NHL Trade Board: Centers Kadri, Trocheck, Thomas the key dominoes as deadline nears

Trade Deadline week crept up on us quickly following the post-Olympic resumption of the NHL schedule, and it appears to have caught the GMs off guard, too. Rather than deliver a pile of pre-arranged deals as soon as the freeze lifted last week, they were awfully quiet.

Were they simply putting the work in, preparing for what will be a wild flurry of deals in the coming days? Or will the altered environment, including the playoff salary cap and the blocking of double salary retention, yield a smaller harvest of deals? We’ll see. It might be a matter of waiting for all the big dominoes to fall; the center position boasts the most intriguing candidates leading up to March 6.

From Nazem Kadri to Robert Thomas to Elias Pettersson to Vincent Trocheck…each has significant value, but each has term left on his contract and thus isn’t guaranteed to be traded this week. What will happen?

Here’s an updated edition of the Daily Faceoff Trade Board, tiered by trade likelihood.

As a refresher, I’ve compiled names for this board via committee approach across The Nation Network, consisting of:

(a) Intel provided from the various insiders appearing across our shows and/or publishing content for us, from the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta to DFO’s own Anthony Di Marco and more;

(b) My own information;

(c) Absorbing the external reporting and trade chatter already out there as public knowledge;

(d) Hypothesizing a handful of names not yet publicly on the block.

Let’s dive into the board. Contract information courtesy of our friends at PuckPedia.

TIER 1: Obvious trade candidates

Blake Coleman, LW, Calgary Flames

Age: 34
Cap hit: $4,900,000 through 2026-27
(10-team trade list)

He’s a proven two-time Stanley Cup winner who can deliver 20 goals, occasionally more, while assisting on the penalty kill and playing a feisty, physical game. What contender wouldn’t want him for third-line and PK1 work? The Flames could always sit on him a year and move him as a rental next season, but the demand for his services should be sufficient this year. We should keep an eye on his one of his former teams, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun floated that idea.

Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis Blues

Age: 26
Cap hit: $8,125,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)

Thomas’ name is out there in the trade rumor mill, we know, but it would take quite an offer to pry St. Louis’ No. 1 center away. Over the past three seasons, he’s third in assists per 60 at 5-on-5 league-wide. He’s 26 and in his prime. The Blues would want to trade him why, exactly? Still, I’ve moved him up because the noise won’t go away. His list of suitors is huge because he doesn’t only appeal to an all-in contender; a rising team hoping for years of sustained success should be just as interested given he’s under contract for another half decade.

Vincent Trocheck, C, New York Rangers

Age: 32
Cap hit: $5,625,000 through 2028-29
(12-team no-trade list)

The Blueshirts aren’t obligated to move Trocheck the way they were the expiring Artemi Panarin, but it wouldn’t be the worst idea to explore a trade now while Trocheck’s value remains high. With his mix of scoring ability, agitation tactics, physicality and faceoff acumen, he’d be a dream No. 2 center for almost any contender. The Wild and Hurricanes, in particular, would be ideal landing spots for his services.

Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames

Age: 35
Cap hit: $7,000,000 through 2028-29
(13-team no-trade list)

The classic conundrum for Flames GM Craig Conroy: even if you’re in the midst of a rebuild and have already traded most of your core over the past couple seasons…don’t you need a few veteran tone setters to hang around and teach the kids how to win? That would be a reason to hold Kadri. But he could also command a significant return given his impact as a scorer and emotional leader. Would the Wild be the most logical place for Kadri to land? They have interest, reports Di Marco. Dallas could be a strong fit as well now that they’ve moved Tyler Seguin’s full $9.85 million to season-ending LTIR.

Dougie Hamilton, D, New Jersey Devils

Age: 32
Cap hit: $9,000,000 through 2027-28
(10-team trade list)

Hamilton’s no-movement clause softened to a 10-team trade list beginning with this season. He’ll always have his knuckle-draggin’ haters as a player with lackadaisical body language, but he’s perennially a strong play-driving defenseman, and his scoring rebounded massively in January with 13 points in 14 games. Not that he’s on this board for his perceived external trade value per se; it’s more that the Devils would like to offload his hefty cap hit to clear space. Hamilton’s camp has expressed a willingness to expand his 10-team trade list in hopes of finding him a new home, so a trade feels inevitable, albeit it won’t be the easiest to work out given his AAV. The playoff salary cap and double-salary-retention crackdown will make pricier players harder to move at the deadline this year, don’t forget.

Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues

Age: 34
Cap hit: $6,500,000 through 2027-28
(15-team no-trade list)

Schenn is not a $6.5-million player anymore. The Blues would almost certainly need to retain salary to facilitate a trade, especially since he has a couple years of term left. But Schenn at a discounted price could still boost a team’s third line and bring brawny veteran leadership.

Justin Faulk, D, St. Louis Blues

Age: 33
Cap hit: $6,500,000 through 2026-27
(15-team no-trade list)

Faulk plays 22 minutes a night in his sleep. He’s still plenty mobile for his age. He’s one of the game’s more prolific shot blockers. He chips in a healthy amount of goals from the point, and he’s a right shot. So, yeah, he’ll have plenty of suitors. Faulk offers the extra year of term as a ‘luxury rental’ to boot.

Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Philadelphia Flyers

Age: 31
Cap hit: $5,100,000 through 2026-27

The Flyers have tumbled far enough in the Eastern Conference playoff race that the decision to sell feels easier for GM Danny Briere now. Ristolainen started his season late due to injury and battled another before the Olympics, but his strong showing in Finland’s top four has piqued interest around the league. Roughly half a dozen teams are kicking the tires on the big, physical righty, reports Di Marco.

Ryan Hartman, C, Minnesota Wild

Age: 31
Cap hit: $4,000,000 through 2026-27
(15-team no-trade clause)

Ideally, a team acquiring Hartman uses him as a third-line center, not a second-liner, but the agitator has succeeded in the past playing as high as the first line, though he doesn’t seem to have the upside he once did. The Wild don’t appear to be done after landing Quinn Hughes. They want to upgrade at center next but may need to dump Hartman’s cap hit first and have been dangling him, reported Pagnotta on Daily Faceoff Live earlier this season.

Bobby McMann, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 29
Cap hit: $1,350,000, pending UFA

I can understand if some Leaf fans feel trepidation over the idea of cashing out McMann. A tenacious, late-blooming left winger going to market at the end of his 20s sounds a lot like Zach Hyman. But Hyman’s career trajectory is the exception, not the norm. McMann is likely close to his peak value and could return a second- or even first-round pick given his unique size/speed package and dirt-cheap AAV.

Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues

Age: 32
Cap hit: $6,000,000 through 2026-27

Armstrong would’ve made things awkward if he’d dealt Binnington before relying on him as Canada’s Olympic starter. But with Milan behind us and Binnington having delivered a good if imperfect performance in goal, the time is right to explore a deal. Binnington showed enough at the Winter Games to remind us he can be an asset on the right team given his puckhandling and clutch-save ability; but is there enough of a market for him right now? The Oilers, Canadiens and Hurricanes feel like the teams to watch.

Shane Wright, C, Seattle Kraken

Age: 22
Cap hit: $866,667 through 2026-27

The Kraken are seemingly searching for a splashy add to their top-six forward group and potentially willing to sacrifice Wright to do so, Pagnotta reported on The DFO Rundown in January. Wright would be a fascinating buy; he still has another year left at his entry-level AAV after this one, and he has proven to be an efficient scorer in his (extremely) limited opportunities, averaging 19 goals per 82 games for his career despite playing only 13:43 per night.

Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators

Age: 34
Cap hit: $4,500,000 through 2026-27

It was jarring to see O’Reilly mercilessly trash his own play in a post-game scrum a few months back. The last time he spoke like that, he was on his way out of Buffalo, and he makes too much sense as a popular trade target given he’s a Conn Smythe Trophy winner and brainy two-way center who plays a clean shutdown game. He still has enough gas left in him to bolster a contender’s middle six. He’s quietly scoring at a career-best pace, just below a point per game.

Logan Stanley, D, Winnipeg Jets

Age: 27
Cap hit: $1,250,000, pending UFA

Stanley is still young enough to be part of Winnipeg’s present and future. But with his blend of size and snarl, he could be quite a sought-after commodity, the type that could net something pretty shiny in a trade. Winnipeg Sports Talk’s Michael Remis appeared on DFO Live in January and theorized that Stanley could net Winnipeg a high pick.

Evander Kane, LW, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 34
Cap hit: $5,125,000, pending UFA
(16-team trade list)

The local-boy-returns-home story was neat, but Kane is an expiring, declining asset on a sinking ship. He won’t be a frontline player again at this stage of his career, but could a veteran contender with a strong dressing-room culture find a spot for him as a bottom-six shift disturber who can still chip in the odd goal? I think yes, if Vancouver retains half his salary.

Simon Benoit, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 27
Cap hit: $1,350,000 through 2026-27

Benoit is your classic rugged depth defenseman who intimidates with his open-ice hitting and protects his net with his shot blocking. He carries a reasonable contract that extends through next season. With the Leafs not in the playoff picture, he’d be a logical piece to cash out for high mid-round pick.

Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 27
Cap hit: $11,600,000 through 2031-32
(No-movement clause)

Pettersson doesn’t get enough credit for his all-around play, but, yes, he’s nowhere close to an $11.6-million player right now. That’s a monstrous cap hit to navigate, especially with the playoff salary cap in place now. Still, the Rantanen trade(s) last season have established that anything can happen. Pettersson is still young enough to reassert himself as a star if he finds the right situation.

Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Nashville Predators

Age: 35
Cap hit: $5,500,000 through 2028-29
(15-team no-trade list)

If you’re shopping in Music City, Conn Smythe winners apparently do grow on trees? Marchessault is another. But he’s a much more difficult player to appraise compared to O’Reilly. Is Marchessault worth taking on for three more seasons after this one? Was his 42-goal season at 33 years old an extreme outlier a couple seasons back? Given his competitiveness and playoff success, he’d still be a pretty nice depth add if Nashville retained some money.

Pavel Mintyukov, D, Anaheim Ducks

Age: 22
Cap hit: $918,333, pending RFA

After multiple healthy scratches this season, Mintyukov is open to being moved if it means he’ll get a larger opportunity elsewhere, Friedman reported earlier this season. Mintyukov was the 10^th overall pick in the 2022 Draft and still has a do-it-all skill set, but he’s been passed on the Ducks’ depth chart by dynamic young D-men such as Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger. Mintyukov’s potential hasn’t gone anywhere after just 185 career games. He makes a helluva buy-low on a franchise looking to retool.

Teddy Blueger, C, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,800,000, pending UFA
(12-team no-trade list)

Blueger has played just 12 games this season and finally returned from his lower-body injury last month, just in time to boost his trade value. Strong on draws and a penalty-kill fixture, he’s a prototypical fourth-line pivot.

Luke Schenn, D, Winnipeg Jets

Age: 36
Cap hit: $2,750,000, pending UFA

Looks like we’re doing this again. Schenn is slowing down at 36, only logging 13:43 a night for the disappointing Jets, but his brute strength, nasty streak and dressing-room leadership will always make him attractive to a contender when, as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as too many defensemen during the playoffs. Schenn has played for nine teams in his 18-season career; will he add a 10^th or rejoin a club he played for previously?

Scott Laughton, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,500,000 (50% of $3,000,000 retained by PHI), pending UFA

Oh, the cruel irony. As a Trade Deadline acquisition for a buyer version of the Leafs a year ago, Laughton never looked comfortable or confident and seemed to press. This season, he seems more like himself and has become a much louder dressing room voice…just in time for the Leafs to plummet out of a playoff position as his contract expires. He’s expressed interest in re-signing but would attract plenty of contenders seeking center help for their bottom sixes.

Erik Haula, C, Nashville Predators

Age: 34
Cap hit: $3,150,000, pending UFA
(Six-team no-trade list)

The versatile Haula owns a career faceoff percentage north of 52 percent, he kills penalties and, as he flashed against Canada during the Olympic semifinal, Haula still has some wheels and (pun intended) finish to his game. He’s centering Nashville’s second line at the moment but would play in a true contender’s bottom six.

Brad Lambert, C, Winnipeg Jets

Age: 22
Cap hit: $886,667 through 2026-27

As insider Frank Seravalli reported earlier this season, Lambert has been granted permission to seek a trade. Even during his draft year, he carried boom-bust status as a clearly gifted but volatile talent, and he’s skewed more toward the bust side, struggling to break through and earn a large opportunity at the NHL level. Still, he’s young enough and skilled enough that perhaps he’d blossom on a team willing to play him more. An interesting reclamation project.

Michael Bunting, LW, Nashville Predators

Age: 30
Cap hit: $4,500,000, pending UFA

Bunting’s 10-team no-trade list disappeared after last season, so he’s a clear trade candidate playing on an expiring deal. Throughout his career, he’s shown the ability to produce in spurts when paired with high-end linemates. His agitation skills can also shift momentum in playoff series if he stays on the right side of the line, which isn’t always a guarantee. Bunting’s value isn’t nearly what it was a couple years back, but he could still be a sneaky-helpful depth addition.

Tyler Myers, D, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 36
Cap hit: $3,000,000 through 2026-27
(No-movement clause)

Myers controls his fate and only changes addresses if he wants to. But he’s 36 and has advanced past Round 2 of the playoffs once in his 16 completed NHL seasons. His only chance to chase a ring is to accept a trade to a contender, on which he could play a third-pair role. It sounds like he’s considering it, and the Canucks are resting him for roster management reasons.

Lukas Reichel, LW, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 23
Cap hit: $1,200,000, pending RFA

The Canucks acquired Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks in October, and the Canucks made him available for a trade by November. He’s running out of chances to translate his speed and skill into NHL production. Prospects of this ilk are common: your skill set only works on a scoring line, and if there are no opportunities there, your skill set doesn’t work on a depth line. It’s difficult for players like that to find homes at the NHL level. He passed through waivers unclaimed in December, which gives you a sense of how he’s valued around the league at the moment. He did arguably increase his worth with his two-goal showing for Germany at the Olympics, however.

Emil Andrae, D, Philadelphia Flyers

Age: 24
Cap hit: $903,333, pending RFA

Even though his under-the-hood numbers were strong last season, the undersized Andrae hasn’t won over the Flyers brass, per Di Marco, and doesn’t appear to be part of their long-term plans. His play driving continues to be better than the eye test, so he could actually be a low-key steal of an acquisition for a team that knows how to deploy him.

Mathieu Joseph, RW, St. Louis Blues

Age: 29
Cap hit: $2,950,000, pending UFA

The Blues remain open for business. And while they have multiple higher-end assets potentially available, plenty of teams can use fast, feisty checking forwards like the 2020-21 Stanley Cup winner Joseph and can likely get him for a mid- to late-round pick.

Oskar Sundqvist, C, St. Louis Blues

Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,500,000, pending UFA

See above re: Joseph, but as a bonus, fellow checker Sundqvist is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with a heavy game at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Carolina Hurricanes

Age: 25
Cap hit: $4,820,000 through 2029-30
(10-team no-trade list)

It’s easy to forget Kotkaniemi is still somehow just 25; he was the NHL’s youngest player when the Montreal Canadiens rushed him into duty straight out of the Draft in 2018-19. Perhaps that’s why he’s never realized his potential and never really settled in as a scorer or checker. Now truly an afterthought, he’s dressed for just 36 games this season, though some of his absences were due to an ankle injury. He averages a career low 10:59 of ice time per game. He’s a classic “fresh start” candidate, and, as Friedman reported last month, the Canes are fielding offers for him. Maybe he’d thrive with a larger opportunity elsewhere.

Brandon Carlo, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,100,000 through 2026-27
(Eight-team no-trade list)

Mike Komisarek 2.0? Carlo was big, physically imposing, heavy on opposing forwards…until he became a Maple Leaf, apparently. He’s a shell of his old self. He averaged 4.66 hits per 60 in nine seasons as a Boston Bruin. As a Leaf: 3.41, including 3.07 this season. Maybe that’s because he wasn’t healthy, dealing with a foot injury that required surgery after a setback. Or maybe Carlo isn’t cut out for the market. Still just 29, he could return to form in the right situation, and his AAV remains a bargain. He seemingly fit a need for the Leafs a year ago, but now they’re big, slow and redundant on ‘D.’ They won’t get the equivalent of Fraser Minten and a first-round pick for Carlo, but maybe they can recoup the pick portion of that package somewhere.

Ilya Mikheyev, LW, Chicago Blackhawks

Age: 31
Cap hit: $4,037,500 (15% of $4,750,000 million retained by VAN), pending UFA
(12-team no-trade list)

Every playoff team needs depth players just like Mikheyev. He can kill penalties, he’s strong on the wall, he’s reasonably big and he can chip in the odd goal. The question becomes: do the Hawks have to re-sign some of their veterans? They can’t churn them all into picks if they want to build a winning team around Connor Bedard.

Patrik Laine, RW, Montreal Canadiens

Age: 27
Cap hit: $8,700,000, pending UFA
(10-team no-trade list)

Laine has missed all but five games this season and sat out the Olympics with an abdominal issue. But here’s where the playoff salary cap really makes things interesting. Laine is set to return before the season is up, and the Habs don’t have much cap space to make any additional moves with him in the lineup. They need to offload his $8.7 million if they want to add any important pieces by the Trade Deadline. Laine partially controls where he goes thanks to his 10-team no-trade list, but maybe he’d be happy landing somewhere he could enjoy a larger role. He could boost someone’s power play as a sniper for rent. How about plugging the Kevin Fiala hole in L.A.?

Jason Dickinson, C, Chicago Blackhawks

Age: 30
Cap hit: $4,250,000, pending UFA

Your quintessential fourth-line center depth target. He and Mikheyev are Chicago’s PK1 forwards and, despite the team’s struggle to stay in the playoff race, the Hawks boast the NHL’s top-ranked penalty kill. Given he plays center, Dickinson might attract a larger return than Mikheyev.

David Kampf, C, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 31
Cap hit: $1,100,000, pending UFA

Kampf walked away from guaranteed money to earn his freedom from the Leafs in the form of a contract termination. He wanted to escape an AHL demotion and re-establish himself as an NHL player. He’s done so in Vancouver, forced all the way up to the top line at one point. With his size and faceoff ability, he could attract interest, though purely as fourth-line center fodder.

Gustav Nyquist, RW, Winnipeg Jets

Age: 36
Cap hit: $3,250,000, pending UFA

Nyquist will never again match his shocking 75-point campaign of two years ago with Nashville. But he’s a respected pro whose conscientious attitude rubs off on young players, and he might have one more spark of offense in him if placed in the right role. He should come cheap given his age.

Calle Jarnkrok, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 34
Cap hit: $2,100,000, pending UFA
(10-team no-trade list)

He’s just a fourth-liner at this stage of his career, but he can dutifully play a checking role, and his simple hustle makes coaches happy. The Leafs may as well try to get something for him.

Ryan Lomberg, LW, Calgary Flames

Age: 31
Cap hit: $2,000,000 pending UFA

Lomberg plays bigger than his 5-foot-9, 184-pound frame. He’s a physical, energetic forward who can alter momentum with a hit-happy shift. He’s also a proven Stanley Cup cog, having dressed for eight games during Florida’s 2023-24 run. The winning pedigree and jam in his game should have some contenders sniffing around him.

Nick Foligno, C, Chicago Blackhawks

Age: 38
Cap hit: $4,500,000, pending UFA

Think Kyle Okposo in 2023-24. Foligno is almost at the end of the line, but perhaps a contender would pick him up as a legendarily great dressing-room presence in hopes of getting him a ring. He has no official movement restrictions on his contract, but he took a leave of absence earlier this season to be with his daughter who had heart surgery, so he obviously would only be traded if he really wanted to go. Based on his recent comments, he seems pretty open to the idea.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 34
Cap hit: $3,500,000 through 2027-28
(16-team no-trade list)

How “over” is it for the Treliving-era Leafs? If it’s “retool and reload,” you retain ‘OEL,’ who has two years left at an excellent price and has become a crucially malleable member of the D-corps. But if it’s “scorched earth” over, the Leafs would be wise to sell high given Ekman-Larsson has reached his mid-30s. He could fetch a nice return with his two extra years of term.

Michael McCarron, C, Nashville Predators

Age: 30
Cap hit: $900,000, pending UFA

The Preds are testing the market for McCarron, Friedman reported last week. Even if they still have a shot to make the playoffs, they could hedge on a pending UFA or two. McCarron is an enormous man at 6-foot-6 and 232 pounds, he plays with lot of jam, he kills penalties, and he’s good on faceoffs. He’s an ideal fourth-line target for a Cup contender.

Drew O’Connor, LW, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 27
Cap hit: $2,500,000 through 2026-27
(12-team no-trade list)

O’Connor is young enough to be in his prime and carry trade value as a middle-six forward who can pop in north of 15 goals a year, but he’s old enough that the Canucks would be wise to sell high given they won’t be competitive again until his prime years are complete. He’d also be a much easier piece to deal than Vancouver’s collection of forwards with a ton of term left. No wonder there’s interest, as Pagnotta reports.

Matthew Poitras, C, Boston Bruins

Age: 21
Cap hit: $870,000, pending RFA

The Bruins have reloaded as a playoff threat after missing last season. It would be foolish for them to assume they’re a major Cup contender and sell off their top-tier prospects, but a lower-ceiling youngster like Poitras is in play, reports Pagnotta. Poitras best-case scenario would be topping out as more of a hardworking middle-sixer, and Fraser Minten has leapfrogged him for that role long term, meaning Poitras is an expendable piece Boston could use to procure some immediate help.

Cody Glass, C, New Jersey Devils

Age: 26
Cap hit: $2,500,000 through 2026-27

Unlike a lot of checking-line centers on the market, Glass, a former high-end prospect, comes with some upside. He wins faceoffs and kills penalties and defends well, but he also has 13 goals in 48 games and is under contract at a reasonable AAV for an extra year. He represents the conundrum of, “Isn’t this a guy we should keep around?” vs. “He could fetch us a sneaky-nice trade return.”

Nick Bjugstad, C, New Jersey Devils

Age: 33
Cap hit: $1,750,000 through 2026-27

The Devils traded for big, rangy veteran Bjugstad last month but were still playoff hopefuls at the time. The dream is dead for 2025-26, and Bjugstad could be a casualty if they traded some depth forwards. Given his age, though, his extra year of term is more bug than feature, the opposite of Glass’ situation.

Trevor van Riemsdyk, D, Washington Capitals

Age: 34
Cap hit: $3,000,000, pending UFA

According to Seravalli, the Capitals are likely to move on from ‘TVR’ after this season to clear room for prospect Cole Hutson on the left side of their blueline. Given the Caps aren’t a lock to make the playoffs and that van Riemsdyk isn’t a make-or-break part of their playoff push playing 15 minutes a night, it could make sense to sell him off rather than lose him for nothing.

Anthony Duclair, LW, New York Islanders

Age: 30
Cap hit: $3,500,000 through 2027-28
(No-trade clause)

Two more seasons? At $3.5 million? A full no-trade clause? The final days of Lou Lamoriello were somethin.’ Given Duclair has been a healthy scratch at times this season after being thrown under the bus last season by coach Patrick Roy, it makes sense that the Isles want to move on and that Duclair would be a realistic candidate to waive his NTC. Even at 30, his speed still places him in the NHL’s 74^th percentile per NHL EDGE data, so he has appeal if someone out there needs scoring depth.

Evgenii Dadonov, RW, New Jersey Devils

Age: 36
Cap hit: $1,000,000, pending UFA

Dadonov is a versatile piece whom you can plug anywhere in a lineup in a pinch and earned a lot of playoff experience as part of three consecutive Conference Final runs with the Dallas Stars before joining the Devils. Contenders need players who can create offense even lower down the lineup, and Dadonov fits that description in theory. He’s been a zero this season – as in, no points in 17 games somehow – so you’re betting on track record if you acquire him for next to nothing.

Cole Smith, LW, Nashville Predators

Age: 30
Cap hit: $1,000,000, pending UFA

The Preds need to get younger and don’t really have to re-sign a 30-year-old depth checker. They may as well cash out the big, physical Smith for a pick. 

Andrew Mangiapane, LW, Edmonton Oilers

Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,600,000 through 2026-27
(No-trade clause)

It just hasn’t worked in Edmonton. He’s scored seven times in 52 games, mostly buried on the fourth line. He expressed anger over the healthy scratches, and his agent has been granted permission to find a trade for him. Maybe a new environment energizes Mangiapane, but his trade value isn’t exactly high right now, as evidenced by the fact he cleared waivers Monday.

TIER 2: Names to keep an eye on

MacKenzie Weegar, D, Calgary Flames

Age: 32
Cap hit: $6,250,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)

It’s been a rough year by Weegar’s lofty standards. But he can still eat huge minutes and move the needle as a versatile all-situations blueliner. Would anyone take on his AAV for five more seasons? His hometown Ottawa Senators have inquired about his services, reports The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch. And $6.25 million isn’t horrible filtered through the rising-cap lens. We go from $95.5 million this season to $104 million and $113.5 million in the next two, per the NHL’s most recent payroll estimates.

Claude Giroux, RW, Ottawa Senators

Age: 38
Cap hit: $2,000,000, pending UFA
(No-movement clause)

Giroux calls Ottawa his offseason home and thus has a comfortable situation there, hence the team-friendly cap hit. But he’s also in season 19 of a Hall-of-Very-Good career and doesn’t have that Stanley Cup. With the Sens’ playoff outlook shaky, would Giroux be up for joining a contender? He could be an asset for faceoffs, scoring depth and maybe a second power-play unit.

Charlie Coyle, C, Columbus Blue Jackets

Age: 34
Cap hit: $5,250,000, pending UFA
(3-team no trade list)

Coyle has been a revelation for Columbus this season, one of the league’s top defensive forwards. The Jackets have clawed their way back into the playoff hunt yet remain outside the picture, so GM Don Waddell has some tough decisions to make. Coyle’s size, 100-plus games of playoff experience and penalty-killing ability scream “third-line center on Cup contender.” How about that three-team no-trade list, eh? He must really hate those teams.

Jordan Kyrou, RW, St. Louis Blues

Age: 27
Cap hit: $8,125,000 through 2030-31
(No-trade clause)

Kyrou’s a first-line talent with three 30-goal campaigns to his name. But he’s been a disaster this year, an $8.125-million healthy scratch at one point, and it sure feels like he could use a reset on a new team. Note that he controls his destiny via a full no-trade clause that doesn’t become a modified no-trade until the final season of his deal.

Sam Montembeault, G, Montreal Canadiens

Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,150,000 through 2026-27

Yes, he was always keeping the seat warm for Jacob Fowler, but we all thought Montembeault had a lot more time, right? His game went in the toilet this season, costing him an Olympic roster spot with Canada and earning him a conditioning stint with AHL Laval. He’s back with the big club now and trying to recapture his game, but a three-goalie battery feels crowded, and Montembeault has showcased sufficient upside to warrant another team taking a chance on him.

Braden Schneider, D, New York Rangers

Age: 24
$2,200,000, pending RFA

Schneider fits the classic bill of “Shouldn’t this seller team be looking for more Braden Schneiders rather than trading Braden Schneider?” Maybe, but he hasn’t blossomed as a Blueshirt, and he could command a sneaky-good return as big, strong, relatively young right-shot defenseman. Maybe Drury doesn’t actively shop him but at least fields the offers in case one is too good to pass up.

Jesper Wallstedt, G, Minnesota Wild

Age: 23
Cap hit: $2,200,000 through 2026-27

Would the Wild really move their talented, cost-controlled young goaltender in the midst of his breakout season? There’s fire with that smoke. Between Kirill Kaprizov’s record-setting contract and the Quinn Hughes trade, GM Bill Guerin is as all-in as it gets. His team has a gaping hole at center. If there’s a chance to bring in a Thomas or Kadri type, do you sacrifice Wallstedt and roll with Filip Gustavsson as your unquestioned No. 1 going forward? Samuel Hlavac’s tremendous play for Slovakia at the Olympics could make a trade easier to stomach, as he could become the long-term No. 2 in that scenario.

Nick Robertson, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 24
Cap hit: $1,825,000, pending RFA

Robertson has seemingly been on the trade block for so long that he’s paying rent at this point. He also requested to be moved before the 2024-25 season. And now he’s switched agents to share one with brother Jason. Does it still make sense to deal Nick, though? With all their injuries this season, the Leafs have finally granted him his wish and played him higher in the lineup for spurts, and he has produced on and off, though not without the odd healthy scratch. Dealing Robertson would make an old, slow team older and slower, so it’s hardly a foregone conclusion we see him moved.

Mario Ferraro, D, San Jose Sharks

Age: 27
2025-26 cap hit: $3,250,000, pending UFA

After the Kiefer Sherwood trade, it felt like the Sharks were moving forward as a buyer, but they’ve slid back onto the playoff bubble, so is it possible GM Mike Grier hedges with his pending UFAs? Ferraro is a warrior who would make a fine addition to a second or third pair on a contender and whose defensive metrics would likely improve in that environment.

Warren Foegele, LW, Los Angeles Kings

Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,500,000 through 2026-27
(Five-team no-trade list)

The Kings would like to move on from Foegele’s cap hit, Friedman reports, and Foegele seems likelier to go than Alex Laferriere given the Kings have healthy scratched Foegele at times during a down year. But he’s an established, experienced veteran who set career highs in goals and points with 24 and 46 last season. Because he has the extra year of term left, a rebuilding team could take him on, net a pick and then have an expiring UFA to flip next season.

Jake DeBrusk, LW, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 29
Cap hit: $5,500,000 through 2030-31
(No-movement clause)

Finding the right fit won’t be easy given all that term left on his deal. But the streaky DeBrusk could augment a contender; he averages 26 goals per 82 games in the postseason for his career. It’s a matter of whether short-term help is worth the long-term sting on your cap.

Conor Garland, RW, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,950,000 through 2025-26; $6,000,000 from 2026-27 through 2031-32

Whoa. Garland on the block when his six-year extension hasn’t even begun? That contract was signed before the Canucks and Garland knew the team would veer off a cliff and trade Quinn Hughes. If we think of his already-signed contract as a price a team could pay in free agency…could there be a market for his speed and scrappiness? Per Pagnotta, the Canucks are taking calls on Garland, who is “not for sale” but whose NMC kicks in this summer.

John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks

Age: 33
Cap hit: $4,000,000, pending UFA
(14-team no-trade list)

Grier would be smart to sell high on Klingberg’s revival, finding a trade partner needing power-play augmentation, but it’s contingent on San Jose reversing course on the buyer posture. Interestingly, he had a no-trade clause until Jan. 30, which has now changed to a 14-team no-trade list.

Ryan Strome, C, Anaheim Ducks

Age: 32
Cap hit: $5,000,000 through 2026-27

Strome’s average ice time has dropped to 12:05 per game, and that’s when he’s not healthy scratched. He’s simply not a big part of Anaheim’s core anymore, it seems, despite the fact he’s a respected dressing-room leader on a young team. Could there be a hockey trade out there involving a team that could use him for a larger role in its top nine?

Max Domi, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 31
Cap hit: $3,750,000 through 2027-28
(13-team no-trade list)

Domi will always be a defensive liability. But he’s a productive 5-on-5 facilitator, quietly sitting sixth among all NHL forwards in primary assists per 60 over the past three years, and he plays with an edge. Given he can shift all over a team’s top nine, at wing or center, his AAV is hardly prohibitive.

Boone Jenner, C, Columbus Blue Jackets

Age: 32
Cap hit: $3,750,000, pending UFA
(Eight-team no-trade clause)

Here’s where the East’s parity makes things so complicated. If the Blue Jackets believe they can make the playoffs: no reason to deal their captain and all-time games leader and more reason to expect he’ll re-sign. If not: a heart-and-soul forward like Jenner would invite a feeding frenzy if he’s available.

Matias Maccelli, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 25
Cap hit: $3,425,000, pending RFA

Once the Leafs bumped out assistant coach Marc Savard and handed the power-play reins to Steve Sullivan, Maccelli saw looks on the top unit and seemed rejuvenated. The surge was short-lived, though, and he’s since been demoted to PP2. Back to expendable status?

Anthony Stolarz, G, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 32
Cap hit: $2,500,000 through 2025-26; $3,750,000 through 2029-30
(16-team no-trade list)

The Leafs have a logjam forming in net between Stolarz, Woll and the emerging Dennis Hildeby, with Artur Akhtyamov also showing promise in the AHL. If you have to move one netminder from the stable: Stolarz is the oldest, the most expensive, has the worst injury history, and has played the poorest of the group this season. Could that make him the odd man out? On the flip side, all those traits might give him the lowest trade value among Toronto’s tenders.

Timothy Liljegren, D, San Jose Sharks

Age: 26
Cap hit: $3,000,000, pending UFA

It feels like Liljegren should’ve had a better career up to this point. As a smooth-skating righthanded blueliner with good puck skills, he has value in this league. But he struggled to establish himself as a regular with Toronto, and it doesn’t sound like he’s part of San Jose’s long-term plans. It might be worth jettisoning him given he’s an expiring asset.

Alex Laferriere, RW, Los Angeles Kings

Age: 24
Cap hit: $4,100,000 through 2027-28

Laferriere is a high-floor, albeit low-ceiling, middle-six forward and cost controlled for a couple more seasons after this one. The Kings don’t have to move him, but he’s a name to watch only if they continue their big-game hunt and try to take on significantly more salary. But is it sunk-cost fallacy to add to the Panarin trade after losing Fiala?

Zach Whitecloud, D, Calgary Flames

Age: 29
Cap hit: $2,750,000 through 2027-28

Whitecloud remains in his prime and has been immediately handed mega responsibility since coming to Calgary in the Rasmus Andersson trade, logging more than 23 minutes per game after averaging 17:44 in eight seasons with Vegas. But if the Flames end up dealing Kadri and Coleman and are truly stripping this thing to the studs, there isn’t much point holding onto Whitecloud given he’s not part of a next-generation core to build around.

Pius Suter, C, St. Louis Blues

Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,125,000 through 2026-27

Suter’s AAV is maybe a hair high for a forward whose game is about defense. But the Blues might be OK retaining a bit of money given they haven’t used any of their slots and he’s only under contract one extra season. He’d be a handy third-line addition for a contender.

Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Boston Bruins

Age: 32
Cap hit: $4,000,000, pending UFA
(No-movement clause)

The Bruins are adopting a modest buyer posture this week, looking to add if it helps them in the long term. If they have their eyes on a major trade, they may need to balance the ledger by convincing Arvidsson to waive his NMC. But GM Don Sweeney also stressed the need to maintain depth during a condensed schedule, so Arvidsson is a long shot to move. 

Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers

Age: 37
Cap hit: $10,000,000
(16-team no-trade list)

What a fun name to join the DFO Trade Board. If we play along: The Panthers are barely alive in the East Wildcard race and, with captain Aleksander Barkov still out with his torn ACL and MCL, may be wise to cut their losses on 2025-26 and come back stronger next season. Heck, given their evil genius salary-cap management, would it surprise anyone to see ‘Bob’ re-sign in the summer after Florida traded him? He’s enough of a difference maker that even teams who qualify as “fine” in net might trip over themselves to make offers. The buzz around his name makes sense. On the other hand: Bobrovsky still has the power to veto half the league as potential landing spots and, having won back to back Stanley Cups and played in three straight Finals, might not be motivated to chase another championship at the cost of uprooting his life.

Nicolas Roy, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Age: 29
Cap hit: $3,000,000 through 2026-27

Stanley Cup pedigree, 6-foot-4 frame, strong defensive makeup as a third-line center, affordable cap hit, extra year of term. Why aren’t we talking more about Roy as an obvious piece for the Leafs to move if they decide to retool? He could fetch an early-round pick.

Evan Rodrigues, RW, Florida Panthers

Age: 32
Cap hit: $3,000,000 through 2026-27

The Panthers don’t have to make the shocker deal and move Bobrovsky, but they could soft sell by trading some of their support pieces. Rodrigues can play all over the lineup and really elevates his game in the postseason, with his per-82-game scoring average jumping from 36 to 55 points. There would absolutely be a market for him.

Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks

Age: 29
Cap hit: $7,250,000 through 2031-32
(No-movement clause)

Boeser only just commenced his seven-year extension and has full control over whether he goes, but TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Boeser would consider a move for the right fit. The Boston Bruins reportedly have interest as they search for a goal scorer. But Would Boeser accept a trade to any location besides his native Minnesota? 

Trey Augustine, G, Detroit Red Wings

Age: 21
(not yet signed)

Consider this slot representative of Augustine or Sebastian Cossa. The argument here: we know Wings GM Steve Yzerman is under pressure to bring in some significant help, particularly after his captain Dylan Larkin called out the lack of upgrading at last year’s Trade Deadline. Detroit’s bursting prospect cupboard allows for the sacrificing of a few promising chips. Cossa and Augustine are two of the sport’s best netminding prospects, and with Cossa dominating the AHL and ready to kick down the door to the NHL, Augustine feels relatively expendable. Cossa’s trade value is higher given he’s already playing pro hockey, but Augustine’s is plenty high, too. He’s dominating at Michigan State.

Kiefer Sherwood, RW, San Jose Sharks

Age: 30
Cap hit: $1,500,000, pending UFA

This is awkward. Sherwood has only played four games since the Sharks traded for him, as they were waiting for his return from injury. They gave up multiple second-round picks to get him. But, despite their surge over the last week, they remain outside the playoff picture. They could move the bludgeoning power forward if they don’t agree on a contract extension this week, LeBrun reports.

Alexis Lafreniere, RW, New York Rangers

Age: 24
Cap hit: $7,450,000 through 2031-32

So far, his career-best numbers of 2023-24 look more like an anomaly than a breakout. But the 2020 No. 1 overall pick is just 24 years old, and the 2024 playoff run in which he bullied his way to a 6-8-14 stat line in 16 games represents his potential. Particularly in a rising-cap world, a team looking to add some cost-controlled upside might be willing to invest in a career turnaround.

Sam O’Reilly, C, Tampa Bay Lightning

Age: 19
Cap hit: $931,945 through 2027-28

The Bolts have a real shot at the Stanley Cup during a season in which their nemesis Panthers are a playoff long shot. The Lightning don’t have their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks and thus may have to dip into their (shallow) prospect pool to secure any upgrades this week. O’Reilly, an Oilers 2024 first-rounder acquired for Ike Howard, is still playing major junior and thus not particularly close to helping at the NHL level. O’Reilly is also not an extremely high-ceiling prospect. In other words, he might be expendable for GM Julien BriseBois.

Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres

Age: 29
Cap hit: $4,750,000, pending UFA
(Five-team no-trade list)

Tuch was pretty open about wanting to remain a Sabre after last season ended, but no extension got done, and every ensuing report on the negotiations suggested the two sides were far apart. That’s likely because Tuch knows he can land a life-changing deal on the open market since so many of the top 2026 UFAs have already re-signed. So much has changed since our first trade board, though. The Sabres replaced GM Kevyn Adams by promoting Jarmo Kekalainen, then went 24-5-2 over their next 31 games. So we have a new GM who has already expressed interest in retaining Tuch plus a Sabres team that has clawed its way back into contention. We thus may have to wait until the 11^th hour to understand what makes sense for Buffalo and Tuch. He’d obviously be a massive get for any contender given his blend of size, scoring touch and penalty-killing acumen. But you simply cannot trade him if you’re the contender. Tuch is speaking publicly about wanting to win a Cup, not just make the playoffs, this season with Buffalo. He stays, right? It would break the fan base’s heart to move him now, even if he’s an own rental.

TIER 3: Trade chips if teams pivot to sell

Jared McCann, LW, Seattle Kraken
Jaden Schwartz, LW, Seattle Kraken
Nick Schmaltz, RW, Utah Mammoth
Jamie Oleksiak, D, Seattle Kraken
Troy Stecher, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Mason Marchment (again), LW, Columbus Blue Jackets
Jordan Eberle, RW, Seattle Kraken
Eeli Tolvanen, LW, Seattle Kraken
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, San Jose Sharks
Andrew Peeke, D, Boston Bruins
Nick Jensen, D, Ottawa Senators
Lars Eller, C, Ottawa Senators
Nick Perbix, D, Nashville Predators
Mason Lohrei, D, Boston Bruins
Brenden Dillon, D, New Jersey Devils
Luke Kunin, RW, Florida Panthers
Tomas Nosek, C, Florida Panthers
A.J. Greer, LW, Florida Panthers
Stuart Skinner, G, Pittsburgh Penguins
Jean-Gabriel Pageau. C, New York Islanders

TIER 4: Wait until summer

Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa Senators: He was pretty sick of losing…how will he take if it he’s right back out of the playoffs one year after it took him seven seasons to finally make it?

Adam Fox, D, New York Rangers: From the Ranger retool, to not making the Olympic team coached by Rangers bench boss Mike Sullivan, to Fox’s cryptic comments to the media last week…it feels like there’s an opening for another team to swoop in try and pry him away. It’s a storyline we should bookmark for June.

Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Maple Leafs: Plenty of term left and has never wanted out of Toronto, but if the Leafs remain far away from a playoff position by Deadline Day, maybe they blow it up. More likely a summer storyline, though.

Andrei Svechnkikov, LW, Carolina Hurricanes: Was talked up as someone open to a trade earlier this season, but he’s playing too well to move now, right? Back on top line and producing like a borderline star.

Owen Tippett, RW, Philadelphia Flyers: Some teams have sniffed around him leading up to the deadline; keep an eye on that 10-team no-trade clause which kicks in July 1.

TRADED from previous boards

Quinn Hughes
Stuart Skinner
Marco Rossi
Yegor Chinakhkov
Mason Marchment
Laurent Brossoit
Rasmus Andersson
Kiefer Sherwood
Carson Soucy
Ondrej Palat
Maxim Tysplakov
Artemi Panarin
Brett Kulak
Connor Murphy

_____

The 2026 Trade Deadline Special is going LIVE March 6th. Join the Daily Faceoff crew on Friday, March 6th, from 11 AM-3:30 PM ET for wall-to-wall coverage of every single move as it happens. Get instant reaction, expert analysis, and exclusive insights from special guests throughout the day. Tune in LIVE on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and don’t miss a second of deadline day chaos.

Recently by Matt Larkin

• NHL Trade Board: When will the Blues’ fire sale begin?
• Olympic Stock Watch: Whose NHL trade value changed for better or worse in Milan?
• NHL Trade Board: as Olympic mini-deadline arrives, will Leafs turn seller?
• What did the past 10 Stanley Cup champions do at the Trade Deadline?
• How every contending team’s GM has behaved at previous NHL Trade Deadlines