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. There will surely be plenty of action again when the Olympic roster freeze lifts on Feb. 22, especially since there’ll be two weeks until the trade deadline. Who else could be on the move once the Olympics are over?

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 and Buffalo Sabres, who hold the two wild-card spots, have four- and five-point leads on the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals.

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. It’s getting late for teams who are six or more points out of a playoff spot, so the final two weeks 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 in March.

It’s a similar story for the 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 once the Olympics conclude. 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 30 players that you should be keeping an eye on as the trade market heats up. Our board will receive updates accordingly, especially during the Olympic break and the final two weeks of regular-season action ahead of the trade deadline. Here’s our latest edition: