Nhl Trade Tracker: Deadline day surges toward 3 p.m. ET as late-night deals set the tone
nhl trade tracker coverage is accelerating as the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline approaches at 3 p. m. ET Friday. Multiple teams made late-night and early-morning moves, while others signaled possible pending deals through roster management scratches. The market is already showing steep prices in picks, setting a tense, fast-moving tone for the final hours.
Nhl Trade Tracker: The deadline clock and the biggest completed moves so far
The deadline is set for 3 p. m. ET Friday, and the early wave of transactions includes several notable trades involving picks and multi-player returns.
Vancouver moved quickly on forward Conor Garland, trading him in a late-night deal to the Columbus Blue Jackets for second- and third-round picks. Garland’s six-year, $36 million contract signed last summer does not begin until next season, adding another layer of significance to the decision to move him now.
In another late push, the Buffalo Sabres completed a deal with the Winnipeg Jets to acquire defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn. Heading to Winnipeg is forward Isak Rosen, identified as Buffalo’s first-round pick (No. 14) in the 2021 NHL Draft, along with defenseman Jacob Bryson and two draft picks.
Toronto opened its own sale Thursday, sending center Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft that could push to 2028, plus a fifth-round pick in 2026. The return underscored the price environment developing as the deadline hours tick down.
Scratches and signals: Roster management moves point to more action
While completed deals set the baseline, several teams are also using lineup decisions as a clear sign that more moves could still come before 3 p. m. ET Friday.
The New York Rangers scratched centers Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick against the Toronto Maple Leafs for roster management purposes, indicating they could be moved before the deadline. On the Toronto side, forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton, along with defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, were scratched for roster management purposes for the second straight game.
The Rangers’ selling direction has already been established through earlier moves: they traded Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings and Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders more than a month before deadline day.
Prices rising, fantasy impact widening, and what comes next before 3 p. m. ET
Early deals reflect a clear pattern: teams are paying premium draft capital to reshape rosters now. One example cited in the day’s trade flow: the Edmonton Oilers gave up a first-round pick to acquire forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks, with Chicago also taking forward Andrew Mangiapane and his $3. 6 million AAV through next season. Elsewhere, the Minnesota Wild traded a second-round pick for bottom-six forward Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators, and the Dallas Stars sent a second-round pick in 2027 plus a fourth-round pick in 2029 to the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Tyler Myers to bolster depth.
One deal highlighted for fit: the Ottawa Senators acquired forward Warren Foegele from the Los Angeles Kings, also picking up a third-round pick while sending the Kings second- and third-round picks in this year’s draft. Foegele has scored 20 goals in each of the past two years and is signed for next season at $3. 5 million.
Fantasy reverberations are also emerging. In one trade impact outlined, Utah’s management indicated it could take four to 10 days for defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to join the Mammoth due to work visa issues being sorted out, a timetable that could matter for managers as postseason windows approach. In Calgary, rookie Zayne Parekh was identified as a candidate to inherit Weegar’s role on the No. 1 power play as the Flames focus on the future.
As the final hours compress, nhl trade tracker attention now turns to whether the roster-management scratches convert into confirmed moves before 3 p. m. ET Friday, and whether the already-high cost in picks climbs even further as contenders and sellers finish their last calls.
