The Sharks acquired Devin Cooley from the Sabres for a 2025 seventh-round pick.
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NHL Trades
The Rangers acquired Jack Roslovic from the Blue Jackets for a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick.
The Golden Knights acquired Tomas Hertl, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick from the Sharks for Adam Edstrom and a 2025 first-round pick.
The most surprising deal on Friday was announced minutes before the trade deadline, sending Hertl from the San Jose Sharks to the Golden Knights. Hertl has six years remaining on a $8.1375 million AAV, which the Sharks will retain 17 percent of for the remainder of the contract. Hertl is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury after undergoing a procedure in his left knee at the beginning of February but is expected to return before the end of the season. The talented Czech forward has 34 points (15G / 19A) while averaging 20:54 time-on-ice through 48 games this season.
The Sharks acquired Vitek Vanecek and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Devils for Kaapo Kahkonen.
Vanecek has been on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, but will likely serve in a timeshare with Mackenzie Blackwood between the pipes for the Sharks upon his return. The 28-year-old Vanecek struggled this season with the New Jersey Devils, posting a career-worst 3.18 GAA and .890 SV% in 32 games (17-9-3).
The Devils acquired Kaapo Kahkonen from the Sharks for Vitek Vanecek and a 2025 seventh-round pick.
Kahkonen joins a Devils club that already acquired Jake Allen via trade earlier on Friday, likely indicating that they will be riding a new tandem between the pipes for the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old Kahkonen was serviceable on a defensively poor Sharks team this season, posting a 3.81 GAA and .895 SV% through 31 games (6-20-3).
The Flames acquired Nikita Okhotyuk from the Sharks for a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick.
Okhotyuk will help fill out a Flames' defensive core that is less robust than it was a few weeks ago after dealing away Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin in trades before the deadline. The 23-year-old Okhotyuk registered eight points (1G / 7A), 126 hits, and 72 blocks while averaging 16:27 time-on-ice through 43 games with the San Jose Sharks.
The Jets acquired Colin Miller from the Devils for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
The Jets were adding offensive pieces ahead of the trade deadline by adding Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli but added defensive depth as well with the acquisition of Colin Miller. Miller is an impending unrestricted free agent with a $1.85 million AAV. He has seven points (3G / 4A), 72 hits, and 31 blocks in 40 games this season.
The Maple Leafs have acquired Connor Dewar from the Wild for Dmitry Ovchinnikov and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
The Maple Leafs acquired additional depth for their bottom-six forward group by acquiring Dewar before the trade deadline. The 24-year-old Dewar is an impending restricted free agent and has 14 points (10G / 4A) in 57 games this season.
The Lightning have acquired Matt Dumba and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Coyotes for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Dumba is an impending unrestricted free agent with a $3.9 million AAV. The 29-year-old defenseman has seen his offensive production steadily decline over the years but still provides defensive depth for Tampa Bay. In 58 games this season, Dumba has 10 points (4G / 6A), 148 hits, and 84 blocks.
The Blue Jackets have acquired Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick from the Bruins for Andrew Peeke.
Zboril has spent the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign, posting nine points (0G / 9A) in 31 games with the Providence Bruins (AHL). The 27-year-old defenseman is an impending unrestricted free agent.
The Bruins have acquired Andrew Peeke from the Blue Jackets for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick.
After playing 162 combined games with the Columbus Blue Jackets over the last two seasons, Peeke has been limited to only 23 in the 2023-24 campaign. Peeke has two years remaining on his contract with a $2.75 million AAV.
The Flyers have acquired Erik Johnson from the Sabres for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
The Flyers have replenished some defensive depth by acquiring Johnson after trading Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. Johnson has been out of the lineup since February 27th due to an undisclosed injury. The veteran defender has only three points (3G / 0A) in 50 games this season and has been held off the scoresheet in 16 straight.
The Predators have acquired Wade Allison from the Flyers for Denis Gurianov.
Allison played 60 games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season, tallying 15 points (6G / 9A), but has spent the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL. The 26-year-old Allison has 17 points (10G / 17A) in 46 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season.
The Flyers have acquired Denis Gurianov from the Predators for Wade Allison.
Gurianov began the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admiral, scoring an impressive 30 points (12G / 18A) in 27 games. He was called up to the Predators mid-season and struggled to translate his skills to the NHL level, as has been the case throughout his career, scoring only two points (1G / 1A) in 14 games.
The Devils have acquired Jake Allen from the Canadiens for a conditional third-round pick.
Speculation about the Devils acquiring a goalie all season was finally validated on Friday when they acquired Allen from the Montreal Canadiens for a conditional third-round pick that can become a second-round pick depending on games played. Allen is currently sporting a .892 SV% and a career-worst 3.65 GAA through 21 games this season (6-12-3).
The Red Wings have acquired Radim Simek and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Sharks for Klim Kostin.
Simek has been an NHL regular with the San Jose Sharks since the 2018-19 season but has spent the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL. In 40 games with the San Jose Barracuda, he has 16 points (4G / 12A) and 29 penalty minutes.
The Sharks have acquired Klim Kostin from the Red Wings for Radim Simek and a 2024 seventh-round pick.
Kostin was in and out of the lineup for the Detroit Red Wings this season, being a healthy scratch for most of the last month. The 24-year-old Kostin has four points (3G / 1A) in 33 games this season.
The Rangers have acquired Nic Petan from the Wild for Turner Elson.
Petan is no stranger to the NHL, with 170 career games, but was limited to only six contests with the Minnesota Wild this season. The 28-year-old Petan has spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, scoring an impressive 40 points (12G / 28A) in 44 games with the Iowa Wild.
The Wild have acquired Turner Elson from the Rangers for Nic Petan.
Elson is a 31-year-old journeyman who has played three career NHL games, most recently in the 2021-22 season with the Detroit Red Wings. Elson has spent the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL), scoring 12 points (5G / 7A) in 38 games.
The Predators have acquired Jason Zucker from the Coyotes for a sixth-round pick.
Zucker adds some offensive depth to a Predators club that already added Anthony Beauvillier to their roster via trade on Thursday. The 32-year-old Zucker has 25 points (9G / 16A), 104 shots, and 74 hits in 51 games and will likely be a fixture in the Predators middle-six down the stretch.
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.