While 2025’s deadline was filled with superstar trades and emotional send-offs, the 2026 NHL trade deadline followed a more routine pattern as contenders prepped for the playoffs and bottom feeders sold off what they could.
The Minnesota Wild had already made their big move in December when they acquired defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks.
The Wild, who currently sit at 3rd in the Central division, added another playoff piece by acquiring forward Nick Foligno from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Foligno, a veteran with playoff experience with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins, joins his brother, Marcus, in Minnesota.
With a core of Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, Quinn Hughes and the Folignos, the Wild are looking to win their first playoff series since 2015.
Two players returned to previous teams at the deadline.
The top-seeded Colorado Avalanche acquired forward Nazem Kadri from the Calgary Flames.
Kadri, a part of the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Avs, is expected to play a depth role alongside veteran Brock Nelson, who was acquired at last year’s deadline, and Nicolas Roy – who was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 5.
Another veteran forward, Corey Perry, returned to the Tampa Bay Lightning after spending the 2021-23 seasons with the team.
Perry has played in the Stanley Cup finals five times since 2020 – and has been on the losing side each time.
Perry lost in the Finals as a member of the Lightning in 2022.
The Lightning, who currently sit atop the Eastern Conference, sent the Los Angeles Kings a 2026 2nd-round pick in exchange for Perry.
The Washington Capitals traded long-time defenseman John Carlson to the surging Anaheim Ducks and the contending Carolina Hurricanes acquired depth piece Nicolas Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Capitals acquired Carlson’s replacement, Timothy Liljegen, from the San Jose Sharks.
The St. Louis Blues, who sit second to last in the Central Division, send team captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders in exchange for forward Jonathan Drouin.
The Isles, who are currently third in the Metropolitan Division, added Schenn to serve as center-depth behind top line center Bo Horvat and forward Mathew Barzal.
The Blues, who had almost every core player on the trading block, also sent defenseman Justin Faulk to the Detroit Red Wings.
St. Louis also attempted to trade defenseman Colton Parayko to the Buffalo Sabres, but Parayko used his contract’s no-trade clause to block the trade.
Parayko, who won the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019, said everything from “hockey to personal” went into his decision to block the trade.
In the Eastern Conference, another bottom feeder experienced a rough trade deadline to pile onto an ugly season.
The New York Rangers, who currently sit at last place in the east, had previously unloaded forward Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in February.
Going into deadline day, New York was also hoping to unload veteran center Vincent Trocheck.
Rumors swirled around the league on March 5 that Trocheck was on his way to Boston.
The Bruins currently hold the last playoff spot in the East and are in need of center depth behind top centers Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha.
Ultimately, Rangers general manager Chris Drury’s price was too steep for Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney.
Drury reportedly wanted Bruins’ top prospect Fraser Minten and a 2026 first-round pick for the 32-year-old Trocheck.
Combining the botched trade with the already disastrous season for the Rangers – who were the best regular season team in the league just two years ago – many New York fans have called for Drury to be fired.
Drury has since said Trocheck will be traded in the offseason.
The defending two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who are currently at risk to be the first defending champion to miss the playoffs since 1970, decided to extend goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky rather than trade him.
The final crescendo before the Stanley Cup playoffs, the trade deadline concluded with 20 trades in total – the lowest since 2021.
