2026 NHL Trade Deadline: Ranking the top five seller teams in assets
The NHL’s Olympic roster freeze is Feb. 4 at 3:00 p.m. ET, but don’t be surprised if we see some trades before then.
We’re at the point of the season where teams realistically know where they stand. Even though both playoff races are still totally in the air, smart general managers will already know if they stand realistic chances of challenging for glory this spring or not. For those completely out of the hunt, it’s a good time to start looking to the future and offloading some of your more desirable assets this spring.
These five teams listed below have substantial assets available. Most of the players are pending UFAs – potential rentals or others just needing changes of scenery. Others are players on deals past this season that could provide the missing piece for contenders looking to solidify their cores.
So, let’s get to it, with help from Matt Larkin’s most recent trade board:
5. Winnipeg Jets
Potential Trade Chips: Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn, Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist
Other Pending UFAs: Tanner Pearson, Cole Koepke, Colin Miller (IR)
Deadline Cap Space: $13 million
The Jets went from being the NHL’s top team during the 2024-25 regular season to sitting second last a year later. So to say the season has been a disappointment has been an understatement. But it’s not all doom and gloom for the Jets – they seem destined to retool more than fully rebuild. Beyond Stanley – one of the top shutdown defenders on the market this year – the team’s top trade chips are all older veterans. Toews’ best days are absolutely behind him, but he can still win faceoffs and bring leadership to the table. Nyquist’s offense dropped off a cliff the past two years after he registered 75 points in 2023-24, but he’ll give you a solid effort defensively, at the very least. Schenn can still hit everyone in sight, and he’s a solid shot blocker with plenty of playoff experience.
And then there’s Stanley. At 27, he’s young enough to be an attractive trade chip for just about any team. He’s big, mean and loves to get in the way. A team looking to get tougher for the playoffs could do much worse than throwing a pick Winnipeg’s way for Stanley’s troubles. Sure, none of the potential trade chips here will bring in a massive return compared to someone like Artemi Panarin or Elias Pettersson, but given the Jets aren’t tearing everything down, snagging a few assets for some of their pending UFA veterans would still be a win.
4. Nashville Predators
Potential Trade Chips: Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Michael Bunting, Erik Haula
Other Pending UFAs: Cole Smith, Michael McCarron, Tyson Jost, Nick Blankenburg
Deadline Cap Space: $29.32 million
The Predators went all in back during the summer of 2024, only to fail miserably under new GM Barry Trotz. Nashville is still in the playoff hunt, but they need a mega run over the next few weeks to make not selling at the deadline the clear path. For now, they’re winning games and forcing management to make tough decisions. But selling absolutely needs to be an option for this team if they’re going to figure things out in the long run.
Stamkos has really caught fire the past few weeks, which could make him an attractive trade chip. He currently boasts an $8-million cap hit and a no-movement clause until 2028, but at 35, would he be willing to waive to play for a contender? His Stanley Cup experience doesn’t hurt. The same goes for O’Reilly, who captained St. Louis to a championship back in 2019. O’Reilly is scoring at a career-best pace, believe it or not, and can still play a solid shutdown game in a team’s middle-six (and at a reasonable $4.5-million cap hit). And then there’s Marchessault, who took home the Conn Smythe back in 2023. He’s currently in the midst of his worst season to date and desperately needs a change of scenery. At his best, you won’t find many better goal-scorers on the market – he’s just not anywhere near his peak right now.
3. Vancouver Canucks
Potential Trade Chips: Evander Kane, Elias Pettersson, Lukas Reichel, Teddy Blueger, Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland
Other Pending UFAs: David Kampf, Derek Forbort (LTIR), Jiri Patera
Deadline Cap Space: $7.246 million
The good news, Canucks fans? Vancouver is destined to land a top prospect this year. The bad news? You’ve got wayyyyyy too many games left to watch this year. This season has been an absolute catastrophe on all fronts, and after trading Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood, it doesn’t look like the squad is going to finish moving out assets anytime soon.
Elias Pettersson – the forward – seems to be a perennial trade chip. Will this finally be the time the Canucks move on from him? Or will they truly keep him until 2032, as originally planned? Anything can happen, but it’s not going to be easy to find a suitor for his $11.6-million cap hit. Kane, meanwhile, hasn’t gelled well back in his native Vancouver, and he’s a pending UFA. He could still be a nuisance in the playoffs for a contender willing to take a chance on someone who can still score every now and then. Garland is maybe the most interesting possibility – his new deal doesn’t kick in until next year, so a team has to be really committed to take him on. DeBrusk’s deal will be tricky given he’s a bit streaky (and signed until 2031), but he has proven he can perform in the playoffs.
The Canucks are all-in on the future, and selling for assets should absolutely be the No. 1 goal moving forward. But with a bunch of expensive deals to move (and some contract extensions, to boot), it’s going to be interesting to see how GM Patrik Allvin navigates this mess.
2. St. Louis Blues
Potential Trade Chips: Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk, Mathieu Joseph, Oskar Sundqvist, Jordan Binnington
Other Pending UFAs: Robby Fabbri
Deadline Cap Space: $3.442 million
The Blues are definitely an interesting team. They’re terrible, and they’re not playoff-bound. But will they sell off all their veterans, or stand pat? Thomas’ name has been all over the rumor mill this year, but trading him away simply wouldn’t make sense. When he’s healthy, he’s St. Louis’ No. 1 center and has been extremely productive. He’s also only 26 – just keep him. Kyrou is an interesting one because he’s expensive but running a truly ugly campaign. A reset might be good for him, but he has a no-trade clause and costs $8.125 million until 2031. Perhaps getting scratched earlier this season makes it easier for Kyrou to want to move on.
Then you’ve got the more obvious veterans: Schenn, Faulk, Joseph and Sundqvist. Schenn simply isn’t worth the $6.5 million he makes anymore – but if the Blues retained some salary, he could be an interesting pickup for a team looking for bottom-six depth. Faulk, meanwhile, still eats a ton of minutes and blocks a ton of shots – something teams will absolutely love in the playoffs. Joseph won’t cost a ton on the trade market, and you can do much worse than him in a fourth-line role. Sundqvist is good for about 20 points a year, and only costs $1.5 million – if you need center depth, he won’t cost you much.
And then there’s Binnington, one of Canada’s goaltenders for the upcoming Winter Olympics. His season has been absolutely brutal, but he has proven he can steal the spotlight when a big game is on the line. Could a strong showing in Italy boost his stock?
1. New York Rangers
Potential Trade Chips: Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafrenière, Jonathan Quick
Other Pending UFAs: Jonny Brodzinski, Conor Sheary
Deadline Cap Space: $2.255 million
This is the big one. The Rangers have two of the best forwards on the market in Trocheck and Panarin; a young forward needing a change of scenery in Lafrenière; and a veteran backup with the ability to steal games in Quick.
Let’s start with the big gones. Trocheck is signed until 2029, so there’s no rush for the Rangers to trade him. He can score, hit, win faceoffs and contribute defensively, making him a great No. 2 center if teams want to take a run at landing him. Trocheck has a 12-team no-trade list, which gives the Rangers some flexibility. His value is high, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing to keep him around if the price simply isn’t right.
Panarin, though, is not expected back in 2026-27, so the Rangers might as well try and recoup some assets while they still can. Panarin is expected to be the top UFA on the market this summer, so there’s a real chance he’ll be just a rental this spring. For the right suitor, that’s fine – you won’t find a more impactful forward, and there’s no shortage of teams who could use him.
Lafrenière was New York’s first overall pick in 2020, but the results simply haven’t panned out. He’s tracking for 45 points this year, which would tie his second-best outout (he had 57 points in 2023-24). He’s set to make $7.45 million until 2032, so these numbers won’t cut it. Would a fresh start help him spark the renaissance he desperately needs to justify the cost?
In Quick’s case, the 40-year-old is a pending UFA this summer, with this season likely being his last kick at the can. He hasn’t won many games this year, but he can still provide a team with some decent depth at the right price. Given his three Stanley Cup rings, Quick knows a thing or two about big-time hockey.
Also considered: Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken
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