NHL · 1 month ago

Ranking the Top 10 Trades Ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline

Grant White

Host · Writer

10. Sharks Add Scoring Bite With Sherwood
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- San Jose Sharks Receive: Kiefer Sherwood
- Vancouver Canucks Receive: Cole Clayton, 2026 2nd-Round Pick, 2027 2nd-Round Pick
Seemingly out of nowhere, the Sharks have emerged as playoff contenders. To expedite their rebuild, they acquired a talented scoring winger from the Canucks.

Kiefer Sherwood has quietly established himself as a premier scoring option. The 30-year-old totaled 17 goals in 44 games with the Canucks, putting him two below last year's career-best 19 tallies. That scoring depth will be invaluable for a San Jose team on the cusp of a playoff spot.

The Canucks' master plan continues, as they look to offload any movable pieces for future assets. They got exactly that in this trade, landing two second-round picks in the deal. Cole Clayton has yet to make his NHL debut, but could be called upon if Vancouver's blueline gets any thinner.
1. Hughes Going Wild in Minnesota
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- Vancouver Canucks Receive: Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium, 1st-Round Pick 2026 NHL Draft
- Minnesota Wild Receive: Quinn Hughes
Undoubtedly, the biggest trade of the season was the Wild's acquisition of All-World defenseman Quinn Hughes.

Hughes is the prototypical modern-day rearguard. He's a possession-driven player with immense upside, without compromising defensive responsibility in his own end. Minnesota's play improved immediately with Hughes in the lineup, vaulting them to legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

Still, Vancouver made out great with the return. The Canucks acquired four future pieces, including 2024 first-round pick Zeev Buium.

Both teams accomplished something with this trade, setting the stage for another hectic NHL Trade Deadline.
2. Breadman Bringing the Heat
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- New York Rangers Receive: Liam Greentree, Conditional 3rd-Round Pick
- Minnesota Wild Receive: Artemi Panarin
- Conditions: Rangers retain 50% of Panarin's salary. If LA wins a playoff series, the pick becomes a 2nd-round selection. If LA wins two playoff series, the Rangers receive an additional 4th-round pick in 2028.
Artemi Panarin's time with the Rangers came to an unceremonious conclusion. New York elected to hold its star scorer out of the lineup before his trade to Los Angeles.

The Kings get an immediate boost to their offensive production and scoring. Panarin has recorded 105 goals over the last three seasons, contributing 266 points along the way.

Liam Greentreen may one day match Panarin's production, but he's still a year away from making the professional jump.
4. Another Flames Defender on the Move
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- Calgary Flames Receive: Olli Maatta, Jonathan Castagna, 2026 2nd-Round Pick, 2026 2nd-Round Pick, 2026 2nd-Round Pick, Future Considerations
- Utah Mammoth Receive: MacKenzie Weegar
The Flames' sell-off continued as they moved on from assistant captain and defensive stalwart MacKenzie Weegar. In exchange, Calgary stocks its cupboards with a trio of second-round picks and Jonathan Castagna.

Weegar has been a staple of the Flames' blueline since being acquired in the Matthew Tkachuk deal. But with Calgary investing more wholeheartedly in a rebuild, the standout rearguard became expendable.

In exchange, the Mammoth reinforce their blueline as they look to make a more sincere run at a playoff spot.
5. Palat Crosses the River
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- New York Islanders Receive: Ondrej Palat, 2026 3rd-Round Pick, 2027 6th-Round Pick
- New Jersey Devils Receive: Maxim Tsyplakov
Eager to rid themselves of Ondrej Palat's $6-million contract, the Devils paid a premium to ship their scoring winger to a division foe. Palat was dealt to the Islanders, with New Jersey sending two picks to New York to facilitate the transaction.

Palat struggled with the Devils this season. The former 20-goal scorer mustered just four tallies in 51 games, precipitating a move to the Islanders. He's already got one goal and three points in six games on Long Island, boosting the Islanders' playoff chances.

Maxim Tsyplakov went the other way, but the Russian has yet to find his scoring touch in the NHL. After mustering 10 goals in his first season stateside, Tsyplakov has just one goal in 31 games this season.
6. Myers on the Move to Dallas
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- Dallas Stars Receive: Tyler Myers, Future Considerations
- Vancouver Canucks Receive: 2027 2nd-Round Pick, 229 4th-Round Pick
The Canucks are playing the long game with their most recent transaction. Vancouver shipped off Tyler Myers for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-round selection in 2029.

Assuredly, Myers adds a new dimension to the Stars' defensive corps. Shutdown defensemen are an underappreciated commodity come playoff time, and Myers will be asked to neutralize some of the best players in the league.

Dallas immediately improves. We'll see what Vancouver does with these picks in a few years.
7. Oilers Rid Themselves of Mangiapane
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- Edmonton Oilers Receive: Colton Dach
- Chicago Blackhawks Receive: Andrew Mangiapane, Conditional 2027 1st-Round Pick, Future Considerations
Stan Bowman's depravity has reached a new low. In his latest transaction, he sold off one of his premier offseason signings, paying the Blackhawks a premium to do so.

Andrew Mangiapane never found his rhythm in Edmonton. With that, the relationship quickly soured, and the winger was quickly placed on the chopping block. Without a trade partner, Bowman was forced to give up a first-round draft pick in exchange for two unproven, depth wingers.

The Oilers need to untangle themselves from the Stan Bowman web as quickly as possible.
8. Kulak on the Move Again
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- Colorado Avalanche Receive: Brett Kulak
- Pittsburgh Penguins Receive: Samuel Girard, 2028 2nd-Round Pick
Both teams are winners in the Avalanche-Penguins trade that happened after the Olympic roster freeze. Colorado nabbed a premier playoff defender, with Pittsburgh adding to its pool of young talent and future draft picks.

Brett Kulak is a classic replacement-level player. He is used primarily as a neutralizing force in the defensive zone, but has shown flashes of joining the rush as needed. Nevertheless, the shutdown defenseman always finds a sixth gear come playoff time, a characteristic the Avalanche desperately needed.

The Pens made out alright in the deal two, accumulating another second-round draft pick and adding Samuel Girard to the backend.
9. Oilers Replenish the Backend With Murphy
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- Edmonton Oilers Receive: Connor Murphy
- Chicago Blackhawks Receive: 2028 2nd-Round Pick
Stan Bowman saw the Lightning's cap/roster management strategy and said to himself, "Hey, I can do that. Only a lot worse."

Bowman has crippled the Oilers' future, and his Connor Murphy trade exacerbated those concerns. To summarize, he traded away Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a second-round pick for Tristan Jarry. Subsequently, he gave up another second-round pick for Murphy, who is the same player but at a higher salary. That's two second-round picks without a substantive upgrade in goal or on the blueline.

Murphy is what the Oilers need, but the cost is too much. Edmonton's bankrupt future is tied directly to Bowman's reign of terror as GM.
10. Sharks Add Scoring Bite With Sherwood
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- San Jose Sharks Receive: Kiefer Sherwood
- Vancouver Canucks Receive: Cole Clayton, 2026 2nd-Round Pick, 2027 2nd-Round Pick
Seemingly out of nowhere, the Sharks have emerged as playoff contenders. To expedite their rebuild, they acquired a talented scoring winger from the Canucks.

Kiefer Sherwood has quietly established himself as a premier scoring option. The 30-year-old totaled 17 goals in 44 games with the Canucks, putting him two below last year's career-best 19 tallies. That scoring depth will be invaluable for a San Jose team on the cusp of a playoff spot.

The Canucks' master plan continues, as they look to offload any movable pieces for future assets. They got exactly that in this trade, landing two second-round picks in the deal. Cole Clayton has yet to make his NHL debut, but could be called upon if Vancouver's blueline gets any thinner.
1. Hughes Going Wild in Minnesota
NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
- Vancouver Canucks Receive: Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, Zeev Buium, 1st-Round Pick 2026 NHL Draft
- Minnesota Wild Receive: Quinn Hughes
Undoubtedly, the biggest trade of the season was the Wild's acquisition of All-World defenseman Quinn Hughes.

Hughes is the prototypical modern-day rearguard. He's a possession-driven player with immense upside, without compromising defensive responsibility in his own end. Minnesota's play improved immediately with Hughes in the lineup, vaulting them to legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

Still, Vancouver made out great with the return. The Canucks acquired four future pieces, including 2024 first-round pick Zeev Buium.

Both teams accomplished something with this trade, setting the stage for another hectic NHL Trade Deadline.

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Ranking the Top 10 Trades Ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker

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