Names continue to fly off the board with the NHL trade deadline only a few days away.
As Stanley Cup contenders separate themselves from the rest, and those sitting outside the playoff picture start to consider pawning off their assets to the highest bidder, the drama off the ice is keeping hockey fans hooked while teams slog through the dog days of the season.
Here’s a breakdown of all the trades and news out of the NHL in the lead-up to the March 3 deadline.
February 28
The Carolina Hurricanes acquired winger Jesse Puljujärvi from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for the rights to unsigned forward Patrik Puistola. Edmonton’s fourth overall pick in 2016, Puljujärvi has struggled this season with only five goals and 14 points in 58 games. The 24-year-old carries a $3-million cap hit and will become a restricted free agent with a $3 million qualifying offer at the end of the season.
Puistola, 22, was drafted by the Hurricanes in the third round in 2019. He has 15 goals and 38 points in 56 games with Liiga’s Jukurit Mikkeli this season.
February 27
The Buffalo Sabres acquired defenseman Riley Stillman from the Vancouver Canucks on Monday in exchange for forward prospect Josh Bloom. Stillman, 24, has been held without a goal through 32 games for the Canucks this season, picking up five assists on the year.
Bloom, 19, has 58 points in 59 OHL games this season split between North Bay and Saginaw.
February 27
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Jake McCabe, forward Sam Lafferty, a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025 from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional 2025 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev. Chicago will retain 50 percent of McCabe’s $4 million salary for this season, along with the next two seasons. McCabe has two goals and 20 points in 55 games while averaging 19:30 per game, while Lafferty has 10 goals and 21 points in 51 games.
February 26
The Nashville Predators acquired forward Isaac Ratcliffe from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for future considerations. A second-round pick of the Flyers in 2017, Ratcliffe has two goals and four points in 26 AHL games this season.
February 26
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired forward Tanner Jeannot from the Nashville Predators on Sunday but it didn’t come cheap. In return, the Predators are receiving defenseman Cal Foote, a first-round pick in 2025 (top 10 protected), a second-round selection in 2024, as well as third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2023.
Jeannot has played in 56 games for the Predators this season, recording five goals and 14 points, including 85 penalty minutes.
February 26
The Colorado Avalanche reunited with defenseman Jack Johnson, acquiring him from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Andreas Englund, the team announced on Sunday. Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2021-22. He has four points in 58 games this season. Englund has three points in 36 contests in 2022-23.
February 26
The New Jersey Devils landed the biggest fish available at the deadline by acquiring star forward Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks. The deal is still pending an official trade call and the Sharks’ return is not yet known.
February 26
The Montreal Canadiens acquired forward Denis Gurianov from the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Evgenii Dadonov, the teams announced on Sunday. The Canadiens will retain 50 percent of Dadonov’s salary until the end of the current season. Gurianov has two goals and seven assists in 43 games this year, while Dadonov has four goals and 14 assists in 50 contests.
February 26
The Vegas Golden Knights have acquired forward Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a prospect, according to multiple reports. The 27-year-old has recorded 10 goals and 19 assists in 59 games this season and will hit free agency at the end of the campaign.
February 25
The Winnipeg Jets acquired forward Nino Niederreiter from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. Niederreiter, 30, has 18 goals and 28 points in 56 games this season. Niederreiter signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Nashville after spending the previous four seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.
February 25
The Vancouver Canucks acquired forward Vitali Kravtsov from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Will Lockwood and a 2026 seventh-round pick. The Rangers’ ninth overall pick in 2018, Kravtsov reportedly requested a trade earlier this month. He has five goals and five assists in 45 career NHL games. Lockwood, 24, has one assist in 12 games with the Canucks this season, to go along with 12 goals and 18 points in 28 AHL games.
February 25
The Colorado Avalanche acquire goaltender Keith Kinkaid from Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Shane Bowers. Kinkaid, 33, gives the Avalanche some veteran protection behind goaltenders Alexandar Georgiev and Pavel Francouz. Bowers, a first-round pick of the Senators in 2017, has failed to make the leap to the NHL since being sent to Colorado as part of the Matt Duchene trade. The 23-year-old has four goals and 14 points in 37 games in the AHL this season.
February 23
The Boston Bruins aren’t waiting for deadline day to gear up for the stretch run.
The NHL’s top team acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Capitals on Thursday, sending forward Craig Smith along with a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 second-rounder and a 2024 third the other way.
To make the salary work, the Minnesota Wild got involved in the trade, securing a fifth-round pick to retain a portion of Orlov’s salary.
February 23
The Blackhawks and Ducks swapped AHL depth players, with Chicago sending forward Josiah Slavin to Anaheim in exchange for winger/defenseman Hunter Drew.
February 22
The Ottawa Senators have cleared some valuable cap space ahead of the NHL trade deadline, dealing defenseman Nikita Zaitsev — along with a 2023 second-round draft pick and a 2026 fourth — to the Chicago Blackhawks for “future considerations” in a salary-dump move.
Shipping Zaitsev and his $4.5-million cap hit — this season and next — to Chicago helps pave the way for a potentially significant move as Ottawa is likely to be a buyer at the deadline this year for the first time in a while.
“We’re pleased to afford Nikita a fresh start,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion wrote in a statement.
“He’s a pro’s pro who showcased himself to be a caring teammate and quiet leader throughout his Sens tenure. We’re thankful for his time in Ottawa and wish he and his family the best in his next chapter.”
Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said Chicago intends to keep Zaitsev in hopes he can add some NHL-caliber depth to the right side of the team’s d-corps.
February 22
The Vegas Golden Knights acquired defenseman Dysin Mayo from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Shea Weber and a 2023 fifth-round pick. Weber is currently on long-term injured reserve and hasn’t played since Game 5 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. He has three years remaining on his contract.
February 19
The Rangers acquired Tyler Motte from the Ottawa Senators, trading for the 27-year-old for the second season in a row.
Ottawa will receive forward Julien Gauthier and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2023. The pick becomes a sixth-round selection if New York advances past the first round of the playoffs.
On paper, Motte is not a flashy addition. Through nine games with the Rangers last season, he failed to collect a point. The 27-year-old did, however, generate two points (both goals) through 15 playoff games.
February 17
The St. Louis Blues traded forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for 2023 first- and third-round picks, a 2024 second-round pick, along with minor-league forwards Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette. St. Louis retained 50 percent of O’Reilly’s salary in the deal. The Minnesota Wild retained 25 percent of O’Reilly’s salary in exchange for Toronto 2025 fourth-round pick, while also sending forward prospect Josh Pillar to the Maple Leafs.
The St. Louis Blues traded forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola to the New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional first-round draft pick in 2023, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024, forward Sammy Blais and prospect Hunter Skinner.
The San Jose Sharks traded defenseman Jaycob Megna to the Seattle Kraken for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. In 48 games this season, Megna has registered 12 points and 21 penalty minutes. The 30-year-old is signed through 2024 at a $762,500 AAV.
The Islanders also announced they signed Bo Horvat to an eight-year, $68-million ($8.5-million AAV) contract extension.
The Washington Capitals signed forward Sonny Milano to a three-year, $5.7-million contract extension. Milano, 26, has registered 22 points in 40 games after signing a one-year deal with the Capitals in early November.
The Capitals agreed to a five-year, $25-million contract extension with forward Dylan Strome after the 25-year-old joined Washington on a one-year deal in the offseason. Strome is third in team scoring with 36 points in 52 games.
The Vancouver Canucks traded captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders for forward Anthony Beauvillier, prospect Aatu Raty and a protected 2023 first-round pick. Horvat, 27, is on pace to have a career year, scoring 31 goals and registering 54 points in 49 games.
Beauvillier, 25, has struggled in 2022-23, posting only 20 points in 49 games. Raty, 20, was taken by the Islanders with the 52nd-overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft.
The San Jose Sharks traded defenseman Ryan Merkley and forward Matt Nieto to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Martin Kaut and defenseman Jacob MacDonald.
The Avalanche took a chance on Merkley after the 24-year-old puck-moving defenseman requested a trade out of San Jose in January, while also acquiring a familiar face in Nieto, who played in Colorado between 2016 and 2020. In return, the Sharks brought in Kaut, a once highly-touted lottery pick that could not find his footing with the Avs, and undrafted veteran blueliner MacDonald.
The NHL trade deadline is at 3PM EST on March 3.
Arizona Coyotes’ Jacob Chychrun is the best defenseman up for grabs, with a number of teams around the league interested in acquiring the 24-year-old under team control through 2026.
Once the cornerstone of an NHL dynasty, forward Patrick Kane may be packing his bags to leave Chicago, but any potential move will depend on whether they feel comfortable with a trade. Forward Max Domi is also likely to be moved.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov will also be one of the most coveted players come trade deadline day, with a number of championship contenders eager to add his solid defensive presence to their backend.
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