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It’s NHL trade deadline day, and contending teams have one more chance to improve their rosters for a playoff run.
They’ve been busy in the week leading up to Friday.
The defending champion Florida Panthers boosted their repeat efforts by adding defenseman Seth Jones and center Nico Sturm, the NHL leader in faceoff winning percentage. The runner-up Edmonton Oilers added gritty winger Trent Frederic and defenseman Jake Walman.
The Tampa Bay Lightning brought back two-time Stanley Cup winner Yanni Gourde and Reilly Smith is returning to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won the 2023 championship. The 2022 champion Colorado Avalanche added center Brock Nelson.
More moves are expected on Friday with the names of Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand, Kyle Palmieri, Ryan Donato and others being tossed around.
Follow along for news and analysis on trade deadline day. Previous deals can be found here.
When is the NHL trade deadline?
The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET.
He averages $4.75 million in his two-year extension, per reports. He was a good signing last summer and has 44 points in 54 games. He also provides a leadership role as a veteran on the young team.
With center Brock Nelson gone, teams could circle to Flyers center Scott Laughton, who has another year left on his contract. Chicago’s Ryan Donato has a career-best 23 goals and would draw interest if the Blackhawks can’t re-sign him.
Nothing announced yet this morning, but it’s early.
Just because Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello traded Brock Nelson, it doesn’t mean he’s having a big sale. Newsday reported that the team is still trying to get pending unrestricted free agent Kyle Palmieri signed to an extension.
Multiple reports late last night said the Hurricanes and Stars had worked out a framework for a trade for Mikko Rantanen, and the Stars were working on a contract extension with the winger in order to complete the deal. However, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported this morning that there is no deal in place.
The Red Wings had moved Jake Walman to the Sharks essentially to get him off their roster and sweetened the deal by including a second-round pick in exchange for future considerations. Walman made that deal look bad by becoming the Sharks’ top defenseman and recording a career-best 32 points. So now, Sharks general manager Mike Grier has received a second-round pick (from Detroit) and a first-round pick (from Edmonton) for 50 games worth of Walman’s tenure in San Jose.
The Oilers acquired defenseman Jake Walman from the Sharks for a conditional 2026 first-round and forward Carl Berglund. Here are the conditions:
- If Edmonton’s first-round pick in 2026 is in the top 12, the Oilers may choose to transfer their 2027 first-round pick to San Jose.
- Should Edmonton choose to trade their 2027 first round pick before the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the 2026 first-round selection will automatically transfer to San Jose, unconditionally.Â
The Avalanche acquire forwards Brock Nelson and William Dufour from the Islanders for defenseman Oliver Kylington, forward Calum Ritchie, a 2026 first-round pick and a conditional 2028 third-round pick. According to puckpedia.com, the Islanders retain 50% of Nelson’s salary.
Colorado gets its desired upgrade at No. 2 center. Nelson has 20 goals this season and has 30 or more in the previous three seasons. Islanders general Lou Lamoriello gets a first-round pick and a former first-rounder (Ritchie) for Nelson, who was a pending unrestricted free agent. Kylington was sent to the Ducks for future considerations.
Yes, and they often are. If teams reach an agreement and call Central Registry by 3, it gets in a queue and can be announced after it’s approved.
The NHL posted video on Thursday about the Brian Dumoulin trade. Central Registry makes sure the teams are in agreement on the terms and that they’re cap compliant. In rare cases, a trade could be voided.
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