The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline is set at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 8. The deadline is always a mystery each season. We know which players are generally going to be available based on contract and situation of the team. What we don’t know is how high or low prices will be for players who could help a team down the stretch. Either way, we can get a good idea of what each team is working with in terms of assets, including expiring contracts. Here we’re going to go over each teams situation and most likely trade candidates.
Note, we’re including players on expiring contracts who aren’t set to become restricted free agents after this season.
2024 NHL Trade Deadline
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks
Trades
The Oilers acquired Henrique, Carrick and a seventh-round pick from the Ducks for a 2024 first-round pick and conditional fifth-round pick in 2025.
Expiring contracts: Adam Henrique, C/LW; Jakob Silfverberg, W; Sam Carrick, C/W
There have been a lot of rumblings around Henrique, who would be a great get for a contending team as a good middle-six forward who can do a bit of everything. Henrique has plenty of playoff experience and can play both on the power play and penalty kill. Silfverberg may be tougher to move but could be had at a cheaper price than Henrique. Both players are making in the $5-6 million range.
Calgary Flames
Expiring contracts: Kevin Rooney, C; Noah Hanifin, D; Oliver Kylington, D; Jordan Oesterle, D; AJ Greer, W
You’ll notice G Jacob Markstrom isn’t listed here, though he is likely to be moved before the deadline. The Flames could keep Markstrom since the team is playing well. But Hanifin is expected to be dealt since the two sides weren’t able to agree on a contract extension. Hanifin will be a highly sought after rental for a contender or a team looking to secure a playoff spot.
Edmonton Oilers
Trades
The Oilers acquired Henrique, Carrick and a seventh-round pick from the Ducks for a 2024 first-round pick and conditional fifth-round pick in 2025.
Expiring contracts: Warren Foegele, W; Mattias Janmark, W; Connor Brown, W; Corey Perry, RW; Sam Gagner, C/RW; Vincent Desharnais, D; Calvin Pickard, G
The Oilers aren’t sellers at the deadline but should look to add some depth. That could be in the form of a defenseman. It doesn’t seem the Oilers are shopping any of the players mentioned above but they could be included in a trade before the deadline. Foegele should stay put.
Los Angeles Kings
Expiring contracts: Trevor Lewis, W; Matt Roy, D; Cam Talbot, G; David Rittich, G
We know both of the Kings’ goaltenders aren’t going anywhere, unless it’s another play for a better goaltender. But Talbot and Rittich have been serviceable this season and expect Los Angeles to solidify the position during the offseason. Don’t expect Roy to go back in a deal unless it’s to add depth on defense or upgrade.
San Jose Sharks
Expiring contracts: Kevin Labanc, F; Mike Hoffman, F; Anthony Duclair, W; Alexander Barabanov, W; Justin Bailey, F; Ryan Carpenter, F; Kaapo, Kahkonen, G
Expect a fire sale from the Sharks, who are bottom dwellers going into the deadline. San Jose is in the midst of a big-time rebuild. Don’t be surprised if the Sharks decide to take on salary from other teams who are looking to shed contracts. The Sharks have nearly $20 million in salary on injured reserve and could move players to LTIR to take on contracts. Duclair, Labanc and Hoffman should all be traded to teams as good middle-six depth forwards with experience.
Seattle Kraken
Expiring contracts: Jordan Eberle, RW; Alexander Wennberg, C: Tomas Tatar, W; Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, C/LW; Justin Schultz, D
We already know that Wennberg is out the door. The Kraken scratched him in their latest game due to a potential trade before the deadline. Tatar, you’d think, also goes to another team for a late-round pick. Schultz is a good power-play specialist for a team in need of defense depth. Eberle should stay put but the Kraken could explore a trade if the right deal comes around. The veteran is 33 years old but the Kraken could want to keep him around on another short-term deal.
Vancouver Canucks
Expiring contracts: Elias Lindholm, C/LW; Teddy Blueger, LW/C; Sam Lafferty, F; Tyler Myers, D; Ian Cole, D; Nikita Zadorov, D; Mark Friedman, D; Casey DeSmith, G
The Canucks should be looking to add at the deadline. We already saw them make a move with the Flames for Lindholm, so while he’s listed above, he isn’t going anywhere. Myers, Cole and Zadorov are all staples on the blue line but the Canucks could look for an upgrade there. DeSmith should stay put as the backup behind Thatcher Demko.
Vegas Golden Knights
Expiring contracts: Jonathan Marchessault, RW; Chandler Stephenson, C; Michael Amadio, W; Byron Froese, W; Alec Martinez, D
It’s safe to say the Golden Knights won’t be dealing the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner in Marchessault before the deadline. Vegas just added forward Anthony Mantha via a trade with the Washington Capitals. So while Mantha is on an expiring deal, we won’t include him in this list. Martinez should stay put past the deadline along with Amadio and Stephenson. The Golden Knights could look to add another depth forward before the deadline passes.
Central Division
Arizona Coyotes
Expiring contracts: Jason Zucker, W; Liam O’Brien, W; Matt Dumba, D; Joshua Brown, D; Troy Stecher, Jakob Voracek, W; Bryan Little, C/RW; Travis Boyd, W/C
We’re including some players on injured reserve because those deals could be dealt, though you’d expect Arizona to take back bad contracts (like Little, Voracek and Shea Weber). Expect Dumba and Stecher to be deadline targets for contending teams. The Coyotes have the space on the blue line. Zucker would also be a great get for a contending team in need of forward depth. He’s capable of playing in the top-6 and has some scoring touch.
Chicago Blackhawks
Expiring contracts: Tyler Johnson, W; Anthony Beauvillier, W; Colin Blackwell, RW/C; Zach Sanford, W; Jarred Tinordi, D; Jaycob Megna, D; Nikita Zaitsev, D
The Blackhawks should be active at the deadline and could deal Johnson and Beauvillier for assets. The other names aren’t too appealing and Zaitsev is on injured reserve. The Blackhawks also need to make sure they’re still at the cap floor and dealing Beauvillier and Johnson gives them some voids in the forward group. So don’t be surprised if the Blackhawks take back bad contracts in order to retain some more assets, whether it be prospects or picks.
Colorado Avalanche
Trades
The Avalanche traded D Bowen Byram to the Sabres for C Casey Mittelstadt.
The Avalanche traded C Ryan Johansen to the Flyers for D Sean Walker.
Expiring contracts: Andrew Cogliano, W; Zach Parise, LW; Jonathan Drouin, W; Joel Kiviranta, F; Chris Wagner, F; Jack Johnson, D; Caleb Jones, D; Pavel Francouz, G
The Avalanche likely won’t part with these expiring contracts and could look to add another forward before the deadline. There has been talk the Avalanche could get captain Gabriel Landeskog back in time for the playoffs. If that’s the case, Colorado could be quiet at the deadline.
Dallas Stars
Expiring contracts: Joe Pavelski, RW; Matt Duchene, C; Craig Smith, F; Chris Tanev, D; Jani Hakanpaa, D; Scott Wedgewood, G
We already saw the Stars make the move for Tanev. He isn’t being dealt before the deadline. Same for veterans Pavelski and Duchene. So the Stars should be buyers before the deadline but don’t really have any cap space to make a major move without shedding salary. Expect the Stars to, for the most part, stay put before the deadline.
Minnesota Wild
Expiring contracts: Brandon Duhaime, F; Jacob Lucchini, F; Alex Goligoski, D; Dakota Mermis, D; Marc-Andre Fleury, G
The Wild are still in the playoff chase and likely won’t sell before the deadline. That doesn’t mean Goligoski won’t have a new home before 3 p.m. on Friday. He’s not really in the rotation for the Wild, so expect the veteran defenseman to be traded for a late-round pick. The Wild have some cap space to work with, plus the $2M owed to Goligoski. That could clear up enough room for a decent-sized contract. Fleury shouldn’t be dealt before the deadline because of his no-movement clause.
Nashville Predators
Expiring contracts: Yakov Trenin, F; Denis Gurianov, F; Mark Jankowski, F; Kiefer Sherwood, F; Tyson Barrie, D; Alexandre Carrier, D; Kevin Lankinen, G
The Predators have been on fire despite having an eight-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday to the Montreal Canadiens in OT. Nashville could do a bit of both — buyers and sellers at the deadline. Barrie and Carrier are in play. The depth forwards — Jankowski, Sherwood, Trenin — could be dealt as well. Lankinen likely isn’t going anywhere since the Preds would want some depth behind Juuse Saros for a potential playoff run. Plus, Lankinen could take over for Saros or backup Yaroslav Askarov next season if Saros is dealt during the offseason.
St. Louis Blues
Expiring contracts: Kasperi Kapanen, F; Sammy Blais, F; Oskar Sundqvist, F; Marco Scandella, D
The Blues are in a weird spot. There’s not a lot of cap space and the core is mostly locked in long-term. So St. Louis doesn’t have much incentive to try and sell off assets. The Blues aren’t too far out of a playoff spot and should continue with this group toward that goal. Scandella could be dealt as a depth defenseman but he’s making $3.275 million, which is kind of a lot for a bottom-pairing D. Kapanen, Blais or Sundqvist could be dealt since the Blues could look to bring up top prospect Jimmy Snuggerud once the college season ends in April.
Winnipeg Jets
Expiring contracts: Sean Monahan, C; Brenden Dillon, D; Dylan DeMelo, D; Laurent Brossoit, G
Monahan was acquired via trade with the Montreal Canadiens. He isn’t going anywhere as he’s been great for Winnipeg since the trade. Dillon and DeMelo also shouldn’t be traded but the Jets have some cap flexibility to add another contract. Might that mean Dillon or DeMelo goes the other way in a deal to upgrade on the blue line? The Jets have a deep forward group but could add a bottom-six veteran for the playoffs.
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
Expiring contracts: Jake DeBrusk, W; James van Riemsdyk, W; Danton Heinen, W; Matt Grzelcyk, D; Kevin Shattenkirk, D; Derek Forbort, D
The Bruins almost need to make a move for a top-6 center or run the risk of another early playoff exit. The issue is cap space. The Bruins could opt to deal some salary in the form of Forbort or Grzelcyk. Boston could also entertain the idea of dealing DeBrusk in order to get a center back and make the salary work. But really, the Bruins may be stuck with this roster going into the postseason.
Buffalo Sabres
Trades
The Avalanche traded D Bowen Byram to the Sabres for C Casey Mittelstadt.
Expiring contracts: Victor Olofsson, W; Zemgus Girgensons, W; Kyle Okposo, W; Eric Robinson, F; Casey Mittelstadt, LW/C; Erik Johnson, D
I know we mentioned not adding RFAs to the list above. Mittelstadt has been in trade rumors and could be dealt before the deadline, so we’ll throw his name in there. The Sabres are in a tough spot. Buffalo isn’t too far out of the playoffs (10 points) but it’ll be an uphill battle. So expect the Sabres to move some players. Okposo is the captain but could be dealt for a late-round pick since the team is likely moving toward a new captain next season anyway. Olofsson and Girgensons aren’t bad middle-six forwards with experience. A team looking to add Mittelstadt is looking for a more long-term asset.
Detroit Red Wings
Expiring contracts: David Perron, LW/RW; Patrick Kane, RW; Daniel Sprong, RW; Christian Fischer, W; Shayen Gostisbehere, D; James Reimer, G
Perron, Kane, Sprong and Ghost Bear aren’t going anywhere. Reimer is an interesting name given the need around the league for goaltending. Starting goalie Ville Husso is still injured but returned to practice and is still week-to-week. If Husso is expected to be back before the end of the season, the Red Wings could entertain the idea of dealing Reimer. The issue is timing. The Red Wings would have to ride Alex Lyon until Husso is back, which isn’t ideal. So expect the Red Wings to keep Reimer. Detroit does have a ton of cap space going into the deadline. Expect the Wings to be aggressive and active.
Florida Panthers
Expiring contracts: Sam Reinhart, RW; Nick Cousins, LW; Steven Lorentz, F; Kevin Stenlund, F: Ryan Lomberg, F; Brandon Montour, D; Gustav Forsling, D; Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D; Dmitry Kulikov, D; Anthony Stolarz, G
The Panthers are almost the definition of a team going “all-in” this season. Most of the players above aren’t going anywhere. Reinhart and Montour should get long-term extensions. Florida is in somewhat of a cap crunch, though. The Panthers have some flexibility to add another player before the deadline passes. Florida acquired F Vladimir Tarasenko from the Senators in a deal on Wednesday. After making the Cup last season, the Panthers are trying to get back and win.
Montreal Canadiens
Expiring contracts: Tanner Pearson, W
The Habs don’t have a lot of expiring contracts, so we’ll go over some players on short-term teams. Goalie Jake Allen could be dealt before the deadline with the market for goalies alive. Defenseman David Savard and forward Joel Armia are on two-year deals, so if the Habs retain some salary, those players could be moved. The Canadiens have a TON of draft capital the next few years. Montreal should look to add more but could also try and take back a long-term acquisition if a team can’t sign a player.
Ottawa Senators
Expiring contracts: Dominik Kubalik, F; Matt Highmore, F
The Senators were expected to be more competitive this season. That isn’t the case and the Sens are heading toward the lottery again. Ottawa just traded F Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers for draft picks. Might the Senators look to deal F Claude Giroux or D Jakub Chychrun before the deadline? Each would cost a lot but would be coveted. They’re also both signed through next season.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Expiring contracts: Steven Stamkos, LW/C; Tyler Motte, F; Austin Watson, F; Calvin de Haan, D: Haydn Fleury, D
It would shock the hockey world to see the Bolts trade their captain before the deadline. Past this season, though, we’re unsure of Stamkos’ future. Tampa Bay is again going to be able to manipulate the cap with D Mikhail Sergachev on long-term IR. The Bolts have about $7M in cap space at the deadline to add a player or two. The team definitely needs help on the blue line but could also look to add a top-6 forward with experience.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Expiring contracts: Tyler Bertuzzi, LW; Max Domi, C/RW; Bobby McMann, F; TJ Brodie, D: William Lagesson, D; Ilya Samsonov, G; Martin Jones, G
The Leafs shouldn’t be looking to move players really before the deadline. Though, the goalie situation has been murky most of the season. Joseph Woll has returned to solve some of those issues and Samsonov isn’t playing nearly as bad as before. Still, the Leafs need to make it past the second round this time around in the postseason. Toronto also has no wiggle room to add much before the deadline.
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Expiring contracts: Teuvo Teravainen, LW/RW; Jordan Martinook, W; Stefan Noesen, W; Brendan Lemieux; W: Brady Skjei, D; Brett Pesce, D; Anthony DeAngelo, D; Jalen Chatfield, D; Spencer Martin, G; Antti Raanta, G
The Hurricanes have about $6 million in deadline cap space, so expect them to add rather than subtract. Carolina could use another forward or even a goaltender before the deadline to shore up those positions. The defense is pretty solid but the ‘Canes could look to upgrade knowing Skjei and Pesce could walk in free agency this summer. We know the Hurricanes were trying to add D Erik Karlsson before this season.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Expiring contracts: Jack Roslovic, C/RW
The Blue Jackets could try and move some long-term contracts like C Boone Jenner, Sean Kuraly or Ivan Provorov. Roslovic is the most likely to get dealt but the Jackets also could retain the top-line forward. Columbus was also entertaining offers for goalie Elvis Merzlikins but his contract isn’t ideal at $5.4 million for the next three seasons. What the Blue Jackets do have is cap space, which can be used to add bad deals to get assets back.
New Jersey Devils
Expiring contracts: Tyler Toffoli, RW; Tomas Nosek, LW; Collin Miller, D; Brendan Smith, D
The Devils are a mess. Head coach Lindy Ruff was just fired and it’s unclear if the Devils will buy or sell at the deadline. Toffoli makes a lot of sense for a contending team but GM Tom Fitzgerald has said he wants to keep the veteran wing and try and sign him to an extension. Miller and/or Smith could be dealt as bottom-pairing depth defensemen. Nosek was injured for most of the season before returning more recently. He could be had by a contending team but the Devils will likely hold onto players.
New York Islanders
Expiring contracts: Cal Clutterbuck, RW; Matt Martin, LW; Mie Reilly, D; Sebastian Aho, D
The Islanders don’t have much wiggle room with the cap before the deadline. Clutterbuck and Martin aren’t going anywhere either. This should be the group that goes forward this season for the Isles. Don’t expect New York to be super busy as the deadline approaches though nothing is out of the question with Lou Lamoriello.
New York Rangers
Expiring contracts: Erik Gustafsson, D
The Rangers have some flexibility with Filip Chytil and Blake Wheeler both on LTIR. Expect the Rangers to add a forward who can play in the middle-six with top-six upside. Henrique has been of interest to the Rangers in reports. But there’s a good chance the Rangers proceed into the playoffs with this lineup.
Philadelphia Flyers
Trades
The Avalanche traded C Ryan Johansen to the Flyers for D Sean Walker.
Expiring contracts: Sean Walker, D; Marc Staal, D; Felix Sandstrom, G
The Flyers have been rumored to be looking to move Scott Laughton. He’s due $3 million for each of the next two seasons, though. Other than that, the Flyers shouldn’t be too active before the deadline. There’s a bit of room but defensemen Ryan Ellis, Jamie Drysdale and Rasmus Ristolainen are on injured reserve. Philly could look to add depth on the blue line with so many injured players. Don’t expect a huge move.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Expiring contracts: Jake Guentzel, LW; Jeff Carter, RW/C; Jansen Harkins, W; Chad Ruhwedel, D; Alex Nedeljkovic, G
The Penguins are expected to deal Guentzel before the deadline on Friday. He’s in the final year of his deal and is expected to hit free agency in the offseason, where he could make upwards of $7-8 million per season. The Penguins, while still trying to compete with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, also need to consider the future. Getting assets back for Guentzel in a deadline deal makes sense. Pittsburgh is likely to miss the playoffs and could go back at it next season in what could be one of Crosby’s last.
Washington Capitals
Expiring contracts: Max Pacioretty, LW Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW; Joel Edmundson, D
The Capitals should be active at the deadline, looking to move Pacioretty and Edmundson. There are plenty of players on injured reserve, plus C Nicklas Backstrom is on LTIR. Evgeny Kuznetsov was in the NHL’s assistance program. He recently returned and could be in the lineup soon. Washington recently traded W Anthony Mantha to the Vegas Golden Knights. Pacioretty should be next. The Capitals aren’t competing this season despite still being in the Wild Card chase.
