This could be one of the busier NHL trade deadlines in recent memory. The Winter Olympics using NHL talent meant that a majority of teams that would have executed February deals decided to wait and see if injuries impacted their plans before committing to anything. As a result we now have a March 6 date looming, and lots of teams needing to make moves to set their rosters for a run at the Stanley Cup.
Today we look at some of the biggest names attacting attention on the market, as well as who might be buyers at the deadline.
Evgeni Malkin, RW — Pittsburgh Penguins
The writing is on the wall for the legendary Pens wing to skate for his final time in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. All signs are pointing to the Penguins making a deal at the deadline to send Malkin away, separating him from Sidney Crosby for the first time in his career.
President of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said Malkin was having a “fantastic season,” praised him as a franchise icon, and said his future was a “private internal matter.” It doesn’t take a lot of reading the tea leaves to see this one is coming to an end.
The 39-year-old wing is still a ludicrously effective playmaking forward who can offer a veteran presence for a team in need of a wing. At this stage in his career he’s no longer an elite goal scorer, but still has 13 goals and 34 assists in 45 games this season. It would be stunning if Malkin is still on the roster on Friday night.
Potential landing spots: Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers
Dougie Hamilton, D — New Jersey Devils
A strong start to the season has collapsed into mediocrity for the Devils, and they’re likely to be sellers at the deadline as a result. The prime name that keeps getting mentioned is Dougie Hamilton — who would offer a big boost as a veteran blueline presence, something there’s not a lot of on the market this year.
There are no shortage of teams who would be interested if Hamilton is dangled in front of them, especially for a forward the Devils can pair with Jack Hughes in 2026-27 and beyond.
Potential landing sports: Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs
Robert Thomas, C — St. Louis Blues
It’s unusual to see a former 80+ point center being shopped at the deadline when he’s only 26-years-old, but the Blues are being realistic about their future. Languishing near the bottom of the Western Conference, the Blues need a solid rebuild and are looking for draft assets or prospects to make that happen.
There have been strong links between the Buffalo Sabres and Blues on a deal for Thomas, but signs point to Buffalo balking at the demand the Blues have made from their prospect pool. This is interesting because now teams around the NHL know roughly the price on Thomas, which could lead to teams swooping in to make an offer at the deadline. Any organization needing a solid second line center will be keeping an eye on this one, though I suspect the Sabres still have the inside line.
Potential landing sports: Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes
Sergei Bobrovsky, G — Florida Panthers
I don’t think anyone saw the Stanley Cup champs falling apart as quickly as they have, but here we are. It’s gotten to the point where the Panthers are being realistic about their chances to compete, with only the narrowest beam of light reaching them in last place in the Atlantic Conference.
Bob has had a down year, but he’s a brilliant goaltender who rises to the occasion when games matter the most, making him the ideal playoff goalie for a team in need of help. The question becomes: Who is willing to make a deal here? There are numerous teams who can plug him in as a part of a push, predominantly organizations who see their window being right now with lesser-established prospect systems.
Potential landing sports: Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres
Elias Petterson, C — Vancouver Canucks
It’s rebuild time in Vancouver, and the center of that has to be moving Elias Pettersson. The once-transcendent center who seemed poised to become a perennial 100-point player didn’t really take that next step, despite getting a contract to pay him like that guy.
This becomes the biggest sticking point in a Pettersson deal. Who is willing to pay him like an elite, $11.6M AAV player with a deal running until 2031-32, when he might be a 60 or 70 point guy at best? The key to that is believing there’s an element that can be unlocked, which had been stymied with the Canucks due to an inability to put a team around him.
It’s a major swing for the fences move, which could either net a team a player who returns to dominant form and brings them a cup — or be resigned to an eventual “worst trades of all time” column.
Potential landing spots: Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes
Vincent Trocheck, C — New York Rangers
It’s become clear that the Rangers don’t really know how to build a winning roster, and that has led to a lot of veterans reaching the end of their run, who should be on playoff teams, rather than wasting away. Vinny Trocheck leads this list, hot off a gold medal win with Team USA at the Winter Olympics.
At this point in his career he’s not a top-line center, even though he’s been forced to play like one in New York at times. The best spot for him is to play on a second line, master the face off, and be in a position where he doesn’t need to be overtly physical in the corners. A team needing a veteran boost at their center position makes a lot of sense, where Trocheck would be a low-risk move with potentially big upside.
Potential landing spots: Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes
