1 Word For Every Team After the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline
We’re one week out of the 2025 NHL trade deadline, and new players are starting to settle into their respective teams.
Now that the dust is settling, how are all those Eastern Conference bubble teams holding up? How are the biggest buyers, the biggest sellers and the least active teams feeling about their moves?
Here's one word for each NHL team after the trade deadline.
Anaheim Ducks: Fair
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The Ducks have already done the majority of their selling in this rebuilding period, so not trading away John Gibson and/or Trevor Zegras this deadline wasn't the end of the world.
Snagging a second-round pick and a prospect with legit upside for Brian Dumoulin was a pretty good haul.
They've got tons of cap space to work with this summer, so this offseason is the real test for the next step of the rebuild.
Boston Bruins: Page-Turning
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Brad Marchand was the last remaining player from that 2011 championship Bruins team, and they traded him to the Panthers for a second-rounder at the deadline.
It was the most colossal move in a series of selling moves general manager Don Sweeney made this deadline.
For the first time in a long time, though, the Bruins are stocked with a decent amount of early-round picks, and they are focused on the future of the franchise.
Buffalo Sabres: Start
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As frustrating as the Sabres have been after another year of disappointment, it's not like they were going to successfully blow it all up this trade deadline.
Swapping Dylan Cozens for Josh Norris could be a great change-of-scenery situation for all parties involved. It's a start to change the vibe in Buffalo.
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Calgary Flames: Content
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The Flames seemed pretty content to stay their unexpected playoff-push course and see what happens, and can you really blame them?
Sure, they could have used some of that shiny cap space to unload another team's bad contract and gain some picks or prospects, but it's good that they're letting this season just be this season and figuring out the next direction in the offseason.
Carolina Hurricanes: Dramatic
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The Carolina Hurricanes were the talk of the trade deadline as they traded Mikko Rantanen to the Stars for Logan Stankoven and two first-rounders.
We're probably all tired of talking about it at this point, especially the Hurricanes, who have gone undefeated since the trade went down.
We won't be able to say for sure if the whole saga was a success or a failure until the end of the season, but we can all agree it was all very dramatic.
Chicago Blackhawks: Solid
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It was a sellers' market, and the Blackhawks were able to clear up ample space to make some serious offseason moves.
Trading Seth Jones to the Panthers was a great decision all around.
Colorado Avalanche: Brilliant
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Whether or not Mikko Rantanen expected the Avalanche to actually call his bluff and trade him, they did end up doing so.
Now the 28-year-old is making less money than they were reportedly offering him, and Martin Necas and Jack Drury have been incredible so far for Colorado.
The Brock Nelson acquisition was one of the best moves of the deadline, considering the team's playoff depth prowess and its specific need for that kind of center.
As usual with the Colorado front office, there was more: They also got Charlie Coyle from the Bruins to strengthen the now unreal center depth. They also added Ryan Lindgren and reacquired fan favorite Erik Johnson on defense.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Trustworthy
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If the Blue Jackets have shown us anything this season, it's that they've got this.
The locker room is strong, this group has overcome the unthinkable off the ice and injury after injury to key players on the ice.
You don’t want to mess with the chemistry too much in this situation, and GM Don Waddell didn't. In this case, what you don't do is more telling than what you do, and he didn't sell like he might have anticipated he would before the season started.
Dallas Stars: GOATed
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Dallas GM Jim Nill makes it look too easy.
He was already cooking with the Mikael Granlund and Codi Ceci acquisitions, and now the Stars have added Mikko Rantanen.
Best part? They didn't even have to surrender emerging star center Wyatt Johnston. Instead, Nill gave the 21-year-old a five-year extension.
Detroit Red Wings: Confusing
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Why does the Yzerplan often feel more like the Red Wings are going to sign every guy on earth who was so good six years ago?
Petr Mrázek could provide some juice in net as Detroit battles for a playoff spot, but he's been below .900 for the past three seasons. Craig Smith is great for a 35-year-old fourth-liner, but isn't there enough veteran presence on the roster?
Hey, they just put up a touchdown against the Sabres, so I'm prepared to be wrong. But is it wrong to be confused?
Edmonton Oilers: Meh
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The Oilers were one game away from winning the Stanley Cup, so why would they reinvent the wheel?
The arrival of Jake Walman on defense was solid, and the depth acquisition of Trent Frederic was fine.
Walman improves the team in one of its problem areas, but why are we continuing to act like everything's fine between the pipes?
Florida Panthers: Evil
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What do you get the hockey team that has everything? Brad Marchand and Seth Jones at little cost, apparently.
The Stanley Cup champions are hungry to go back-to-back, and they are cooking up something diabolical with a potential Marchand-Bennett-Tkachuk line.
Los Angeles Kings: Boring
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I want to believe the Los Angeles Kings will give the Oilers a tremendous fight if they wind up facing each other again the 2025 playoffs. But how can anyone believe that when it seems the team management doesn't?
At least the Kings didn't give too much away at the trade deadline, and Andrei Kuzmenko is a decent acquisition. But surely a team trying to conquer the Oilers would have done a bit more?
Minnesota Wild: Shrug
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It stinks that the Minnesota Wild were putting together something consistent and special before half the team, including Kirill Kaprizov, Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek, sustained season-ending injuries.
Between that and the cap-space issue, a quiet trade deadline was expected.
Montreal Canadiens: Interesting
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The Canadiens are one of the most interesting teams in the league right now, suddenly ahead of schedule in their rebuild and hovering around a playoff spot.
They decided to hang on to their UFAs including Joel Armia and go for it.
Nashville Predators: Mess
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Nashville GM Barry Trotz sent Tommy Novak and Luke Schenn to Pittsburgh for Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Shortly thereafter, Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas flipped Schenn to Winnipeg for a second in 2026 and a fourth in 2027. Yikes.
New Jersey Devils: Understandable
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The Devils’ injury luck this year has been woeful.
Just when goaltender Jacob Markstrom was returning, Jack Hughes sustained a season-ending injury. Now we can add Dougie Hamilton among others to that list, so this might not be the year for New Jersey to go all-in.
The arrival of Brian Dumoulin was fine, as were those of Daniel Sprong and Cody Glass. These modest additions will keep the team afloat as the injury bug runs its course.
New York Islanders: Surprising
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Lou Lamoriello caught the vibe that this deadline was a sellers' market, and he went out and traded pending UFA Brock Nelson for the worthwhile return of a first-rounder and center prospect Calum Ritchie.
It was surprising the Islanders made a move because it’s Lamoriello, but maybe they should have taken it even a step further shipping off Kyle Palmieri in such a hot market.
New York Rangers: Balancing
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The Rangers have done a ton on the trade front the entire roller coaster of a year, but the trade deadline itself was more of a balancing act.
They were able to ship off pending UFAs Ryan Lindgren, Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey to get back some picks and such they had dealt away.
There was minimal drama and no rental shopping, just Carson Soucy for more defensive insurance. Not bad.
Ottawa Senators: Slick
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Dylan Cozens was a great get for the Senators, who could really use some more scoring.
As much as they have loved Josh Norris when healthy, they’ve needed an impact player consistently in the lineup.
Fabian Zetterlund is a good depth scoring addition as well.
Philadephia Flyers: Satisfactory
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The Flyers did what they had to do in trading Scott Laughton and Andrei Kuzmenko to capitalize on the sellers' market. Nothing more, nothing less.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Good
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We're seeing Kyle Dubas' plan really start to take over here, and that is building for the future...to a degree.
The Penguins aren't completely clearing house with Sidney Crosby on the team, and you saw that with Dubas hanging on to Rickard Rakell. But they've gained some improved draft capital and young pieces after this deadline.
San Jose Sharks: Advantageous
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The Sharks and GM Mike Grier did exactly what they had to do in this sellers' market to accelerate the post-Macklin Celebrini rookie season portion of the rebuild.
They now have two first-round picks for 2025 and could have two for 2026 or 2027.
Seattle Kraken: Cerebral
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GM Ron Francis flexed his trade-deadline experience in selling this season after the Kraken fell out of the wild-card race.
Trading Brandon Tanev, Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand for two first-round picks, two second-round picks and solid middle-six winger Michael Eyssimont was a shrewd outing.
St. Louis Blues: Handcuffed
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Lately it feels like the St. Louis Blues are never quite in the position to do anything huge. Same goes for this trade deadline, where they were caught between making a playoff run and just missing the postseason again.
Few of the players they would be willing to move would have commanded a worthwhile haul. Oh well.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Deep
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The Lightning have been one of the hottest teams in the league for a month, and they're hovering around the top teams in the East as a reward.
They identified depth as their primary issue now Andrei Vasilevskiy has returned to elite form, so they went and reacquired Yanni Gourde and added Oliver Bjorkstrand to solve that issue. Watch out, world.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Graceful
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The Leafs have looked different this season, with a more defensively sound game and some good goaltending to take that vibe to the next level.
They decided to lean into that by acquiring Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton, two graceful decisions that run no risk in dismantling the established new feel in Toronto.
Utah Hockey Club: Uneventful
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I really hope the Utah Hockey Club spends to the cap in the offseason and keeps up the assertive nature of the franchise that appeared in the beginning, because it was pretty quiet at the trade deadline for a team that has been pretty quiet on the ice.
Mind you, this team has eight pending UFAs and isn't sniffing the playoffs anymore. You’d have thought it would have wanted to cash in on a sellers' market.
Vancouver Canucks: Stinky
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What are we doing here? I'm not sure anyone can answer that question.
Canucks GM Patrik Allvin, who told reporters he didn't make many moves because there was minimal interest in his players, should stop trying to publicly answer that question.
Vegas Golden Knights: Quiet
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Reacquiring Reilly Smith was a feel-good and sensible move from the Golden Knights this deadline.
Other than that, it was crickets for Vegas in a Western Conference landscape that was anything but.
The Golden Knights are usually active, but they had a big offseason and it's all starting to click. Maybe the lack of the usual drama will be good for them.
Washington Capitals: Chill
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Not much was cooking for the best team in the East this trade deadline, and that's fine.
Given the Capitals' luck with offseason acquisitions, Anthony Beauvillier will probably start playing at a career pace any minute now. The Charlie Lindgren extension was pretty perfect.
Winnipeg Jets: Comparison
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A typically quiet team when it comes to making moves, the Jets were a bit louder on the buying front but the moves were perfectly subtle. That is, of course, if you live in a vacuum and aren't looking at the rest of their rivals.
Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev were solid depth acquisitions, and you could argue this is the most complete team in the NHL as is.
Will it be enough to hold up against opponents' major upgrades, though?
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