Trade Deadline Primer: Chicago Blackhawks
With the Olympic break now upon us, the trade deadline is less than a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, this time with the Blackhawks.
In the early portion of the season, it appeared there could be some intrigue regarding the Blackhawks’ plans at the trade deadline later in the year. First-year head coach Jeff Blashill had the team punching above their weight, lingering in the Western Conference’s playoff race, and looking far less like the obvious seller most observers would have expected them to be once the calendar flipped to March. But Chicago wasn’t able to sustain the winning pace it kept up for the beginning of the year, and now finds itself back in a familiar position: well outside the playoff race and overwhelmingly likely to enter trade deadline season as firm sellers.
Record
22-26-9 (6th in the NHL’s Central Division)
Deadline Status
Sellers
Deadline Cap Space
$63.04MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 41/50 contracts used per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: CHI 1st, FLA 1st (Top-10 Protected), CHI 2nd, NYI 2nd, TOR 2nd, CHI 3rd, OTT 4th, CHI 7th, FLA 7th
2027: CHI 1st, CHI 2nd, VAN 2nd, CHI 3rd, CHI 4th, CHI 6th, CHI 7th
Trade Chips
While the Blackhawks in prior years have listened to offers on veteran players without much consideration to contract status, the team is now in a different stage of its rebuilding process. The team may have once been interested in how it could use any veteran asset to help contribute to its stockpile of draft picks and prospects, it does not make as much sense for the club to do that now. Veterans with multiple years of team control remaining, such as Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Ryan Donato, for example, each play a role in supporting the team’s young players in the lineup, and retaining those players would help the Blackhawks’ rebuild propel forward in a variety of different ways.
As a result, it’s likely that Chicago’s selling at the deadline will be more concentrated on its pending UFAs, the players who are unlikely to be retained by the team beyond 2025-26. Among pending UFAs, the Blackhawks have several veteran players likely to attract interest from contending teams. 
In what is widely expected to be a thin market for centers, Jason Dickinson could be among the top options for a team looking to add a bottom-six pivot.
While his days of scoring 22 goals, as he did in 2023-24, may be over, he remains a fixture on Chicago’s penalty kill, wins nearly half of his draws, and has even received Selke Trophy votes during his time in Chicago.
His $4.25MM cap hit is also unlikely to be too prohibitive for contending teams to be able to fit into their payroll, especially if the Blackhawks elect to retain salary.
One of Chicago’s other top veteran pending UFAs, like Dickinson, plays at a premium position. 32-year-old Connor Murphy is a right-shot defenseman who has been the subject of trade rumors throughout his Blackhawks tenure, in large part due to his reliability as well as positional value. While he’s ceded a top-four role this season to other younger Blackhawks blueliners, he remains among the team’s most heavily-used defender on the penalty kill, and could be an attractive option for a team looking for a stable veteran defensive defenseman. Murphy has a 10-team no-trade list on his contract.
While Dickinson and Murphy are the team’s two most obvious trade candidates, and the players likely to hold the most value on the trade market, Chicago does have a few other pending UFA players who could draw interest: Captain Nick Foligno is a respected veteran leader who contending teams could be eager to add as a bottom-six forward. Veteran winger Ilya Mikheyev is flirting with a second consecutive 20-goal season in Chicago, and is the team’s top penalty-killing forward. Although he has a 12-team no-trade list, he could be of great interest to contending teams.
Versatile forward Sam Lafferty has had a season to forget, but does have the ability to play center and was an in-demand bottom-six forward during his last go-around with the Blackhawks. If a team is looking to add a depth center without giving up significant assets, Lafferty could very well be a player they have interest in.
A team looking to stabilize its bottom pairing on defense, perhaps even with a veteran player who could fill in on the power play in case of injuries, could have interest in blueliner Matt Grzelcyk. The 32-year-old, who scored 40 points in 2024-25, has just 12 points in 57 games this season after joining the Blackhawks originally on a PTO. He’s unlikely to return Chicago very much in a trade, but is nonetheless a candidate to be dealt due to his experience level and pending UFA status.
Trade Needs
NHL-Ready Young Talent: The Blackhawks aren’t at the stage of their rebuild where draft picks are at their most valuable. Sure, the team could still benefit from adding more picks and prospects to its pipeline, but that is unlikely to be their most pressing interest. Chicago has picked high in the draft in each of the last four years, including inside the top-three picks of the draft in each of the last three years.
There are more than enough players on the way, and more importantly, there are already many young players on the roster in need of additional support, such as franchise face Connor Bedard, 2022 first-rounder Frank Nazar, and a wealth of other young pieces.
If the Blackhawks trade away some veterans at this deadline, their top priority in terms of return should be trying to add prospects, not picks, and especially prospects who are close to NHL-ready, players who the Blackhawks could quickly plug into their NHL lineup and assess whether they’re a fit to be part of the team’s next contending core.
Photos courtesy of Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Morning Notes: Crosby, Cossa, Carfagna
In a move that should not come as a surprise to anyone, Hockey Canada has named legendary forward Sidney Crosby its captain for the upcoming men’s hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. Team Canada’s leadership group is rounded out by Connor McDavid and Cale Makar, who will each wear an “A” on their jersey for the tournament.
This is not Crosby’s first time captaining the Canadian national team. He captained the team at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, leading Canada to a gold medal. He also wore the “C” at the 2015 IIHF Men’s World Championship, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, last year’s 4-Nations Face-Off and last year’s World Championship. He’s widely considered to be among the greatest players in Canadian history, and owns one of the country’s most iconic hockey moments – his “Golden Goal” at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Now 38 years old, it’s entirely possible this is Crosby’s final Olympic tournament, and while McDavid is his obvious successor as captain, Crosby will at least get one more run to try to lead Canada to another gold medal.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- 23-year-old Sebastian Cossa, who was the No. 15 pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, is making a real push for consideration for an NHL roster spot, writes Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen. Cossa has gone 20-4-2 with a .928 save percentage on a juggernaut Grand Rapids team, the best season of his young pro career. While offseason acquisition John Gibson has been solid as Detroit’s starter (22-12-2, .904 save percentage), the grip of veteran backup Cam Talbot on an NHL roster spot is likely less firm. In 24 games this season, Talbot, who is 38 years old, has an .892 save percentage, which ranks inside the bottom-15 in the league among netminders with at least 20 games played.
- Another young player making a push for consideration to land on his team’s NHL roster is Edmonton Oilers prospect defenseman Damien Carfagna. The 23-year-old undrafted blueliner is playing his first campaign as a professional, and has scored 13 points in 40 AHL games for the Bakersfield Condors. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell wrote that Carfagna “appears close to NHL ready” and could see a call-up to Edmonton thanks in large part to his skating, which Mitchell called “exceptional at the AHL level.”
Pacific Notes: Kuzmenko, Kings Defensemen, Kadri
Los Angeles Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko left yesterday’s game with an upper-body injury, the team announced last night. Kuzmenko left the bench with an injury and attempted to return in the second period, but was unable to get back into the game. The Kings have not issued any further update on Kuzmenko’s status, but the fact that the Olympic break has now begun does give Kuzmenko some runway to recover before games start up again.
Kuzmenko, 30, has had an up-and-down tenure in Los Angeles. He was an instant success after he was traded there last season, scoring five goals and 17 points in 22 games. He added six points in the Kings’ first round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. He has just 23 points in 51 games this season, but he’s far from the only Kings forward who has seen his offensive production take a step back year-over-year. It will be interesting to see how Kuzmenko’s usage does or does not change after the addition of Artemi Panarin.
Other notes from the Pacific Division:
- After yesterday’s game, Kings head coach Jim Hiller told the media, including team reporter Zach Dooley, that the Kings’ defense is “pretty banged up” and that several blueliners are “quite a ways south of 100 percent.” Dooley noted that this is a new development, as previously only veteran Joel Edmundson had been understood to be dealing with an injury. With the Kings in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, it’s clear the Olympic break is coming at a useful time for the Kings.
- Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri figures to be one of the top players available at his position in the lead up to this season’s trade deadline, but recently, trade rumors surrounding his name have slowed. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote today that Kadri’s trade situation is moving more slowly than anticipated in part because teams are looking for clarity on Vincent Trocheck and Robert Thomas, two centers whose names are swirling in trade rumors. Friedman noted that the Flames are “flexible” in terms of what kind of return they’re seeking in exchange for Kadri, which could help the odds that a trade is completed before the deadline passes.
Latest On Bobby McMann
Despite a recent winning streak, the Toronto Maple Leafs remain on the outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. Were they in the West, their record would be good enough to be in a playoff spot at this moment, but the quality of the conference they find themselves in makes it difficult to imagine a clear path for them to return to the playoffs.
As a result of their current situation, Toronto is likely considering selling off some of its assets in order to best position itself to compete next season and beyond, and one of the key trade chips the club has to work with is winger Bobby McMann.
A pending UFA, McMann is on pace to set career highs in offensive production. He has 19 goals and 32 points in 56 games this season, which is a 28-goal, 47-point 82-game scoring pace.
McMann has attributes to his game beyond just his scoring ability that are likely to make him a player of interest to contending teams. He’s relatively big, standing 6’2″, 217 pounds, and offers the blend of size, pace, and aggression that teams typically covet.
As a result, Toronto is seeking a first-round pick from any team that trades for McMann, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Toronto can’t be blamed for aiming high in terms of the return it seeks for its top pending UFA, but it’s unclear at this time whether the team will ultimately be able to land a first-rounder in a deal.
On one hand, as mentioned, McMann possesses several qualities that are in demand among contending teams, and that could positively contribute to their chances of landing a first-rounder. On the other hand, McMann does not fully fit the mold of players in the past who have landed first-rounders as rentals at previous trade deadlines.
First and foremost, McMann is a winger, and typically teams have been more willing to surrender top draft choices for players at more “premium,” in-demand positions, such as centers and right-shot defensemen. The Maple Leafs themselves are likely aware of this, having surrendered first-rounders at deadlines past in exchange for centers such as Scott Laughton and Ryan O’Reilly, as well as right-shot blueliners such as Brandon Carlo.
With that said, there is still some precedent for a winger to land a first-round pick. Toronto dealt a first-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets to acquire veteran winger Nick Foligno in 2021, and other wingers have also returned first-rounders as rentals, such as Tyler Bertuzzi in 2023. There’s not nearly as extensive of a track record of rental wingers landing first-round picks as there is with centers, but there are examples the Maple Leafs can cite.
Ultimately, whether or not the Maple Leafs are successful in their pursuit of a first-round pick seems dependent entirely on how highly contending teams value McMann. If he’s one of the more coveted assets available on the market, it would be easy to imagine the price for his services rising high enough.
But on the other hand, numerous contending teams have already dealt away their first-round pick, as Friedman mentioned. That makes it more difficult for the right circumstances to emerge where such a pick would be dealt for McMann.
In any case, once NHL play resumes, McMann will be one of the key players to watch as Toronto looks to chart its path into an uncertain competitive future.
Photos courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Wild Notes: Wallstedt, Stramel, Coyle
The Minnesota Wild announced to the league that they are all-in on trying to win a Stanley Cup over the next two years when they acquired star blueliner Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. As they seek a player who can occupy a top-six center role, one of the key trade assets they have to leverage is breakout rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt. Last month, it was reported that the Wild would consider dealing Wallstedt, and yesterday, The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith took things a step further, writing that a Wallstedt trade “really does feel inevitable.”
Despite his stellar rookie year, one where he’s posted a .914 save percentage across 23 games, Wallstedt is somewhat expendable for the Wild because they have starter Filip Gustavsson locked into a contract extension that carries a $6.8MM AAV, runs through 2030-31, and has a full no-move clause through next year. According to Russo and Smith, Wallstedt will be a real asset in play in the team’s search for a high-end center. For rival teams that have a need in net and a center to trade, Wallstedt’s availability could be a real opportunity to add a goaltender that could potentially be a starter in net for the next decade or more.
Other notes from the Twin Cities:
- Answering a question as to whether top prospect Charlie Stramel might exercise his right to hit unrestricted free agency when the Wild’s exclusive rights to sign him expire this summer, Russo and Smith relayed word from Stramel, who said he “100 percent” plans on signing with the Wild in some form when his NCAA season ends. It’s still to be determined whether that will be with AHL Iowa or whether the Wild will sign him to his entry-level deal and “burn” a year in doing so. Stramel is one of Minnesota’s best prospects, and is leading the Michigan State Spartans with 35 points in 26 NCAA games.
- Russo and Smith also reported yesterday that the Wild “have checked in with” the Columbus Blue Jackets regarding trade possibilities, including possibilities specifically related to veteran center Charlie Coyle, whose game Wild GM Bill Guerin is reportedly a fan of. Coyle, 33, played for the Wild from 2012-13 through 2018-19, and has had a stellar 2025-26 season, scoring 42 points in 56 games. Seeing as the Blue Jackets have surged after their recent coaching change, they could be unwilling to deal Coyle, even though he is a pending UFA. But as the Wild seek to upgrade their standing at the center position, it appears Coyle is very much on the team’s radar.
Pittsburgh Penguins Reassign Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes
2/6/26: The Penguins announced today that McGroarty will be spending the Olympic break with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as he was reassigned to the team today.
McGroarty got into four NHL games since returning from injury, but he didn’t play much. He managed two assists in that span, but did not receive more than 11 minutes of ice time in any of the four contests. The Olympic break will serve as an opportunity for him to get some reps in at the AHL level, where he’s scored 12 points in nine games this season.
The Penguins also reassigned forward Avery Hayes, who they recalled yesterday. Hayes had a day to remember, making his NHL debut and scoring twice, helping the Penguins to a significant road win over a quality opponent. Hayes has 13 goals, 23 points in 31 AHL games this season.
1/29/26: The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Rutger McGroarty from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In a corresponding move, the club placed defenseman Jack St. Ivany on injured reserve.
This recall gives Pittsburgh head coach Dan Muse an additional forward at his disposal in the wake of Bryan Rust, who has to sit out the team’s next three games due to a suspension. The move also restores McGroarty’s place on the team’s NHL roster, something he lost after suffering a concussion in the first week of the month.
McGroarty, 21, will re-enter the Penguins’ NHL roster likely with a heightened level of confidence in his abilities as a scorer. The Penguins had McGroarty build his way back from his injury at the AHL level in part to help him regain some confidence as an offensive creator. McGroarty has been a top scorer at every level he’s played at outside of the NHL. While he has just three points in 16 NHL games so far this season, he managed four points in his final two AHL games.
Pittsburgh is likely hoping he’ll be able to hit the ground running and reach another level of production in the NHL after getting to contribute to some offense with the AHL Penguins.
For the duration of Rust’s absence, it’s possible McGroarty will get the chance to play in the veteran’s vacated role alongside Sidney Crosby on Pittsburgh’s top line. Such an opportunity would be a significant one for McGroarty, as playing with Crosby would likely put him in prime position to get the kind of scoring opportunities that are far more rare when playing in the bottom-six.
If he indeed ends up playing there, and can capitalize on the opportunities naturally provided in such a role, he could further bolster his confidence in a way that would pay dividends even after Rust returns from his suspension.
As for St. Ivany, who lands on IR as part of this recall, his removal from the active roster was widely expected after it was announced earlier this week that he’d undergone surgery on his left hand. He’s expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks as he recovers from the procedure.
Ottawa Senators Reassign Stephen Halliday, Hunter Shepard
The Ottawa Senators announced today that forward Stephen Halliday and goaltender Hunter Shepard have been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
Over the past two days, NHL clubs have been making various reassignments to get players rostered in the AHL for the Olympic break, since keeping some names on an NHL team set to go several weeks without a game would be less than ideal for some players. These two reassignments fit that mold.
Halliday, 23, has split time between Ottawa and Belleville this season, which is his rookie campaign in the NHL. The 6’4″ center was a 2022 fourth-round pick who was able to instantly translate his scoring success from the NCAA level with Ohio State to the pro level with Belleville. He scored 14 points in 17 combined AHL regular-season and playoff games after signing with the Senators in the spring of 2024, and scored 19 goals and 51 points in his first full year of pro hockey.
So far this season, Halliday has been able to enhance his production level at the AHL level, and has even begun to translate some of that scoring to the NHL. In 22 AHL games, Halliday has scored 26 points. In 25 NHL games, Halliday, who averages just 8:08 time on ice per game, has 11 points. The 1:56 per game he averages on the power play has helped, of course, but his results have been undoubtedly promising for the Senators.
Entering the season, Halliday was ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Senators’ system by Elite Prospects, who wrote that he “could top out as a top-nine playmaking power forward” if he made improvements to his skating and pace of play.
While it’s too early to tell if Halliday will be able to ultimately fulfill that projection, this year has been a step forward in his development, and he’ll be tasked with sustaining that step forward back at the AHL level over the Olympic break.
As for Shepard, his reassignment is more standard as he’s been mostly an AHL player this season. Shepard has six games of career NHL experience and has played in 36 minutes at the NHL level in 2025-26. Once a star AHL netminder who led the Hershey Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup titles, Shepard’s form in the league has declined over the last two years.
In 2024-25, he posted an .891 save percentage across 39 games in Hershey, and the Washington Capitals pivoted to other goalie options. He signed with the Senators this offseason, but has been unable to get his numbers trending in the right direction. He has an .888 save percentage in just 14 games played for Belleville, and is a pending UFA.
Buffalo Sabres Reassign Three Players
The Buffalo Sabres have reassigned three players to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans: forwards Konsta Helenius and Isak Rosen, as well as defenseman Zach Metsa. The moves are part of the Sabres’ preparations for the Olympic break now that their slate of NHL games before the Olympics has concluded.
It’s no major surprise that Buffalo would want to see this trio of players become available for the Americans over the break. Getting each one back onto the AHL roster will give Rochester a significant, immediate boost in its odds of winning games, starting tonight when they take on the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Helenius and Rosen are two of Rochester’s best forwards. Helenius, 19, was Buffalo’s 2024 first-round pick and the No. 14 overall pick of his draft class. Helenius was selected after a strong 36-point rookie campaign playing against men in Finland’s Liiga, meaning his quick transition to the AHL game isn’t hugely surprising.
He scored 14 goals and 36 points last season as an AHL rookie, and has nine goals and 30 points across 34 AHL games this season. Despite spending some time on the Sabres NHL roster, Helenius remains ranked No. 2 in scoring among forwards on the Americans roster in 2025-26.
The Americans’ leading forward scorer is Rosen, one of the club’s 2021 first-round picks. It’s a big year for the pending RFA, as he’s looking to finally seize a more permanent role on the Sabres’ NHL roster. That will have to wait until after the break, but during the break, he is expected to be one of Rochester’s key forwards. He scored 28 goals and 55 points in the AHL last season, and has 20 goals and 32 points in 30 games this year.
Unlike both forwards that were reassigned, Metsa is not a first-round pick and top prospect. Instead, the blueliner is a 27-year-old undrafted player who has carved out a real NHL role for himself after putting together a steep, positive development trajectory in Rochester. The right-shot blueliner scored 24 points in 54 games as an AHL rookie in 2023-24 before jumping up to 46 points in 69 games last season.
This year, Metsa has spent more time in the NHL than the AHL. He has 13 points in 14 AHL games, and has played in 26 NHL games, scoring two points. He’s largely been a sheltered third-pairing blueliner in the NHL, averaging just 9:42 time on ice per game.
While he’s yet to fully earn the trust of head coach Lindy Ruff, the fact that he’s been able to play in so many NHL games over other depth blueliners indicates just how much his standing has grown in the Sabres organization over the last year.
He’ll be one of the Americans’ top defensemen during the break and could very well land back with the team if the Sabres elect to add defensive reinforcements from outside the organization via a trade at some point after the roster freeze, but before the trade deadline.
Rangers Reassign Anton Blidh, Spencer Martin
The New York Rangers made a trio of transactions to prepare their roster for the Olympic break, reassigning forward Anton Blidh and netminder Spencer Martin to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
In a corresponding move, the club recalled netminder Hugo Ollas from their ECHL affiliate, the Bloomington Bison. Because CBA rules stipulate that a team must carry three healthy goalies at all times, the Rangers needed to recall a goalie from somewhere if they wanted to send Martin down.
Since recalling Hartford starter Dylan Garand would be relatively counter-productive to their goal of positioning Hartford to win as much as possible during the break, Ollas became the natural choice for the recall.
Blidh, 30, is one of Hartford’s key veterans and has been recalled a few times this season to play a fourth-line role in New York. He has one assist in four NHL games this season and eight points in 35 AHL games. Blidh scored 19 goals and 36 points with the Wolf Pack last season, and is under contract through next season with a two-way structure and a $385K annual guarantee.
Martin, 30, was a mid-season signing by the Rangers, one that helped them shore up their goaltending depth amidst an injury suffered by star Igor Shesterkin.
Martin had over 60 games of NHL experience when he left North America over the summer to sign with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow. Martin put up a .905 save percentage across 13 games before leaving the KHL to get an NHL opportunity with the Rangers organization. In six games with Hartford this year, Martin has a .906 save percentage. He also has six NHL games played this year, but only has an .864 save percentage in that limited sample.
As for Ollas, the 23-year-old is a massive goalie prospect in the middle of his second professional campaign in the organization. The 6’8″, 238-pound netminder has an .895 save percentage in 14 games for ECHL Bloomington this season.
Jets Reassign Elias Salomonsson, Isaak Phillips
The Winnipeg Jets announced two reassignments as the team prepares for the Olympic Break: defensemen Elias Salomonsson and Isaak Phillips have been sent to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
Both Phillips and Salomonsson have been depth defensemen for the Jets this season, each splitting time between the NHL and AHL.
Salomonsson, 21, is a 2022 second-round pick and one of Winnipeg’s better defensive prospects. He’s played in 25 games at the AHL level this season, skating in a major role, and has gotten into 13 NHL games. In the NHL, Salomonsson is averaging 16:57 time on ice per game including sporadic usage on the penalty kill.
Phillips, 24, is in the middle of his first full season with Winnipeg after being acquired by the team in January of last year. He’s occupied a spot below Salomonsson on the depth chart, and has just two NHL games played this season. In the AHL, Phillips has scored 15 points across 35 games played in 2025-26, which ranks third on the Moose in terms of scoring by a defenseman.
With Manitoba sitting third place in the AHL’s Central Division, those reassignments will help reinforce their defense and give them greater odds of utilizing the Olympic break to make a push for the No. 2 spot in their division, which is currently being held by the Chicago Wolves.