NHL Trade Deadline Tracker – March 6, 2026

by | Mar 6, 2026

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker – March 6, 2026

The Colorado Avalanche acquired Nazem Kadri and a 2027 fourth-round pick from the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Victor Olofsson, prospect Maxmilian Curran, a conditional first-round pick in 2028,  and a conditional second-rounder in 2027. Flames retain 20 percent of Kadri’s salary. 

Calgary Flames trade center Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche (NHL Images).

The New York Rangers traded forward Brennan Othmann to the Calgary Flames in exchange for prospect winger Jacob Battaglia

The Winnipeg Jets traded winger Tanner Pearson to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2026 seventh-round pick.

The Los Angeles Kings acquired center Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional third-round pick (details TBA)

The Boston Bruins acquired forward Lukas Reichel from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

The Washington Capitals acquired forward David Kampf from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2026 sixth-round pick. 

The Anaheim Ducks traded forward Ryane Strome to the Calgary Flames for a seventh-round pick in 2027.

The Detroit Red Wings acquired defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-rounder, defenseman Justin Holl, and prospect winger Dmitri Buchelnikov. 

The Seattle Kraken acquire forward Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-round pick in 2026.

The St. Louis Blues traded center Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders for a 2026 first-round pick, a third-rounder, left wing Jonathan Drouin, and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof.

The Washington Capitals acquired defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired winger Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round pick in 2026.

The Carolina Hurricanes acquired winger Nicolas Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2027.

The Minnesota Wild traded forward Vinnie Hinostroza to the Florida Panthers for future considerations

The Los Angeles Kings traded Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. 

The Minnesota Wild acquired forward Nick Foligno from the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations. 

The Philadelphia Flyers traded winger Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman David Jiricek.










New York Rangers Trade Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings

by | Feb 4, 2026

New York Rangers Trade Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings

ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Emily Kaplan report the New York Rangers have traded winger Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round draft pick and prospect forward Liam Greentree.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s not much of a return for a player of Panarin’s caliber, but the Rangers didn’t have much choice. The 34-year-old winger has a full no-movement clause, and Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports the Kings were the only team he wanted to go to and the only club the Rangers had to work with.

New York Rangers trade winger Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings (NHL Images).

Walker reports that the conditional third-round draft pick can become a second-round pick if the Kings win a playoff round and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2028 if they win two playoff rounds.

Panarin was reportedly seeking a contract extension before waiving his no-movement clause. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported there’s no extension yet, but the two sides are working on it.

Recent reports claimed Panarin was seeking a $40 million or a $50 million extension. Either one guarantees he would get at least $10 million annually. That’s a bit of a pay cut from his current $11.642 million annual average value, but still a hefty price to pay for a playmaking winger who turns 35 in October.

(UPDATE: ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports sources claim the Kings and Panarin have agreed to a two-year extension worth an AAV of $11 million.)

The Kings are among the lowest-scoring teams in the league, which is hampering their efforts to secure a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Panarin should provide a welcome boost to their offense in the short term, especially with team captain Anze Kopitar recently returning from injury.

Over the long term, however, Panarin won’t be able to fill Kopitar’s skates as a center, and locking him up to an expensive, lengthy deal will take a big chunk out of their projected $26 million in cap space for 2026-27. That could complicate efforts to land a potential replacement for Kopitar.

 










Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

by | Dec 23, 2025

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I’m taking my annual Christmas break from Tuesday, December 23, to Saturday, December 27. The next update to this site will be Sunday, December 28—my thanks to all of you who follow and support this site. I wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a Happy Holiday season. 

 

Happyholidays Christmastree GIFfrom Happyholidays GIFs










Notable NHL Signings and Trades – July 1, 2025

by | Jul 1, 2025

Notable NHL Signings and Trades – July 1, 2025

 Anaheim Ducks sign unrestricted free-agent forward Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $7 million.

The New York Rangers signed winger Will Cuylle to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.9 million. Cuylle was a restricted free agent completing his entry-level contract.

Buffalo Sabres re-sign center Ryan McLeod to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $5 million. McLeod was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

The San Jose Sharks signed John Klingberg to a one-year, $4 million contract. He was an unrestricted free agent.

 

Defenseman Ryan Lindgren signed a four-year contract with the Seattle Kraken with an average annual value of $4.5 million.

The Utah Mammoth signed defenseman Nate Schmidt inked a three-year contract ($3.5 million AAV) and forward Brandon Tanev to a three-year contract ($2.5 million AAV).

The Los Angeles Kings signed defenseman Cody Ceci to a four-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million, blueliner Brian Dumoulin to a three-year deal with a $4 million AAV, and winger Corey Perry to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Winger Jonathan Drouin agreed to a two-year contract ($4 million AAV) with the New York Islanders.

Forward Radek Faksa inked a three-year contract ($2 million AAV) with the Dallas Stars.

 

The Vancouver Canucks brought back Brock Boeser, signing him to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7.25 million.

The New York Rangers sign defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year deal with an AAV of $7 million.

The Los Angeles Kings sign forward Joel Armia to a two-year contract with a $2.5 million AAV.

The Boston Bruins signed forward Tanner Jeannot to a four-year deal with an AAV of $3.5 million.

The New Jersey Devils sign forward Connor Brown to a four-year contract with an AAV of $3 million.

The Philadelphia Flyers sign goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year contract with a $3.35 million AAV.

The San Jose Sharks sign winger William Eklund to a three-year deal with an AAV of $5.6 million. Eklund, 22, was a restricted free agent.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed center Christian Dvorak to a one-year, $5.4 million contract.

The Montreal Canadiens trade defenseman Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues for forward Zachary Bolduc.

Logan Stankoven signs an eight-year contract extension ($6 million AAV) with the Carolina Hurricanes. The 22-year-old forward was slated to become an RFA next July.

Jake Allen re-signed with the New Jersey Devils. The 34-year-old goaltender agreed to a five-year contract with an AAV of $1.8 million.

The Edmonton Oilers trade winger Viktor Arvidsson to the Boston Bruins for a fifth-round draft pick in 2027. This move frees up $4 million of salary-cap space for the Oilers.

Thatcher Demko signs a a three-year contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks worth an average annual value of $8.5 million. The 29-year-old goaltender was eligible for UFA status next July.

The Canucks also confirmed that Conor Garland signed a six-year contract extension with an AAV of $6 million. Like Demko, he was slated to become a UFA next July.

Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year contract extension with the Washington Capitals worth an AAV of $6 million. The 25-year-old defenseman was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.










Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 30, 2025

by | Jun 30, 2025

Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 30, 2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed winger Mitch Marner to an eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million average annual value. They subsequently traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights for center Nicolas Roy. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, Marner’s nine seasons with the Maple Leafs come to an end. 

Marner was projected to receive between $12.5 million and $13 million annually. It’s a little less than market value, but it comes with long-term security. 

It’s a good deal for Marner, and he ends up in a preferred destination. The 28-year-old winger is coming off a career-best 102-point performance. He’s in his prime and considered among the league’s elite two-way forwards. Whether this is the right deal for the Golden Knights remains to be seen. 

Toronto Maple Leafs sign winger Mitch Marner and trade him to the Vegas Golden Knights (NHL Images).

Marner brings additional offense to the Golden Knights and should also help defensively. However, this leaves the Golden Knights top-heavy among their top-six forwards at the expense of their overall roster depth. That should be a familiar situation for Marner, having been part of a similar experience with the Leafs for years. 

Snark aside,  a lack of overall depth prevented the Golden Knights from repeating as Stanley Cup champions over the last two seasons. Marner’s monster contract will once again leave them with limited cap space, forcing them to try and get creative. 

One way is placing veteran defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on long-term injury reserve for 2025-26, freeing up his $8.8 million AAV. However, that will be used up mostly for Marner’s cap hit, leaving little wiggle room to boost their depth. 

As for the Leafs, they at least get something for Marner rather than losing him to free agency for nothing. Roy, 28, is a big, physical middle-six forward who can play center or wing with two years on his contract at an annual cap hit of $3 million. He’ll provide size, versatility, and experienced skill to their checking lines. 

The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Evan Bouchard to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $10.5 million. Bouchard, 25, was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard’s getting a significant raise over the $3.9 million AAV of his previous contract. It’s not surprising given how he’s blossomed into a high-scoring puck-moving blueliner.

Bouchard netted a career-best 82 points in 2023-24. His production slipped to 67 points in 2024-25, but he was fifth among defensemen in scoring. He also led all blueliners in postseason scoring this year with seven goals and 23 points.

The Oilers had little choice but to pay Bouchard that much, though at four years it’s a manageable term if his performance drops off. However, they now have nearly $20 million tied up in two defensemen, with Darnell Nurse pulling in $9.25 million annually through 2029-30. It leaves the Oilers with around $550,000 in cap space, which means a cost-cutting trade is coming soon.

The Florida Panthers re-sign Aaron Ekblad to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $6.1 million. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad made no secret of his desire to remain with the Panthers. It was assumed he’d have to accept a pay cut on a contract shorter than the eight years ($7.5 million AAV) of his previous deal. 

Instead, he gets another maximum eight-year contract with a pay reduction that wasn’t as severe as expected. 

The Panthers rewarded Ebklad for not only his loyalty but his years of hard work as the anchor of their defense corps, culminating in back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. However, this is a contract that probably won’t age well. 

Now 29, Ekblad has been hampered by injuries since 2020-21, and his performance declined a bit in 2024-25. If this persists, this deal could become a salary-cap headache down the road. 

The Detroit Red Wings trade winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tarasenko signed a two-year contract last summer with the Red Wings, but things didn’t work out for him in Motown. After netting 23 goals and 55 points in 2023-24 with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers, the 33-year-old winger managed only 11 goals and 33 points with the Wings.

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquire winger Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in 2027.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A skillful playmaking winger, the 24-year-old Maccelli had a career-best performance in 2023-24 with 17 goals and 40 assists for 57 points. However, his production dropped significantly last season as he tumbled down the Mammoth’s depth chart, becoming a healthy scratch in 26 regular-season games. This could turn into a steal for the Leafs if Maccelli regains his form.

The New York Islanders signed defenseman Alexander Romanov to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $6.25 million. Romanov, 25, was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a foregone conclusion after the Islanders traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. Romanov’s deal makes him their highest-paid defenseman. He’s not a point-producer like Dobson, but he’s a physical shutdown blueliner who logged over 22 minutes of ice time per game last season.










Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 28, 2025

by | Jun 28, 2025

Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 28, 2025

The Anaheim Ducks trade goaltender John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

Anaheim Ducks trade goaltender John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson, 31, had been a fixture in the trade-rumor mill for the past two seasons. The sticking point had been his contract with its $6.4 million average annual value. However, he has only two years remaining on his deal. With the salary cap rising significantly over that period, his contract became more palatable for a club like the Red Wings, which went through five goalies last season.

Gibson will be expected to help the Red Wings end their franchise-record nine-year playoff drought. He’s spent the past several seasons backstopping the rebuilding Ducks, but with a potentially more competitive team in front of him in Detroit, he has a chance to prove he’s still a reliable starting goalie.

This move solidifies Lukas Dostal as the Ducks’ starting goaltender. The 25-year-old had outplayed Gibson for the job last season. Mrazek will support him in the backup role.

The Ottawa Senators acquire defenseman Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a third-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators were in the market for a right-shot defenseman to replace Nick Jensen, who recently underwent hip surgery with no timeline for his return. Spence, 24, carries an affordable $1.5 million cap hit for 2025-26. He netted 28 points in 79 games last season with the Kings.

The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Kevin Bahl to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $5.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bahl was acquired from the New Jersey Devils as part of the return in the Jacob Markstrom trade. He quickly established himself among their top-four blueliners, logging over 21 minutes of ice time per game.