Penguins had the right idea. Ponomarev could be a full-time NHLer out of the gate next October and Koivunen might not be far behind. If the Penguins are going to have any shot of a final Stanley Cup in the Crosby era, they need to insert young, cheap players in the lineup as soon as possible. Draft picks won't do that for them. Those two prospects could.
So there is a method to Dubas' madness here. Of course, the simplest path towards getting back on track would have included re-signing Jake Guentzel.
March 7: Anthony Duclair Heads to Tampa Bay
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Tampa Bay Lightning
The box score numbers for Duclair do not reflect his true abilities. His 27 points in 56 games reflect, first, a player who was working his way back into form from a severe achilles injury and, more importantly, a player stuck on a really, really bad team.
Duclair is an impressive straight-line skater who can make plays on the move. He is a major threat to create off the rush, he has goal-scoring instincts, and he has good supplementary playmaking ability.
He is a weak defensive player and isn't of much help in cycle offense. He played the best hockey of his career in Florida when he shared the ice with Aleksander Barkov or Carter Verhaeghe, and sometimes both. Those are two players who carry a lot of weight in every facet of the game, freeing Duclair to stick to the role of transition threat and offensive-zone creator. Duclair scored 31 goals and added 27 assists in 74 games in 2021-22.
He stood no chance in San Jose where he'd usually be the best player on the ice for his team.
Neither Anthony Cirelli nor Nick Paul are Barkov, but both are robust two-way centers who can be the engine on a line. Duclair should be a good fit on Tampa's second or third line.
For the first time in a long time, the Lightning are a Dark Horse rather than a frontrunner. The organization is all but vacant of movable assets. This probably won't be a year in which the team can justify big deadline spending. Bottom-pairing defensemen and fourth-liners are moving for third-round picks. Duclair, meanwhile, can be an X-factor. For the cost of a C-level prospect and moving down from Round 3 to Round 7 in the draft, Duclair is a moderate-cost, high-upside acquisition.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks moved fourth-liner Steven Lorentz and a fifth-round pick to the Florida Panthers in return for Duclair over the summer. On a putrid team, he was one of the few players worth turning on the TV to watch. He helped the team maintain whatever level of dignity it has held for the stretch of the season.
The market has been flooded with really good wingers. Duclair needed some time to find his top gear and the roster didn't have the type of players who could help him shine. Even still, he was playing at a pace of 23 goals. A third-round pick is a good starting point for his value here.
Jack Thompson was, by a wide margin, the best defense prospect in Tampa Bay's system. That says less about him and more about the state of the Lightning's prospect pool.
In any case, he's not a throwaway addition to this deal. The 21-year-old has five goals and 27 assists in 46 AHL games this season. Thompson doesn't have any high-end traits and grades out competently in many respects. He's a B-level skater. He has solid puck poise. He has the footwork and instincts to carve out an identity as, if not a shutdown defenseman, then someone who keeps the puck out of the defensive zone by keeping possession, gapping up, and moving pucks out of danger.
There is hope for him to become a bottom-pairing defenseman in the NHL.
March 7: Avalanche Boost Depth, Physicality with Yakov Trenin
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Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are in it to win it. They've added Casey Mittelstadt, Sean Walker, Brandon Duhaime, and now Yakov Trenin.
Trenin, 27, is everything a team should want in a bottom-six forward. He can play both center and wing. At 6'2" and 201 pounds, he's a physical player who is relentless on the forecheck. He is a major boost to cycle offense and, if his team isn't scoring, he's at least extending possessions for his team and making it hard for the opposition to get out of the defensive zone.
The Russian has consistently scored at a 15-goal pace in the NHL. Plus, he's one of the league's top defensive forwards. That translates on the penalty kill, where he is a go-to option.
The Avalanche and Predators also swap overage Western Hockey League defensemen. Both should become capable pros with an outside shot of making the NHL as depth players. The Avs perhaps get the slight edge, as Sward is younger and has produced at a better clip in the WHL.
A third-round pick is a proportional price for a player of Trenin's caliber. He's a Swiss army knife who can do lots of different things in a bottom-six role and brings a kind of productive brawn for a potential playoff run. He and Duhaime will make the Avs a lot more annoying to play against; not only because of the physicality but because they are true hockey players.
Nashville Predators
There's nothing wrong with having acquired a third-round pick for Trenin. The 27-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent in July. The Predators will miss the five-year NHLer whom they drafted in 2015, but they need to add more skill to the lineup next season and beyond.
It's hard to square this move with their decision earlier in the day. The Predators added Anthony Beauvillier from the Blackhawks in return for a fifth-round pick. Beauvillier is a major project where the upside is probably that much better than what Trenin, a sure thing, brings to the table.
The Predators are on the right side of the playoff bubble but are a long shot to make serious playoff noise. If they wanted to sell at the deadline then that would have made sense. If GM Barry Trotz decided that a few low-end draft picks weren't worth giving up on the season then that also could have been justified.
Those would be two distinct paths with a clear ambition. The Preds instead executed a half-baked path in which they have notably downgraded their roster for a likely playoff appearance for the sake of moving up from round five to round three in the draft. Unless other moves are coming, the totality of Nashville's actions today don't make much sense.
March 7: Avalanche Bulk Up, Add Duhaime from Wild
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Colorado Avalanche
Grit is like catnip to NHL GMs. Particularly around this time of year. Sometimes, that can be to their detriment. Teams can get tunnel vision and overemphasize the value of size and physicality to the point of actually making their team worse at playing hockey.
But as Lightning coach Jon Cooper once said, "You can't have all Ferraris, sometimes you need a good old-fashioned four-wheel drive Jeep to get you through the mud."
Brandon Duhaime absolutely fits that description. At 6'2" and 190 pounds, Duhaime ranks 22nd among all NHL forwards by hits (155) despite playing fourth-line minutes. Just 26 years old, Duhaime has a lot of life in his legs. He puts pressure on the opposing D on the forecheck.
What makes Duhaime worthwhile is the totality of his game. He has a strong foundation defensively. He works hard and has enough spatial awareness and discipline to make the right plays to take away space in the neutral and defensive zones. He is reliable for a penalty kill shift or two as well.
While he has little ability with the puck, he has good enough hands and timing to crash the net and pot home a few ugly goals; Duhaime has four in 62 games this year and scored nine in 51 games last season.
Duhaime can energize a team with hits and high-effort shifts but he also has the requisite structure within his game to ensure he can be part of a cohesive line that suppresses the opposition's offensive opportunities. He's not grit for grit's sake but a functional player who makes his impact in that manner. His $1.1 million cap hit is palatable and while Duhaime's true exchange value is probably a fourth-round pick, a third-round pick is not worth getting riled up about.
The Avs have now added Casey Mittelstadt while having effectively swapped Bowen Byram out for Sean Walker. They're a significantly better hockey team than they were a week ago and have arguably pushed into the second slot in Western Conference power rankings.
Minnesota Wild
It's a tough move for the Wild. Duhaime was a fan favorite and appreciated within the organization. They're on the outside of the playoff picture but not definitively out of the race.
It's the right move. Duhaime might be a provocative and beloved fourth liner, but "fourth liner" is the key phrase. An unrestricted free agent in July, Duhaime will be due for a modest raise. The Wild will still have roughly $14.75 million in dead cap space thanks to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts executed in July 2021. Every penny matters in Minnesota for at least another season and they are likely to make the playoffs with their current makeup. A fourth liner is not where they can afford to allocate surplus cap space.
Plus, a third-round pick is pretty good value for a player of Duhaime's caliber.
March 7: Oilers Buoy Defensive Depth Chart with Stecher
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Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers needed to add a defenseman to the end of their roster and, with little cap space remaining, he had to be cheap. Troy Stecher ($1.1 million through 2024) is the choice.
This is the third straight deadline in which Stecher has been moved. It's easy to understand why. Stecher is a no-frills but steady defenseman. He can make clinical plays with the puck and defends responsibility. If he was 6'2", he'd be high on the team's wish lists, but the 5'10" Stecher has to battle perceptions of how his size diminishes his impact as a shutdown defenseman.
Stecher turns 30 in a month and the Oilers will be his fifth NHL team. He's no stranger to the mid-season move and has 21 NHL playoff games on his resumé. He won't be shaken by the sudden change in scenery. He won't complain if he's in the press box and he'll be ready to perform if he needs to enter the lineup in the middle of a playoff series. At the cost of moving back from round four to round seven, they paid a small price to add the exact type of seventh defenseman a playoff team hoping for a deep run should have.
Arizona Coyotes
It's a move the Coyotes probably anticipated making when they brought Stecher back over the summer on a one-year deal. He ate 18-19 minutes most nights with reliable defensive play. The Coyotes have nine picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft and probably don't mind adding a fourth-round pick in 2026.
At some point, they're going to have to actually use these draft picks to acquire NHL talent. That may be hard given, well, everything.
March 7: Habs, Ducks Swap Prospects Mysak, Perreault
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It's a classic swap of prospects who have stalled in their development. Each team hopes that the one they acquire benefits from a fresh start and change of scenery.
When the Canadiens drafted Jan Mysak in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft, it looked like very good value. The Czech forward was shifty on his feet and clever with the puck, a threat to score from all over the offensive zone, and feisty on the forecheck and in battles. Mysak was above a point-per-game in the OHL in his draft year.
The pandemic canceled the 2020-21 OHL season and the Habs sent him to the AHL as a 19-year-old. He struggled severely. The next season, Mysak returned to the OHL but his production did not look markedly different from that of two years prior.
This season, Mysak has 13 goals and seven assists in 48 AHL games. Turning 22 in June, the timing of this move is good for his career and the Ducks hope to have an outside shot of making him a bottom-six forward.
The Ducks drafted Jacob Perreault 27th overall in 2020. At the time, his strengths were as pronounced as his weaknesses. He can absolutely rip the puck from a standstill in the offensive zone and he also pulls off some highly difficult passing plays. If one were to build a highlight reel of all players from the 2020 draft, his best moments would draw the most social media attention.
His issues have been consistency and rounding out his game. His effort isn't always there and he sometimes tries to take shortcuts to create offense rather than digging in and doing the tedious work in the defensive and neutral zones to put his team in control.
Perreault's development, too, may have been rushed by the pandemic as he was also forced to the AHL at 19 despite not being ready.
The edge probably goes to Montreal. Perreault did collect 37 points in 55 games as a 20-year-old AHLer. This season, he has seven goals and 11 assists in 31 games. Though he has a lot of work to do to earn an NHL career, he has more natural skill and, thus, more upside. Changes of scenery benefitted similarly gifted but inconsistent players like Daniel Sprong and Eeli Tolvanen. The Habs hope to get the same outcome with Perreault.
March 7: Leafs Make Underwhelming Edmundson Trade
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Get ready to hear lots of buzzwords that do nothing to explain how this trade makes the Leafs better. Joel Edmundson is 6'5"! He was good for the Blues in 2019 when they won the Stanley Cup! He's a veteran!
It is not 2019 anymore. We're a whole five years removed from that Cup run. Edmundson, now approaching 31 years old, has endured injuries and is no longer in his prime.
Edmundson provides no offense. He has 38 points in 183 games over the last four seasons. Ostensibly, he is a shutdown defenseman who uses his size and range to defend.
In reality, he is too slow at this moment of his career. He is a turnstile in the neutral zone, easily allowing puck carriers to enter the offensive zone. He is clumsy with the puck in the defensive zone and doesn't have the legs to evade forecheckers. He ranked third among Capitals defensemen by penalties taken despite being sixth in total minutes.
Evolving Hockey's model puts Edmundson in the fifth percentile of all NHLers over the last three seasons and the 15th percentile for this season.
If the Leafs had a good group of defensemen and Edmundson was brought in as a veteran extra who would know his place and be able to step in during an injury crisis with a level head, his acquisition could maybe hold some logic. But the Leafs already have several capable third-pairing-caliber defensemen. The need was for a bonafide top-four defenseman. Edmundson is certainly not that, nor is he a plausibly competitive option for the team's depth options.
The acquisition is nonsense, and the fact that the Leafs paid third- and fourth-round picks for the privilege is inexplicable.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals are on the outside of the playoff picture and need to change up the mix. Edmundson is on the wrong side of 30, an unrestricted free agent over the summer, and, most importantly, not a top-six NHL defenseman anymore.
This brings into question why the Capitals moved third- and seventh-round picks to Montreal to acquire him last summer.
Regardless, they recouped their assets with this trade, so no harm was done. Edmundson's reputation outweighs his actual abilities at this point and the market for defensemen at this juncture is very soft. To get third- and fifth-round picks for a bad NHL defenseman is a fortunate outcome for the Caps.
March 7: Blackhawks Move Beauvillier to Predators
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Nashville Predators
The Predators are six points ahead of the Blues and Kraken in the Western Conference's Wild Card race. Seattle has become something of a seller while the Blues may follow suit.
Anthony Beauvillier, 26, is looking to find himself again. Once a needle-moving third liner with the New York Islanders at a young age, his game took a nosedive and the Islanders jettisoned him to the Vancouver Canucks last season as a cap dump in the Bo Horvat trade.
Beauvillier got hot in Vancouver, scoring nine goals and adding 11 assists in 33 games. He was not as effective at the start of the season and the Canucks shuttled him to the Blackhawks for a fifth-round pick.
In Chicago, Beauvillier continued to struggle and tallied two goals and four assists in 23 games.
There was a time in Beauvillier's career when he was on the trajectory to become a two-way, second-line winger. He is now reunited with General Manager and former Islanders' Head Coach Barry Trotz in Nashville.
The Predators hope to reignite him. If it works, then they just rented a cheap third liner. If not, then his contract expires in July, anyway. It's the exact type of low-risk move the Predators should make as a likely playoff team that is a long shot to go on a run.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks acquired Beauvillier for a fifth round in November, hoping that he could replace some of the production lost from Taylor Hall's injury and Corey Perry's removal from the organization.
It didn't work. Just six points in 23 games. They move him out for basically the same cost of acquisition.
March 6: Vegas Acquires, Hopes to Re-sign Noah Hanifin
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Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas is doing Vegas things. A top player hit the market. They weren't the favorite to land the player or ever really central to discussions. And then, out of nowhere, they grabbed him.
Noah Hanifin is, in many ways, the model for how one might design a defenseman. He's 6'3". He's a very good skater. He's not physical in the sense of fighting or highlight-reel hits but he'll stand up at the blue line and play a very tough game along the walls and around the net. And he's poised with the puck.
There have been times in Hanifin's career when the glamorization of his physical traits has overblown how well he has played, but that's definitely not the case this season. In a contract year, Hanifin has been lights out on both ends of the rink. In 61 games, Hanifin has scored 11 goals and added 24 assists.
Defensively, he's been robust at denying zone entries and he's done a great job limiting high-quality scoring chances. He's among the league's best at winning pucks in the defensive zone and then moving it up the ice either a carry or an outlet pass.
Really, the separating trait for Hanifin is his passing in all areas of the game. From the defensive zone, through the neutral zone, and quarterbacking in the offensive zone.
Hanifin has averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game in Calgary this season and has been deployed in basically every type of game situation. He's been a bonafide first-pairing defenseman this season. There have been other times in his career where he has looked more like a good second-pairing defenseman. It's TBD on which version of Hanifin the Golden Knights will get, but even by conservative expectations, he would give Vegas a formidable trio on defense in him, Alex Pietrangelo, and Shea Theodore.
While nothing is done, the Knights and Hanifin are reportedly working on a contract extension. They paid a fine price to rent him, but if they retain him beyond this season then it's truly great work by the Vegas front office.
Calgary Flames
The mass exodus from Calgary continues. Toffoli, Zadorov, Lindholm, Tanev, and now Hanifin.
The Flames made genuine attempts to re-sign the left-handed defenseman who had been with the organization since 2018. Hanifin ultimately did not want to commit and GM Craig Conroy had no choice but to trade him.
Formally, the Flames could have moved him almost anywhere. Hanifin held an eight-team no-trade list. But if certain teams were hoping to acquire him for purposes beyond a pure rental then that changes the market. Hanifin reportedly wanted to go to Tampa Bay initially but the Lightning lacked the assets to make it happen. So off to Vegas he goes.
A first-round pick and a third that might become a late-second rounder is not an ideal start to this trade package, but it's the player part of this deal that is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Daniil Miromanov is 6'4", moves pretty well for his size, and has produced offensively at other levels; he totaled 28 points in 37 AHL games the last two seasons with some short NHL stints. The Flames quickly signed him to a two-year contract worth $1.25M per season. He has an intriguing skillset, but the Russian is only six months younger than Hanifin! Miromanov will step into the NHL immediately and could be a useful depth defenseman in Calgary.
Personally, I would have targeted Kaedan Korczak, who is 22 years old, in the AHL, and has shown really good defensive play in his 37 NHL games over three seasons.
In any case, the must-do heavy lifting in Calgary is finished. All of their important pending unrestricted free agents are now gone. The question in Calgary is: What now? The team is still in the playoff race and has some good veterans under contract for a few more seasons. Now with many prospects and draft picks in the reserves, does the summer become about a quick turnaround towards contention or a longer retooling effort?
March 6: Sabres, Avs Stun with Swap of Mittlestadt, Byram
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Colorado Avalanche
Wow! The Colorado Avalanche desperately needed a second-line center. Nazem Kadri left in 2022. Alex Newhook was traded to Montreal last summer. The acquisition of Ryan Johansen from Nashville, even at 50 percent of his $8M cap hit, did not work out. Johansen had 23 points in 63 games for Colorado despite getting ample opportunity.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and with a weak center market, the Avs got creative. Out goes Bowen Byram. That's not a minor loss. He was a major part of Colorado's electric blue line during their 2022 Stanley Cup victory and, even during a season in which he is struggling, the 22-year-old has eight goals and 12 assists in 55 games.
If any team can afford to lose that type of talent, it's the Avalanche. Cale Makar is arguably the best defenseman in the league and Devon Toews would be the top defenseman on some NHL teams. Sam Girard and Josh Manson are a formidable second pairing. And, at least for this season, the separately announced acquisition of Sean Walker from Philadelphia might represent an upgrade over Byram.
Casey Mittlestadt's development was a rollercoaster. The 2017 eighth-overall pick had a dynamite freshman season at Wisconsin and was named the MVP of the 2018 World Junior Championship.
His transition to the NHL was highlighted by inconsistencies, showing flashes of his skill alongside trouble making a consistently positive impact shift by shift. There were concerns that he'd fall into the disastrous territory of a player whose offense was too infrequent to justify a scoring role and whose remaining game was too limited to be useful in a checking role.
Mittlestadt has figured it out. He tallied 59 points in 82 games for the Sabres last season and has 47 in 62 games this season. The 25-year-old is slick with the puck on his stick. He's an audacious playmaker, can beat defenders with creative moves,
He really shines as a playmaker. He loves to carry the puck through the middle lane and loves to operate in the middle of the offensive zone. His ability to create in space sucks defenders towards him and he has the vision to find the openings that come as a result of this flow of play. If the Avalanche deploys him on a line with Zach Parise then there will be a lot of opportunities for Mittlestadt to hit him for high-quality scoring chances in the low slot.
While the Avalanche are giving up a massive piece of the future in Byram, Mittlestadt isn't purely a win-now addition. The 25-year-old will be a restricted free agent over the summer and Colorado should be eager to re-sign him.
He's not Kadri, but Mittlestadt is the first center whom head coach Jared Bednar can comfortably slot on the second line. The Avalanche fills a major need for both now and the future. There is of course a risk that they regret it down the line, but it's a smart solution to a difficult problem and they are a more balanced team for the upcoming playoffs and future seasons.
Buffalo Sabres
Mittlestadt's future in Buffalo was uncertain. He is a restricted free agent over the summer and he'll demand a massive raise from his current $2.5M cap hit. The Sabres are yet again nowhere close to the playoff picture. Mittlestadt wasn't the problem in Buffalo but they clearly need to change their makeup. You have to give to get and Mittlestadt's impending salary increase was too rich for the Sabres.
The Avalanche drafted Byram fourth overall in 2019, and for good reason. He's 6'1 and strong. He's a brilliant skater. He has poise with the puck at the blue line but also can skate the puck through all three zones and make plays. He was the best defense prospect in Canadian juniors since Aaron Ekblad.
Unlike Mittlestadt, Byram did not miss a beat when he moved to pro hockey. Byram tallied 17 points in 30 games for the Avalanche in 2021-22 and then totaled nine assists in 20 games while averaging over 19 minutes during the Avs' Stanley Cup championship.
Last season, Byram scored ten goals and added 12 assists in 24 games. Add in strong defensive play, the ability to move the puck out of the defensive zone, and strong gapping in the neutral zone, and Byram has proven to be a complete player well beyond his years.
The only problem has been injuries. Byram has suffered several concussions that have kept him out for long spells. He has not looked the same this season, with Evolving Hockey's model putting him in only the 25th percentile of NHLers by total output.
Speaking to Bleacher Report in February, an NHL scout based in Canada expressed concern with his recent play and worried that Byram is a "legit elite talent destroyed by concussions."
He's not the first player to go through a series of concussion scares, and while that can't be taken lightly, it's not insurmountable. If the Sabres can get him back on track then they get the better player in this trade by a very wide margin. And Byram is signed to a laughably digestible $3.85 million cap hit for next season.
There are general managers around the league who lose sleep trying to come up with ways to acquire a defenseman as good as Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, or Byram. The Sabres now have all three.
Sabres fans are likely tired of hearing about the potential and how the future might look on paper, but this is different. Byram's addition means the Sabres could legitimately have the type of defense for the next decades that people wax nostalgically about. It's a risky but courageous gamble.
March 6: Avalanche Replace Byram with Flyers' Walker
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Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche traded a really good defenseman in Bowen Byram in order to acquire Casey Mittlestadt from Buffalo. We analyzed that trade in the trade tracker separately and we made the argument that the Avs were trading from a place of luxury to address a major need.
Still, Byram's loss was a hit to the defense. The Avalanche filled that hole with the acquisition of Walker. The 29-year-old defenseman was sent to the Flyers from Los Angeles as kind of an afterthought over the summer and it looked like a sneaky-good addition at the time. Walker has long been a favorite of analytically-inclined hockey followers.
With an elevated role in Philadelphia's, Walker proved himself and got mainstream respect.
He's only 5'11" and his six goals and 22 assists in 63 games aren't awe-inspiring, but it's what Walker does moment-by-moment that makes him so valuable. He defends well in the neutral zone, breaking up rushes and interception passes. He deflates opposing forechecks by finding pucks in the defensive zone and finding quick outlets. He can initiate rushes up the ice. He knows how to shoot the puck from the point so that rebounds result. While he only really provides secondary offense on defense, he has enough vision and ability to do his part in five-man units in the offensive zone.
The Avalanche acquired Johansen at half of his $8M cap hit over the summer from Nashville. It did not work out as hoped. He is on the books for $4M yet again next summer, so finding a taker for his contract is beneficial as well.
Walker is a second-pairing defenseman who can play all situations and does lots of little things that tilt the ice in your team's favor and allow your stars to shine. He's a seamless fit in Colorado, who suddenly look like major Stanley Cup contenders.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers were in tough territory. Existentially, the team is at the beginning of a rebuild. The combination of their having outplayed expectations and teams like the Penguins and Devils floundering have unexpectedly put them third in the Metropolitan Division.
There were moments where it seemed the Flyers might choose to re-sign Walker but they ultimately decided to trade him. The Flyers acquired him as part of a three-team trade in which they sent Provorov to the Blue Jackets for a first- and second-round pick. Now they essentially get another first-round pick out of that deal.
The Flyers are wisely sticking to a long-term plan here. This team has enough cohesiveness and fortitude to make the playoffs but they lack high-end talent to contend this season or in the near future. It's really disciplined decision-making by rookie general manager Daniel Briere at a time of year where too many executives fall victim to the pull of instant gratification.
March 6: Rangers Fix Center Void with Seattle's Wennberg
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Editor's Note: Read Analysis of the Wennberg trade here.
March 6: Oilers Acquire Henrique, Carrick from Ducks
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Edmonton Oilers
The time to win in Edmonton is now. McDavid and Draisaitl are in their primes and they must be getting antsy about getting over the hump
To state the obvious, the Oilers have star power. Their problem has been a chronic over-reliance on their top players. Adam Henrique is a perfect player to patch up the next tier. The former Duck has 18 goals and 24 assists in 60 games this season. While those numbers are partially inflated by having played high up the lineup on a rebuilding team, Henrique has repeatedly proved reliable for 20-25 goals and assists each.
What's more, the totality of his game is robust. He plays with an edge and gets on the forecheck. He battles around the net. He puts out a full effort in the defensive zone.
Henrique can play both at center and wing and his game allows for him to play on either a scoring line or checking line. This will provide head coach Kris Knoblauch a lot of freedom in crafting his lineup.
Sam Carrick, on the other hand, is a questionable acquisition. He has eight goals and three assists in 61 games for Anaheim. His defensive metrics in recent seasons are below-par, including on the penalty kill. Evolving Hockey's model puts Carrick in the second percentile of all NHLers over the last three seasons. Perhaps a new start in Edmonton changes his outlook, but Edmonton probably just downgraded at the bottom of its depth chart.
The big get here is clearly Henrique and he makes the Oilers better in so many ways. A first-round pick is a tough price to swallow but the market for centers was incredibly weak and it's time for the Oilers to seriously challenge for a Stanley Cup. It's an overpayment, but an overpayment worth making.
Anaheim Ducks
Henrique is an unrestricted free agent over the summer. The Ducks would like to hurry up the rebuild process but a 34-year-old middle-six forward was not a part of the solution here. Carrick is a depth player who hasn't really proven NHL-caliber.
The market conditions did a lot of work for GM Pat Verbeek but a first-round pick is a brilliant return for a rental of Henrique's caliber. The Ducks now have seven picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL draft and they are well stocked in an expected pivot towards trying to acquire NHL-ready talent over the summer.
March 6: The Tarasenk-Show Heads to Florida
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Florida Panthers
The best team in the NHL could have felt confident enough with the group it already had. If there was one soft spot in the lineup, though, it was definitely a lack of secondary offense from the wing.
The Panthers have been running Eetu Luostarinen and Nick Cousins on the second and third lines in recent games. Cousins is a fourth-line player, and while Luostarinen is a fantastic defensive forward, with 18 points in 63 games he should not be on the ice in offensive situations.
Vladimir Tarasenko is no longer the All-Star-caliber player he was in his prime, but he still has plenty in the tank. He was one of the few New York Rangers who could feel good about their 2023 playoff performance. This season, the Russian had 17 goals and 24 assists in 57 games for the Ottawa Senators.
With Tarasenko being known for his shooting prowess, the Panthers probably took note of the fact that 15 of his 17 goals for Ottawa came at even strength. The Panthers are an elite possession-driving team, and Tarasenko will make the most of the offensive zone opportunities his new team will frequently provide him with.
Tarasenko is a weak defensive forward, but the Panthers will be able to line him up with others who can carry the weight, whether that be Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk or Evan Rodrigues. He'll provide some much-needed scoring punch in the middle of Florida's lineup.
It's the right player for the right team, and the Panthers now look like a complete squad.
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa's signing of Tarasenko was the right idea. For one year at $5 million, the contract came with virtually zero risk. There was a high likelihood he would live up to that salary. The Sens hoped that he would be part of the organization's first playoff run since 2017. Failing that, they'd be able to trade him at the deadline.
The latter has come to fruition. The Senators got good production out of Tarasenko and will receive two middle-round picks for a player they signed last offseason. In that sense, this signing was a success for Ottawa. But the moves underscore a greater organizational failure this season.
March 5: Vegas Uses Free Cap Space to Land Mantha
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Vegas Golden Knights
Anthony Mantha is a pure offensive winger. The Washington Capitals previously made a blockbuster move to acquire him from the Red Wings in 2021, trading a package that included Jakub Vrana and a first-round pick to acquire him.
The Quebec native's tenure in D.C. was a relative disappointment, but he's still a really good player. More assuring for Vegas is that Mantha is playing his best hockey this season, with 20 goals and 14 assists for a low-offense Caps team.
Mantha is primarily a goal-scorer. He has a really good release on his shot and knows how to find scoring areas. He's a strong north-south skater. As such, he is particularly lethal when shooting off the rush.
Using that speed, Mantha is comfortable carrying possession through the neutral zone and has enough vision and precision to provide a complementary passing game. He's not going to provide much via the cycle nor play a meaningful role defensively.
He's a pure offensive weapon and, with Mark Stone injured, it would be a mistake to believe Mantha can replace him. But Mantha is a quality player in his own right and will be an instant upgrade in Vegas' top six as well as a producer on the power play. If Vegas can unlock him, he can easily score at the rate of a 35-goal scorer.
Mantha is not quite as good as Jake Guentzel, but Vegas may not have had the assets to make that big of a move. For the cost of second- and fourth-round picks, the Golden Knights are still getting a very good offensive winger at a more than fair price.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals are a long shot for the playoffs and the team is clearly in need of fresh blood and a new direction. Mantha struggled last season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
A weak overall trade market is fairly flush with wingers, and Pittsburgh's Guentzel recently entered the mix, likely cutting into Washington's market for Mantha. Still, general manager Brian MacLellan got fair value here, and those draft picks will be useful in building a new youth movement in Washington.
Feb. 29: Maple Leafs Bring Back Lyubushkin
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Toronto Maple Leafs
This is the second time the Maple Leafs have acquired defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin prior to a trade deadline. He went from Arizona to Toronto in February 2022.
Lyubushkin, who had zero goals and four assists in 55 games in Anaheim, is a shutdown defenseman. At least, he is in theory. When the Leafs previously acquired him, he was a capable shot suppressor.
That has since changed. In the past two seasons, Lyubushkin has struggled defensively. He has been a turnstile when defending in the neutral zone, and he takes a ton of penalties. His 37 two-minute minors over the last two seasons are tied for 26th among all NHL defensemen despite the fact that he played depth minutes and missed 20 games last season.
Perhaps Lyubushkin can rediscover his game on a much better team in Toronto. At his best, the 6'2" right-hander can eliminate offensive threats with strength and physicality. It's one thing to take a flier on that type of player via waivers or free agency.
The Leafs just paid third- and sixth-round picks for a player who needs to do a 180 just to return to third-pairing form. With plenty of defensemen in the marketplace, this one is a head-scratcher.
If there is a silver lining, it's that the Leafs are acquiring the Russian at a $687,500 cap hit. That's below the league minimum, and if they drop a defenseman from the roster, then they theoretically have more room for further deadline additions.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are set to miss the playoffs again. They have a number of young defensemen coming up, and they probably should seek to add an impact, top-four defenseman over the summer.
Lyubushkin, who is 29 and an unrestricted free agent in July, was expendable even before getting into his struggles. His time was up in Anaheim and general manager Pat Verbeek did extremely well to get a third-round pick. Similar or better defensemen go on waivers every season.
Feb. 28: Stars Acquire Shutdown D-Man Tanev from Flames
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Dallas Stars
Chris Tanev, 34, gets labeled with a lot of buzzwords that look nice on paper. He's big. He's gritty. He's brave. He's experienced. That's often a recipe for a player whose on-ice impact is overrated.
In Tanev's case, it's all accurate. He's not a point-producer and never has been. This season, Tanev has one goal and 13 assists in 54 games. The 14-year veteran is, however, one of the best shutdown defensemen in the NHL. Over the last three seasons, Tanev's 2.22 expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five ranks seventh among all defensemen who have played at least 500 minutes.
It's particularly impressive when considering that Tanev plays extremely tough minutes, often heading over the boards against the opposition's top line and getting plenty of defensive zone starts.
And while players of Tanev's ilk usually don't age well, he has. He is decent at defending the rush. He is one of the league's best in-zone defensemen. And even if he does not generate points, he does effectively retrieve pucks in the defensive end and transition them out into the neutral zone with possession.
The Stars already had two solid shutdown defenseman on the right side in Jani Hakanpää and Joel Hanley, but Tanev is a clear upgrade and will slot perfectly on Dallas' second pairing next to Esa Lindell. That will free up some defensive responsibility for top pairing right-hander Miro Heiskanen.
And it's hard to knock the price here: a late second-round pick, a depth prospect and a third-round pick that they only actually lose if they advance to the Stanley Cup FInal. Given what veteran shutdown defensemen usually go for this time of year, Dallas paid at the low end of the range for Tanev's expected trade value.
Calgary Flames
The Flames are still hanging in the playoff race, but they are underperforming expectations for a second straight season. They had already traded Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. Tanev is 34 and his contract expires in July, so he was a player they had to move.
The second-round pick was the right starting point and bare minimum for this type of trade. The conditions for the third-round pick are incredibly weak.
Artem Grushnikov, who turns 21 in March, is 6'2" defenseman who skates pretty well. There's no offense to his game. The Russian has just one goal and four assists in 45 career AHL games and maxed out at 17 points in 65 OHL games in 2022-23. He does have tools, and if all goes well, he can become an end-of-the-roster defenseman in the NHL.
The return is OK for Tanev, but it's a little surprising that Calgary bit on this offer more than a week removed from the trade deadline. It's also possible that the Flames were worried that Tanev, who plays a fearless game, might get injured.
The market is also heavy on two-way and shutdown defensemen and Calgary's own Noah Hanifin is expected to be among them. This might be the trade that unclogs the market. Calgary may have felt it was worth getting this deal over with in order to open up their options with Hanifin, who should command a bigger haul.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils had over $9 million in cap space thanks to Dougie Hamilton's presence on long-term injury reserve. Even if they choose to buy at the trade deadline, which is looking increasingly unlikely, they had more cap room than they were ever going to spend. Here they essentially buy a fourth-round pick. It's good business.
Feb. 22: Kyle Dubas Trades Nylander to Columbus
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Emil Bemström was a once highly touted prospect who thrived in the Swedish Elite League, finishing first (23) in goals and second (35) in points for Djurgårdens as a 19-year-old in 2018-19.
He hasn't been a major point producer at the NHL level but has provided depth-level offense. Bremström totaled 20 points in 56 games as a rookie in 2019-20 but has plateaued since then. He had five goals and six assists in 32 games for Columbus this season.
There are a few encouraging indicators for Bremström. First, his defensive play has been consistently solid. Second, though he has yo-yoed between the NHL and AHL, he has lit up the minor league whenever he has been there. Over the past two seasons, the Swede has 24 goals and 21 assists in 29 AHL games.
The Penguins are in no position to give up assets for a push this season, but Bemström is 24 years old. He's currently a solid bottom-six winger with upside left untapped. The Blue Jackets are a circus while Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan runs a tight tactical ship. Whether it's a third- or sixth-round pick, the Penguins will have given up a lower draft pick for a player who can be a cheap two-way forward for a number of years. Able to play both wings and center, the Penguins have reason to believe they can build him up to a Calle Järnkrok type of player.
Columbus Blue Jackets
At least externally, there was no pressing need for the Blue Jackets to move Bemström. What's clear is that the Blue Jackets need change. The roster is already heavy on young forwards and more are coming.
Alex Nylander, an eight-overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, has not developed as hoped. The brother of William is 25 years old and has just 98 career NHL games to his name, amassing 14 goals and 20 assists. Though he has performed at a high level at the AHL—Nylander had 50 points in 55 games last season and 32 in 43 this season—he is a weak defensive player. He's been a player in no-man's land. He doesn't create enough offense to stick in a top-nine role and is so weak defensively that he cannot take on checking shifts or penalty kill minutes.
The Blue Jackets are well out of the playoff race and have nothing to lose. Nylander is a player they could have had for free via waivers multiple times but he'll get a chance to stick in Columbus. Otherwise, a sixth-round pick is a weak price for a young two-way forward. They better hope Bemström goes on a shooting percentage bender and gets those six goals.
Feb. 2: Jets Jump in on the Action, Acquire Monahan for Picks
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Winnipeg Jets
The former point-per-game center in Calgary has found his game in Montreal. To an extent, at least. Monahan tallied 17 points in 25 games last season but injuries kept him out for most of the campaign. He re-signed in Montreal on a one-year, $2 million deal.
Playing second-line minutes behind Nick Suzuki, the 2023 sixth overall pick has totaled 13 goals and 22 assists in 49 games. That 58-point pace over a full season gives him the appearance of a bona fide second-line center.
A look under the hood tells a somewhat different story. At even strength, Monahan has scored only five goals and added 12 assists. Although he is among the top-85 forwards in total points, he drops all the way down to a tie for 136th in five-on-five points. That's third-line production.
Furthermore, Monahan is just not a good defensive center. That makes him a fringe second-line center who needs sheltered shifts and power-play minutes. Is that a worthwhile player to have? Yes. Does that reflect a player worth a first-round pick (with a bonus thrown in) as a rental? Not really.
So this is not great value for Winnipeg, but there are mitigating factors. First, the Winnipeg Jets have a strong prospect pool with a number of high-end talents. Second, they had not traded a first-round pick in nearly five years (for Kevin Hayes in 2019) and were recently on the receiving end of youth and draft capital in trades that sent out Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Copp.
Some of the Jets' top players are in their late 20s and early 30s. It's not the end of the road, but there are only so many chances to go for it. The Jets are sixth in the NHL by points percentage. This is an opportunity to go for it.
The Jets overpaid, but they are in a position to do so. Mark Scheifele will draw the attention of the opposing team on the first line, and captain Adam Lowry is one of the best checking-line centers in the league. Monahan will get the sheltered offensive role and top power-play-unit time he needs in Winnipeg.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is still firmly in the rebuilding stage as an organization. Monahan is 29 and will be an unrestricted free agent in July, and they almost certainly got as good of a value as they ever would. Holding out might have squeezed out better trade conditions for the third-round pick that only goes to Montreal if Winnipeg wins the 2024 Stanley Cup.
Or, his play could have dropped, he could have gotten hurt, or the trade market could have shifted.
The Canadiens acquired a first-round pick to take Monahan, got solid production out of him for parts of two seasons, and then acquired a first and potential third-round pick by moving him about 18 months later. That's tidy business by Habs management.
The subplot to this deal is that the Canadiens did not retain any salary on Monahan. They previously did so in trades involving Joel Edmundson and Jeff Petry, and NHL teams are only allowed to retain salary for three players at one time.
Thus, the Habs still have one slot available. That could come in handy should they choose to move any of Jake Allen, Joel Armia, David Savard and Mike Matheson, who are all players on multi-year deals with contracts that might be tough for an acquiring team to fit.
Jan. 31: Canucks Land Lindholm from Rival Flames
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Vancouver Canucks
Elias Lindholm hit his peak during the 2021-22 season when he totaled 42 goals and 40 assists alongside Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. This season, he's floundering. The Swede has scored nine goals—just five at even strength—plus 23 assists in 49 games. He hasn't driven offense, and his defense is not up to snuff.
Where is his reality? Probably somewhere in the middle. Lindholm has made his career as an offensive driver and solid defender who provides both shooting and passing prowess in the offensive zone. He produced at a 70-point pace in his three seasons before that aforementioned career year. He's a low-end first-line center.
While the Canucks did not have as clear-cut a need to add a center as other teams, they certainly have room for their new import. Lindholm will either be a deck-stacking third-line center or allow J.T. Miller to move to the wing, where he is at his best. He should jump onto the top power-play unit and contribute. The 2013 fifth overall pick scored 10 power-play goals in each of the previous two seasons, and he'll be well-fed by Quinn Hughes.
And while his play dipped after his top weapons in Calgary departed, he should be well sheltered in Vancouver. Elias Pettersson's line will still be the primary target for opposing coaches in matching lines.
With no extension reportedly in the works, the Canucks are paying a hefty price to rent a low-end All-Star.
And while acquiring the best player available makes a lot of sense for a top team, there are still some questions about how good the Canucks truly are. They are scoring on 13.2 percent of their shots on goal, and Thatcher Demko is playing at the level of a Vezina-winner. They're going to regress. It's just a question of how much.
Still, their record has them as the top team in the Western Conference. If that's not a true reflection of their quality, then Lindholm brings them a lot closer.
Calgary Flames
The Flames are rightfully early sellers even if the standings suggest that's premature. Tyler Toffoli was traded over the summer, and Nikita Zadorov went to Vancouver early in the season. Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev join Lindholm as pending unrestricted free agents. The team is underwhelming for a second straight season. The makeup needs a shake-up.
For Vancouver's purposes, Andrei Kuzmenko represents a salary dump and house-cleaning of a player who had fallen out of favor with head coach Rick Tocchet. He could end up being found money for Calgary.
Kuzmenko scored 39 goals and added 35 assists in 81 games in his debut NHL season for Vancouver. He would have been one of the top players available at the 2023 trade deadline had the Canucks not opted to sign him to a two-year, $5.5 million deal.
Kuzmenko's 27.3 shooting percentage last season should have signaled to them that his season would be an anomaly. But the Russian has 21 points in 43 games despite averaging only 14:21 in ice time.
He's a weak defensive winger, which got him in the doghouse in Vancouver, but the Flames have room to give him offensive opportunities. If Kuzmenko can rebound and even play like a 50- to 60-point winger, he could either be a big hit in Calgary or become a trade asset at next season's deadline.
We called Hunter Brzustewicz Vancouver's "best value" of the 2023 NHL draft. The 75th overall pick continues to prove that correct. His 69 points in 47 games for the Kitchener Rangers ranks him third among all players in the Ontario Hockey League.
Now consider that he is a defenseman.
Brzustewicz is slightly undersized at 6'0", 190 pounds and not a great skater. That's not a good start for an NHL projection. Yet the American makes up for a lot of that with vision, footwork and soft hands.
He is the player you want with the puck in all three zones. The 19-year-old makes the plays to get his team in the offensive zone and then dictates from the blue line. He doesn't have a strong shot but knows how to get it through traffic.
With 61 in 47 games, Brzustewicz is on pace to tally the most assists by an OHL defenseman in his post-draft season since Jamie Rivers in 1994.
His defensive game has holes and, unless he either improves his skating or learns how to compensate, that probably continues to be a problem at the pro level. He has a chance to be a second-pairing defenseman in the NHL who drives offense but needs a partner who can anchor him. If the 2023 draft had a do-over, he wouldn't have fallen past the top 50.
Jan. 8: Flyers and Ducks Swap Gauthier and Drysdale
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We did a deep dive into the trade a few weeks ago. That analysis can be found via this link.
Since then, Drysdale has posted a goal and two assists in Philadelphia. While he's had one or two bad performances, he's shown his upside and will hopefully prove himself deserving of the top-pairing minutes he's receiving from head coach John Tortorella.
Gauthier, meanwhile, has shrugged off the hate from Flyers fans and is playing dynamic hockey at Boston College, posting a hat-trick against Merrimack on Jan. 19 and totaling two goals and an assist in his other three games.
All statistics via Evolving Hockey unless noted otherwise. Salary-cap info via CapFriendly unless otherwise noted.
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