2026 NHL Trade Deadline preview: Metropolitan Division
We are just more than a week away from the NHL Trade Deadline, which means it’s time for teams to figure out what their plans are for the rest of the season and decide which players they want to bring in or sell off before 3:00 p.m. ET March 6.
The standings have been airtight at various points of the season, so figuring out which teams should commit to buying and selling has never been harder. In fact, we only have a few confirmed sellers on the market at this point in time.
But have no fear, Daily Faceoff is here to clear the air… somewhat. This week, we’ll provide Trade Deadline previews for every team, division by division, and break down what their plans could be. For the buyers, we’ll look at their positions of need, the budget and assets they have to work with to acquire players and assess the best targets for them based on those factors. For the sellers, we’ll look at which players they could potentially move on from.
One important thing to clarify here: do not take these previews as gospel. While their status is determined based on the outlook of each team this season and the conversations surrounding them, the positions of need and best targets are determined analytically, with some input from reports regarding their wants and needs. These previews are more about what they SHOULD do, not what they WILL do, although it is still based in reality.
Also, all targets are determined based on the cap space available to the buying teams as well as any they may gain from potential assets they can move out. It does not account for the potential of salary retention or the players not on the market who could be moved to make a deal go through.
Today, we look at the Metropolitan Division, which features plenty of teams in transition who are still walking the line between buying and selling… plus the Hurricanes and Rangers.
Carolina Hurricanes
Deadline Status: Buyer.
Positions of Need: Game-breaking finisher, top-nine forward, goaltending support.
Potential Assets: Four first-round picks, two seconds, three thirds in next three years; high-upside prospect pool; Jesperi Kotkaniemi (C).
Projected Budget: $9,827,291 ($14,647,291 if they move Kotkaniemi).
Best Target(s): Sergei Bobrovsky (G), Blake Coleman (C), Jordan Kyrou (RW), Jared McCann (LW), Sam Montembeault (G).
There are three inevitabilities in life: death, taxes, and the Hurricanes looking for a game-breaking finisher. They’ve tried in the past with Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen, but neither stuck. Carolina is in search of one yet again, and they have the assets and the budget to find what they need. But the problem is the market is lacking talented finishers. The top options are Kyrou, McCann and Alex Tuch (who may not be available), and none of them is quite what the Canes are looking for. If they can move Kotkaniemi to free up more space, perhaps they take a gamble on Elias Pettersson, but we have yet to see him produce at an elite level for two years.
However, if the Hurricanes were to swing a deal for a McCann or Pettersson in particular, it would solve another issue of theirs: a second-line center behind Sebastian Aho. Right now, their depth consists of Aho, Logan Stankoven and Jordan Staal, so upgrading there would be a big help, especially if the center also fulfills Carolina’s need for a finisher.
Beyond that, some insurance in net would also be beneficial for the Canes. Brandon Bussi has played well but has no playoff experience, Frederik Andersen has struggled, and Pyotr Kochetkov is out for the season. Whether they go for a cheaper option like Montembeault or the veteran of all veterans on the market in Bobrovsky, there are some options available to them should they choose to pursue a goalie.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Deadline Status: Long-term buyers.
Positions of Need: Depth, defenseman, penalty killer.
Potential Assets: Three first-round picks, one second, six thirds in next three years; strong prospect pool.
Projected Budget: $8,542,499.
Best Target(s): Emil Andrae (D), Jordan Kyrou (RW), Alex Laferriere (RW), Matias Maccelli (LW), MacKenzie Weegar (D).
The Blue Jackets season was almost over in January, but a coaching change has given the team new life. They’re 10-1 since hiring Rick Bowness, and they sit four points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand on the Boston Bruins. Yeah, Columbus is back and they shouldn’t sell. Part of their success is driven by their depth at forward and defense, with every player being effective offensively, defensively or both. However, there are two notable exceptions: Erik Gudbranson and Miles Wood. Both have struggled even in the bottom of the lineup, and the Blue Jackets should look to add depth who can push those two out of the lineup.
Columbus can add depth to the lineup in two different ways. They could shoot high and use their cap space to bring in stronger options at forward or defense (Kyrou, Weegar). This would not only force Gudbranson and Wood out of the lineup, but it would also let several other players play in easier roles. Plus, these more ambitious adds would be players who would have long-term roles with the team. Weegar in particular would be great because it would ideally move Ivan Provorov (another struggler in the lineup) down a pair as well. Emphasis on “ideally” though, because we all know the Blue Jackets would never do that. Weegar would also address their need to improve the penalty kill, as would someone like Laferriere.
If Columbus would rather think smaller, there are also plenty of choices. Maccelli and Andrae are cheap options who are also pending RFAs, giving the Blue Jackets the flexibility to keep around. They have the prospect pool and draft picks to make it happen, although they should still play things cautiously and not damage their long-term options too much. Maybe the depth fix comes from within down the road with Cayden Lindstrom or Jackson Smith.
New Jersey Devils
Deadline Status: Short-term seller.
Potential Assets: Evgenii Dadonov (RW), Dougie Hamilton (D), Brenden Dillon (D).
Remember when the Devils were poised for Stanley Cup contention for years to come after the 2022-23 season? Pepperidge Farm remembers! New Jersey’s last few seasons have been a roller coaster since then. Goaltending tanked them in 2023-24. Injuries sunk a promising squad in 2024-25. After a hot start this season, the wheels fell off. The Devils now sit 11 points back of a playoff spot with an extra game played, so they are all but mathematically out of the playoff race.
But New Jersey still has a talented core to build around, so this is far from a rebuild situation. Considering that, it makes sense to just sell for this season and try again next year. For them, it looks like moving on from veterans like Dadonov and Dillon, and seeing what kind of return you can get for Hamilton to offload his $9-million cap hit. The Devils won’t get what they should for a defenseman of Hamilton’s caliber, but they have the defensive depth to handle moving on from him.
New York Islanders
Deadline Status: Long-time buyers.
Positions of Need: Top-six forward, top-four defenseman, power-play specialist, penalty killer.
Potential Assets: Four first-round picks, two seconds, four thirds in next three years; strong prospect pool.
Projected Budget: $10,081,667 (assuming none of Pierre Engvall, Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov and Semyon Varlamov returns).
Best Target(s): Dougie Hamilton (D), Alex Laferriere (RW), Jared McCann (LW), MacKenzie Weegar (D).
The Islanders are well ahead of schedule. All signs pointed to a retool/rebuild after Lou Lamoriello stepped down as the general manager and was replaced by Mathieu Darche. However, the retool was accelerated with a lottery win. Matthew Schaefer’s play on the blueline as an 18-year-old has drastically changed the dynamic of New York, and now they find themselves in the heat of the playoff race. But this isn’t a team poised for Stanley Cup contention yet. Ilya Sorokin has hidden a lot of blemishes, and the Isles are much worse than their record indicates. Translation: Darche should reward his players for a surprising season and give them some reinforcements at the deadline, but he shouldn’t sell the farm to do so.
There are still plenty of options on the market for the Islanders to add from a long-term perspective that can address short-term needs. Ondrej Palat has played well in the top six since he was acquired just before the Olympic break, but the Isles should look for another forward to push Palat down the lineup. Tony DeAngelo and Ryan Pulock shouldn’t both be in their top four, so another defenseman would also help. New York’s special teams could also use improvement. There are players on the market who could check multiple boxes and give the Islanders some long-term stability as well. They have the cap space to do so – assuming none of the four players on LTIR return. The only possibilities appear to be Engvall (who likely doesn’t crack the lineup anyways) and potentially Romanov in late May if the Isles go on a deep run. With no likely scenario there, they should have around $10 million to work with.
New York Rangers
Deadline Status: Sellers.
Potential Assets: Braden Schneider (D), Vincent Trocheck (C), Alexis Lafreniere (RW).
The Rangers are set on making this current teardown a retool instead of a rebuild. But that probably shouldn’t be the case. A lot of their contention window saw them as paper tigers hiding behind the stellar play of Igor Shesterkin in net and a dynamic power play led by Artemi Panarin. With Panarin now gone, along with Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, there isn’t much of a core left. As long as Shesterkin and Adam Fox are on the team, healthy and in their primes, New York will be better than the sum of their parts. But they should focus on a rebuild, even if it’s a lighter one.
For now, the Rangers are shipping off the pieces which have value. Trocheck makes sense, as teams will be all over a center who plays in the top six, kills penalties, and is locked up for three more years after this one. But Schneider and Lafreniere are more interesting choices to move on from. One would think players under 25 are the ideal to keep around for a retool. But neither player has lived up to his potential, so it’s understandable why New York may want to part ways with these two.
Philadelphia Flyers
Deadline Status: Sellers.
Potential Assets: Emil Andrae (D), Rasmus Ristolainen (D).
New head coach Rick Tocchet had the Flyers playing well above expectations for the first half of the season. But, a 3-9-4 stretch in their last 16 games has sunk their playoff chances. They’re now eight points behind the Bruins for the final spot and need to pass six other teams to make the dance. Considering Philadelphia is still in the midst of their rebuild, it’s far from a bad spot to be in. Now, they can just look to sell off a few of their players, recoup some assets, and move on to next year.
The Flyers don’t have any notable UFAs, so it looks like Philadelphia’s best chance to make that plan happen is to move on from pending-RFA Andrae and top-four defenseman Ristolainen (who still has one year left on his contract after this season). With Ristolainen, teams will be all over a veteran defenseman who munches minutes, defends well and has some size. Meanwhile, savvier teams may take a flyer on Andrae, who’s shown some promise in a sheltered role so far in his career.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Deadline Status: Long-term buyers.
Positions of Need: Disgruntled reclamation projects with upside.
Potential Assets: Three first-round picks, seven seconds, six thirds in next three years; solid prospect pool.
Projected Budget: $10,398,571.
Best Target(s): Emil Andrae (D), Dougie Hamilton (D), Andrew Mangiapane (LW), Jordan Kyrou (RW), Matias Maccelli (LW).
Few teams are executing the role of the long-term buyer better than the Penguins. They’ve held down a playoff spot for a large portion of the season, and yet none of their moves has screamed “buyer.” They sold high on Tristan Jarry to make a lateral swap in net with Stuart Skinner and added a second-round pick and a solid defenseman in Brett Kulak. Pittsburgh then shipped Kulak earlier this week for a long-term option on the blueline in Samuel Girard and another second. They sent a veteran in Danton Heinen, a second and third to Columbus for Yegor Chinakhov, who’s excelled alongside Evgeni Malkin. Every move Pittsburgh has made has walked the line of planning for the long term and improving the team for the playoffs, so why stop now?
While this year’s trade market is lacking in high-end talent, it isn’t lacking in the tier of players the Penguins are prioritizing. Whether it’s higher-end players whose values are at an all-time low (Hamilton, Kyrou) or cheaper options whom Pittsburgh would either trade minimal assets for (Andrae) or for whom they could potentially get picks to take on their contracts (Mangiapane), the market is plentiful. Kyle Dubas will eat well this next week.
Washington Capitals
Deadline Status: Long-term buyers.
Positions of Need: Depth, power play specialists, penalty killers.
Potential Assets: Three first-round picks, two seconds, one third in next three years; strong prospect pool.
Projected Budget: $3.35 million.
Best Target(s): Scott Laughton (C), Luke Schenn (D), Gustav Nyquist (RW).
The Capitals have had a disappointing season based on last season’s standards yet are still hovering around the playoff conversation. Right now, they sit only two points back of the Bruins, although Washington has played three more games. Still, this is a competitive team, and with Alex Ovechkin in the last year of his contract and no confirmation about his future, it makes sense to try to go for a playoff spot. The Caps are deep, with every player featuring some strength in their game to justify a place in the lineup. They don’t have a pressing need outside of special teams help, but with only $3.35 million in salary cap space, there aren’t a lot of options.
On the penalty kill, there’s at least some possible players who could work there. Laughton at forward and Schenn on defense are within the Capitals’ budget. But the real challenge is finding players to boost their power play. The options aren’t plentiful there, especially if some teams stay in the hunt. Claude Giroux would be a great fit, but the Ottawa Senators are still close enough to not sell. Mason Lohrei is an interesting option on the back end, but the Bruins are in a playoff spot. That leaves… Nyquist, whose good power play numbers in recent seasons are carried from his 2023-24 season with the Nashville Predators. Perhaps the Capitals look for a reclamation project like they have in the past, and maybe aim for a player like Nick Robertson or Shane Wright. Still, there aren’t many options for improvement on the power play without moving out some money.
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