Buy or Sell the Latest Rumors Ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline
The annual NHL trade deadline is March 6 at 3 pm ET. While it's six weeks away, activity in the trade market has begun to pick up again as more teams fall out of playoff contention and become sellers.
Trades slowed a bit after a hectic December that included the Vancouver Canucks sending Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. However, trading has resumed with the Calgary Flames sending Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Canucks shipping Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks.
With the NHL's Olympic roster freeze from Feb. 4 to 22, some general managers could use that as a "soft deadline" to start making trades, with an eye on getting ahead of the last-minute rush while good players are available.
Those could include New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who resurfaced in the rumor mill after he was scratched from a Jan. 11 game against the Winnipeg Jets. Meanwhile, there's talk the Canucks could entertain offers for center Elias Pettersson.
Follow along as we examine the latest speculation to determine which ones are worth buying or selling.
Will Carolina Hurricanes Find Any Takers for Jesperi Kotkaniemi?
1 of 5
On Sep. 6, 2021, the Carolina Hurricanes successfully signed center Jesperi Kotkaniemi away from the Montréal Canadiens with a one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet. Six months later, they inked him to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.82 million.
The Hurricanes envisioned Kotkaniemi, then 21, to blossom into a reliable second-line center. He seemed poised to achieve that goal after netting 43 points in 82 games in 2022-23. However, the young center has struggled with consistency, resulting in a reduction in his playing time and production.
On Jan. 9, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the Hurricanes were considering trade offers for Kotkaniemi. He claimed they used the young center as a trade chip in failed efforts to acquire Phillip Danault and Quinn Hughes before those players were shipped to their current teams.
Friedman felt the Hurricanes want a return that provides immediate help, or something they can use to acquire that help. Cory Lavalette of The Athletic believed there could be teams willing to take on Kotkaniemi as a reclamation project, citing the need for centers in the trade market.
Buy or Sell: Buy
Kotkaniemi's struggles and his contract could be sticking points in trade talks. Nevertheless, Lavalette makes good points about why he'd have value in this season's trade market. It could take some time, perhaps by the trade deadline or the offseason, but the Hurricanes should find a taker for Kotkaniemi.
Blake Coleman to Montréal Canadiens?
2 of 5
The Calgary Flames have been the subject of trade speculation since last summer, with most of the attention on defenseman Rasmus Andersson (now with the Vegas Golden Knights) and first-line center Nazem Kadri. However, Blake Coleman has also come up as a potential trade candidate.
Coleman, 32, is a versatile two-way forward who can play either wing. He's also a proven playoff performer, having won two Stanley Cup championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
On Jan. 8, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Coleman was high on the Montréal Canadiens' list of trade targets. He cited the winger's physical two-way style and championship pedigree, adding that Coleman had drawn the most calls the Flames received from other teams interested in trading with them.
Coleman is signed through next season with an average annual value of $4.9 million. He also carries a 10-team trade list, which could complicate things if the Canadiens aren't on it.
Buy or Sell: Sell
LeBrun believes there's no guarantee the Flames will trade Coleman. On Jan. 15, his colleague Darren Dreger said they're not eager to move the veteran winger. That doesn't mean they won't if they get an irresistible offer, but they prefer to hang onto him for at least the rest of this season.
Boston Bruins Not Moving Pavel Zacha?
3 of 5
The Boston Bruins' disappointing performance last season sparked speculation last summer about Pavel Zacha's future. That landed the 28-year-old forward on our September NHL Trade Board and our October NHL Trade Block Big Board.
Zacha remained the subject of trade speculation as the Bruins stumbled through the opening weeks of this season. It reached the point where we examined some potential trade destinations for the versatile two-way forward.
Signed through 2026-27, Zacha carries an affordable $4.8 million average annual value and an eight-team no-trade list. Clubs with Stanley Cup aspirations seeking skilled, experienced second-line depth would consider him a tempting trade target.
However, the Bruins' improvement in the standings could make Zacha unattainable. Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic considered it unlikely that they'll part with him, pointing out that he's been a vital part of their secondary tier.
Buy or Sell: Buy
The Bruins battled inconsistency through the first half of this season, but their recent surge in the standings suggests they won't be sellers this season. Zacha's played a key role in their improvement, sitting third among their scorers with 35 points in 48 games.
.png?w=256 "Playoff Winners and Losers")
Dougie Hamilton to Toronto Maple Leafs?
4 of 5
The decision by New Jersey Devils management to make Dougie Hamilton a healthy scratch from a Jan. 11 game against the Winnipeg Jets led to reports that the 32-year-old defenseman could be traded soon. We subsequently listed seven potential trade landing spots for the puck-moving blueliner.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Jan. 13 that a trade wasn't imminent, citing Hamilton's contract as a "complicating factor". He's willing to be flexible with his 10-team trade list, but carries an average annual value of $9 million over the next two seasons.
Meanwhile, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is reportedly working the phones daily seeking a trade to improve his club. Some of those discussions are believed to have been about Hamilton.
We had the Toronto Maple Leafs among our seven-team destination list for Hamilton. In his Jan. 15 column for The Athletic, LeBrun suggested the Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes as potential fits for the veteran defenseman, but felt they wouldn't do it unless the Devils retained a significant portion of Hamilton's salary.
Buy or Sell: Sell
The Maple Leafs might like to have the Toronto-born Hamilton skating on the right side of their top defense pairing. However, they must free up cap room even if the Devils retain some salary. They also have limited trade assets, such as first-round picks and promising youngsters, to tempt the Devils.
Will Vancouver Canucks Move Center Elias Pettersson?
5 of 5
Last January, the tension between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller saw the Vancouver Canucks trade the latter to the New York Rangers.
A year later, the Canucks find themselves at the bottom of the overall standings and have been sellers in the trade market, trading away Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood.
The 27-year-old has again surfaced in trade rumors. On Jan. 13, TSN's Darren Dreger expressed his belief that the Canucks were open to trade offers for almost everyone on their roster, including Pettersson.
Patrick Johnston of The Vancouver Province reported on Dec. 28 that a source told him teams were still calling the Canucks about the Swede. On Jan. 14, he cited Jim Rutherford (Canucks president of hockey operations) saying they're open to conversations about all their players.
Pettersson has struggled to regain the lofty offensive heights of his career-best 102-points in 2022-23. He's in the second season of an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $11.6 million. He also has a full no-movement clause.
Buy or Sell: Sell
Pettersson's offensive struggles, his hefty salary, and no-movement clause make him difficult to move before the March 6 trade deadline. That doesn't mean trading him is impossible, but such a deal seems more likely to occur in the offseason when teams have more cap space and a willingness to make big trades.
.png?w=480 "Playoff Winners and Losers")
.jpg?w=600 "Grading Raw After WrestleMania 🔠")
.jpg?w=600 "Latest Cowboys, Browns Draft Rumors")