Carolina has acquired Juuso Valimaki from Utah for Cash Considerations.
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NHL Trades
Pittsburgh has acquired Egor Zamula from Philadelphia for Philip Tomasino.
Zamula had been in and out of the lineup for the Flyers all season and he will hope to find more stability on the blueline with the Penguins. The 25-year-old defenseman averaged 14:02 time-on-ice and recorded one assist in 13 games with the Flyers.
Philadelphia has acquired Philip Tomasino from Pittsburgh for Egor Zamula.
Tomasino had not played much this season, limited to only nine games with Pittsburgh, and will hope a change of scenery helps him find another gear in Phiadelphia. The 24-year-old forward has 95 points (34G / 61A) in 218 career NHL games.
Pittsburgh has acquired Yegor Chinakhov from Columbus for Danton Heinen, a 2026 2nd round pick and a 2027 3rd round pick.
Chinakhov was drafted 21st overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but had trouble establishing himself with the Blue Jackets and will hope a change of scenery in Pittsburgh can get him going. The 24-year-old forward has 77 points (37G / 40A) in 204 career NHL games.
Columbus has acquired Danton Heinen, a 2026 2nd round pick, and a 2027 3rd round pick for Yegor Chinakhov from Pittsburgh.
With healthy bodies returning to Pittsburgh's lineup, Heinen was placed on waivers with the intention of being assigned to the AHL, but has instead been sent to the Columbia Blue Jackets via trade. The 30-year-old Heinen has spent most of the season in the AHL, where he scored an impressive 17 points (6G / 11A) in 12 games with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins (AHL).
Tampa Bay has acquired Michael Milne from Minnesota for Boris Katchouk.
Minnesota has acquired Boris Katchouk from Tampa Bay for Michael Milne.
The Blue Jackets have acquired Mason Marchment from the Kraken for a 2027 2nd Round Pick and a 2026 4th Round Pick.
Marchment was acquired by the Kraken back in June for third and fourth round picks, and has been flipped six months later for second and fourth round picks. Marchment, who is in the final year of a four-year deal worth $4.5M AAV. The 30-year-old winger has scored four goals with nine assists (13 points) in 29 games this season.
The Canadiens have acquired Phillip Danault from the Kings for a 2026 2nd Round Pick.
Danault has had an extremely quiet season offensively, going goalless with just five assists in 30 games this season. Danault, who is signed through 2026-27 with a cap-hit of $5.5M, reportedly expressed a desire to be traded and the Kings facilitated a deal in exchange for a 2026 2nd Round Pick. Danault returns to Montreal, where he played from 2016 to 2021.
The Canucks acquired Ohgren from the Wild on Friday along with Minnesota's 2026 first-round draft pick, defenseman Zeev Buium, and forward Marco Rossi in exchange for defenseman Quinn Hughes.
The 19th-overall pick of the 2022 NHL entry draft, Ohgren has yet to realize his full potential and is the least consequential piece heading to Vancouver in exchange for franchise great Quinn Hughes. The 22-year-old forward has just seven points in 46 games across three NHL seasons while primarily featuring in Minnesota's bottom-six. Ohgren failed to register a point in 18 games with the Wild this season.
The Canucks acquired Rossi from the Wild on Friday along with Minnesota's 2026 first-round draft pick, defenseman Zeev Buium, and forward Liam Ohgren in exchange for defenseman Quinn Hughes.
The former ninth-overall pick of the 2020 NHL entry draft, Rossi's inclusion in the Hughes deal helps to address a dire need in the Canucks lineup. With Elias Pettersson (upper-body) currently sidelined, Rossi figures to feature as Vancouver's interim number-one centre. The 24-year-old centreman set a career-high with 60 points a year ago and was off to another productive start in Minnesota, tallying four goals and 13 assists across 17 games this season.
The Canucks acquired Buium from the Wild on Friday along with Minnesota's 2026 first-round draft pick and forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren in exchange for defenseman Quinn Hughes.
One of the top defensive prospects in all of hockey will now have even more pressure to fulfill his mighty potential as Buium is the centre piece of the haul the Canucks acquired in exchange for franchise great Quinn Hughes. The 12th overall pick in the 2024 NHL entry draft, Buium excelled in his two seasons of NCAA hockey, racking up 24 goals and 74 assists across 83 games at the University of Denver. The 20-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut earlier this season and appeared in 31 games for the Wild, tallying three goals and 11 assists.
The Minnesota Wild acquired Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday in exchange for Minnesota's 2026 first-round draft pick, defenseman Zeev Buium, forward Marco Rossi, and forward Liam Ohgren.
The most anticipated blockbuster trade of the 2025-26 NHL season has finally come to fruition, as the Canucks captain is surprisingly shipped to Minnesota in exchange for a 2026 first-rounder and a trio of former first-round picks. One of the very best defensemen in the NHL today, the acquisition of Hughes immediately gives the Wild one of the best blue-lines across the entire league. The former Norris Trophy winner leaves Vancouver after eight seasons in which he tallied 61 goals and 371 assists across 459 career regular season games.
Pittsburgh has acquired Brett Kulak, Stuart Skinner and a 2029 2nd round pick from Edmonton for Tristan Jarry and Sam Poulin.
An NHL veteran of over 600 games, Kulak was a regular presence this season on the Oilers' third defensive pair, averaging 17:42 time-on-ice through 31 games. The 31-year-old defenseman will add a veteran presence to a Penguins defensive core with several inexperienced blueliners.
Pittsburgh has acquired Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a a 2029 2nd round pick from Edmonton for Tristan Jarry and Sam Poulin.
After speculations had regularly circulated around the Oilers organization about a change between the pipes, a move was finally made on Friday in a deal that sent Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 27-year-old Skinner was unable to consistently be a reliable goaltending option for the Oilers and hopes a change of scenery can help him flourish with the Penguins. Skinner had a 2.83 GAA and .891 SV% in 23 games with Edmonton this season (11-8-4), and was ironically moved after his most consistent stretch, posting a solid 2.15 GAA and .913 SV% in his last seven games (4-2-1).
Edmonton has acquired Sam Poulin and Tristan Jarry from Pittsburgh for Brett Kulak, Stuart Skinner and a 2029 2nd round pick.
Poulin was a first-round pick of the Penguins in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, but has yet to make an impact at the NHL level, appearing in only 15 career games. The 24-year-old forward had 20 points (9G / 11A) in 22 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) this season.
Edmonton has acquired Tristan Jarry and Sam Poulin from Pittsburgh for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a 2029 2nd round pick.
With the Oilers struggling to find consistency in net with Stuart Skinner, rumors have regularly circulated about the team looking to improve the position. They hope to have found that improvement in Tristan Jarry. The 30-year-old Jarry had a forgetful 2024-25 season, including a lengthy demotion to the AHL, posting an ugly 3.12 GAA and .892 SV% in 36 games with Pittsburgh (16-12-6). He was off to a semi-resurgent 2025-26 season, posting a 2.66 GAA and .909 SV% in 14 games before being traded (9-3-1). Jarry has battled inconsistency throughout his career and has a limited, but troubling playoff history, appearing in only 8 total games (2-6-0) while posting a 3.00 GAA and .891 SV%.
Edmonton has acquired Spencer Stastney from Nashville for a 2027 3rd round pick.
Stastney was a fifth-round pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 25-year-old defenseman became an NHL regular for the first time this season, averaging 14:52 time-on-ice and scoring nine points (1G / 8A) in 30 games. He will likely suit up on the Oilers' third defensive pair, replacing Brett Kulak, who was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade earlier today.
The Flyers acquired Schmidt from the Lightning on Monday in exchange for defenseman Ethan Samson.
A third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Schmidt has spent the last two seasons playing with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL). Schmidt has zero goals and one assist in 13 AHL games this season and is yet to make his NHL debut.
The Lightning acquired Samson from the Flyers on Monday in exchange for defenseman Roman Schmidt.
A sixth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Samson has spent the last three seasons playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL). The 22-year-old Samson has zero goals and four assists in ten AHL games this season and is yet to make his NHL debut.
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.