12 a.m. ET
Good morning, or good night. Don’t say good evening. Because we’re simply getting began right here on Trade Deadline day.
OK, I’ll be getting some sleep, and hope that nothing occurs whereas I do, however this primary entry is coming to you from Madison Square Garden, the place I simply wrapped up masking the New York Rangers’ 6-2 win in opposition to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a pair of “Original Six” sellers.
The Maple Leafs began their sale Thursday, buying and selling middle Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional first-round decide within the 2027 NHL Draft that might push to 2028, and a fifth-round decide in 2026.
The Rangers began their sale greater than a month in the past, after they traded Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings and Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders.
The Rangers scratched facilities Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick in opposition to the Maple Leafs for roster administration functions, so definitely they may very well be on the transfer earlier than the deadline, as anticipated.
Ditto for Toronto forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton, and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. They have been scratched for roster administration functions for the second straight sport.
Toronto obtained a great return for Roy, who in all probability will likely be a third-line middle in Colorado behind Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson.
The return additionally reveals you that costs on this 12 months’s commerce market are excessive, or a minimum of they’ve been thus far.
The Edmonton Oilers gave up a first-round decide to get forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks. It helped, after all, that the Blackhawks additionally took ahead Andrew Mangiapane, who has an AAV of $3.6 million by means of subsequent season.
The Minnesota Wild gave up a second-round decide to get bottom-six ahead Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators.
It took the Dallas Stars giving up a second-round decide in 2027 and a fourth-round decide in 2029 (actually, we’re buying and selling 2029 picks already?) to get defenseman Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks. Myers provides to Dallas’ depth.
The commerce I like probably the most thus far is the Ottawa Senators getting ahead Warren Foegele from the Los Angeles Kings. The Senators additionally picked up a third-round decide whereas giving the Kings second and third spherical picks, all on this 12 months’s draft.
Foegele, a 20-goal scorer the previous two years, will match completely in Ottawa’s middle-six ahead group and he’s signed for subsequent season at $3.5 million.
The largest blockbuster thus far is MacKenzie Weegar going from the Calgary Flames to the Utah Mammoth for 3 second-round picks within the 2026 NHL Draft, defenseman Olli Maatta and ahead Jonathan Castagna.
I’m all in on the Mammoth being all in. And they nonetheless have sufficient draft capital and prospects to make a splash Friday.
But the massive names who’ve been talked about as candidates to be traded haven’t moved but, which is the obvious indication of how excessive the asking costs are this 12 months.
The Rangers may commerce Trocheck, but when they don’t get the return they’re on the lookout for they might punt that for the summer time or scrap that plan altogether.
The St. Louis Blues may nonetheless commerce defenseman Colton Parayko, who reportedly used his no-trade clause to nix a commerce to the Buffalo Sabres. They may additionally commerce forwards Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou, defenseman Justin Faulk and goalie Jordan Binnington.
They gained’t commerce all of them, however the Blues are a group to observe due to these gamers and what the return is perhaps for them.
So are the Sabres. They didn’t get Parayko, however it seems they’re pivoting to getting Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets, in addition to Carrick from the Rangers.
Are the Florida Panthers actually going to commerce goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who didn’t play Thursday? They may, and nonetheless re-sign him within the offseason. That not often occurs, however it may on this case.
Will the Flames transfer Nazem Kadri, who has a $7 million cap hit for the subsequent three years? How about ahead Blake Coleman, who’s signed by means of subsequent season at $4.9 million?
The Predators have traded McCarron, ahead Michael Bunting (Dallas) and defenseman Nick Blankenburg (Colorado).
Is Ryan O’Reilly subsequent? Is it Steven Stamkos? Erik Haula?
Barry Trotz is in his final season because the Predators common supervisor and it’s his job to set issues up for the subsequent individual in cost.
The New Jersey Devils may transfer a defenseman or two, with Simon Nemec, Dougie Hamilton and Johnathan Kovacevic on the listing. But none will come low-cost.
The Wild appear to be in on everyone, however are they going to do the rest? Trocheck?
And what in regards to the Vancouver Canucks with Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland?
Oh so many questions and so little time to get some solutions.
The clock is ticking. The deadline is hours away. The costs are excessive. They may fall.
Wake up!
