This Week in the NHL: 2026 Trade Deadline arrives
With 32 teams, games every night and countless narratives emerging, the NHL season can make one’s head spin, and it’s easy to miss out on the weekly storylines. Not to worry; every Monday from October to April, I’ll map out the major events, games, plotlines and milestones on tap for the next seven days.
So what’s happening the week of March 2-8?
March 5: Anze Kopitar’s 1,000th game
New York Islanders @ Los Angeles Kings, 9:30 p.m. ET
What a distinguished career for the Slovenian star. Kopitar opens the week at 1,498 career games and should play No. 1,500 Thursday night at home. He’ll become just the 25th player to reach the milestone and the fifth European-born player to get there. With two Stanley Cups, two Selke Trophies and more than 1,300 points, Kopitar is a Hall of Fame lock as he plays out his final NHL campaign.
March 6: NHL Trade Deadline
The big day is already here in a season that has flown by. Teams must file trades to the NHL Central Registry by 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday. You can read our latest list of trade candidates here and our Trade Tracker here, and be sure to catch Daily Faceoff’s Deadline Day live stream beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET.
March 6: Three-quarter mark of NHL season
When the Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche in the second of seven games on Friday’s slate, the regular season will cross the 984-game mark, putting us 75 percent of the way through the schedule.
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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.