NHL Trade Bait List for 2026 Trade Deadline – The Hockey Writers – Trade Deadline

The NHL trade market is heating up. There were a couple of trades before the Olympic roster freeze went into effect on Feb. 4, namely Artemi Panarin getting dealt to the Los Angeles Kings. And, of course, there was the Quinn Hughes blockbuster trade before Christmas. Mason Marchment and Phillip Danault were also traded just before the clock struck midnight on the NHL’s holiday roster freeze, which went into effect on Dec. 19 and lifted on Dec 28.

Related: NHL’s 2026 Trade Deadline Predictor 2.0: Trocheck, Kadri & More

Even coming out of the holiday roster freeze, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas wasted no time making a move, acquiring Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now that the Olympics are over and the trade freeze has lifted, let’s take a look at who could be on the move ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.

NHL Trade Market Coming Into Focus

The West may have two or three of the best teams in the NHL, but there’s plenty of parity after them. Still, time is running out for teams chasing playoff spots to get back in the picture, so sellers are starting to become clearer.

After a long while, there’s finally some separation in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Bruins, who occupy the final wild-card spot, have a two-point lead on the Washington Capitals just a week out from the trade deadline, and the Blue Jackets are in the mix, too. Other than them, everyone else has long odds of making the playoffs.

The Blue Jackets and Capitals also have a chance at catching the New York Islanders for third place in the Metro, so they’re very much in the picture in that race. It’s getting late for teams who are six or more points out of a playoff spot, so the final few days before the trade deadline will be crucial for determining the final buyers and sellers.

Meanwhile, in the West, the Calgary Flames seem open for business. They’ve already traded Rasmus Andersson, who was a pending UFA, and Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman could be next to go before the trade deadline next week.

It’s a similar story for the Nashville Predators, who have dug themselves out of an early-season hole. They’re back in the playoff picture, but players like Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly will be attractive trade targets for any team looking to bolster their rosters. The Predators could still move them since they appear to want to get younger.

The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers’ seasons are as good as cooked, so expect them to sell over the next week. They’ve already started, with the Devils trading Ondřej Palát to the Islanders, and, of course, the Rangers trading Panarin to the Kings.

For our newest update, we’ve added several new names and expanded the list to 40 players that you should be keeping an eye on as the trade market heats up. Here’s our latest update: