NHL Hockey Player News

Ben Smith(RW)|
Trade
Trade
The Maple Leafs have acquired Ben Smith, Alex Stalock and a 2018 conditional 4th round pick from the Sharks for James Reimer and Jeremy Morin.

Smith was acquired from the Blackhawks last season, but only appeared in 19 games with the Sharks last season and six this season. He has picked up 10 points (8G / 2A) in 14 games with the Barracuda (AHL) and was likely only a part of the trade for salary purposes.

Source:
San Jose Sharks 2016-02-28T23:13:31.000Z
Ben Smith
Alex Stalock(G)|ANA
Trade
Trade
The Maple Leafs have acquired Alex Stalock, Ben Smith and a 2018 conditional 4th round pick from the Sharks for James Reimer and Jeremy Morin.

Stalock, 28, has gone 3-5-0 with a 2.94 GAA and .884 SV% with the Sharks this season and 2-0-0 with a 1.96 GAA and .930 SV% with the Barracuda (AHL). With the Sharks looking to make a playoff run, they needed a more reliable backup netminder, so they moved Stalock in order to acquire Reimer.

Source:
San Jose Sharks 2016-02-28T23:09:12.000Z
Alex Stalock
Jeremy Morin(LW)|
Trade
Trade
The Sharks have acquired Jeremy Morin and James Reimer from the Maple Leafs for Alex Stalock, Ben Smith and a 2018 conditional 4th round pick.

Morin, 24th, is a pending restricted free agent at the end of the season, who has not appeared in an NHL games this season. He has split his season between Rockford and Toronto (AHL), collecting 11 goals and 17 assists (28 points) in 41 games.

Source:
San Jose Sharks 2016-02-28T23:09:08.000Z
Jeremy Morin
James Reimer(G)|BUF
Trade
Trade
The Sharks have acquired James Reimer and Jeremy Morin from the Maple Leafs for Alex Stalock, Ben Smith and a 2018 conditional 4th round pick.

With Alex Stalock struggling as Martin Jones’ backup, the Sharks were in search of goaltending help, so they acquired pending free agent Reimer. The 27-year-old has posted an 11-12-3 record with a 2.49 GAA and .918 SV% with Toronto this season, which is incredibly impressive when you consider the quality of team he played behind. He will undoubtably push Jones for more starts than Stalock did and becomes a stronger option now that he’s out of Toronto.

Source:
San Jose Sharks 2016-02-28T23:09:03.000Z
James Reimer
Niklas Lundstrom(G)|
Trade
Trade
The Oilers acquired Niklas Lundstrom and a 2016 5th round pick form the Blues for Anders Nilsson.

Lundstrom, 23, should not be confused with Hall of Fame defenseman Niklas Lidstrom. He was a fifth round pick (132nd overall) in 2011 and has split his season between the AHL and ECHL. He has gone 8-3-0 with a 2.92 GAA and .929 SV% with Elmira (ECHL) and 1-1-0 with a 2.75 GAA and .901 SV% with Chicago (AHL).

Source:
Bob McKenzie 2016-02-28T23:08:58.000Z
Niklas Lundstrom
Anders Nilsson(G)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Blues have acquired Anders Nilsson from the Oilers for Niklas Lundstrom and a 2016 5th round pick.

Nilsson, 25, was 10-12-2 with a 3.14 GAA and .901 SV% in 26 games with the Oilers and 2-0-0 with a 2.01 GAA and .935 SV% with Bakersfield (AHL) this season. With Brian Elliott on the shelf with a lower-body injury, the Blues needed to add an NHL-ready goalie to support Jake Allen until Elliott is set to return.

Source:
Bob McKenzie 2016-02-28T23:08:51.000Z
Anders Nilsson
Tomas Fleischmann(LW)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Blackhawks have acquired Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise from the Canadiens for Phillip Danault and a 2018 2nd round pick.

Fleischmann, 31, is a pending unrestricted free agent, so the Blackhawks have acquired him as a rental winger, who will likely play on their third line. The veteran winger has 10 goals and 10 assists (20 points) in 57 games this season and is expected to make his Blackhawks’ debut on Saturday.

Source:
@NHLBlackhawks 2016-02-28T23:00:37.000Z
Tomas Fleischmann
Dale Weise(RW)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Blackhawks have acquired Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischman from the Canadiens for Phillip Danault and a 2018 2nd round pick.

Weise, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent and the Canadiens playoff hopes are slim, so they’ve moved him to a contender. Weise is having a career-year, having posted 14 goals and 12 assists (26 points) in 56 games with Montreal.

Source:
@NHLBlackhawks 2016-02-28T23:00:27.000Z
Dale Weise
Rob Scuderi(D)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Kings have acquired Rob Scuderi from the Blackhawks for Christian Ehrhoff.

Scuderi, 37, has been traded twice this season. He was acquired by the Blackhawks earlier in the season as a part of the Trevor Daley trade, but didn’t have a point in 17 games with Chicago. He heads to Los Angeles to provide depth on the blueline, but should play a larger role with the Kings than he did with the Hawks.

Source:
Chicago Blackhawks 2016-02-28T23:00:19.000Z
Rob Scuderi
Christian Ehrhoff(D)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Blackhawks have acquired Christian Ehrhoff from the Kings for Rob Scuderi.

Ehrhoff, 33, has been acquired by the Blackhawks to provide depth on the blueline. He has not been the same player since having concussion issues with the Penguins last season. He had 10 points (2G / 8A) in 40 games with the Kings and three assists in five games with Ontario (AHL) this season. He has offensive ability, but likely won’t play a large enough role in Chicago to be a fantasy contributor.

Source:
Chicago Blackhawks 2016-02-28T23:00:12.000Z
Christian Ehrhoff
Marko Dano(C)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Jets acquired Marko Dano, a 2016 1st round pick and a conditional draft pick from the Blackhawks for Andrew Ladd, Jay Harrison and Matt Fraser.

Dano, 21, was the 27th overall pick in 2013 and was acquired by the Blackhawks in the summer as a part of the Brandon Saad deal. He only appeared in 13 games with the Blackhawks, collecting one goal and one assist. He spent the majority of the season with Rockford (AHL), where he had 23 points (4G / 19A) in 34 games, but he is expected to report to the Jets.

Source:
Darren Dreger 2016-02-28T22:50:26.000Z
Marko Dano
Matt Fraser(RW)|
Trade
Trade
The Blackhawks have acquired Matt Fraser, Andrew Ladd and Jay Harrison from the Jets for Marko Dano, a 2016 1st round pick and a conditional draft pick.

Fraser, 25, is a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and has not appeared in an NHL game this season. In 44 games with Manitoba (AHL), he has collected five goals and nine assists.

Source:
Darren Dreger 2016-02-28T22:50:20.000Z
Matt Fraser
Jay Harrison(D)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Blackhawks have acquired Jay Harrison, Andrew Ladd and Matt Fraser from the Jets for Marko Dano, a 2016 1st round pick and a conditional draft pick.

Harrison, 33, will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and was acquired for salary cap purposes. The veteran defenseman has not appeared in an NHL game this season, but has 75 points (23G / 52A) in 372 career games. He has five points (3G / 2A) in 18 games with Manitoba (AHL) this year.

Source:
Darren Dreger 2016-02-28T22:50:15.000Z
Jay Harrison
Andrew Ladd(LW)|ARI
Trade
Trade
The Blackhawks have acquired Andrew Ladd, Jay Harrison and Matt Fraser from the Jets for Marko Dano, a 2016 1st round pick and a conditional draft pick.

Ladd, 30, was with the Blackhawks from 2008-2010, winning a Stanley Cup in 2010. He has spent the last five in a half seasons with the Jets, where he averaged 27 goals and 32 assists (59 points) per 82 games and had 34 points (17G / 17A) in 59 games this season. He will play on the Blackhawks’ top line with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa (when he returns from injury).

Source:
Darren Dreger 2016-02-28T22:43:46.000Z
Andrew Ladd
Markus Granlund(C)|
Trade
Trade
The Canucks have acquired Markus Granlund from the Canucks for Hunter Shinkaruk.

Granlund, 22, was a second round pick (45th overall) in 2011 and has been with the Flames organization since 2013-14. He had seven points (4G / 3A) in 31 games and nine points (5G / 4A) in 12 games with Stockton (AHL) this season. He will report to the Canucks.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2016-02-28T22:43:41.000Z
Markus Granlund
Hunter Shinkaruk(C)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Flames have acquired Hunter Shinkaruk from the Canucks for Markus Granlund.

Shinkaruk, 21, was the 24th overall in the 2013 NHL draft, but has spent just two seasons with the Canucks organization. He played just one game with Vancouver, and 119 with Utica (AHL). The 5-foot-11, 180 lbs. winger has 21 goals and 18 assists (39 points) in 45 AHL games this season. He will report to the Stockton Heat.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2016-02-28T22:43:33.000Z
Hunter Shinkaruk
Raffi Torres(LW)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Maple Leafs have acquired Raffi Torres, a 2017 second round pick and 2018 second round pick from San Jose for Roman Polak and Nick Spaling.

Torres has not appeared in an NHL game this season, but has played in six games with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL), who he will stay with on a loan from Toronto. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Source:
@MapleLeafs 2016-02-22T11:38:58.000Z
Raffi Torres
Nick Spaling(C)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Sharks have acquired Nick Spaling and Roman Polak from the Maple Leafs for Raffi Torres, a 2017 second round pick and 2018 second round pick.

Spaling picked up seven points (1G / 6A) in 35 games this season. Spaling was picked up in the Phil Kessel trade and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. He provides the Sharks with bottom-6 depth.

Source:
@MapleLeafs 2016-02-22T11:06:22.000Z
Nick Spaling
Roman Polak(RD)|FA
Trade
Trade
The Sharks have acquired Roman Polak and Nick Spaling from the Maple Leafs for Raffi Torres, a 2017 second round pick and 2018 second round pick.

Polak is a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but provides the Sharks’ with depth on the blueline for a playoff push. Polak has 13 points (1G / 12A) in 55 games, led the Maple Leafs in blocked shots (102) and was second in hits (220).

Source:
@MapleLeafs 2016-02-22T11:04:47.000Z
Roman Polak

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.