As always, trade deadline week provided a flurry of activity around the league, even if the volume of trades over the past seven days wasn’t quite as high as it has been in previous years. As expected, that activity highlights the bulk of this week’s key stories.
Islanders Make A Splash: After a division rival added a key veteran forward (Columbus adding Conor Garland from Vancouver), Islanders GM Mathieu Darche made another move to add to his roster. New York acquired center Brayden Schenn from St. Louis in exchange for winger Jonathan Drouin, 2026 first and third-round picks, and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof. While Schenn’s offensive numbers are starting to drop, he’s still a capable two-way center on a reasonable contract as he has two years left on his current deal at a $6.5MM cap charge. Schenn didn’t have to go very far to join his new team as the Blues and Islanders were both in the same hotel in San Jose. Meanwhile, Darche kept another middleman in the fold, signing Jean-Gabriel Pageau to a three-year, $14.55MM contract extension. The 33-year-old figures to be New York’s third-line center for the next little while and is taking a small pay cut from his current $5MM price tag to stick around.
Contract Extensions: While the trade deadline is a time for players to be moved, it’s also often a time for pending UFAs to sign contract extensions and this year was no exception. With rumblings that he could be flipped once again just after being acquired, the Sharks and Kiefer Sherwood worked out a five-year, $28.75MM extension. He already has 19 goals for the second straight year and set the single-season hit record last year and will make more in one season of this deal than his combined earnings to this point of his career. Meanwhile, the Ducks inked center Ryan Poehling to a four-year, $15MM pact, taking another center off the open market. In his first season with Anaheim, he’s on pace for his second straight 30-point season. This deal made it easier for the Ducks to then flip Ryan Strome to Calgary for a seventh-round pick, knowing they’d have the stability with Poehling locked up. Lastly, the Kraken signed captain Jordan Eberle to a two-year, $11MM pact. The 35-year-old is their leading scorer with 22 goals and 22 assists this season and the price tag is certainly fair for someone still producing as a top-six piece.
Colorado Swings Big: Already the top team in the NHL with decent depth down the middle, the Avalanche made two moves to shore things up. First, they parted with a first-round pick and a fifth-round selection to pick up Nicolas Roy from Toronto. Roy is having a down season but was a quality third-line center in Vegas and should help stabilize their bottom six. Then, just before the deadline, they swung a bigger move, bringing back Nazem Kadri from Calgary. They received Kadri and a 2027 fourth-round pick in exchange for winger Victor Olofsson, forward prospect Max Curran, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-rounder. Calgary will retain 20% of Kadri’s $7MM cap charge (that runs through 2028-29) as part of the swap. Kadri was Calgary’s top scorer before the swap and has lots of experience with Colorado, having played three seasons with them, the last of which saw him win a Stanley Cup. All of a sudden, the Avs now have one of the deepest center groups in the NHL.
Defensemen Getting Dealt: There were some notable blueliners who found themselves on the move as well. The Flames parted with another veteran defender, sending MacKenzie Weegar to Utah for Olli Maatta, prospect Jonathan Castagna, and three 2026 second-round picks. Weegar is having a down season but had 99 points over the last two years combined and is an all-situations player. The Mammoth are taking on his full $6.25MM cap charge through 2030-31. Meanwhile, the Ducks made a splash on the rental front, acquiring long-time Capitals defender John Carlson for a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-rounder. The 36-year-old is on pace for his third straight 50-point season and will give a big boost to an Anaheim group that quietly leads the Pacific Division heading into today’s action as they look to reach the playoffs. Lastly, the Red Wings added a key piece as well in Justin Faulk from St. Louis. The Blues received veteran Justin Holl, prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, plus 2026 first and third-round picks. Faulk will provide Detroit with some secondary offense plus an ability to log big minutes in all situations to help them try to end their playoff drought.
Defenseman Doesn’t Get Dealt: In a week that featured lots of trades, one of the bigger stories was one that didn’t happen. The Sabres had reached an agreement with the Blues that would have landed them defenseman Colton Parayko. Top prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick were believed to be part of the return while Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added in a Saturday Headlines segment (video link) that AHL Rochester’s roster would have been decimated, suggesting St. Louis was getting more as well. However, Parayko declined to waive his no-trade protection, nixing the move. Parayko, who missed his fifth straight game tonight with back spasms, will now stick around for at least the rest of the season but given the potential strong return, it wouldn’t be shocking if incoming GM Alex Steen tried to revisit the idea of dealing him over the summer. Meanwhile, Buffalo pivoted to Plan B on the back end, acquiring blueliners Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from Winnipeg. In exchange for the pending UFAs, the Jets picked up prospect Isak Rosen, defenseman Jacob Bryson, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round selection.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.