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Ryan S. Clark
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Kristen Shilton
The 2024-25 NHL trade season began early, as the Carolina Hurricanes landed Mikko Rantanen and the New York Rangers secured J.T. Miller. But many big names remain on the board, raising the usual questions as we look ahead to the March 7 deadline:
Who are the contenders that could make a big push? Which teams are caught between either going for a wild-card spot or moving on from players to collect draft capital? And how can the teams that are destined for the lottery use the deadline to gain more draft picks for their rebuilds?
Here’s a comprehensive look at what the trade deadline could mean for every team, complete with the players and picks that are expected to be in play, as well as the salary cap restrictions. Plus, we identify the moves we think each team should make.
Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey. Cap space figures are per PuckPedia as of Feb. 23.
Note: Kristen Shilton provided the guide for the Atlantic and Metropolitan teams, while Ryan S. Clark handled the Central and Pacific clubs.
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Deadline status: Proceed with caution
Cap space: $5.72 million
Players, picks in play: Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau, Morgan Geekie, Parker Wotherspoon
The Bruins are in a tough spot. Boston doesn’t look like a contender this season but there’s no desire to throw in the towel. So, does GM Don Sweeney go fishing for a low-risk rental or two to give Boston a potential boost? Or does he listen to offers for upcoming free agents such as Frederic and Brazeau and simply let the Bruins ride this season out (mostly) as is and see how the chips fall?
Boston’s likely best bet is to stand pat and figure out the organization’s optimal next direction in the offseason. The Bruins have been battered by injuries — the hole left by Hampus Lindholm has been particularly tough — but there’s no reason to make any rash moves, either. Sweeney should do his due diligence without the expectation of making the Bruins better or worse.
Deadline status: Motivated dealers
Cap space: $22.73 million
Players, picks in play: Bowen Byram, Dylan Cozens, Jordan Greenway, Jack Quinn, Jason Zucker
Buffalo has let another season slip away, and the best thing GM Kevyn Adams can do to salvage anything from this mess is to be an active trader at the deadline. The Sabres have players of interest to contending clubs — like Zucker and Greenway — and young players who haven’t panned out for the organization — hello, Cozens and Quinn! — that will continue losing value if Adams doesn’t act soon.
There’s no use in pretending this Sabres’ squad can just run it back next season and hope something magically changes. Adams standing pat at the deadline won’t benefit Buffalo now or in the future. If the Sabres are serious about ever seeing the playoffs again, then the road there starts by making hard decisions right now.
Deadline status: Optimistic adders
Cap space: $7.84 million
Players, picks in play: Amadeus Lombardi, Alex Lyon, Carter Mazur, Jeff Petry, Vladimir Tarasenko
Detroit has pushed its way into the playoff picture this season, and GM Steve Yzerman would be well-served in helping the team stay there by making a few key additions at the deadline — namely, another center and a defenseman.
Yzerman could target players on expiring contracts such as Jake Evans, or even guys with some remaining term like Ryan Strome or Connor Murphy. Regardless of which players Yzerman brings on board, his strategy should be to see the Red Wings get better by March 7 and take advantage of their impressive surge.
Detroit has waited a long time to be in this position again, and it would behoove Yzerman to give his players confidence in their ability to stay in the hunt through April.
Deadline status: Cautious adders
Cap space: $2.73 million
Players, picks in play: Spencer Knight, Tomas Nosek, Nate Schmidt
Florida doesn’t have much to dangle out there at the deadline. It has no picks in the first three rounds of this upcoming draft, and it won’t be looking to move players on the roster either given how well the season’s gone. It’s exactly for that reason Florida is unlikely to do much at all before March 7.
The Panthers don’t have a weakness so obvious it must be addressed by GM Bill Zito. Perhaps an additional defenseman or a depth forward would give the reigning Stanley Cup champions some insurance on what they hope will be another long spring. If nothing materializes to Zito’s satisfaction — that works with his limited resources — Florida will be no worse off. It’s an enviable spot to be in.
Deadline status: Set the market
Cap space: $7.55 million
Players, picks in play: Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, Jake Evans, David Savard
For a brief moment, Montreal looked like it was putting together a special run. But the Canadiens went into the 4 Nations break on a 1-7-1 skid, six points out of a wild-card spot and with little reason to believe GM Kent Hughes shouldn’t be trading away whatever assets he can by the deadline.
Montreal has a slew of pending UFAs — Armia, Evans, Dvorak, et al. — who could be valuable additions in more competitive lineups, and the potential returns might set the Canadiens up well for future seasons.
Evans is likely to draw the most interest because of his age (28). Given the lack of a long-term deal coming together, Hughes should push hard to find a suitor for Evans now while he’s garnering serious attention.
Deadline status: Breakthrough adders
Cap space: $1.66 million
Players, picks in play: Michael Amadio, Anton Forsberg, David Perron
Ottawa is holding fast to a wild-card spot, and retaining it should put the Senators in the market to add at the deadline. Or at least that’s their goal.
The reality? They don’t have much to offer. Ottawa has a weak prospect pool, only one first-round pick in the next two drafts, its exciting young core is mostly locked in, and there’s little cap space to work with on building around it.
GM Steve Staios will simply have to get creative. Ottawa needs a forward and defenseman, at minimum, to give itself a chance of staying on track in the wide-open Eastern Conference. Brandon Tanev and Ryan Donato both make sense in the Senators’ scheme; Ivan Provorov could help boost the blue line. Staios could also prioritize veteran savvy, considering the lack of postseason experience in his current group. David Savard or Carson Soucy might be viable targets from that perspective.
Deadline status: Bold adders
Cap space: $3.97 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 first-round pick, Nick Perbix, Conor Sheary
The Lightning have been perennial deadline adders because they believe — with good reason — that they can make a Cup run any season. And GM Julien BriseBois should feel particularly emboldened considering his team’s play has improved of late. What the Lightning needs most is forward help; particularly in the bottom six. The team is too top-heavy; the stars are performing to standard, but they’re not getting a ton of consistent support elsewhere.
Alex Tuch‘s name keeps bubbling up around Tampa Bay because he’d be an ideal fit — he has got the speed, skill and versatility (plus some edge) and a reasonable $4.75 million cap hit. Kyle Palmieri is another option BriseBois should pursue. The Lightning could pursue Jake Evans if they target a center.
Coach Jon Cooper gets the pieces to fit and creates chemistry even in the shortest spans (i.e. at the 4 Nations Face-Off). BriseBois can do the shopping; chef Cooper will make the most of Tampa Bay’s ingredients.
Deadline status: Now or never
Cap space: $2.20 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 first-round pick, Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten, Nick Robertson
Toronto has to be done tinkering. It hasn’t worked, not when the stakes are highest (i.e., in the playoffs), and the Leafs are running out of time to see their vaunted core carry them to the Cup. Toronto’s main problem is it doesn’t have much to offer outside of its top prospects such as Cowan and Minten. But if GM Brad Treliving wants to add a true difference-maker (and he should), those players represent the going rate.
The Leafs must acquire a reliable third-line center who won’t get run over in the postseason. Ryan O’Reilly — who was brought in as a deadline addition in 2023 — or Brayden Schenn would qualify. And Jake Evans has been tied to the Leafs for a reason, too.
Toronto would benefit from adding another defenseman, but it would need to be a short-term veteran (like Carson Soucy) so Treliving can put the majority of his assets into adding the right forward.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
Deadline status: Waiting it out
Cap space: $499,000
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, Alexander Nikishin
Carolina got a jump on the league when it acquired Mikko Rantanen from Colorado in January. Rantanen hasn’t found his stride with the Hurricanes — with just one goal and two points in six games — but these things can take time. Hence why Carolina brought in Rantanen well before March 7.
The Hurricanes also added Taylor Hall for some veteran forward help, and if Carolina were to do anything else before the deadline it should be in the same vein. GM Eric Tulsky should look to a skater like Jake Evans to ensure the Hurricanes are stout down the middle. Depending on the ask on another winger — such as Mathieu Olivier or another low-risk player on an expiring contract — it could give Carolina the boost it needs to maximize an already impressive collection of offensive talent.
Deadline status: Conservative adders
Cap space: $68.06 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, Mathieu Olivier, Ivan Provorov
Columbus was fortunate to have plucked Dante Fabbro off waivers from Nashville as a pre-deadline addition who has worked out nicely so far. But don’t expect GM Don Waddell to stop there. The Blue Jackets have exceeded expectations — even without Boone Jenner in the lineup most of the season and missed time for Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko — and Waddell will make an effort to reward his group with some depth acquisitions to give it a shot to compete until the end.
Ryan Donato or Nick Robertson would be interesting options to fill bottom-six roles, and Scott Laughton would be a versatile player for Columbus to slot somewhere, too. The real question is whether Waddell has confidence that when Jenner and Monahan are both available, the pair can play up to their usual standard. If not, he’ll want to take advantage of the trade market to keep Columbus from slipping out of the playoff bubble.
Deadline status: Add, add, add
Cap space: $1.30 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, Anton Silayev
New Jersey is another squad that needs to build down the middle. Erik Haula has been a strong stopgap as the Devils’ third-line center, but it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade there. Trent Frederic would benefit from a change of scenery, and he could slide around the Devils’ middle six depending on injuries or other trade acquisitions. And there’s always the potential for a reunion in New Jersey with former Devil Kyle Palmieri.
The Devils have enough talent on defense to feel good about their blue-line status now and in the future. If GM Tom Fitzgerald really wants to push his chips in, then scoring depth and perhaps adding another goaltender — given Jacob Markstrom‘s injury status — should be the priority. And the sooner, the better, too — New Jersey appears primed for a playoff run, and bringing in those new players to get acclimated will be huge for the Devils’ chances.
Deadline status: Rejuvenating adders
Cap space: $2.73 million
Players, picks in play: Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri
Given that the Islanders have a shot at the postseason, it’s only right for GM Lou Lamoriello to tweak his roster enough that they stay in that mix. Nelson and Palmieri could both be traded to potentially return what the Islanders are lacking — and that’s a bona fide scoring threat.
Would the former Leafs GM consider a reunion with Toronto’s Nick Robertson, who, given the right opportunity and appropriate ice time, might provide that extra punch up front? Nothing should be off the table when it comes to adding a young forward in that vein.
This team also has the worst power play in the league, so any skater the Islanders bring in should have some experience on special teams. Lamoriello should also capitalize on the interest in his veteran forwards even if it’s just acquiring future assets — New York went four consecutive seasons without a first-round draft pick. Time to start making up for that drought.
Deadline status: Shopping cart is out
Cap space: $11.99 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 first-round pick, Will Borgen, Zac Jones, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller
The Rangers followed the Hurricanes’ lead and got into their trade business early — Jacob Trouba, Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko and Victor Mancini are out; J.T. Miller and Borgen are in. But the Rangers shouldn’t stop there. Although this team spiraled early this season, it has rebounded to be in the playoff hunt again, and GM Chris Drury’s addition of Miller showed his belief in New York staying within reach of a wild-card spot.
Miller and Lindgren haven’t been consistent difference-makers on the blue line, and swapping them for new options will take pressure off Adam Fox to do it all on the Rangers’ back end. Mario Ferraro might be of assistance there, or if Drury wanted to take on a pending RFA like Bowen Byram, it could be an audition for how the two sides might match up in a longer-term relationship.
But the Rangers’ focus has to be on the here and now. Filling in the blanks with some second- and third-line scoring is going to provide insurance New York needs given the roller-coaster seasons that most of their forwards have endured. Drury can’t be too conservative if New York is going to have a successful stretch drive.
Deadline status: Selling sunset (on the season)
Cap space: $6.55 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, Scott Laughton, Rasmus Ristolainen
It’s highly unlikely that the Flyers make the postseason. Therefore, GM Danny Briere should be accepting serious inquiries. Briere already flipped Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary for Andrei Kuzmenko, a prospect and picks.
Whatever Briere targets in return for Philadelphia’s other players must be with a similar eye on the next steps in the team’s rebuild — namely bolstering the organization’s goalie depth and stocking the cupboards with some exciting prospects for future middle-six and blue-line roles. Sounds simple enough, right?
To be clear, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Flyers. Matvei Michkov has provided a fine boost in his rookie campaign, and there are intriguing players in the franchise’s pipeline. But the returns for Laughton and Ristolainen could help set up Philadelphia for even more success down the road given what genuine interest there is out there for their services. Briere should keep his phone close.
Deadline status: Soft dealers
Cap space: $8.47 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, Anthony Beauvillier, Matt Grzelcyk, Matt Nieto, Rickard Rakell
Pittsburgh is likely too far out of the playoff picture to merit GM Kyle Dubas bringing on depth skaters to help boost the Penguins’ chances of making it. Yes, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin & Co. would probably prefer that to throwing in the towel, but it’s important to be realistic.
Pittsburgh’s focus can begin turning toward the future, and that means putting Rakell out there for teams with current postseason aspirations and prospects they can send back to a Penguins group in need of fresh young faces. Dubas has prioritized prospects in the past who are closer to NHL-ready than not, and that strategy has come with mixed results. Looking at the quality of these skaters’ long-term potential is critical.
Pittsburgh has avoided the “R” word for a while, but this offseason could tell a different tale. Dubas has some assets to toss out there now to expedite whatever process is going to turn Pittsburgh back into a perennial contender — whether it’s called a rebuild, a retool, a reload or something else.
Deadline status: Better be adding
Cap space: $3.65 million
Players, picks in play: Alexander Alexeyev, Hendrix Lapierre, Sonny Milano
The Capitals have been this season’s surprising success story, and not just because Alex Ovechkin is closing in on Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record. It only makes sense for GM Chris Patrick to capitalize on that by adding some depth to the lineup.
They could use some help in their bottom six at center and on the wing. Veterans like Yanni Gourde, Scott Laughton and Brandon Tanev could all be intriguing short-term options to complement Washington’s younger core, which has done well this season but still doesn’t have the kind of experience those more seasoned skaters bring to the ice and the dressing room.
But it’s crucial for the Capitals not to disrupt the chemistry they’ve worked hard to cultivate and that has continuously paid off for them. We’re not talking drastic, swing-for-the-fences trades here. It’s about Washington feeling confident that it has enough personnel to carry it through what could be a long spring.
CENTRAL DIVISION
Deadline status: Continue adding to the farm system
Cap space: $18.21 million
Players, picks in play: F Ryan Donato, D Seth Jones, F Pat Maroon, D Alec Martinez, F Craig Smith
With Seth Jones telling the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s talking to the club about a potential trade, it presents an opportunity for the Blackhawks to add more draft capital. The key word here being: potential.
Jones has three years remaining on his deal worth $9.5 million annually. Having such a sizable salary cap hit makes moving on from Jones a challenge.
How do the interested teams go about clearing the space to make a deal happen — while also ensuring they present the sort of package that pleases the Blackhawks? As for the Blackhawks, a Jones trade would likely include salary retention, meaning they would have all three retention spots filled for this season (they’ll get Jake McCabe and Mikko Rantanen off their books in the offseason).
Deadline status: Strengthen the second line
Cap space: $4.76 million
Players, picks in play: two 2025 second-round picks, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick
Anything or nearly anyone could be in play with the Avalanche. Just ask Mikko Rantanen.
But more directly, adding more second-line help appears to be the area of greatest need. Since they won the Stanley Cup in 2022, they’ve struggled to create a consistent second line. It’s possible they might have that once Valeri Nichushkin returns from injury and he’s paired with Jonathan Drouin and Casey Mittelstadt, who has been inconsistent during his first full season in Denver.
Or they could seek to add reinforcements elsewhere, with the idea that it could be the difference between securing a Central Division spot or a wild-card entry.
Deadline status: Maybe add more? Maybe hold firm?
Cap space: $4.60 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick
The Stars are in a championship window and have been for the past few years. But they are in one of the more nuanced situations ahead of the deadline.
They’ve built much of the current core through the draft, which is why they’re hesitant to trade draft capital. But they already moved on from their 2025 first-round pick and a conditional 2025 third-round pick to get Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci.
That trade reinforces that they could be willing to part with draft capital for the right player or players. Is that something they could do when it comes to filling the void left by Miro Heiskanen‘s injury? He’s expected to return by the playoffs, which presents one of two options: Do the Stars try to add more help? Or will prospect Lian Bichsel show the coaching staff and front office that he can be trusted with an extended run on the big club?
Deadline status: Add scoring help around the edges
Cap space: $8.23 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
The challenge facing the Wild is finding legitimate scoring options on team-friendly terms. Their collective goal prevention is why they’re challenging for a playoff spot. Their collective inability to consistently score goals, however, could be what gets them eliminated in the first round.
They’re around league average in goals per game, but their plus-4 goal differential was the second lowest among the Western Conference teams in a playoff spot at the start of the 4 Nations.
What complicates everything is the combined $14.743 million cap hit from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts. That drops to $1.6 million in the offseason. But until then, it leaves the Wild needing to get creative in order to get more scoring power in the lineup. Once Kirill Kaprizov comes off LTIR, his $9 million cap hit must be taken into account.
Deadline status: Figure out the strongest path for the future
Cap space: $23.56 million
Players, picks in play: F Gustav Nyquist
Are they in a rebuild, a retool or somewhere in the middle?
The Predators are in a bizarre position. Two years ago, the franchise moved on from key players like Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen, only to emerge as a playoff team the following season. After adding major free agents in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei this offseason, they now have eight players with deals that have more than three years left, with six of them earning more than $5 million annually.
It leaves Gus Nyquist as the only pending UFA who could be moved. The Predators have quite a bit to consider before and after the trade deadline.
Deadline status: Strike if the right deal is there
Cap space: $4.69 million
Players, picks in play: F Radek Faksa
The Blues were eight points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot heading into the 4 Nations break; can they get back in the mix?
They could move on from their first-round picks over the next three years should they want to use that draft capital to make a trade. But they lost a 2025 second-round pick along with a 2025 third-round pick due to the Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway offer sheets. It’s not that the Blues can’t use draft picks to facilitate a deal. But it’s tougher to justify for a team for which a playoff berth seems remote.
Deadline status: Use that cap space
Cap space: $21.06 million
Players, picks in play: 2026 second-round pick, 2026 third-round pick
They have a healthy amount of cap space and owners who have made it clear they’re willing to spend. And while the team has a full war chest of draft picks, is it worth parting with first-rounders to make additions for a wild-card race, when picks later in the draft could suffice?
What could help GM Bill Armstrong answer those questions is if the UHC can cut its pre-4 Nations wild-card gap from six points to a margin that suggests a serious push for the playoffs is possible. If so, the Utah Hockey Club could make the inaugural campaign of hockey in Utah a memorable one.
Deadline status: Be aggressive but strategic
Cap space: $8.69 million
Players, picks in play: F Nikolaj Ehlers, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick
Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has made it clear at the past few trade deadlines that he’s not afraid to make moves to bolster his team’s chances. The expectation is he’ll take the same approach this season, considering the Jets have emerged as the biggest (positive) surprise in the Western Conference.
What makes this particular deadline a critical one is that the Jets have five pending UFAs and four pending RFAs. It’s a group that includes Ehlers, who presents the front office with a dilemma. Do the Jets use the deadline to move Ehlers and get a player with cost certainty? Or do they hold on to him for the playoffs, with the idea they could trade his rights for something before free agency if the sides can’t reach a deal?
PACIFIC DIVISION
Deadline status: Keep ears open for advantageous deals
Cap space: $60.86 million
Players, picks in play: D Brian Dumoulin, F Robby Fabbri
Even though the Ducks are in a rebuild, this season was about making some form of progress. They’ve done that, considering they had 54 points through 54 games having not finished with more than 60 points in each of the past two seasons.
But they also entered the 4 Nations nine points out of the final wild-card spot. It’s within the same margin as the Blues, Flames and Utah Hockey Club. And the Ducks have quite a bit of cap space should they want to utilize that advantage.
While it’s clear the Ducks are making progress, is it the sort of progress that turns into a playoff appearance this season — or do they keep building for future seasons?
Deadline status: Make the necessary moves to stay in playoff contention
Cap space: $63.67 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick via FLA, 2025 first-round pick via NJD, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick via VGK
It’s clear the Flames need scoring help. In fact, they need quite a bit of it considering they entered the 4 Nations averaging 2.64 goals per game, which ranked 30th out of the NHL’s 32 teams. They have four first-round draft picks between the 2025 and 2026 cycles, and the necessary cap space to facilitate a deal.
What’s unclear, however, is if the Flames are the proverbial chicken or the egg. They returned from 4 Nations just three points out of the final wild-card spot, while on a three-game losing streak. The front office could decide that this simply might not be the year. Remember, this is a team that traded away Noah Hanifin, Jacob Markstrom, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev and Tyler Toffoli last season — maybe the retool needs a little more time.
Deadline status: Find creative ways to strengthen their lineup
Cap space: $5.16 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
The Oilers are a top-four team in goals per game and a top-eight team in goal prevention; in other words, this is one of the NHL’s more well-rounded teams.
But given their current cap restrictions, are the defending Western Conference champions in a position to bolster their roster to make another run? If they are able to add any help, they’re going to have to find a way to maximize their current space. The Oilers could use their draft capital to swing a deal for help — if they can get other teams to retain salary to make it work. Or they could be faced with having to move on from someone on their roster in order to create the flexibility needed.
Deadline status: Make the move that gets them beyond the first round
Cap space: $3.50 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
The Kings rank in the bottom third in goals per game, while being near league average in scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances. They also need to add scoring depth.
While the Kings have more than a dozen players who have scored more than 10 points, six skaters — Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Alex Laferriere, Warren Foegele, Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield — have accounted for 75% of their goals this season. Adding more depth would help a team that’s trying to get out of the first round for the first time in more than a decade.
Deadline status: Add for the future
Cap space: $25.54 million
Players, picks in play: D Jan Rutta, F Luke Kunin, F Nico Sturm
Make no mistake, the Sharks’ focus is on building for the future. They’ve made a recent habit of having more than four pending UFAs on the roster in the event there’s a chance to attain draft capital via trade.
That happened already this season when they traded Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to the Stars, which saw them add a second first-round pick for this year’s draft.
One note: The Sharks already have all three of their salary retention slots filled — but all three of their remaining pending UFAs listed above carry manageable cap hits that are less than $3 million annually. Now it’s just finding the right suitor for them.
Deadline status: Start planning for next season
Cap space: $4.27 million
Players, picks in play: F Yanni Gourde, F Brandon Tanev
The Kraken are staring at missing the playoffs for a consecutive season and for the third time in their four-year history. What does the future look like, and what current players will be part of that future?
Gourde and Tanev are attractive to contending teams as two-way players who provide depth (and a Stanley Cup pedigree, in Gourde’s case). The Kraken should do their best to get a return for them, with a chance to add more prospects or draft capital given all the questions they’ll have to answer this coming offseason.
Deadline status: Add scoring for the playoff push
Cap space: $8.97 million
Players, picks in play: D Carson Soucy, 2025 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 first-round pick
The Canucks’ primary mission before March 7 is to find another forward who can help fill the scoring void created by the J.T. Miller trade.
Moving on from Miller brought Filip Chytil to Vancouver. But is Chytil enough to make up for Miller’s production, given he had three straight seasons of more than 80 points? Chytil had three points in his first four games, which was a promising start. But the deadline could still provide the Canucks with a window to add another impact forward in their attempt to return to the playoffs.
Deadline status: Continue to add to a roster that’s in a championship window
Cap space: $1.88 million
Players, picks in play: 2025 second-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2027 first-round pick
The Golden Knights have continually proved they are willing to tinker with the roster to keep the championship contention window open as wide as possible. Don’t expect this trade season to be any different.
Keep in mind that they don’t have their first-round pick for the next two seasons. That hypothetically leaves them trying to figure out how they can add while balancing draft capital and their cap situation. But do not expect them to go quietly into the night, particularly as they remain among the top teams in the West.