On Saturday, we looked at some of the best trades of what was a relatively quiet NHL trade deadline this season. Today, we’ll be examining the opposite and some trades that haven’t worked out or have the potential to be busts. Here are five deals that have their fair share of red flags.
Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights
I don’t think anyone would have said this was a bad trade when the Vegas Golden Knights made it, but the Rasmus Andersson deal has not worked out so far. This trade has had a bit more time to marinate since the Golden Knights acquired him in mid-January, so we have enough of a sample to draw some conclusions.
Since joining the Golden Knights, Andersson has played in 14 games and totaled a goals above replacement (GAR) of -2.1. His expected numbers haven’t been great, either, as he has an xGAR of -1.6, so his actual results match the expectation. Why hasn’t Andersson succeeded in Vegas? Usage may be one reason.
Andersson isn’t getting the most difficult assignments among Golden Knights defensemen, but he’s still playing around 35 percent of his minutes against elite competition. He’s not a defensive liability, but his strength comes on the offensive side of the puck. He’s recently moved to the third pair with Jeremy Lauzon, and the early returns are encouraging; they have an expected goals share (xG%) of 59.63 percent in 51 minutes as a pair.
Perhaps that more sheltered role gets the best out of Andersson. Plus, sometimes, it takes a while for a player who’s traded to adjust to new surroundings. That could easily be the case with him, and there are still 18-20 games left for most NHL teams. There’s still time to turn it around heading into the playoffs.
The Golden Knights did give up Zach Whitecloud, a prospect, and a couple of draft picks to acquire Andersson. He wasn’t cheap, so they need him to turn it around before the playoffs begin. If he does, they can make some noise in the West.
Ondřej Palát to the Islanders
Most of the New York Islanders’ surprise success this season comes from Ilya Sorokin and rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer. This led general manager Mathieu Darche to buy ahead of the deadline, but he hasn’t rewarded the team as well as he could have.
Related: Grading the Islanders & Devils’ Ondřej Palát Trade
Ondřej Palát’s play has fallen off a cliff since his prime with the Tampa Bay Lightning. There’s a reason the New Jersey Devils traded him and had to attach draft picks to move his contract. That’s because his play is not worth $6 million per year at this point in his career. He also has an extra year on his contract, so that’s a point of concern, too.
Palát has been a bit better since moving to the Islanders, but that’s not saying much. He was one of the Devils’ worst forwards this season, so the bar was at the floor. Still, he has an xG% of just 45.66 percent since joining the Islanders. The Islanders only gave up Maxim Tsyplakov to acquire Palát, so it’s not like they gave up a blue-chip asset, but it’s difficult to argue that this move improves the team in the long run.
Brayden Schenn to the Islanders
Darche may have outdone himself ahead of this trade deadline, and not in a good way. It’s not that Brayden Schenn is necessarily a bad player, but there are a few reasons why this could backfire on the Islanders, and they’re similar to the Palát trade.
One) Schenn’s skating has clearly declined since his prime. The Palát deal already made the team slower, and so will Schenn. The Islanders play an uptempo style of hockey, so it could affect how they play. Two) Schenn’s shooting ability has also declined in recent seasons. He can still score goals, but he’s not the shooter he once was.
Three) Schenn’s contract runs through next season at a cap hit of $6.5 million. The Islanders are having a magical run this season, but they’re not in a position to be taking on contracts like Palát and Schenn’s, who both have cap hits of $6 million or higher. They also gave up a first-round pick to acquire Schenn, so it’s not like the cost was cheap. This deal could easily backfire on them in the near future.
Luke Schenn & Logan Stanley to the Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres nearly acquired one of the best defensive defensemen in the NHL, but Colton Parayko wasn’t open to waiving his no-trade clause for Buffalo. That forced GM Jarmo Kekalainen to pivot, and let’s just say he could have done better.
Logan Stanley has nine goals and 21 points in 59 games this season, but don’t be fooled by the jump in production. He’s shooting 12.2 percent, well above his career average of 4.6 percent. The offensive production is more likely a mirage, and he’s still very much a defensive liability.
Schenn has not been much better, either. His play has been worth a GAR of -3. Meanwhile, Stanley’s GAR sits at -4, and that’s with him shooting the lights out of the puck relative to his career averages.
The Sabres gave up Isak Rosén, a prospect with top-nine potential, Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks to acquire Schenn and Stanley. The good news is that the Sabres are a good enough team that I don’t think Stanley and Schenn will tank their season, but they are a worse team with them on their blue line.
Flyers Trading Bobby Brink for David Jiricek
The Philadelphia Flyers seem like a rudderless ship right now. Are they rebuilding? Are they not rebuilding? What’s the plan here? That’s exactly how I feel about them trading Bobby Brink for David Jiricek. I know the Flyers had a surplus of wingers they needed to move, but was trading Brink the right call?
Brink had 13 goals and 26 points at the time the Flyers traded him. He’s shown some five-on-five upside in his young career, and he’s already an established NHLer. Jiricek was a top 10 pick in the 2022 draft, but it has not clicked for him in the NHL, and it’s fair to question whether it will.
Jiricek’s skating has held him back, and skating can be one of the most difficult abilities to improve while you’re developing. His decision-making has also been questionable, especially defensively. I could understand trading Brink for another established NHLer, but Jiricek is far from a guarantee to be a regular NHLer. He’s a reclamation project, and it feels like the Flyers fumbled the bag with this one.
Though these were some of the worst trades of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, they weren’t as egregious as some trades in years past. We’ll see how they impact their teams moving forward.
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey, PuckIQ
