After Larkin and Hellebuyck…who will be the biggest name traded in the NHL this season?
We know the likes of Dylan Larkin and Connor Hellebuyck are virtual shoo-ins to be traded during the 2026-27 NHL calendar. But for the first DFO Roundtable of the season, let’s reach above that low-hanging fruit. Other than Larkin and Hellebuyck…who will be the biggest name traded in the NHL this season?
MATT LARKIN: I’ll go with Erik Karlsson. The Pittsburgh Penguins were a fun story last season, turning back the clock to make the playoffs, but so much went right. This season, they already have a litany of absences to contend with, from the injured Bryan Rust and Benjamin Kindel to, until late this week, Andrei Kuzmenko taking leave for the death of his father. There’s a real chance the powered-up Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers push from outside the playoffs to back in, forcing a couple 2025-26 playoff teams out in the East. Odds are, the Pens will be one of those clubs. If they’re out of the hunt come the Trade Deadline, pending UFA Karlsson, who still has good hockey left in him, should be highly sought after as a righty puck-mover still hunting for his first Stanley Cup.
STEVEN ELLIS: I’m going with Detroit Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat. Detroit’s a mess right now, and while they have some solid young prospects in the system, they’re not remotely close to being a contender. DeBrincat is a 28-year-old pending UFA who’s always in the 40-goal ballpark – and given he’s coming off his best year to date, he’d be an intriguing trade target for a legit contender. With the UFA market continuing to get quieter with many of the biggest names signing deals, DeBrincat could get a massive payday this summer. If you’re the Red Wings, why not try to cash out before he hits the open market?
PAUL PIDUTTI: Barry Trotz respected Ryan O’Reilly‘s desire to stick around beyond the 2026 Trade Deadline. That should change this season, however, as O’Reilly’s contract ends in 2027. When your nickname is ‘The Factor,’ teams will be calling new Nashville Predators‘ GM Chris MacFarland sooner than later. O’Reilly checks every box as a premium rental: unrestricted free agent without trade protection; incredibly low $4.5 Million AAV; Conn Smythe Trophy winner; playing on a team not expected to contend; and reputation as an all-situations weapon and faceoff stud with gas left in the tank. With Nashville quickly building its farm system via the draft, O’Reilly figures to be a hot commodity whom a contender will overpay for before the March 1 deadline.
SCOTT MAXWELL: Screw it, I’ll go bold: Quinn Hughes will be the biggest name traded this season. OK, maybe it’s not that bold considering he was traded last year already, but it also looked like he might stay with the Minnesota Wild until recently. With each passing day without an extension, the likelihood that Hughes doesn’t want to extend so that he can join the New Jersey Devils and play with his brothers increases. It feels like a slow enough stretch from the Wild may push Bill Guerin toward moving on from the blueliner in hopes of getting a return compared to what he gave up. Perhaps he goes all in this year and rides out the season with Hughes, leaving the decision for July 1, but it feels like the oldest brother won’t be in Minnesota by this time next year.
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ANTHONY TRUDEAU: He’s not as marquee a name as others we’ve mentioned, but it’d be nice to see what Vince Dunn could bring to a contender’s blue line. If Dunn wasn’t planning on re-evaluating his career prospects, wouldn’t he have signed long-term in Seattle three years ago? The Kraken haven’t sniffed the postseason since their best-ever defenseman (player?) signed his four-year bridge deal. As maddeningly stubborn as the young club has been, Seattle would be crazy to (a) pay Dunn, an excellent player but not a franchise savior, to maintain the status quo for another seven years or (b) lose a 50-point defenseman who’s soaked up brutal minutes throughout his time in the Pacific Northwest for nothing. As a bonus, I’ll say Jared McCann, the Kraken’s all-time leading goalscorer, also plays out the final months of his contract elsewhere.
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