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The Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing, but with half the league looking ahead, and more soon to join them, it’s time to look back at the non-playoff clubs and evaluate their moves. Whether an aggressive swing on a rental, or a more modest “win now, and later” deal, how are their trades looking?

Los Angeles’ blockbuster acquisition of Artemi Panarin didn’t yield a single playoff win, nor did the Warren Foegele trade help Ottawa avoid a sweep at the hands of his former club in Carolina. Yet both the Kings and Senators at least qualified for the postseason. What about those who did not? In order to meet the criteria below, the following March acquisitions had to have clear “win now” intentions. How did each of these players fare with their new clubs up to game 82, and what comes next?

One of the bigger deals of deadline day, Detroit finally supplemented their blue line, trading for St. Louis’ Justin Faulk in exchange for first and third-round picks in 2026, Justin Holl, and unsigned KHL prospect Dmitri Bychelnikov. 

In 17 games with Detroit, Faulk’s corsi share at five-on-five actually dipped slightly from his time on the bottom-feeding Blues, to 44.8%. His ice time dropped over two minutes to 20:15, the lowest average for the veteran in six years. A second-pairing option alongside Ben Chiarot, Faulk’s powerplay role dropped to PP2 behind Moritz Seider. All told, the Wings closed out the campaign with a 6-10-3 record after acquiring Faulk, and as is no secret, they missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season. The 34-year-old defenseman is signed through next season at $6.5MM, at least not a rental in a trade which didn’t move the needle. 

Meanwhile, the Blues will enjoy another first rounder, currently 15th overall. St. Louis did the 34-year-old Holl right and skated him in nine contests, his first NHL action of the campaign. Recording two points, his $3.4MM contract will come off the books this summer, and there’s a strong possibility the veteran of 405 games saw his last NHL duty as a Blue. Regardless, St. Louis likely came out on top based on the strong first rounder alone, a pick which will always be tied to Detroit based on their selection’s eventual development.

Sticking with St. Louis, they netted more assets, sending captain Brayden Schenn to the Islanders for another first and third round pair in 2026, along with Jonathan Drouin and Marcus Gidlöf.

A steep price to pay for a 34-year-old whose days as a top center are long behind, Schenn regained some scoring touch on Long Island, posting six goals and 11 points in 19 games. A Kyle Palmieri replacement of sorts, Schenn got power play time and played on the wing. Still signed through 2027-28 at $6.5MM, the veteran won’t be going anywhere. 

After struggling with the Islanders, Drouin got a fresh start with the Blues, recording three points in nine games. His contract runs through next year, at a suboptimal $4MM, but as the franchise turns to the future, he will work to rebuild his stock. On the flip side, a buyout would not be a shock.

Going 8-11 after bringing in Schenn and missing the playoffs, thankfully for New York, St. Louis will take Colorado’s first round selection, originally acquired in the Brock Nelson trade. Somewhat softening the blow, it’s a reasonable price as long as Schenn can maintain top six production for at least one more year. 

A player already making the most of his contract year, Bobby McMann’s Seattle tenure leaves his free agent market only more fascinating. The late-blooming undrafted winger was dealt from Toronto, fetching them a conditional second rounder in 2027 along with a fourth round selection in this summer’s draft. 

With the Kraken, McMann cemented himself as a true top six scorer, his ice time jumping to just under 18 minutes a night, by far the highest of his career. The power forward notched 10 goals in just 18 games, shooting at a 17.2% clip. 

Despite McMann’s hot streak, the Kraken won just one regulation game out of their last 16 games, a brutal stretch which doomed their playoff hopes. A strong fit, they’d be wise to re-sign the 29-year-old, but there’s no telling what McMann will be offered on the open market. As for Toronto, a second rounder is a nice return for a player they were prepared to lose for nothing, however, it won’t be much help for a team desperate to turn things around fast.

Moving along, the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Conor Garland from Vancouver for a third round choice in 2026 and a second rounder in 2028. 

Clearly with no Canucks players to analyze yet, it falls entirely on Garland and his production with the Jackets. The 30-year-old netted five goals in 21 games with Columbus, nearly matching his seven in 50 contests as a Canuck, although his usage dropped nearly six whole minutes. Still signed until 2029-30 at $6MM, it’s a deal which raises serious question marks for the Jackets. He and Mathieu Olivier share the distinction of the longest signed forwards on a group composed of mostly younger players, and for better or for worse, they’re banking on his 50-point production moving ahead. 

Back to Detroit, they brought back a familiar face, David Perron from the Senators for a conditional fourth round pick. The 37-year-old’s usage was relatively the same, but he tallied just three points (all goals) in 16 games. Perron will hit the market this offseason, with the chance that he played his 1,239th and final NHL game. With no conditions to worry about on Detroit’s side, they’ll be lacking a fourth rounder in June, but it’s nothing to lose sleep over after a reunion with a respected veteran. 

Rounding out the group, the Washington Capitals dealt for Timothy Liljegren from San Jose for a 2026 fourth round selection. A team so often known for their reclamation projects, it wasn’t the cleanest turnaround for GM Mike Grier, who gave up a third round pick to Toronto for the former top prospect. Still, it was a fine return for a player not in future plans after a worthwhile flyer taken.

The 26-year-old made just four appearances in Washington, not recording any stats. If that is it for his Caps tenure, there could still be a market for the righty as a bottom pairing option, still offering some untapped potential, although time is wearing thin. Either way, there was little to lose, as at the time Washington was still intent on making the playoffs, with a John Carlson-sized gap on their blue line. 

With none of the trades above made the difference in their buyers making the postseason, Faulk, Schenn, and Garland will try to prove their organizations right in 2026-27, while their fans will hope no draft steals in Buffalo will lead to scrutiny in years to come. McMann and Liljegren could depart for nothing in return, leaving short tenures. Finally, Perron missed an opportunity to add to his 110 playoff games, which would have happened should he have stayed in Ottawa, but he may have put the final touches on an impressive 19-year-career back with an Original Six franchise.

Image Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images (Schenn)

Image Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images (McMann)