Team-by-Team NHL 2026 Trade Deadline Grades

This report details the trade activity leading up to the NHL's 2026 deadline, beginning with moves made from December 12. NHL staff assigned grades to each club based on how successfully they improved their situation, whether rebuilding, aiming for playoffs, or contending for the Stanley Cup.

Anaheim Ducks: A-

• Acquisitions: John Carlson (defenseman) for a first-round pick.
• Departures: Ryan Strome (salary dump for cap space).
• Outcome: Bolstered defense for a potential playoff run and gained future cap flexibility.

The Ducks bolstered their defense for a potential playoff run and gained future cap flexibility.

Boston Bruins: B

• Activity: Stood pat, not trading picks, prospects, or upcoming unrestricted free agents Viktor Arvidsson or Andrew Peeke.
• Outcome: Maintained current roster while adhering to rebuild pace and avoiding overpaying for additions.

Boston maintained their current roster, adhering to their rebuild pace and wisely avoiding overpaying for additions.

Buffalo Sabres: B+

• Acquisitions: Solid depth additions to enhance team toughness.
• Outcome: Utilized accumulated assets to strengthen the roster for a potential playoff push.

The Sabres utilized accumulated assets to strengthen their roster for a potential playoff push with solid depth and toughness.

Calgary Flames: A

• Departures: MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri (both in their 30s on high-value contracts).
• Acquisitions: Futures and roster players.
• Outcome: Initiated a significant rebuild by offloading key players for future assets.

Calgary initiated a significant rebuild by offloading key veteran players for valuable future assets.

Carolina Hurricanes: C

• Acquisitions: Nicolas Deslauriers (enforcer) for a conditional seventh-round pick.
• Activity: Remained mostly quiet, with no major acquisitions of frequently mentioned targets.
• Outcome: Retained current roster, banking on its existing strength within the conference.

The Hurricanes remained mostly quiet, retaining their current roster and banking on its existing strength.

Chicago Blackhawks: B+

• Acquisitions: First- and second-round selections from the Edmonton Oilers.
• Outcome: Continued asset accumulation for the rebuild, adding to their extensive collection of early-round draft picks.

Chicago continued their rebuild, adding to their extensive collection of early-round draft picks.

Colorado Avalanche: A

• Acquisitions: Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy.
• Outcome: Significantly bolstered center depth, creating one of the strongest center groups in the league.

The Avalanche significantly bolstered their center depth, creating one of the strongest center groups in the league.

Columbus Blue Jackets: B+

• Acquisitions: Conor Garland.
• Outcome: Addressed the need for a second scoring line and enhanced offensive playmaking and puck pursuit.

Columbus addressed their need for a second scoring line, enhancing offensive playmaking and puck pursuit.

Dallas Stars: B+

• Acquisitions: Michael Bunting (reliable winger) and Tyler Myers (defenseman).
• Outcome: Offset the loss of Tyler Seguin and lengthened the defensive corps, with Vancouver retaining half of Myers' salary.

Dallas offset the loss of Tyler Seguin and lengthened their defensive corps with key additions.

Detroit Red Wings: B+

• Acquisitions: Justin Faulk (defenseman).
• Outcome: Fortified the second defense pair, adding offense and defensive stability, and allowing for better slotting of existing defenders.

The Red Wings fortified their second defense pair, adding offense and defensive stability.

Edmonton Oilers: B

• Acquisitions: A right-handed defenseman, an upgrade for the third line, and a rugged forward.
• Outcome: Addressed key roster needs under the salary cap, albeit at a dear price in early draft picks.

Edmonton addressed key roster needs under the salary cap, despite paying a dear price in early draft picks.

Florida Panthers: C+

• Departures: Jeff Petry (depth defenseman) for a conditional seventh-round pick.
• Activity: Extremely quiet, with no major moves involving unrestricted free agents.
• Outcome: Maintained current roster, focusing on future health and contention.

The Panthers maintained their current roster, with an extremely quiet deadline, focusing on future health and contention.

Los Angeles Kings: C+

• Acquisitions: Artemi Panarin (elite point producer), signed to a two-year extension; Scott Laughton.
• Departures: Warren Foegele and Corey Perry for draft picks.
• Outcome: Continued win-now strategy with mixed signaling, acquiring a star while also boosting draft capital.

Los Angeles continued its win-now strategy, acquiring a star while also boosting draft capital in a mixed signaling outcome.

Minnesota Wild: A+

• Acquisitions (Mid-season): Quinn Hughes.
• Acquisitions (Deadline): Michael McCarron, Bobby Brink, Robby Fabbri, Nick Foligno, and Jeff Petry.
• Outcome: Overhauled the bottom six, adding size, skill, experience, and defensive depth, while retaining assets for future moves.

The Wild impressively overhauled their bottom six, adding size, skill, experience, and defensive depth, all while retaining assets.

Montreal Canadiens: C

• Activity: Limited trade activity despite being involved in several conversations.
• Outcome: Did not utilize extensive trade capital to immediately boost playoff competitiveness, focusing on the long-term team build.

Montreal did not utilize its extensive trade capital for immediate playoff competitiveness, focusing instead on the long-term team build.

Nashville Predators: D

• Acquisitions: Draft capital for expiring contracts.
• Activity: Did not trade Ryan O'Reilly.
• Outcome: Gained some draft capital but missed an opportunity for a significant return for a key player.

Nashville gained some draft capital but critically missed an opportunity for a significant return for Ryan O'Reilly.

New Jersey Devils: D+

• Departures: Ondrej Palát (cleared cap space), requiring giving up draft picks.
• Acquisitions: Nick Bjugstad (marginal addition).
• Outcome: Addressed cap space needs but made limited moves, reflecting the team's record.

The Devils addressed cap space needs but made limited, marginal moves, reflecting their current team record.

New York Islanders: B-

• Acquisitions: Brayden Schenn.
• Departures: Jonathan Drouin's contract.
• Outcome: Gained top-six versatility and cap relief, but the age and contract of Schenn, alongside the draft pick cost, raised questions about long-term strategy.

The Islanders gained top-six versatility and cap relief, though the long-term strategy behind Schenn's acquisition sparked questions.

New York Rangers: D

• Activity: Did not trade Vincent Trocheck.
• Acquisitions: Replenished mid- and late-round picks and snagged prospects.
• Outcome: Maintained current roster but did not significantly infuse the organization with young talent.

The Rangers maintained their current roster but did not significantly infuse the organization with young talent, failing to move Vincent Trocheck.

Ottawa Senators: C+

• Acquisitions: Warren Foegele for a second-round pick and exchanged conditional third-rounders.
• Departures: David Perron for a conditional pick.
• Outcome: Took a chance on Foegele's potential resurgence while addressing their forward depth.

Ottawa took a chance on Warren Foegele's potential resurgence while addressing their forward depth.

Philadelphia Flyers: C-

• Departures: Bobby Brink for David Jiricek (defenseman).
• Activity: Retained defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
• Outcome: Addressed a logjam at wing but missed an opportunity to add more assets by retaining Ristolainen.

The Flyers addressed a logjam at wing but missed an opportunity to add more assets by retaining Rasmus Ristolainen.

Pittsburgh Penguins: B-

• Activity: Avoided significant asset losses or foolish moves.
• Outcome: Improved future outlook with a full asset cupboard and cap space, positioned for future activity.

Pittsburgh improved its future outlook with a full asset cupboard and cap space, avoiding foolish moves.

San Jose Sharks: B

• Activity: Re-signed Kiefer Sherwood and Alex Nedeljkovic. Traded Timothy Liljegren to Washington.
• Outcome: Focused on not disrupting the locker room and progressing through a rebuild without skipping steps.

The Sharks focused on not disrupting the locker room and progressing through their rebuild without skipping steps.

Seattle Kraken: B+

• Acquisitions: Bobby McMann from the Maple Leafs for a second- and fourth-round pick.
• Activity: Extended Jordan Eberle.
• Outcome: Added pace and snarl, effectively hedging bets after earlier moves and making a value purchase.

Seattle added pace and snarl with Bobby McMann, effectively hedging bets and making a value purchase after earlier moves.

St. Louis Blues: B-

• Departures: Brayden Schenn (to Islanders) and Justin Faulk (to Red Wings) for high draft picks and players.
• Activity: Attempted to move Colton Parayko (declined with no-trade clause) and Robert Thomas (returns not sufficient).
• Outcome: Acquired significant draft capital for key veterans, including three first-rounders in 2026.

St. Louis acquired significant draft capital for key veterans, including three first-rounders in 2026, despite some unfulfilled trade attempts.

Tampa Bay Lightning: B

• Acquisitions: Corey Perry.
• Outcome: Maintained status as a top team, with Perry providing experience and system familiarity, though at a noted steep cost.

Tampa Bay maintained its status as a top team, with Corey Perry providing valuable experience, albeit at a steep cost.

Toronto Maple Leafs: C+

• Departures: Nicolas Roy (for a first-round pick from Avalanche), Bobby McMann (for second- and fourth-round picks), Scott Laughton (for a conditional third-round pick).
• Outcome: Acquired reasonable returns for some players but the Laughton trade highlighted an overpay in his initial acquisition.

Toronto acquired reasonable returns for some players, though the Laughton trade highlighted an initial overpay.

Utah Mammoth: B+

• Acquisitions: MacKenzie Weegar.
• Outcome: Added a legitimate long-term contributor without sacrificing prized trade chips, allowing for bigger future moves.

Utah added a legitimate long-term contributor in MacKenzie Weegar without sacrificing prized trade chips, setting up bigger future moves.

Vancouver Canucks: C+

• Activity: Made forward-looking moves to shed salary cap liabilities and adjust lineup mix.
• Outcome: Defensible moves fitting rebuild priorities, but not all desired moves were made, and returns for assets were middle-of-the-road.

Vancouver made defensible forward-looking moves to shed salary and adjust their lineup, though not all desired outcomes were achieved.

Vegas Golden Knights: C-

• Acquisitions: Cole Smith and Nic Dowd (depth forwards).
• Outcome: Addressed forecheck needs with depth players, but activity was quiet due to limited future assets.

Vegas addressed forecheck needs with depth players, but their activity was quiet due to limited future assets.

Washington Capitals: C-

• Departures: John Carlson (to Ducks for first- and third-round picks), Nic Dowd (to Vegas for second- and third-round picks).
• Acquisitions: Timothy Liljegren and David Kämpf (backfill).
• Outcome: Stockpiled picks for the post-Alex Ovechkin era, but the departure of a franchise icon and unfulfilled top-six winger acquisition made for a mixed outcome.

Washington stockpiled picks for the post-Alex Ovechkin era, but the departure of a franchise icon and unfulfilled top-six winger acquisition led to a mixed outcome.

Winnipeg Jets: A

• Departures: Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn (to Buffalo).
• Acquisitions: Isak Rosén (forward prospect), Jacob Bryson (depth defenseman), a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick; a conditional seventh-round pick for Tanner Pearson.
• Outcome: Made correct decisions as a seller, recouping value for pending unrestricted free agents and acquiring future assets.

The Jets made correct decisions as a seller, recouping excellent value for pending unrestricted free agents and acquiring future assets.