Follow the latest NHL trade deadline news in The Athletic’s live blog.
Could Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros be headed to Los Angeles to right the Kings’ ship? And Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin to the Tampa Bay Lightning — or maybe the Boston Bruins? Will we see a surprise Rangers reunion in New York?
This week, The Athletic asked its NHL staff for their bold predictions ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, and those were just a few of the enticing (and sometimes contradictory) scenarios we heard about in response.
Here’s one pick for each team.
They’ll trade Adam Henrique and Frank Vatrano to the Rangers: The real bombshells would be trading longtime No. 1 goalie John Gibson or, gasp, Trevor Zegras, but for different reasons, I don’t think either will happen. It feels like it’s a foregone conclusion at this point that Henrique and his expiring contract will be traded, meanwhile, and it makes sense to move Vatrano at peak value during a career-best, All-Star season. To make the pick a bit bolder, let’s add the destination. The Rangers could use another top-six finisher and they know Vatrano from their 2022 playoff run, and they could also use a center to fill the hole left by the injured Filip Chytil. What would Anaheim get in return for both? The Rangers’ first-round pick? Kaapo Kakko? Brennan Othmann? Will Cuylle? Some combination of the aforementioned? You’ve got to give to get, especially when you’ve got a run at a Stanley Cup in your sights. — Eric Stephens
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They’ll trade Matt Dumba to the Maple Leafs: It’s only bold because it specifies the destination; that Dumba will move in general seems like a given since he is a pending unrestricted free agent who became a trade target as soon as the Coyotes fell off the pace in the Western Conference. Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was interested in Dumba in the offseason, and the match should be appealing at the deadline, as well. A right-shot defenseman on a modest expiring contract is exactly what the Maple Leafs need for their playoff push. It’s just too natural of a fit to think it isn’t going to happen. — Eric Duhatschek
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Boston Bruins
They’ll acquire Noah Hanifin: Hanifin is the No. 1 target on The Athletic’s trade board. Acquiring the Norwood, Mass., native would not be cheap. But the Bruins have cap space next year to accommodate an extension plus present left-side needs because of Hampus Lindholm’s week-to-week status. Hanifin, 27, is also a long-term solution, with Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort on expiring contracts. The trick will be to meet Calgary’s price. It will not be easy given the Bruins’ lack of picks and prospects. — Fluto Shinzawa
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They will make at least three trades: The Sabres have four unrestricted free agents (Erik Johnson, Zemgus Girgensons, Kyle Okposo and Victor Olofsson) who could be of interest to contenders, but general manager Kevyn Adams also wants to add to the NHL roster if he can, even with the Sabres far out of a playoff spot. The bold prediction here is that the Sabres will be able to trade at least two of their unrestricted free agents and make another hockey trade to get someone who can help the team now and next season. — Matthew Fairburn
Calgary Flames
Jacob Markstrom won’t move ahead of the deadline: Markstrom has emerged as a hot deadline commodity and would help out a ton of teams in need of goaltending for a playoff run. But beyond the Devils, we haven’t heard much in terms of interested parties for the Swedish goaltender. That’s not to say that other teams can’t or won’t make a run at him, but unless the Flames get an offer that bowls them over, the bet here is that he stays. — Julian McKenzie
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Martin Necas will be traded for an impact player: The Hurricanes have been criticized for not having a star player or elite scorer to carry the load during their five years under coach Rod Brind’Amour. They’ve certainly tried to add impact players in recent years (Matthew Tkachuk, Timo Meier, Erik Karlsson). I’m not sure who Carolina can shake loose that would fit the bill, but the centerpiece of any deal would probably be Martin Necas. The speedy forward will be a restricted free agent after this season, and the Hurricanes may not want to offer a big deal to keep him. That makes him the perfect piece to use as trade capital — if there’s a dance partner willing to deal a player with term to make it happen. — Cory Lavalette
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They will do absolutely nothing: I wish there were moves to talk about here, but the Blackhawks are shaping up to have the dullest trade deadline I can remember in my 10-plus seasons on the beat. They’re open to taking on a bad contract or being used for their cap space, but it’s quiet on that front so far. They also probably don’t have any players on expiring contracts who are desirable to other teams, and they’re not moving any of their younger players. So, bold or not, don’t expect much. — Scott Powers
They’ll trade for Alex Wennberg: Colorado’s biggest need is depth up the middle, and Wennberg is a strong two-way center who would bolster the Avalanche’s middle six. He kills penalties and can play tough minutes. He’s never reached 20 goals and has only eight this season, but perhaps joining Colorado’s high-powered attack would squeeze a little more offense out of his game. In a trade market without many center options, Wennberg could be one of the better players available for the Avalanche at the deadline. — Jesse Granger
It will be a strangely quiet deadline: The Blue Jackets have spent the past three deadlines in dump mode. Last season, that meant Gustav Nyquist, Vladislav Gavrikov, Joonas Korpisalo and Jakub Voracek getting moved for futures. There’s not much left to dump now, with only one pending unrestricted free agent (forward Jack Roslovic). The Blue Jackets are loaded with two types of players: young, cheap, promising prospects and big-ticket veterans, including a few (Elvis Merzlikins, Patrik Laine, etc.) who would be hard to move. We should always allow for surprises, and interim general manager John Davidson is all ears … but don’t be surprised if the Blue Jackets are relatively quiet at the deadline. We’d set the over/under on substantive moves at 2.5. — Aaron Portzline
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They’ll trade away a first-round pick: The Stars need help at the deadline, both in upgrades and in dealing with the injury bug. General manager Jim Nill doesn’t part with first-round picks easily — just one in his decade in Dallas — but that may be the only way to make a real upgrade while holding onto the top prospects. — Saad Yousuf
Their biggest addition will come from within: With the energy of a playoff race starting to buzz through the city, the Red Wings look like they’re out of seller territory. Locally, there’s even a hunger to see them improve the roster for a potential playoff series. But while Detroit’s grip on an Eastern Conference playoff spot is probably approaching a level that would justify buying, the prediction here is that the Red Wings will instead sit out the deadline, trusting in the depth that has gotten them this far — and knowing that top prospect Simon Edvinsson is ready to help them if the need arises. And there’s a real chance that Detroit will need Edvinsson to help them down the stretch if injuries strike. It wouldn’t be a shocker to see the Red Wings add at the margins, but we’ll say they sit tight at the deadline and instead get a real contribution from Edvinsson down the stretch. — Max Bultman
Simon Edvinsson could give the Red Wings a boost down the stretch. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
They will acquire Chris Tanev: As hated rivals, the Oilers and Flames are almost never trading partners. Steve Staios heading south in 2010 was the first deal consummated between the two teams. Since then, Ladislav Smid and Laurent Brossoit served as the main pieces in one swap, and Milan Lucic and James Neal changed places in the other — a case of flipping underperforming veteran wingers with bloated contracts. Tanev would represent the most prominent player ever exchanged between the Alberta clubs. The Oilers could really use him as an upgrade over Cody Ceci next to Darnell Nurse. Tanev is believed to be one of the Oilers’ most coveted targets. They can swing it if they pony up. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman
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They’ll add a name-brand forward: In a recent convo with our Pierre LeBrun, Panthers general manager Bill Zito certainly did not sound like a guy who is itching to add at the deadline. Makes sense. No team in the league is playing better, and Zito has already traded his first-round picks in 2024 and 2025. Still, adding a top-nine player seems like a sensible move, and Florida has the cap space necessary ($5 million to $6 million projected) to do it. A guy like Jason Zucker — a versatile pending unrestricted free agent with offensive pop — would fit. — Sean Gentille
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They will keep Matt Roy for their playoff run: If there is one dilemma the Kings may face over the next two weeks, it’s whether to trade the 28-year-old Roy or risk losing him to free agency after the season. This next contract is a big one for the shutdown defenseman, and Kings general manager Rob Blake has stated on a couple of occasions that there hasn’t been any progress toward an extension. They’re working in top prospect Brandt Clarke, but are you ready to give Roy’s important minutes to the 21-year-old who has played 20 NHL games to date? I think they could try to extend Roy as their cap problems ease next season and possibly look to move Jordan Spence instead. It would be different if they were rebuilding. — Eric Stephens
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They will trade Brandon Duhaime: Even if the Wild aren’t in sell mode, Duhaime still may be worth trading at the deadline if he’s a hot commodity. The Wild have had no contract talks with the 26-year-old pending free agent, so if this is indeed the end of the 2016 draft pick’s run in Minnesota, grabbing a player, prospect or draft pick for him might be worth it. He’s expendable with Marcus Foligno and Pat Maroon (if he’s not traded) expected to return from injury next month, with Mason Shaw waiting in the wings and with the Wild hoping to sign 2020 second-round pick Marat Khusnutdinov soon after his KHL season ends Sunday — as long as they can secure a release of his contract from Sochi. Duhaime is a hard-hitting checker who is willing to fight, skates extremely well and can kill penalties, so playoff teams looking to bulk up in the bottom six should have interest. — Michael Russo
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David Savard will get traded: The Canadiens don’t necessarily want to do this right now, because they consider Savard to be an important leadership presence in their room and they are sensitive to that after already removing Sean Monahan from that mix. But with demand seemingly sky-high for defensemen who fit Savard’s profile — a physical shot blocker with a Cup ring — the market price might get so high they wouldn’t have much of a choice but to take it. The Canadiens are sensitive to what Savard means to their young group, but they are also sensitive to asset management. — Arpon Basu
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Nashville Predators
They will trade Juuse Saros to the Los Angeles Kings: General manager Barry Trotz told The Athletic before the season that his intention was to sign Saros to a long-term deal, but that stance has softened as Saros has struggled through his worst full season in the NHL and prospect Yaroslav Askarov has flourished in the AHL. Embracing a future with the younger, cheaper Askarov and getting a haul for Saros rather than locking him up for $8 million or so annually looks better and better. What’s the haul? I don’t see the Kings parting with Quinton Byfield when the point is to load up for a run with Saros. So make it two first-round picks and two prospects to entice Trotz. — Joe Rexrode
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New Jersey Devils
They will get a goalie — but not one of the big three: The Devils need goaltending. That’s been apparent all season with Vitek Vanacek regressing and Akira Schmid failing to perform to the level he did last postseason. There are three big-name goaltenders who could move at the deadline: Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom, Anaheim’s John Gibson and Nashville’s Juuse Saros. New Jersey has reasons to swing big and try to acquire one of the three. But with big-name players, deals don’t come together easily. There are stopgap options available, including Kaapo Kahkonen in San Jose and Kevin Lankinen in Nashville. Someone like that could allow the Devils to take a flier on a potential upgrade while saving their longer-term addition for the offseason. — Peter Baugh
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Jean-Gabriel Pageau will get traded: Pageau had a couple of good playoff runs with the Isles after he arrived at the 2020 deadline, and his contract, with two more years at a $5 million cap hit, won’t be easy to move. But the Senators have made it known that they need culture guys to be part of the change in Ottawa; Pageau, a native of nearby Gatineau, was beloved in his eight years there. Moving Pageau, even for a minimal return, would free up general manager Lou Lamoriello to make other moves, either now or in the summer. — Arthur Staple
New York Rangers
A reunion with a former Ranger is coming: There are some options on the trade market to make this happen, from Vladimir Tarasenko to Pavel Buchnevich to … Patrick Kane? But I’m thinking that the Rangers find a way to bring Frank Vatrano back as the right wing who could help unlock the Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad duo at five-on-five. Vatrano was a cheap find two deadlines ago and had a productive run, earning himself a decent contract. That deal has a year left at $3.65 million with the Ducks. He’ll cost something good this time, but he would be probably the best available addition to the Rangers’ top six. — Arthur Staple
They’ll pull off a Jakob Chychrun or Thomas Chabot trade: At some point, the Senators are going to have to decide between keeping Chabot and Chychrun. When you factor Jake Sanderson into the equation, that’s three premium left-shot defensemen on the roster. It sure feels like something has to give. And a move of this magnitude from general manager Steve Staios would certainly be classified as bold around the trade deadline. Chychrun is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, but maybe there is a contending team that would look at him as a valuable asset on a reasonable cap hit ($4.6 million) for two playoff runs. Chabot is inked through the 2027-28 season ($8 million cap hit) and has a no-trade clause that kicks in July 1. So if Ottawa is thinking of moving Chabot, it would want to do so before that clause kicks in and limits the trade partners. Moving one of Chychrun or Chabot would be a major decision and might be better suited for the offseason, when teams have more cap flexibility. But if the Senators are destined to move on from one of these defensemen, it stands to reason they should be listening now. — Ian Mendes
Could the Senators move Jakob Chychrun or Thomas Chabot at the trade deadline? (Joel Auerbach / Getty Images)
It will be relatively quiet: A rebuilding team is supposed to have an active trade deadline — and when the season began, that’s probably what the Flyers’ front office expected, too. But the Flyers have overachieved this season and are in the driver’s seat when it comes to a playoff berth. They have an opportunity to allow their young players to see what those games are like and get them some valuable experience from that standpoint. Yes, the Flyers will probably make at least one trade, with Sean Walker as the most likely candidate. Other than that, they could keep this current group together to see what it can do in April. — Kevin Kurz
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They will trade a goaltender: The Penguins almost certainly won’t make the playoffs at this point, and right now, their team strength is goaltending. I could see Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic being moved before the deadline. Both have been excellent. Pittsburgh also has a couple of good goaltending prospects in the system. Many teams — Toronto, Carolina and Colorado, among many others — could use a boast between the pipes and might be willing to pay quite a price for Jarry or Nedeljkovic. — Josh Yohe
They will trade Mario Ferraro: The safe bet is that they’ll trade away one or more of their pending unrestricted free agents. The bold prediction is that they’ll move a popular defenseman who plays the most minutes on the club and is under team control for more seasons after this one on an affordable contract. Such is the case with Ferraro, who has two years remaining after this one along with a $3.25 million cap hit. The 25-year-old carries a lot of attraction for his skating, effective puck movement and his willingness to put his body on the line. Why would the Sharks trade him? This could be their opportunity to get their best return, and they have youngsters Henry Thrun and Shakir Mukhamadullin on the left side to help mitigate the immediate loss as they grow into NHL regulars. Toronto could have strong interest in Ferraro. — Eric Stephens
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They will extend Jordan Eberle: It’s bold because at no point this season have the Kraken appeared to have an inside track on qualifying for the playoffs, and given that, and general manager Ron Francis’ trademark patience, it seems discordant that the club would extend a 33-year-old player as opposed to harvesting whatever futures it can before the deadline. Eberle, however, is a huge part of this team. He loves it in Seattle, and the Kraken are going to make a late push here, especially now that they’ve found their identity as one of the best defensive teams in the West. Francis and company won’t buy, but I predict they extend Eberle before March 8 and ultimately make a successful push for the postseason. — Thomas Drance
They’ll pass up big offers and keep Pavel Buchnevich: Buchnevich is unquestionably the Blues’ most valuable asset heading into the deadline. He’s scored 189 points in 190 games since arriving in St. Louis, and because he has one more season left on his contract after this one, an acquiring team could have him for two playoff runs. There will be offers, and perhaps some will really make Blues general manager Doug Armstrong think. But in the end, he will either wait to move Buchnevich this summer or maybe even re-sign him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2025. — Jeremy Rutherford
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Tampa Bay Lightning
They will trade for Noah Hanifin: With Mikhail Sergachev on long-term injured reserve, the Lightning have cap space to work with at the deadline. Predicting they add a defenseman isn’t all that bold with that in mind, but swinging so big for the top available option on the trade board is. Tampa Bay’s asset pool is depleted, but management tends to find a way to make it work. The Lightning don’t have first-round picks in 2024 or 2025, so maybe the 2026 first-rounder plus other picks in 2025 would do it. For the Flames, those picks could look even more valuable considering the Lightning’s long-term trajectory. But that’s the price for Tampa Bay to pay to extend its window of contention. — Shayna Goldman
Toronto Maple Leafs
They will have a quiet trade deadline: Is that bold? I don’t know. Is it what I think the Leafs should do? No. I think a team in this position — a team with a player on pace for almost 80 goals(!) — should be aggressive and go for it as much as they possibly can. But that gets to the issue. The Leafs don’t own a ton of great assets. They might decide they would rather keep the best of those — their first-round pick in 2024 and top prospects like Easton Cowan — in hopes of building up for the future. Without those assets, the Leafs may be edged by teams that are willing and able to do more. — Jonas Siegel
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They will keep buying: The Canucks already pushed their chips in, trading a high-upside prospect in Hunter Brzustewicz and a 2024 first-round pick for Elias Lindholm. It says here, however, that the Canucks will keep going. They’ll be in the market for affordable defensive depth and, more importantly, an additional depth forward with some size and penalty-killing utility. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford believes that his aggressiveness is a competitive edge. Historically he’s been right. And he’s going to do everything in his power to maximize this group’s ability to go deep into the postseason. — Thomas Drance
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They’ll trade for Jake Guentzel: The Golden Knights have always been aggressive at the trade deadline. Even before his time in Vegas, president of hockey ops George McPhee almost always made a move. And now, with Mark Stone potentially out for the remainder of the regular season, the defending champions could suddenly have cap space to work with. Guentzel is one of the best players who could be available, and Vegas’ biggest need is on the wing. It’s a match. — Jesse Granger
Could Jake Guentzel and Adin Hill be teammates come playoff time? (Charles LeClaire / USA Today)
They’ll move Anthony Mantha at a premium: At this point, Mantha (18 goals) might be one of the most interesting players on the market. If you predicted that at the start of the season, collect your money. He still makes too much money ($5.7 million average annual value), and he’s riding a shooting-percentage high, but Mantha can put the puck in the net. If the Caps eat some of his cap hit for the rest of the season, they should be able to move him for something nice. — Sean Gentille
They will pick up yet another top-six forward: Mark Scheifele’s line, with Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi, is producing all kinds of offense, while Sean Monahan has been an ideal fit, Nikolaj Ehlers is an elite five-on-five scorer and Adam Lowry’s shutdown line can go toe to toe with anyone. That would be the press release, anyway, but most of the offense is coming from the power play while neither top-six line is managing the puck well right now, and Lowry’s line doesn’t score nearly as often as it did when the Jets were dominant earlier in the season. The Jets are struggling at five-on-five for the first time and seem committed to the Scheifele line as listed. Does this mean they’ll be shopping for top-six help to upgrade Monahan and the second line? They shouldn’t need to, with the talent they’ve already got, but suddenly it looks like Winnipeg needs another Nino Niederreiter-type up front. — Murat Ates
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(Top photos of Noah Hanifin, left, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, right: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images; and of Juuse Saros, center: Brett Carlsen / Getty Images)
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