The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, but teams also like to get deals done early.
Already this season, the Minnesota Wild have acquired defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks, the Los Angeles Kings have traded for high-scoring New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin and the Utah Mammoth acquired defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames.
In the latest moves, the Colorado Avalanche acquired center Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Vegas Golden Knights acquired center Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals on Thursday, March 5.
Plenty of players remain, and the Rangers, Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Flames, Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers could be sellers.
Here are some of the more notable trades this season. Follow along for analysis on deals as the NHL trade deadline approaches:
The Blues placed forward Mathieu Joseph on unconditional waivers for purposes of terminating his contract. That would allow him to become a free agent, and if he signs with another team by 3 p.m. ET Friday, he would be eligible for the playoffs.
The Athletic's Michael Russo and Joe Smith report that the Rangers' price for Trocheck appears to be too high, and the Wild might look elsewhere for a center.
From NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet:
The trade: The Colorado Avalanche acquire forward Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional first-round draft pick in 2027 and a conditional 2026 fifth-round draft pick.
Analysis: Roy gives the Avalanche playoff experience and depth down the middle. He won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023 and has won 52.9 percent of his faceoffs this season. Roy was in his first season in Toronto after being part of the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade. He has a year left on his contract. If Colorado’s 2027 first-round selection is in the top 10, Colorado will send its unprotected 2028 first-round pick to Toronto. The fifth-round pick will be the lowest of the three that the Avalanche currently hold.
The trade: The Vegas Golden Knights acquire forward Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals for goaltender Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third-round pick and a 2029 second-rounder.
Analysis: Dowd has been with the Capitals since 2018-19 and is a solid bottom six forward who kills penalties. He has another year left on his contract. Vikman plays in the American Hockey League.
After acquiring Dowd, the Golden Knights placed Mark Stone on the injured list.
The trade: The Edmonton Oilers acquire forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks for forward Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 first-round pick.
Analysis: Edmonton continues to go all in after falling just short in the Stanley Cup Final two consecutive years, sending out another future first-round pick. Dickinson and Dach are hardly needle-movers (the veteran Dickinson has 13 points in 47 games and Dach, 23, has 9 points in 53 games) but they add to the Oilers' depth. Plus, Dickinson comes at a bit of a discount, the Blackhawks retaining half of his $4.25 million salary.
It also creates some future cap room, with Mangiapane's 2026-27 cap hit of $3.6 million off the books and Dickinson set to be a free agent this summer (Dach is an RFA). While that seems like a decent bit of business, it solves a problem the Oilers created themselves by giving Mangiapane, who has just 14 points in 52 games, a two-year deal. And it comes at the cost of a first-round pick and removes all protections from their 2026 first-round pick, which they had previously traded to the San Jose Sharks.
The trade: The Colorado Avalanche acquire defenseman Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Analysis: You can never have enough defensive depth, and Blankenburg provides a left shot on a Colorado team heavy on right shots. Blankenburg, who ranked second among Nashville defensemen with 21 points, is the third Predators player to be dealt in two days. Nashville now has 12 picks in the 2027 draft and added two in 2028 from the Michael McCarron and Cole Smith trades. The Avalanche earlier changed up their blue line by trading Samuel Girard for Brett Kulak.
The trade: The Utah Mammoth acquire defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Olli Maatta, Cornell center Jonathan Castagna and three second-round picks.
Analysis: The Mammoth have upgraded their defense since moving to Utah in 2024. Weegar is the latest in a list that includes Mikhail Sergachev. Weegar is a right-shot defenseman who scored 20 goals two seasons ago, though he has only three this season. That (and his minus-35 rating) should improve on a Utah team that sits in a wild-card position. He is signed through 2031 while Maatta is a pending unrestricted free agent.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Castagna is in his third year at Cornell and has 32 points in 29 games.
TSN's Darren Dreger reports that the Blues and Sabres are working on a deal to send defenseman Colton Parayko to Buffalo. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that defenseman MacKenzie Weegar could be traded to the Utah Mammoth. Both would have to approve the moves.
Analysis: Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton won't play for roster management reasons, the team said. All three players have been mentioned in trade rumors. Laughton and McMann are pending unrestricted free agents and Ekman-Larsson is signed through 2028.
The details: He gets a five-year, $28.75 million contract extension, a cap hit of $5.75 million.
Analysis: The Sharks dealt two draft picks and a minor leaguer to land Sherwood, who has 18 goals and is second in the league in hits. The extension means they won't have to flip him. He said he's "just fired up" about the extension.
The trade: The Dallas Stars acquire defenseman Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2029 fourth-rounder.
Analysis: The Stars have won 10 in a row and Houston native Myers gives them veteran depth on their blue line. The right shot defenseman has another year left on his contract, and the Canucks are retaining 50% of his salary. The Stars have the 6-foot-8 Myers and 6-foot-7 Liam Bischel on their defense corps.
The trade: The Vegas Golden Knights acquire forward Cole Smith from the Nashville Predators for defenseman Christoffer Sedoff and a third-round pick in the 2028 draft.
Analysis: That's two trades in one day for the Predators. Just like Michael McCarron, who was dealt to the Wild, Smith kills penalties. He was tied for second in hits in Nashville (behind McCarron) with 119. Sedoff has spent the last three seasons in the American Hockey League.
The trade: The Minnesota Wild acquire forward Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick in the 2028 draft.
Analysis: Minnesota adds to its depth as it eyes a deep playoff run, importing the hulking McCarron, who stands 6-foot-6. He has 12 points, 73 penalty minutes and 165 hits in 59 games this season for Nashville, kills penalties and has a 52.8 faceoff winning percentage.
March 2: Oilers acquire Connor Murphy
The trade: The Edmonton Oilers acquire defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2028 second-round pick.
Analysis: The Blackhawks retain 50 percent of the $4.4 million cap hit for the pending unrestricted free agent. The Oilers have been leaking goals, and the 6-foot-4 Murphy is a solid defensive defenseman. He played on the No. 1 unit of the league's best penalty kill, led the Blackhawks in blocked shots and was third in hits.
Feb. 24: Penguins, Avalanche swap defensemen
The trade: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick from the Avalanche for defenseman Brett Kulak.
Analysis: The Avalanche pick up salary cap space and add a defenseman who has been to the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons. The Penguins had acquired pending unrestricted free agent Kulak in the Stuart Skinner trade, Girard is also a pending UFA, and Pittsburgh gets a draft pick in the deal by flipping Kulak.
Feb. 4: Kings acquire Artemi Panarin
The trade: The Los Angeles Kings acquire forward Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers for forward Liam Greentree and conditional third-round (2026) and fourth-round (2028) picks.
Analysis: The Kings are hurting for offense and Panarin can provide plenty. He also signed a two-year extension with an $11 million cap hit, ensuring he'll be around after Anze Kopitar retires at season's end. It didn't help the team, though, that Kevin Fiala broke his leg at the Olympics before Panarin suited up. Panarin had a full no-movement clause, so the Rangers were limited in their return, but Greentree was the Kings' top prospect and the third-round pick could become a second-rounder.
Feb. 4: Devils acquire Nick Bjugstad
The trade: The New Jersey Devils acquire forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues for forward Thomas Bordeleau and a conditional fourth-round pick.
Analysis: This is the third time Bjugstad has been moved near the trade deadline because the 6-6 forward is a good fit in the bottom six. He has another year left on his contract.
Jan. 27: Islanders acquire Ondrej Palat
The trade: The New York Islanders acquire left wing Ondrej Palat, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick from the New Jersey Devils for forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
Analysis: That's two trades in two days with a division rival. Palat is a two-time Stanley Cup winner (with the Lightning) and kills penalties. Tsyplakov didn't get a lot of ice time with the Islanders but has potential.
Jan. 26: Islanders acquire Carson Soucy
The trade: The New York Islanders acquire defenseman Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Analysis: Soucy was the first player moved after the Rangers informed fans that the team would retool. It's a rare deal completed between the Islanders and Rangers.
Jan. 20: Sharks acquire Kiefer Sherwood
The trade: The San Jose Sharks acquire forward Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks for second-round picks in 2026 and 2027, plus defenseman Cole Clayton.
Analysis: Sherwood had been mentioned as a trade candidate since the Canucks started slowly. The pending free agent is among the leader in hits and had 17 goals at the time of the deal. The Sharks are playing better than expected and this deal shows they are trying to push for a playoff spot.
Jan. 19: Golden Knights acquire Rasmus Andersson
The trade: The Vegas Golden Knights acquire defenseman Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Zach Whitecloud, defense prospect Abram Wiebe, a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a conditional second-rounder in 2028.
Analysis: The Golden Knights had been without Alex Pietrangelo all season and Andersson gives Vegas another puck-moving defenseman. The Flames get a good return for a pending unrestricted free agent. Andersson is the second defenseman Vegas had acquired from Calgary recently after the 2024 trade for Noah Hanifin. Hanifin eventually signed an extension and the Golden Knights will seek the same from Andersson.
Dec. 29: Penguins acquire Yegor Chinakhov
The trade: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round draft pick and a 2027 third-rounder.
Analysis: Chinakhov had requested a trade last season. He's a pending restricted free agent so the Penguins have control over his future. Heinen is a pending UFA.
Dec. 19: Canadiens acquire Phillip Danault
The trade: The Montreal Canadiens acquire center Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2026 second-round pick.
Analysis: Danault is coming back to Montreal. He was a key shutdown player during the Canadiens' 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Dec. 19: Blue Jackets acquire Mason Marchment
The trade: The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire forward Mason Marchment from the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
Analysis: Marchment had been off to a slow start after an offseason trade in which Seattle gave up a third- and a fourth-round pick. But he scored 22 goals in each of his last two seasons in Dallas.
Dec. 12: Wild acquire Quinn Hughes
The trade: The Minnesota Wild acquire Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.
Analysis: This is a sign that the Wild are going for it and it gives them a dynamic former Norris Trophy winner to match Cale Makar if they face the Avalanche in the playoffs. The Wild gave up a lot - Buium was great at Denver and for the USA at the world junior championships - and Hughes acknowledged that and appreciated it. That could help sway Hughes when he's eligible to sign a contract extension in July.
Dec. 12: Oilers, Penguins swap goalies
The trade: The Edmonton Oilers acquire Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round pick.
Analysis: The Oilers pull the plug on Skinner, who was either spectacular or bad during back-to-back runs to the Stanley Cup Final. But they land another inconsistent goalie in Jarry, who has had injury troubles. Skinner and Kulak are pending free agents, so the Penguins could flip them at the deadline. If Skinner works out, it would allow the Penguins to continue developing goalie Sergei Murashov in the American Hockey League.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL trade deadline live tracker top deals, team, player analysis
