Nashville has acquired Shane Wright from Seattle for Matthew Wood.
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NHL Trades
Nashville has acquired Shane Wright from Seattle for Matthew Wood.
The Capitals have acquired Rémi Poirier from the Devils for a 2027 7th-round pick.
The Devils have acquired Nick Bjugstad, Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Alexander Command, a 2029 2nd-round pick, and a 2027 7th-round pick from the Devils for Connor Hellebuyck.
Bjugstad has yet to play this season and is expected to miss at least three more months after recovering from offseason surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle. The 34-year-old Bjugstad, a veteran of 821 career games, will provide solid bottom-six depth for the Jets. Last season, he scored nine points (6G / 3A) in 61 combined games with the St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils.
The Devils have acquired Alexander Command, Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 2nd-round pick, and a 2027 7th-round pick from the Devils for Connor Hellebuyck.
The New Jersey Devils drafted Command 12th overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, and the Jets will hope he lives up to his high-draft expectations. The 18-year-old Swedish forward has yet to play a professional game in North America. He has played 12 games for Orebro HK (SHL) over the past two seasons and has not registered a point.
The Devils have acquired Nico Daws, Dawson Mercer, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 2nd-round pick, and a 2027 7th-round pick from the Devils for Connor Hellebuyck.
Daws played his final game for the Devils last night and left on a high note, saving 16 of 17 shots (.941 SV%) in a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. He has a 2.94 GAA and .897 SV% in 59 career NHL appearances (26-26-1). The 25-year-old German goalie will likely get a chance to battle for playing time behind Stuart Skinner on the Winnipeg Jets.
The Devils have acquired Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 2nd-round pick, and a 2027 7th-round pick from the Devils for Connor Hellebuyck.
Mercer, the 18th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, was typically buried in New Jersey's lineup and never had a chance to show his offensive potential. The 24-year-old forward had an encouraging 56-point season (27G / 29A) as a sophomore in 2022-23, but never lived up to that billing in the following three seasons. He should see a larger offensive role with the Winnipeg Jets.
The Devils have acquired Connor Hellebuyck from the Jets for Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Alexander Command, Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 2nd Round Pick and a 2027 7th Round Pick.
After weeks of drama and rumours following a highly publicized trade request, Hellebuyck's wishes have finally been granted in a trade that sends him to the New Jersey Devils. Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, has yet to play this season, refusing to report to training camp amid his trade request, and comes off a 2025-26 season with a 2.86 GAA and .895 SV% in 57 games (23-23-11). He joins a Devils team whose goaltending, previously occupied by Jake Allen and Nico Daws, will be immensely upgraded by his presence.
Toronto has acquired Aatu Raty from Vancouver for Brandon Buhr and Jacob Quillan.
Hours after clearing waivers, Toronto has acquired 23-year-old Finnish forward Aatu Raty from Vancouver. Raty was originally a second-round pick of the Islanders (2021) before being traded as a part of the Bo Horvat deal in 2023. He failed to make an impact in Vancouver, picking up just 27 points (12G / 15A) in 106 games. Raty will report to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Vancouver has acquired Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr from Toronto for Aatu Raty.
Qullan's time in Toronto ended after two NHL seasons, when the 24-year-old was traded alongside Brandon Buhr for Aatu Raty from Vancouver. Quillan appeared in 23 games with the Maple Leafs last season, picking up a goal, three points and a -5 plus/minus. He should provide the Canucks with offensive depth this season.
Pittsburgh has acquired Ryan Johnson from Buffalo for Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch.
Johnson appeared in 47 NHL games with the Sabres across the previous three seasons but now finds himself a part of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization after being acquired on Monday for Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch. The 25-year-old has started 2026-27 in Rochester (AHL), where he has yet to pick up a point in four games played.
Buffalo has acquired Daniel Laatsch and Caleb Jones from Pittsburgh for Ryan Johnson.
Buffalo has acquired Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch from Pittsburgh for Ryan Johnson.
After two seasons in Pittsburgh's organization, Caleb Jones now finds himself a member of the Buffalo Sabres after being acquired alongside Daniel Laatsch on Monday for Ryan Johnson. Jones appeared in seven games with the Penguins last season, but had start this year in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL), where he had three assists in four games played.
The Predators acquired Jayden Struble from the Canadiens for a 2027 2nd Round Pick (via VGK).
Toronto has acquired Elvis Merzlikins (18% retained salary), Miles Wood and Kirill Marchenko from Columbus for Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2nd-round pick.
Merzlikins time in Columbus has come to an end after seven up-and-down seasons, after the team announced Monday that they had traded the goaltender (with 18% salary retained) alongside Miles Wood and Kirill Marchenko to Toronto for Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2027 2nd-round pick (SEA). After multiple trade requests, Merzlikins leaves Columbus second all-time in team wins behind his new counterpart, Sergei Bobrovsky. He is expected to start the season on the non-roster/injured list after offseason shoulder surgery and is without a timeline to return.
Toronto has acquired Miles Wood, Kirill Marchenko, and Elvis Merzlikins (18% retained salary) from Columbus for Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2nd-round pick.
Wood was placed on waivers on Sunday and found a new home Monday when Columbus announced they had traded the 31-year-old winger to Toronto alongside Kirill Marchenko and Elvis Merzlikins (18% retained salary) to Toronto for Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2027 2nd-round pick (SEA). Wood spent one season in Columbus, picking up eight goals, 14 points and 26 PIMs. He is expected to battle for a bottom-six role with the Maple Leafs this season.
Columbus has acquired Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2nd-round pick from Toronto for Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins (18% salary retained).
Andrae's time in Toronto was short-lived after the Maple Leafs dealt the 24-year-old defensemen before he ever appeared in a game alongside Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2027 2nd-round pick (SEA), to Columbus for Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins (18% salary retained). Andrae is entering his third NHL season after spending the last two in Philadelphia, where he put up three goals, 20 points and 38 PIMs in 103 games played across the last two seasons.
Columbus has acquired Steven Lorentz, Matthew Knies, Emil Andrae and a 2nd-round pick from Toronto for Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins (some retained salary)
A day after being placed on waivers, Steven Lorentz has found himself a new home in Columbus after it was announced Monday that he had been traded alongside Matthew Knies, Emil Andrae and a 2027 2nd-round pick (SEA) to Columbus for Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins (some retained salary). The 30-year-old bottom-six forward is entering his seventh NHL season with his fifth different team after putting up seven goals, 18 points and 16 PIMs in 2025-26 with Toronto.
Toronto has acquired Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins (18% retained salary) from Columbus for Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2nd-round pick.
Marchenko had expressed his displeasure in continuing to play for the Blue Jackets organization and now finds himself a member of the Maple Leafs on Monday, after Toronto acquired him alongside Miles Wood and Elvis Merzlikins (18% retained salary) from Columbus for Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2nd-round pick. Immediately after signing, the 26-year-old signed a six-year, $12.5 million AAV contract extension ($75M total). Across the last two seasons, he has averaged 29 goals and 71 points and should slot right into Toronto's top-six.
Columbus has acquired Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae, and a 2027 2nd-round pick (SEA) from Toronto for Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins (some salary retained).
After three strong seasons in Toronto, Matthew Knies time as a Maple Leaf is up after Columbus acquired the 23-year-old power forward alongside Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae, and a 2027 2nd-round pick (SEA) from Toronto for Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood, and Elvis Merzlikins (some salary retained). Knies hit career highs in assists (43), points (66), PPP (16) and TOI/GP (18:48) across 79 games played in 2025-26 but had a glaringly ugly -30 plus/minus. He is now expected to play a key role in Columbus' top-six.
NHL Trade Tracker
Are you looking for all the latest NHL trade news from around the league? Then you’ve come to the right spot! Daily Faceoff’s NHL trade tracker provides up-to-the-minute updates on the latest personnel moves and trade rumours from all 32 franchises. When your favourite player gets dealt for future considerations, you’ll be the first to know!
Along with our NHL trade tracker, we also provide information on how hockey trades work, the strategy behind these moves, and how the latest NHL trades could impact your sports betting strategy.
It’s important for fans, sports bettors, and fantasy managers to stay informed on the latest NHL transactions. If you can keep tabs on the latest moves in the NHL, this can assist you in making intelligent pickups or trades in fantasy hockey and help shape your bets based on the new personnel added to a team.
NHL Trade Rules
NHL trades can be quite lucrative, with players, prospects, and draft capital moved to complete a deal. While there are a variety of ways to finalize trades, they all need to abide by the trade rules and regulations set by the league. Even the San Jose Sharks can’t take on everyone’s bad contracts.
Learn more about the rules around trades below so you can better understand how trades work, and the transactions made in our NHL trade tracker.
Salary Cap
In order for any NHL trade to be processed successfully, all parties involved must abide by the league’s salary cap rules. The current NHL salary cap is $88M, meaning that each team’s total payroll must fall within the budgetary restriction.
The salary cap in the NHL is considered a “hard cap,” meaning that no team can exceed it. While the limitations around roster construction can be strict, there are still ways for teams to legally exceed the set limit that won’t cost teams a first-round pick.
In the playoffs, teams are technically able to exceed their cap space through the long-term injured reserve (LTIR). The LTIR allows teams to place injured players on extended leave (24+ calendar days or 10 NHL Games) and fill their roster spots based on their cap space heading into the regular season.
If a player is on the LTIR heading into the postseason, they can be activated regardless of if their re-addition to the team puts them over the salary cap.
Roster Limit
For any active NHL roster, they can only dress 23 skaters. While they’re able to move players up and down through their farm system (AHL/ECHL/International Players), they must abide by this player limit when it comes to active players dressed in each game.
This plays a big factor in determining trades, as teams will need to make salaries work to make the move official and fit the current team’s available roster spots.
Depth is an incredibly important part of any successful NHL team, so filling out their roster with talented players is pivotal to their success. Each roster spot holds immense value.
NHL Trade Deadline
The NHL trade deadline is the last opportunity for teams to make moves between each other during the regular season. The trade deadline generally falls after the All-Star break so teams can make their last-ditch efforts before the playoffs begin. Players must be on the team’s roster by the deadline at 3 PM to be eligible for the NHL playoffs.
Technically, teams can still make trades after this point if they don’t qualify or have been eliminated from the postseason. These trades will not take effect until the next season, but the transactions can still go through.
The deadline can make or break a team’s playoff hopes, making it a dramatic and hectic period for hockey fans and managers alike. Be sure to regularly check back with our NHL trade tracker around the deadline so you don’t miss any latest moves from across the league.
Understanding the Strategy Behind NHL Trades
NHL teams may want to make a trade for a number of reasons. Often, teams make trades when they are looking to head in a certain direction, whether this means trying to improve and compete for the Stanley Cup or tank and enter a rebuild.
A team that feels it has a strong enough unit to make a deep run into the postseason will likely forgo some of its draft capital to acquire proven talent and enhance its winning capabilities.
Conversely, a team that has hit a wall in terms of success and doesn’t feel they have what it takes to compete in the playoffs may opt to trade away valuable assets in favour of draft picks or promising prospects.
Other NHL trade strategies may involve team culture/personnel fits. If a player doesn’t fit within a coach’s game plan or doesn’t have chemistry with his line mates, teams may opt to deal him to find a better fit.
For daily fantasy sports players or hockey bettors, understanding the logic behind NHL trades can play a big part in your success. If you have a solid understanding of a team’s needs and the value brought by particular players, you can use this to gain an edge on your roster moves and bets.
Check out the most recent roster moves from around the league with our NHL trade tracker, and be sure to analyze the strategy used by each team when making their next move.
How NHL Trades Impact Sports Betting
NHL trades can have a major impact on sports betting, both in terms of daily games and futures. Players moving from team to team can alter a squad’s potential success and on-ice production.
For example, if a team decides to trade their leading goal-scorer, you can rightfully assume that their overall scoring numbers may drop as a result. This means a team you once would’ve taken the Over on may be better suited for the Under due to their new lineup.
Acquiring an all-star player for futures bets can dramatically influence the betting lines, increasing one team’s value while dropping another. If you’ve already placed a futures bet and the team you wagered on makes a trade, this could possibly increase or lower the value of your original ticket, depending on the result of the roster change.
Daily fantasy hockey players can also be impacted by NHL trades as you will need to see how a player fits into their new setting before including them in your drafted lineup.Be sure to watch for any of the latest transactions by using our NHL trade tracker to stay informed on all the roster changes occurring throughout the league.
NHL Trades FAQs
Who decides NHL trades?
NHL trades are decided between two or more team general managers. The front office’s job is building a winning team. Building a winning team means discussing trades with other general managers across the league.
When can players be traded in the NHL?
During the NHL regular season, players can be traded up until the trade deadline. The deadline is the official cutoff point for when teams can no longer make moves between each other. Players can also be traded throughout the offseason.
Why do they trade players in hockey?
Teams trade players in hockey for a variety of reasons, but generally, it is done to find success, whether that is in the short term or long term. Teams may trade their top players in search of draft picks if they are undergoing a rebuild, whereas contending teams may look to acquire talent to boost their playoff chances.
How often are NHL players traded?
Trades are a common occurrence throughout the NHL and happen often. Some years feature less trades than others, it all depends on each teams needs and the availability of attractive talent.