Part 1: Who Really Runs the NHL Trade Deadline?
For 20 years now, I’ve had to pay very close attention to the trade deadline and the time leading into it. Over that span, I’ve come to certain conclusions — and through the help of AI giving me a script to run the numbers, I’ve put together a four-part series that I’m starting today.
Part 1: Who Runs the Trade Deadline
Part 2:Â What Teams Are Better Buyers or Sellers
Part 4:Â How Market Size Affects the Deadline
Part 5:Â Deadline Activity vs. Playoff Success
The Teams Who Trade the Most — and Why It Matters
Over the last 10 seasons, there are definite patterns, and the same teams shape the deadline every year.  By tracking trade involvement from February 1 through the trade deadline (early March), patterns form that reveal who acts as sellers, who waits as buyers, and who barely moves at all.  This part isn’t about one deadline.
It’s about organizational behavior.
Each team in a trade = +1(Three-team trades = +1 for each team)
This captures early framework deals, cap retention, and deadline-day execution — the full market, not just the final hours.
NHL Trade Involvement Rankings
February + Deadline (Last 10 Seasons
1
Montreal Canadiens
38
2
Arizona/Utah
36
3
Anaheim Ducks
35
4
Chicago Blackhawks
34
5
Columbus Blue Jackets
33
6
Ottawa Senators
32
7
Buffalo Sabres
31
8
San Jose Sharks
30
9
Philadelphia Flyers
29
10
New Jersey Devils
28
11
Vancouver Canucks
28
12
Detroit Red Wings
27
13
Calgary Flames
26
14
Los Angeles Kings
26
15
Nashville Predators
25
16
Minnesota Wild
25
17
Toronto Maple Leafs
24
18
St. Louis Blues
24
19
New York Rangers
23
20
Carolina Hurricanes
23
21
Boston Bruins
22
22
Vegas Golden Knights
22
23
Florida Panthers
21
24
Winnipeg Jets
21
25
Colorado Avalanche
20
26
Dallas Stars
20
27
Edmonton Oilers
19
28
Washington Capitals
19
29
Tampa Bay Lightning
18
30
Pittsburgh Penguins
17
31
New York Islanders
16
32
Seattle Kraken
10
The Teams That Control the Market
At the top of the list sit familiar names: the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona/Utah, Anaheim Ducks, and Chicago Blackhawks.
These teams haven’t been deadline shoppers over the last ten years — instead, they’ve tended to set the deadline infrastructure.
February belongs to sellers — as we just saw with Panarin.  Rebuilding or flexible teams understand that leverage peaks before desperation. Acting early allows them to…
That’s why teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres consistently appear near the top. Even when they’re competitive, they stay transactionally flexible.
Buyers Move Less — But Louder
Contenders tell a different story.  The Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, and Vegas Golden Knights trade less — but strike harder.
Quiet February
Targeted deadline-day moves
Fewer trades, bigger impact
They don’t build the market….They finish it.
At the bottom sit organizations that value stability above all else. The New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tampa Bay Lightning consistently trade less, trusting internal solutions and chemistry…but these teams, especially Tampa, tend to male some smart impactful trades…as we will see later in this series.
The trade deadline isn’t chaos like it appears.  There are patterns. There are tendencies.
Who has leverage
Who controls retention
Who sets the board
March reveals the final, and often riskier, big swings..
GM-specific deadline behavior
Deadline trades vs. playoff success
Who consistently overpays — and who wins
And finally, the trades that have actually turned into playoff success
WHAT SAY YOU>? Â Comment please and I will respond.