{"id":507881,"date":"2026-02-27T16:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/507881\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T16:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:26:17","slug":"ranking-the-nhls-10-biggest-trade-deadline-buyers-and-sellers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/507881\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking the NHL\u2019s 10 biggest trade deadline buyers and sellers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning, hockey folks. We\u2019re exactly a week out from the NHL trade deadline, and the scuttlebutt is coming fast and furious. Let\u2019s dive into some of the latest.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb \/ The Athletic, with photos by Ezra Shaw, Ethan Miller and Melissa Tamez \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

For SaleTop 10 sellers<\/p>\n

Originally, I was going to rank all 32 teams by their willingness to buy and\/or sell, but let\u2019s just say that ended up being too ambitious for this Red Lighter \u2014 in part because a few teams are in a weird in-between space, where they may not be big players either way at the March 6 deadline.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s instead break down the 10 most likely buyers and sellers, with a deeper look at which players might be on the trade block over the next seven days. As always, make sure you\u2019re keeping an eye on the latest trade board<\/a> for up-to-date info.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s our sellers list as it stands today, ranked by likelihood of being the biggest players on the market:<\/p>\n

1. St. Louis Blues<\/p>\n

Pending unrestricted free agents: Oskar Sundqvist, Robby Fabbri
\nOthers on trade board: Justin Faulk, Jordan Binnington, Brayden Schenn, Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou
\nAnalysis: No team has as many high-impact players available. How dramatically GM Doug Armstrong unloads remains to be seen, but the Blues could bring the biggest fireworks if the deals line up for them. Here\u2019s what Jeremy Rutherford is hearing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Vancouver Canucks<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, David K\u00e4mpf
\nOthers on trade board: Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland
\nAnalysis: It\u2019s full-on tank mode for the Canucks, who are paying for years and years of mismanagement and now have to sell off anything that isn\u2019t bolted down<\/a>. It\u2019s going to be painful, sure, but at least there\u2019s finally a semblance of a plan and a youth movement on the way.<\/p>\n

3. Calgary Flames<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: Ryan Lomberg
\nOthers on trade board: Blake Coleman, Nazem Kadri, Zach Whitecloud, Morgan Frost
\nAnalysis: The Flames have some very interesting pieces with term that could fetch high prices, led by Kadri<\/a> and Coleman, who have both played key roles on Cup winners in recent years.<\/p>\n

4. New York Rangers<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: Jonathan Quick
\nOthers on trade board: Vincent Trocheck, Braden Schneider, Brennan Othmann
\nAnalysis: The Rangers have already shipped out a ton over the past 12 months or so, but the sell-off is likely to continue with a haul for Trocheck \u2014 and maybe more<\/a>, depending on how deep GM Chris Drury wants to cut.<\/p>\n

5. Nashville Predators<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, Michael McCarron, Nick Blankenburg
\nOthers on trade board: Ryan O\u2019Reilly, Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault
\nAnalysis: The Preds have made quite a run back to respectability of late, but their playoff chances are still sitting around just 24 percent, and they have some valuable vets to peddle. If ROR and Stamkos decide they want to go<\/a>, Nashville could climb this ranking.<\/p>\n

6. Toronto Maple Leafs<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, Calle J\u00e4rnkrok, Troy Stecher
\nOthers on trade board: Simon Benoit
\nAnalysis: Woof, have they been bad coming out of the Olympic break. The only question now is how aggressively<\/a> GM Brad Treliving is willing to sell, as there\u2019s no point holding out hope they\u2019ll make a playoff push. (It\u2019s more like a lottery push at this point.)<\/p>\n

7. Chicago Blackhawks<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson, Ilya Mikheyev, Matt Grzelcyk
\nOthers on trade board: none
\nAnalysis: They\u2019re creeping into the lottery conversation again after a pile of losses over the last six weeks, and it\u2019s time to sell<\/a> to keep stocking the cupboards for better days ahead.<\/p>\n

8. San Jose Sharks<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: John Klingberg, Kiefer Sherwood, Alex Nedeljkovic, Mario Ferraro, Timothy Liljegren, Vincent Desharnais
\nOthers on trade board: none
\nAnalysis: The Sharks still have a legit chance at making the playoffs, but their contention window is a ways down the line, so moving off of some of their many UFA defensemen for futures makes a lot of sense. But they could keep some of their rentals<\/a> if they\u2019d like to give Celebrini and company a shot at a postseason push.<\/p>\n

9. Winnipeg Jets<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: Gustav Nyquist, Luke Schenn, Logan Stanley
\nOthers on trade board: none
\nAnalysis: What a horrible, no good, very bad season in Winnipeg. It doesn\u2019t appear as though the Jets will move more than rentals, with an eye on a return to competitiveness<\/a> next season, so there may not be anything too exciting here.<\/p>\n

10. New Jersey Devils<\/p>\n

Pending UFAs: Evgenii Dadonov
\nOthers on trade board: Dougie Hamilton
\nAnalysis: New Jersey\u2019s playoff chances are basically nil at this point, but don\u2019t expect a widespread sell-off. If the Devils find a taker for Hamilton<\/a>, however, that could make them one of the more high-impact teams at this deadline. Otherwise, it could be quiet.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche. (Jamie Schwaberow \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Goin\u2019 For ItTop 10 buyers<\/p>\n

The list below reads a lot like a ranking of the top Cup contenders, with these 10 teams combining for an 86 percent chance<\/a> to win it all this year.<\/p>\n

1. Colorado Avalanche<\/p>\n

Needs: This is a deep roster, but the Avs could still use help up front. They already bolstered the back end by adding Brett Kulak<\/a> earlier this week, but another impact center and winger would go a long way to helping them escape their current malaise. And they have a ton of cap room.<\/p>\n

2. Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n

Needs: An elite center<\/a> would sure fit nicely here. And you can\u2019t help but wonder if the \u2018Canes contemplate an upgrade in goal, given Frederik Andersen\u2019s injury issues and Brandon Bussi\u2019s inexperience.<\/p>\n

3. Dallas Stars<\/p>\n

Needs: They have cap room if they spend some of Tyler Seguin\u2019s long-term injured reserve money and could use help<\/a> both up front and in their top four on D.<\/p>\n

4. Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n

Needs: Time to go play goalie roulette again, I guess? Tristan Jarry is down to an .864 save percentage, significantly worse than anything Stuart Skinner ever put up in Edmonton, so it\u2019s back to the drawing board.<\/p>\n

5. Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n

Needs: If they can find a taker for Patrik Laine\u2019s contract<\/a>, they\u2019ll have enough cap space to bring in an impact player up front. A center would be ideal, although rookie Oliver Kapanen has been growing into the role fairly nicely of late.<\/p>\n

6. Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n

Needs: Does Bill Guerin have another trick up his sleeve<\/a> after landing the big fish in Quinn Hughes in December? The Wild ideally can land a center to help take on the Avs\/Stars juggernauts in the Central, and they will dangle top goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt to make that happen.<\/p>\n

7. Detroit Red Wings<\/p>\n

Needs: Help down the middle (second-line center) or a top-four defenseman would make the most sense for Detroit. Could Tyler Myers be a fit<\/a> here?<\/p>\n

8. Tampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n

Needs: They\u2019re a bit tight on cap space, so they\u2019d have to get a little creative, but that hasn\u2019t stopped GM Julien BriseBois<\/a> in the past. More forward depth is probably the only need, given how many defensemen they\u2019ve had step up this year.<\/p>\n

9. Vegas Golden Knights<\/p>\n

Needs: Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon is never shy about going after what he wants, and he has enough cap flexibility to be a player<\/a> at this deadline. Do the Golden Knights feel good enough about their situation in goal, which has been in flux all year?<\/p>\n

10. Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n

Needs: Our insiders flagged Utah as a potential surprise player at the deadline, and the fact that the Mammoth are up to an 85 percent chance<\/a> of making the playoffs in the West means they can get more aggressive. Could they possibly land one of the big names, given they\u2019re interested in adding either a forward or a D-man (or both)?<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd04 For more deadline analysis, check out Pierre LeBrun\u2019s latest rumblings<\/a>, which have details on Steven Stamkos, Nazem Kadri, the Panthers and more.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Ray Shero lifts the Stanley Cup in 2009. (Jim McIsaac \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

MirTrivia Question<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s see how well you know your trade deadline history.<\/p>\n

Early in the salary-cap era, the Penguins were always aggressive at the deadline. At one point, their GM, Ray Shero, added three different veteran stars in 2008, 2009 and 2013, in three of the bigger deadline moves in that time period.<\/p>\n

They traded away five young players (Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito, Kenny Agostino, Ben Hanowski), two first-round picks and a third-round pick to bring in two future Hall of Famers and one 400-goal man who is now the GM of a top club.<\/p>\n

Who were those three additions? And which one won a Cup with the Penguins?<\/p>\n

Answers at the bottom.<\/p>\n

Coast to Coast<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd47 The U.S. women\u2019s players say they are eager to put the focus<\/a> on their Olympic gold-medal win, not a \u201cdistasteful\u201d joke from Donald Trump. And the men\u2019s team weighs in similarly here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf0 Here\u2019s what Blues writer Jeremy Rutherford is hearing about their deadline plans, including for Team Canada netminder Jordan Binnington<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc40 Josh Yohe weighs in on Penguins GM Kyle Dubas\u2019 latest savvy trade and what it says<\/a> about Pittsburgh\u2019s surprisingly successful retool.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd2 A fire sale is coming in Vancouver, and Tyler Myers is likely the next to go. Here\u2019s why that\u2019s a good thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd14 Should the NHL learn from the Olympics and switch to a 3-2-1 point system<\/a>? It certainly has my vote.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa4 \u201cThe Athletic Hockey Show\u201d puts a bow on the Milan Cortina Games, discussing the controversy surrounding the men\u2019s team<\/a> attending the State of the Union and Connor Hellebuyck receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The crew also looks ahead to the deadline.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Bill Guerin celebrates after winning the Stanley Cup in 2009. (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

MirTrivia Answer<\/p>\n

Who did the Penguins acquire at the 2008, 2009 and 2013 deadlines?<\/p>\n

Mari\u00e1n Hossa was the big addition<\/a> in 2008, via the Atlanta Thrashers, and he helped Pittsburgh all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before the Penguins lost to the Detroit Red Wings, whom he then signed with the following season. And then lost in the final \u2026 to the Penguins.<\/p>\n

Bill Guerin, now the Wild GM, joined Pittsburgh a year later, in 2009, and won his second championship<\/a> as a player.<\/p>\n

And, in 2013, the Penguins went to the veteran well again, bringing aboard Jarome Iginla, whose brief tenure<\/a> in Crosbyville ended when the Pens were swept by Boston in the Eastern Conference final.<\/p>\n

Iginla, like Hossa, then joined the Bruins a year later \u2014 but failed to win a title.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb Love Red Light? Check out The Athletic\u2019s other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. Good morning, hockey…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":507882,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,7525,3615,7520,7522,7521,3064,3275,7524,5790,7523,7519,3617,575,7527,85,3935,4788,2370,7528,2371,7529,6000],"class_list":["post-507881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-calgary-flames","tag-carolina-hurricanes","tag-chicago-blackhawks","tag-colorado-avalanche","tag-dallas-stars","tag-detroit-red-wings","tag-edmonton-oilers","tag-minnesota-wild","tag-montreal-canadiens","tag-nashville-predators","tag-new-jersey-devils","tag-new-york-rangers","tag-nhl","tag-san-jose-sharks","tag-sports","tag-st-louis-blues","tag-tampa-bay-lightning","tag-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-utah-mammoth","tag-vancouver-canucks","tag-vegas-golden-knights","tag-winnipeg-jets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=507881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507881\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/507882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=507881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=507881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=507881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}