Every Team's Top Bargaining Chip to Use at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline
The NHL trade deadline is getting close, and we are already seeing some moves across the league as contenders and pretenders (and, by extension, buyers and sellers) really start to separate themselves.
Just this past week, the Calgary Flames sent defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, while the Vancouver Canucks traded forward Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. They are two of the first big moves of the deadline season. They are also just the start, and both Calgary and Vancouver could still be active over the next few weeks. They will also not be the only sellers.
So let's take a look at every NHL team's biggest trade chip before the 2025-26 NHL Trade Deadline.
Anaheim Ducks: Any Pending Unrestricted Free Agent
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The Ducks are in a weird spot this season, and very much in that no-man's land for trade deadline activity.
They have an outstanding young core that has played well.
They are clearly better than they have been in recent years and are very much in the playoff race (for now). But the injury to Leo Carlsson could cause some issues, and while they are in the playoff race, the team has cooled off considerably from a fast start through the first month.
This season could still go either way for them.
This might not be the time to be a serious buyer, so they should not be in the market for trading top prospects or draft picks.
They also should not waive the white flag on the season and become major sellers because the players in that room do deserve the opportunity to try and make the playoffs.
They should, however, try to strike the delicate balance that does exist in the middle ground. If they can get something for one of their pending unrestricted free agents (forward Ryan Poehling; defensemen Jacob Trouba or Radko Gudas), they should be open to it. Especially if that gives them additional assets to search for a trade that could bring them someone with more long-term value.
Boston Bruins: Casey Mittelstadt or Viktor Arvidsson
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There is no more Jekyll and Hyde team in the NHL this season than the Boston Bruins.
What kind of team are they? Who knows. It basically just depends on which two-week stretch you are watching them.
They have already had two different six-game losing streaks this season.
They have also had two different six-game winning streaks.
It is a truly baffling team that, through all of its inconsistencies, is still lurking around a playoff spot. So what, exactly, do you do with that if you are general manager Don Sweeney?
The team's flaws are easy to spot. They still lack a true No. 1 center. They could still use scoring depth and defensive help. They were reportedly in on defenseman Rasmus Andersson but did not get him, and they probably would not have without a contract extension.
The Bruins have four first-round draft picks over the next two years, including two this year (their own and Toronto's). Those picks could be nice trade assets, but there is also a risk in moving either one, since neither Boston nor Toronto is a lock to make the playoffs. Lottery protections and conditions would almost certainly need to be attached to them.
Is this a hybrid buy-sell situation where the Bruins could do a little of both? It might be. In that sense, forward Viktor Arvidsson (a pending unrestricted free agent) and forward Casey Mittelstadt could be their best trade chips. Mittelstadt still has term left on his contract and has been playing on the wing, but there could be a market for him if somebody wants to stick him back at center and hope another fresh start helps him get closer to reaching his ceiling.
Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch
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This is all dependent on what happens with the Sabres over the next two months in the standings and what happens between Tuch and the Sabres in potential contract negotiations.
Tuch is eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season, and that made him a huge potential trade chip when the Sabres were losing early in the season.
But now that they have turned into a mid-season juggernaut and are in a position to potentially end their 14-year playoff drought, they may have second thoughts on moving him. Especially if there is a chance they can get him re-signed.
He is a productive top-six forward that many teams would pay a premium price for at the deadline. But will anybody give up enough to make it worth it for the Sabres to move him in the middle of a playoff race? And can the Sabres offer him enough money to want to stay in Buffalo beyond this season?
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Calgary Flames: Nazem Kadri
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The Flames figure to be one of the most active teams ahead of the deadline, at least in terms of sellers, given the names they could dangle. They are slipping out of the playoff race and figure to keep looking ahead.
Defenseman Rasmus Andersson is already gone, having been traded to the San Jose Sharks this past week.
Forward Blake Coleman will also be an attractive trade chip.
But center Nazem Kadri might yield the biggest return if they decide to move him.
Not only for positional value (a center), but because he is still a strong two-way player who can produce, play a gritty game, and also has Stanley Cup experience. The fact that he still has term remaining on his contract beyond this season could also help with the return, depending on how much teams believe he can continue producing for another couple of years.
Carolina Hurricanes: First-Round Picks
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Given the lack of quality centers on the open market, as well as the fact that his role has seemingly shrunk in Carolina, Jesperi Kotkaniemi could be an intriguing trade chip for the Hurricanes. But it probably would not be a move made to dramatically improve the roster.
When it comes to improving the roster, the Hurricanes have an opportunity to dive into their cupboard full of draft picks over the next three years.
Carolina has four first-round picks over the next three years and more than $7 million in available salary cap space to work with this season. Given their desire to finally break through in the Eastern Conference, they should be all-in at the trade deadline and have both the salary flexibility and assets to land whatever top player they want.
New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin seems like a possible candidate for them. They always need more offense come playoff time, and he certainly brings offense.
Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy
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The Blackhawks have shown some improvement this season, but are still probably not quite ready for a playoff spot. They figure to be sellers again, but should not be in a full teardown mode. Eventually, they need to start focusing on talent acquisition.
Still, Murphy could be an attractive option on the trade market given his strong defensive and physical play, and the fact that there aren't many defensemen likely to be available.
The Blackhawks also have a number of young defensemen just breaking into the NHL who need bigger roles and minutes. He has been a strong, reliable player on some bad teams in Chicago, and now he might get a chance to play for a contender after the deadline.
Colorado Avalanche: Gavin Brindley
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Brindley came over to Colorado in the offseason trade that sent Charlie Coyle to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the young forward has already shown a lot of promise at the NHL level. The Avalanche should not trade him away just for the sake of trading him away. They need to get a strong return. But if they are looking to add, he might be one of their best trade chips to use, especially after they have previously moved so many prospects and draft picks over the past few years.
Colorado has no draft picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Avs also do not have many needs at the moment. They are the NHL's best team and running away with the Presidents' Trophy. Their status as a contender will almost certainly make them a buyer, and Brindley will be a player sellers will want.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Boone Jenner
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This has been a pretty miserable season so far for the Blue Jackets, a big step backward from the progress they appeared to be making a year ago. That will almost certainly make them sellers at the trade deadline. Jenner figures to be a likely trade chip, and perhaps their best one.
He is not a star, and injuries have ravaged his career in recent seasons, but he is still the type of player that NHL general managers love come deadline season. He is not afraid to play a physical game and still scores goals at a top-six rate when he is healthy and in the lineup.
If the Blue Jackets put him on the market, teams will be interested.
Dallas Stars: Jason Robertson
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Should the Stars trade Jason Robertson this season? Or after the season?
No.
Should they trade other players if necessary and do whatever is possible to re-sign Robertson to make sure he remains in Dallas for the foreseeable future?
Absolutely. Yes.
Will they do that?
Who knows.
Robertson's name has been floating in trade speculation as the cap-strapped Stars worry about his looming restricted free agency (and unrestricted free agency), and as long as that is happening, he is their greatest trade chip. He is one of the best players in the league, an offensive force, and a star in the prime of his career. Trades involving players like this are complicated to win, but it would still yield the Stars a substantial return if they decided to go that route (which they should not).
Detroit Red Wings: Draft Picks and Prospects
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The Red Wings might actually be in a position to snap their playoff drought, and it is time for general manager Steve Yzerman to step up and give his team some help to make sure that happens.
The Red Wings did not add at the deadline a year ago, a decision that ruffled some feathers in the locker room, especially with captain Dylan Larkin. That can not happen again this season, especially given where the Red Wings are in the standings.
Detroit's core players are doing their part, but they need some help around the edges. Salary cap space is not an issue, and the Red Wings have most of their draft pick capital at their disposal as well as some prospect depth, especially in goal.
They could use some defensive depth and secondary scoring, and the time has come to invest in the present.
Edmonton Oilers: Andrew Mangiapane
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The Oilers do not have their first-round pick this season and have already made one significant change to their roster this season by trading Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak (as well as a 2029 second-round draft pick) to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for goalie Tristan Jarry.
Mangiapane's time in Edmonton so far has been a massive disappointment, resulting in several healthy scratches.
He has just six goals and 12 total points, and does not seem to be a fit. The Oilers would not likely get a significant return for him. Still, it could be an opportunity to clear some salary cap space (which they need in the short term) to help further address the notable depth issues the Oilers continue to have.
The lack of a first-round pick or deep farm system really limits their trade options at this year's deadline.
Florida Panthers: Second-Round Picks
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The Panthers' biggest trade deadline acquisition is in the form of getting a healthy Matthew Tkachuk back.
Maybe at some point in the playoffs -- assuming they get there -- they can get Aleksander Barkov back.
Those two absences have seriously impacted the Panthers' three-peat quest and currently have them on the outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
Given their lack of salary cap space and quality trade assets, it is going to be tough for the Panthers to make any significant deal without some major creativity. But you should not really put anything past them when it comes to that.
Still, their best trade assets at this point might be the two second-round picks they have in the 2026 NHL Draft (their own pick and the Washington Capitals' pick).
Los Angeles Kings: Andrei Kuzmenko
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The Kings have started to drift toward that "failed rebuild" category that the New York Rangers currently find themselves in. After four consecutive first-round playoff exits, there was serious pressure on the Kings this season to take a big step forward. Especially in what is going to be the final season in the career of future Hall of Fame Anze Kopitar.
Ken Holland was brought in to help them take that big step.
But after a brutal offseason showing the Kings now find themselves on the playoff bubble and looking nothing like a serious contender.
Will they buy? Will they sell? Unless something changes dramatically in the coming weeks, it might be in their best interest to sell some players. Pending unrestricted free agent Andrei Kuzmenko could be an option for buyers looking for scoring depth.
Minnesota Wild: 2027 First-Round Pick
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The Wild already made their big trade deadline move by adding superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. But they still have a big need down the middle of their forward group. Not only because they traded center Marco Rossi as part of the Hughes trade, but also because veteran center Joel Eriksson Ek is now out of the lineup. His absence in the second half of the 2024-25 season played a big role in their late-season slide.
They would probably like to avoid a repeat of that, and some additional depth is a must at this point.
The problem for the Wild: They have depleted a lot of their prospect pool and draft pick cupboard over the past two years. It has helped give the Wild an outstanding chance to win the Stanley Cup, but they simply do not have many options left to deal with from now on.
One big asset they do have is their 2027 first-round pick.
Given the all-in nature the Wild have right now, there is no need for them to hold on to that pick if it can help them now.
Montreal Canadiens: Draft Picks
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The Canadiens made the playoffs ahead of schedule during the 2024-25 season, and then made a huge move this offseason to bolster that core with defenseman Noah Dobson. They are on a fast track to serious contention with a great young core that is getting better each year.
Now the goal is to keep adding around the edges of the roster to balance things out.
Salary cap space is limited, but the Canadiens have their full complement of draft picks this year and in future years and should be willing and able to dip into that.
The playoffs are no longer a hope. They are the expectation. Now the next goal is to win in the playoffs.
Nashville Predators: Steven Stamkos
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The biggest question here is whether Nashville wants to sell. After a miserable start to the season, the Predators have sort of played their way back into playoff contention, but it still seems like a long shot that they get there.
They certainly should not be buyers at the moment.
But will they sell or stand pat?
If they do decide to sell, Steven Stamkos would figure to be an attractive trade chip for contenders given his recent play. He is on a 35-goal pace as of Wednesday, and has been especially hot over the past two months.
His age (35) and contract ($8 million per year over the next two seasons) might be obstacles for teams to overcome, and perhaps even red flags, but a contender looking for a veteran forward that still has some high-level finishing ability might be willing to look past them.
New Jersey Devils: Dougie Hamilton
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Hamilton has clearly fallen out of favor with the Devils, and according to his agent, is willing to open himself up to trades beyond his 10-team trade list. This just seems like a situation headed for an inevitable split.
Even though things have gone poorly for Hamilton and the Devils this season, he is still a useful NHL player who could thrive on the right team and in the right role. He has been one of the most underappreciated defensemen of this era, and can still move the puck and drive possession.
He has a big contract for next season ($9 million salary cap), and some salary retention might be necessary, but there should be some sort of market for him.
New York Islanders: Colorado's First-Round Pick
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The Islanders have played their way into playoff contention, and the arrival of No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer has been the huge franchise-changer.
They have done a great job restocking their prospect cupboard over the past year, and the long-term outlook is suddenly looking a lot better. They are probably not in a position to be overly aggressive and give up too much of their future, but some buying could be appropriate as the playoffs become more likely.
They have Colorado's first-round pick as a result of last year's Brock Nelson trade, and that could be a potential trade chip that would not hurt them too much in the long term if they wanted to add more scoring punch for the short term.
New York Rangers: Artemi Panarin
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The New York Rangers have already sent out the white flag on the 2025-26 season, writing letter No. 2 to their fans, indicating that changes are on the horizon. The 2024-25 season was a major disappointment for the Rangers. The 2025-26 season has simply been unacceptable.
They enter Wednesday with the worst points percentage in the Eastern Conference, and with top defenseman Adam Fox and starting goalie Igor Shesterkin sidelined long-term with injuries, there is little reason to believe this season is going to turn around anytime soon. That means trades are coming.
Panarin and defenseman Carson Soucy are the two big pending unrestricted free agents, and with the Rangers already deciding they are not going to offer the former a new contract, he seems like a lock to be moved in the coming weeks and months. Given that he is still a big-time offensive contributor, contenders should have plenty of interest.
Center Vincent Trocheck could also be an attractive piece given the term left on his contract and the lack of centers on the trade block, but the Rangers will not have much pressure to move him unless they get a serious offer hard to turn down. Panarin is the trade chip here.
Ottawa Senators: Pending UFAs
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After making the playoffs a year ago, the Senators have taken a pretty significant step backward this season, and goaltending has been the root cause. While the team itself might be better than its overall record, and while that record would have been much better with better goaltending, the Senators are not really in a position to be aggressive buyers this season.
They should be looking to sell off their pending free agents, including veterans Claude Giroux, Lars Eller, and Nick Jensen, for whatever they can get, and then try to regroup in the offseason and hope a fresh start with better goaltending next season produces better results.
Philadelphia Flyers: Rasmus Ristolainen
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The Flyers are going to be one of the big mystery teams at the trade deadline because they could go in any direction.
They are still very much in the playoff race, but their recent losing streak has knocked them outside of the playoff picture for the time being.
It is also a team that still has many flaws and is very much in the building-up process.
Whether they buy or sell, it is not likely to be overly aggressive.
Ristolainen might be their most attractive trade chip, but given his importance to the team, as well as the fact that he still has term remaining on his contract, they may not be in a rush to move him just yet. But of the likely trade candidates on the roster, he would certainly bring the biggest return. It only takes one offer to get a team's attention and to change their mind.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Anthony Mantha
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Like their cross-state rivals, the Penguins are going to be a fascinating team to watch at the trade deadline. When the 2025-26 season began, the Penguins probably would have been a team everybody had in the sellers category as part of a rebuild. They might still strategically sell off a few players, but that could also be countered by buying, given that they are very much in the playoff race and enter play on Wednesday in the third playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.
This might very well be a playoff team.
As long as that is the case, there seems to be little chance of them trading players like Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, or Erik Karlsson.
They might even add, especially if they can find a younger player with term remaining on the contract that fits into their long-term plans (they have been rumored to have interest in Dallas Stars superstar Jason Robertson).
Still, they do have a pretty good number of pending unrestricted free agents on the roster, including Anthony Mantha, Noel Acciarri, Connor Dewar, Brett Kulak, Connor Clifton, and Ryan Shea. As long as they are in the playoff race, not all of them are going to go. Dewar and Accairi have helped make up an outstanding fourth line. They need some of those defensemen to fill out the roster.
Mantha could be the expendable player here, given the team's forward depth at both the NHL and AHL levels, and might even bring them a solid return (perhaps even a second-round pick) given his 25-goal pace this season offensively.
San Jose Sharks: Edmonton's First-Round Pick
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The Sharks have already indicated they are going to be buyers by adding pending free agent Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks. That is a pretty stunning development from how this team started the season, and where it has been over the past couple of years.
But with Macklin Celebrini playing like an MVP, the Sharks are very much in the playoff race in a very wide-open and watered-down Western Conference field. They are in this.
If they wanted to keep being more aggressive and adding more to their roster, they have two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL draft -- their own and the Edmonton Oilers' pick. Given that the Sharks are not quite a lock for the playoffs, and the lottery implications their own pick could have, Edmonton's pick could be a trade chip to use over the coming weeks.
Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz
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This is another tricky one because the Kraken are competing for a playoff spot, but there is nothing overly impressive about the way they are doing it. Their underlying numbers, from a possession and scoring-chance standpoint, are among the worst in the NHL. They are very limited offensively. Almost all of their success is tied to strong goaltending that may or may not last.
They have four first-round picks over the next two years, and sure, some of those could be flipped for more scoring help.
But unless you're getting somebody with term on the contract beyond this season, does it really make much sense to add to a fringe playoff team that may not have a very high ceiling?
The smarter move might be to stand pat, or strategically sell players like forward Jaden Schwartz, a pending free agent after this season.
St. Louis Blues: Justin Faulk
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The Blues have bounced back from poor starts in the past, but that does not seem to be in the cards this season, and it might be time to become sellers.
Forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou would bring by far the biggest returns of anybody on the roster, but this may not be the time to deal either player.
You do not trade Thomas unless you think you need a total reset and rebuild.
Kyrou's value is probably at its absolute lowest point right now, so trading him at this moment would be completely foolish.
Faulk, on the other hand, might be at his highest value given his strong play this season and the fact that his current contract was front-loaded, meaning the actual dollar amount he is owed is less than his salary cap value both this season and next season.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Oliver Bjorkstrand
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The Lightning are the hottest team in hockey right now and have more than re-established themselves as Stanley Cup contenders in the Eastern Conference. The fact that they have done that, given some of the injuries they have dealt with this season, especially on defense, is a testament to the staggering depth they have throughout the organization, as well as the work the front office has done to maintain it.
This is an outstanding team.
But it is also a team that is unlikely to stand pat. They always find a way to make moves and add. The problem is they do not have a ton of trade assets to work with, either in terms of prospects or draft picks.
They might have to swing another move to not only create some salary cap space, but also recoup some draft picks and trade assets to use in another deal. Could Bjorkstrand, a pending UFA after this season, be such a player? It would clear some money off the books in the short term, and he is probably not a player they should have a strong interest in re-signing beyond this season. Perhaps they could use him as a means of getting some trade assets to go after a bigger fish.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Simon Benoit
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The Maple Leafs are on the playoff bubble, but they are probably not going to sell. They will want to buy. But like Tampa Bay, they are in a situation where they may not have many assets to use to buy, and might need to make a corresponding move just to get some draft picks back to flip. Recent trade deadlines, and especially the 2025 trade deadline, have badly depleted their prospect and draft pick pools, leaving them with very little to dangle as trade bait.
Benoit is a solid defensive player with a cheap contract through next season, and they might be able to get a solid return for him, even if that return is flipped elsewhere for more help up front.
Utah Mammoth: Draft Picks
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Utah was a popular pick to make the playoffs when the 2025-26 season began, and as of Wednesday, they occupy a playoff spot in the Western Conference. It is a pretty good team, with a lot of exciting young talent.
From the moment the franchise arrived in Utah, it has been aggressive in adding NHL players to the roster, and there is little reason to expect that to change at the trade deadline.
Utah is loaded with picks in rounds two through four, owning five picks in the second and third rounds this year, and four picks in those rounds next year.
It may not land them a star, but flipping a couple of them could bring in some solid rentals that can help solidify them as a playoff team.
Vancouver Canucks: Conor Garland and Jake DeBrusk
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The Canucks have already been aggressive sellers, moving superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes and pending free agent Kiefer Sherwood. This is the worst team in the NHL right now, and an organization that is very clearly going through some sort of rebuild. Or re-tool. Or whatever they want to use to describe this process.
The only question is how aggressive are they going to be with it?
Would they trade Elias Pettersson? He has been better this season, but still not what he was at his peak. He could still be that player, and they would probably prefer it to be for them, not somebody else.
The far more likely trade candidates are forwards Conor Garland and Jake DeBrusk. Both are signed to long-term contracts, but that might only increase their trade value and the desire for the Canucks to move them. They have to be realistic about where the franchise is right now, and moving almost every player with value to get the most long-term value might be the best path forward here.
Vegas Golden Knights: Second-Round Draft Pick
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This is another all-in season for the Golden Knights, because every season is an all-in season for the Golden Knights.
They already proved that by trading for Rasmus Andersson to bolster their defense, and they probably will not stop there. They always find a way.
Their best trade asset at this point might be their second-round picks over the next few years, and honestly, their best use of them might be to use them as trade bait if they can get some short-term help. Vegas is trying to win now. A late second-round pick has about a 50 percent chance of even reaching the NHL, let alone being an impact player. Its greatest value to Vegas right now is what it can acquire in the short term from the NHL roster.
Washington Capitals: Draft Picks
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The Capitals took a big step backward from their 2024-25 performance and now find themselves in a fight just to make the playoffs. Still, they are hopeful to get center Pierre-Luc Dubois back at some point, and general manager Chris Patrick has talked about adding a higher-end forward.
The question is how much they are willing to give up.
They were not willing to part with their top prospects for defenseman Quinn Hughes, and if you are not willing to part with prospects for one of the best players in the world, who are you going to part with them for? Washington's best trade assets might be draft picks, and the Capitals have their full allotment of first-round picks over the next three years, as well as their second-round picks in 2027 and 2028.
If they deal this year's first-round pick, however, it probably needs to be a conditional pick with some lottery protections attached to it. This team is not a lock for the playoffs, and given the high-end prospects available at the top of the 2026 Draft, you do not want to miss the opportunity to get one of them if this season does not improve.
Winnipeg Jets: Pending Free-Agent Defensemen
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The Winnipeg Jets are in danger of going from winning the Presidents' Trophy with the NHL's best regular-season record a year ago, to potentially missing the playoffs entirely this season.
That is not because of the injury to Connor Hellebuyck, though. It's because the team is simply not very good, and management did not do a decent job this offseason of fixing the flaws that Hellebuyck has masked for so many years.
The Jets need to sell. Their two best trade assets to sell are pending free-agent defensemen Luke Schenn (who the Jets gave up their 2026 second-round pick to acquire a year ago) and Logan Stanley. Winnipeg only has 10 draft picks over the next two seasons and needs to get some of those traded picks back. Schenn and Stanley could help restock that.
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