We\u2019re days away from the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. The\u00a0first 2026\u00a0NHL Trade Deadline, that is. The real one remains March 6, but all trading halts for the Olympic break beginning Feb. 4 at 3:00 p.m. ET. That might create a mini-deadline environment in which we see a flurry of deals this coming week.<\/p>\n
Of the prominent names bandied about as trade candidates this season \u2013 feel free to use\u00a0my Trade Board<\/a>\u00a0as a reference point \u2013\u00a0whom do you think it would be a big mistake to move?<\/p>\n MATT LARKIN:\u00a0The\u00a0Robert Thomas\u00a0talk befuddles me. Whether they\u2019re contending, retooling or rebuilding\u2026the\u00a0St. Louis Blues<\/a>\u00a0should trade their 26-year-old No. 1 center why, exactly? Over the past three seasons, only two centers average more assists per 60 at 5-on-5 than Thomas. Their names are Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. I don\u2019t see many scenarios in which the Blues win a trade involving Thomas. You work through a rebuild in hopes of\u00a0getting\u00a0a player like Thomas.<\/p>\n SCOTT MAXWELL:\u00a0I feel like this topic was made for\u00a0Alex Tuch. When we spoke about how we\u2019d fix the\u00a0Buffalo Sabres<\/a>\u00a0last month<\/a>, I was adamant that Tuch should not be a player they move, because he wants to be in Buffalo, which is the type of player the Sabres should be prioritizing. And that was when the team was bad! Now they\u2019re doing great, gearing up for a run to the playoffs and what lies beyond, and it would make absolutely no sense to deal Tuch. If a team comes along with an offer you can\u2019t refuse, then take it, but otherwise, Tuch should be treated like an own rental.<\/a> This is the Sabres\u2019 best chance to make the playoffs in 15 years, and while they shouldn\u2019t throw caution to the wind just to secure this one playoff spot, hanging onto Tuch would give them their best opportunity to get there. Besides, it\u2019s not like there\u2019s zero chance he stays in Buffalo. He clearly wants to be there, so take the risk of keeping him around.<\/p>\n MIKE GOULD: I\u2019m going to start off by disagreeing with Scott. Buffalo is a very strong team this year and I think they have a real chance to make noise in the playoffs, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019d handcuff them all that much to move Tuch for a longer-term piece. Tuch is a well-regarded veteran, but if you talk to enough Sabres fans, you\u2019ll come away with the strong impression that his reputation surpasses his on-ice impacts. Anyway, onto the question: I\u2019m going to take a different approach to this and say the Montreal Canadiens <\/a>should not move Michael Hage. Yes, they could use another NHL-level center, but Hage \u2014 a 2024 first-round pick \u2014 isn\u2019t far away from becoming one of those himself, and there aren\u2019t too many appealing targets for Montreal on the trade block. The Habs have a bunch of other assets they could use to land a big fish, including fellow top prospect David Reinbacher, but Hage should be strictly off-limits.<\/p>\n PAUL PIDUTTI:\u00a0Our friends Tyler and Hutts discussed the curious\u00a0Jesper Wallstedt\u00a0rumor on\u00a0DFO Live this week<\/a>. I\u2019d consider such a move to be a big mistake if it goes down. I understand the\u00a0Minnesota Wild<\/a>\u00a0have two dragons to slay in their own division in\u00a0Colorado<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Dallas<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 just to get halfway to a Stanley Cup. I also get that they don\u2019t have a lot of assets to move and have Filip Gustavsson, a very capable starter, under contract long-term. But it\u2019s become extremely rare to get through a full season (and postseason) without seeing No. 1 goaltenders injured, struggling or in need of relief. Using a 23-year-old goaltending talent to potentially rent a player in-season feels reckless, if that were the case. If Bill Guerin truly deems two good goaltenders a luxury and not a need, then it would be easier to win a Wallstedt swap in the offseason with more suitors and league-wide cap space\u00a0for creativity.<\/p>\n STEVEN ELLIS: All excellent choices. I\u2019m going to take this in a slightly different route and say\u00a0Seattle\u2019s first-round pick. The Kraken<\/a> have a real chance of making the playoffs, but I think they should still lean more toward seller than buyer, no matter what.\u00a0Shane Wright<\/a>\u00a0has the potential to be the team\u2019s most valuable trade asset, which should be enough to bring in veteran help for a playoff push. But don\u2019t sacrifice the future \u2013 this team is still a long way from being a true contender, and moving any future pieces would be a colossal mistake. It\u2019s great they\u2019re still in the hunt, but there\u2019s no need to be aggressive, especially if a good draft pick is still in the cards.<\/p>\n ANTHONY TRUDEAU:\u00a0I\u2019m glad Steven mentioned\u00a0Shane Wright, whom I\u2019d already considered as my answer. Wright had the most name value of anyone in what turned out to be a solid 2022 class and fell to the team that, as the NHL\u2019s youngest franchise, could most use a signature player. That makes Seattle\u2019s disinterest (13:48 ATOI) in the former OHL standout confounding, especially after he showed legit offensive pop (19 G, 44P in 79 GP) as a rookie. While it makes sense that top center Matty Beniers is held in higher esteem internally, what about Wright\u2019s game is so unappealing that he needs to sit behind Chandler Stephenson, who\u2019s simply drowning (32.74% expected-goal share) in huge minutes (19:45 ATOI), or career depth guy Freddy Gaudreau (16:12)? The Kraken need young, dangerous players if they ever want to shake their image as the league\u2019s least interesting club. Wright, a good finisher who just turned 22, could be that guy. Instead of selling low, play the kid.<\/p>\n _____<\/p>\n POST SPONSORED bet365<\/p>\n ____<\/p>\n Recent Daily Faceoff Roundtables<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re days away from the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. The\u00a0first 2026\u00a0NHL Trade Deadline, that is. 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