10 Teams Likely to Become Buyers or Sellers at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline
The NHL's annual trade deadline is March 6. We can expect trade activity to increase in the days leading up to that date, with a final frenzy within the final 90 minutes before the deadline.
While deadline day is over five weeks away, we're starting to get an idea of which clubs will be buyers and sellers.
Buyers are clubs sitting high in the standings, hoping to improve their chances of winning the Stanley Cup, or bubble teams trying to bolster their roster to secure a playoff spot. Meanwhile, sellers are the clubs at the bottom of the standings or those that have acknowledged their slim odds of reaching the playoffs.
The Minnesota Wild made the biggest trade thus far this season by acquiring superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 12, 2025. In trading the 26-year-old, the Canucks signaled the start of a roster rebuild.
Both clubs might not be done dealing. Follow along as we examine the reasons why, and the other clubs we expected to be among the buyers and sellers at this year's trade deadline.
Buyer: Carolina Hurricanes
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Since the 2018-19 season, the Carolina Hurricanes have been among the most consistent teams in the Eastern Conference. They've topped their division three times and the Eastern Conference Final three times, including twice in the past three seasons. They're currently jockeying for first place in the Eastern Conference.
However, the Hurricanes' efforts to win the Stanley Cup have come up short thus far. It wasn't for lack of trying by management, acquiring scoring winger Jake Guentzel at the 2024 trade deadline and briefly bringing in superstar winger Mikko Rantanen before moving to the Dallas Stars at last year's deadline.
Before that deadline, Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky attempted to acquire Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Rantanen before shipping the latter to Dallas. He could try to add another scoring star by this year's deadline, if not sooner.
The Hurricanes have $35.5 million in projected trade deadline salary-cap space. They also possess tradeable assets in draft picks, prospects, and young center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who might benefit from a change of scenery after struggling in Carolina over the past three seasons.
Seller: Calgary Flames
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The Calgary Flames already tipped their hand regarding their plans for the trade deadline. On Jan. 18, they shipped Rasmus Andersson, their top defenseman, to the Vegas Golden Knights for blueliner Zach Whitecloud, defense prospect Abram Wiebe, and two conditional draft picks.
This is the continuation of the rebuilding program that began under general manager Craig Conroy two seasons ago. From November 2023 through June 2024, Conroy moved out Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Jacob Markstrom, and Andrew Mangiapane, mostly for draft picks and prospects.
Conroy might not be done selling. With Andersson off the trade block, the focus shifts toward Flames forwards Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman. Both are under contract beyond this season and carry partial no-trade clauses. However, they're in their mid-thirties and could be moved while their value remains high.
The lack of talented centers in this year's trade market would make Kadri an enticing option for playoff contenders. He won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, and his physical two-way style is suited for the postseason. The same goes for Coleman, who won two Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
On Jan. 20, TSN's Darren Dreger reported the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and Dallas Stars may have some interest in Kadri. His colleague, Pierre LeBrun, said Conroy wasn't shopping Kadri and Coleman, but he was open to listening to trade offers.
Buyer: Dallas Stars
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Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill has proven his willingness to make moves before the trade deadline. He swung a blockbuster deal last March, acquiring superstar winger Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes and signing him to an eight-year contract extension.
Nill could attempt another big trade or a couple of depth deals by this year's deadline. His club was a Western Conference finalist in each of the last three seasons, and they're hungry to break through and bring the Stanley Cup to Dallas for the first time since 1999.
Finding a top-four, right-side defenseman to skate alongside Thomas Harley is the priority. His usual defense partners are Ilya Lyubushkin or Nils Lundkvist, who are better suited in third-pairing roles.
The Stars could also use a physical middle-six forward. On Jan. 20, TSN's Darren Dreger included the Stars among the potential suitors for Calgary Flames winger Blake Coleman. Three days later, ESPN's Kevin Weekes suggested they could be interested in Vancouver Canucks winger Evander Kane.
Addressing at least one of those needs could be challenging for Nill. The Stars have $3.3 million in trade deadline cap space and a shallow pool of prospects. Nevertheless, he could be willing to roll the dice to land a suitable player or two that can put his club over the top.
Seller: New Jersey Devils
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Three years after the New Jersey Devils finished with a franchise-best 112-point performance in 2022-23, they are struggling to remain in contention for a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. That's prompted rumors that general manager Tom Fitzgerald could become a seller by the March deadline.
Injuries and inconsistent play have hampered the Devils, prompting criticism from fans and pundits over Fitzgerald's inability to improve his roster. On Jan. 14, the embattled Devils GM shouldered the blame for his club's disappointing play, but said he would keep working to make this team a contender.
Fitzgerald attempted to acquire defenseman Quinn Hughes (brother of Devils stars Jack and Luke Hughes) before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild last month. However, he could move from a buyer to a seller if the Devils fail to improve in the standings by the March deadline.
On Jan. 10, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported the agent for defenseman Dougie Hamilton indicated his client was willing to be flexible with his 10-team trade list to facilitate a mutually beneficial trade. This came about after Hamilton was scratched from their Jan. 11 game against the Winnipeg Jets.
LeBrun subsequently reported that Hamilton's expensive contract was complicating efforts to move him. Fitzgerald was said to be "working the phones" attempting to move the 32-year-old defenseman, as well as winger Ondrej Palat.
Buyer: Detroit Red Wings
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The Detroit Red Wings last reached the playoffs in 2015-16. Since then, they've been engaged in a long, occasionally fitful rebuilding process. They seemed poised to break through as a wild-card club during the past two seasons, only to falter down the stretch.
This season, however, the Red Wings are jockeying for first place in the Eastern Conference. Barring a more stunning collapse than the previous two seasons, they're poised to end their nine-season playoff drought.
General manager Steve Yzerman has made some significant additions since taking over in 2019, including the acquisition of Alex DeBrincat in July 2023. However, he was criticized last season for not doing more at the trade deadline to help his then-struggling club, with team captain Dylan Larkin among the critics.
With the Red Wings doing well, Yzerman could stand pat by the deadline. However, he could add to his roster to not only ensure they clinch a playoff berth, but also stage a deep postseason run. The Wings have over $59.5 million in trade deadline cap space, and plenty of draft picks and prospects to use as trade bait.
The Red Wings could use some experienced shutdown depth on their blue line. They could also make a big move for a center. On Jan. 15, NHL insider Frank Seravalli told Sportsnet's Canucks Central that the Wings are among the clubs interested in Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson.
Seller: New York Rangers
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On Jan. 16, New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury released a letter to the club's fans indicating plans to retool the roster. It's a continuation of Drury's efforts to reshape his lineup since last season, focusing on adding younger NHL players while replenishing the prospect pool.
The most notable Ranger affected by this is Artemi Panarin. Drury informed the 34-year-old playmaking winger that the club was not offering him a contract extension. Panarin is UFA-eligible in July and has a no-movement clause, but Drury is willing to work with him to find a suitable trade destination.
On Jan. 17, Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic reported the Rangers were open to trade offers for center Vincent Trocheck. He has a 12-team no-trade list and an affordable annual cap hit of $5.6 million through 2028-29.
Five days later, Mercogliano's colleague Peter Baugh reported that the Rangers could consider trading winger Alexis Lafrenière but would want a young player in return. Meanwhile, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported the San Jose Sharks were believed to be interested in Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider.
Drury might not move all of those players before the trade deadline, but at least one of them could be on the move before March 6. Panarin is the logical candidate given his UFA eligibility this summer, but he could limit potential destinations to just one or two teams, which could hurt the Rangers' chances of getting a good return.
Buyer: Minnesota Wild
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On July 13, 2021, the Minnesota Wild bought out the expensive contracts of fading stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Those moves put the Wild into salary-cap hell for the next four seasons, hampering their ability to bolster their roster through the trade market during that period.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin opted for the short-term pain with an eye on freeing up considerably more cap space over the final four years of the buyouts. With the buyouts for both players reduced to $833,333 per season each starting this season, Guerin finally had the cap flexibility he desired.
Part of that flexibility was used to make what has been the biggest move of this season thus far by acquiring superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. That one move has already significantly improved the Wild, increasing their chances of becoming Stanley Cup contenders.
On Jan. 14, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic suggested Guerin could have another big move up his sleeve. They speculated he could pursue a first-line center, possibly by using promising goaltender Jesper Wallstedt as trade bait.
Whether Guerin is willing to move Wallstedt for a center or finds a more affordable option remains to be seen. What's obvious is that the Wild's acquisition of Hughes indicated they are in "win-now" mode. We cannot dismiss the possibility of them making another blockbuster deal before the trade deadline.
Seller: St. Louis Blues
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Since winning their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2019, the St. Louis Blues have been in a steady decline. They missed the playoffs twice and advanced to the second round only once. A strong stretch run last season propelled them into the playoffs, but a repeat of that effort this season appears unlikely.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong will hand over the duties to assistant Alexander Steen at the end of this season, though he'll remain as team president for three more years. As his team remains mired near the bottom of the standings, Armstrong is likely to become a seller by the trade deadline.
Armstrong could peddle pending unrestricted free agents such as Mathieu Joseph and Oskar Sundqvist. However, he could also move some veterans under contract beyond this season.
On Jan. 18, Marco D'Amico of Ratings.com reported the Blues could be open to moving center Robert Thomas for a return comparable to what the Minnesota Wild received in the Quinn Hughes trade. Five days later, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said they're seeking a stud top-six forward slightly younger than Thomas.
Other trade candidates could include center Brayden Schenn, goaltender Jordan Binnington, and defenseman Justin Faulk. They also have term remaining on their contract with varying degrees of no-trade protection. However, it wouldn't be shocking if at least one of them gets moved for young assets.
Buyer: Toronto Maple Leafs
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From 2016-17 to 2024-25, the Toronto Maple Leafs were among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, finishing with 100-plus points six times as they qualified for the playoffs through that period. However, they only reached the second round twice.
This season, they are struggling to remain in contention for an Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Some clubs in that position might become sellers and retool their roster for next season. However, the Leafs face tremendous pressure from their fans to end a Stanley Cup drought dating back to 1967.
General manager Brad Treliving has another reason to keep the playoff streak alive. Nick Kypreos of the Toronto Star noted superstar center Auston Matthews is two years away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. Kypreos believes the clock is ticking on the Leafs' efforts to prove to him that they're still a contender.
Defense is the main area of concern for the Maple Leafs. On Jan. 22, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported they were scouring the market for a defenseman. He suggested Luke Schenn of the Winnipeg Jets as one option, with Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils as another, albeit more expensive possibility.
The Maple Leafs could switch to sellers if they fall further out of the playoff race by March 6. As long as they stay within striking distance of a wild-card spot, this team will be among the buyers.
Seller: Vancouver Canucks
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It's not a spoiler alert to describe the Vancouver Canucks as sellers approaching this year's trade deadline. Last month, they shipped superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild, and on Jan. 19, sent winger Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks.
Jim Rutherford, the Canucks president of hockey operations, indicated his club is staging a rebuild that he anticipated would last two or three years, focusing on adding young NHL players while restocking their prospect pool. He's indicated that they're willing to listen to offers for all their players.
It's obvious the Canucks will be open to offers for players eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. They include forwards Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, and David Kämpf, though they're unlikely to fetch more than draft picks in return.
On Jan. 21, Thomas Drance of The Athletic examined which Canucks could be traded. He acknowledged the no-movement protection of forwards Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, and the $6 million annual cap hit of winger Conor Garland. However, he didn't rule them out as trade candidates.
It will be surprising if the Canucks don't move at least one more player before March 6. It's just a question of whether they make another blockbuster. Expect the media trade chatter about this club to carry over into the offseason.
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