The NHL Olympic Break comes at the right time for plenty of players and organizations around the league. Among the teams that need the break to reset are those that have been the most disappointing this season. With the trade deadline just two weeks after the Olympics conclude, let’s look at some of the most disappointing NHL teams at the break and what the trade deadline could look like for them.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers missing the playoffs isn’t necessarily a surprise, but how they’re missing the playoffs may be. Most over/under projections during the preseason had them pegged as a bubble team, but they will likely end the season as one of the frontrunners for Gavin McKenna/Ivar Stenberg in the 2026 NHL Draft.
At 22-29-6, the Rangers are comfortably in last place in the Eastern Conference. Injuries have been a factor. Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin have missed significant time, but the team is still much worse than expected before the season started. They’ve struggled to score goals, and they certainly haven’t gotten saves with Shesterkin out of the lineup.
As a result, the Rangers have already begun selling off ahead of the trade deadline. They traded Artemi Panarin just before the Olympic roster freeze took effect on Feb. 4, and there will likely be more moves to come. Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider have been in the rumor mill, so expect general manager Chris Drury to be active ahead of the trade deadline once the Olympics are over.
New Jersey Devils
The Rangers’ counterparts across the Hudson River, the New Jersey Devils, may be the most disappointing team in the NHL this season. They’re 11 points out of a playoff spot, and only the Rangers are below them in the Eastern Conference standings, although there’s an eight-point gap between the two teams.
Different issues have plagued the Devils this season. Jack Hughes missing significant time due to injury is one, but their problems are deeper than Hughes’ injury woes. They can’t score goals and have been one of the worst five-on-five scoring teams in the NHL. They’ve also struggled to get saves when Jacob Markström starts, but scoring has been the bigger issue.
Like the Rangers, the Devils will be sellers once the Olympics conclude. They don’t have many realistic tradeable assets, with Evgenii Dadonov and Paul Cotter being their lone pending UFAs. Perhaps they move a defenseman since their blue line needs a retool, but with general manager Tom Fitzgerald’s job in jeopardy, they could have a quiet deadline and let the next GM make the big decisions with their roster.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs were prime candidates for regression this season, but they’ve dropped off even more than I could have anticipated. Their situation is not as dire as the Devils or Rangers, as they sit six points out of a playoff spot, but it’s getting late to make a push.
A significant reason for the Maple Leafs’ struggles this season is that they have not gotten saves from Anthony Stolarz, who has a save percentage of .882. But it’s not just goaltending that’s brought the Maple Leafs down; Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby have played well when given opportunities. They’ve been one of the worst rush defense teams in the NHL, and they’ve struggled to generate offense at five-on-five.
The final two weeks of regular-season action before the trade deadline on March 7 will likely determine what GM Brad Treliving will do. If the Maple Leafs go on a run, he may be tempted to buy, although that’s probably not the best path for the organization moving forward. They have a couple of attractive trade candidates in Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton who could net some much-needed draft and prospect capital. They should be sellers.
Winnipeg Jets
Like the Maple Leafs, the Winnipeg Jets were also prime candidates for regression this season, but for them to drop out of the playoff picture completely has been a surprise. Connor Hellebuyck missing time with an injury and looking human is one factor for the Jets’ dropoff, but it’s not the only reason they’ve fallen off.
The Jets have one of the oldest rosters in the NHL, and that’s also made them one of the slowest teams in the league. They lack the scoring punch they had a season ago, especially since Nikolaj Ehlers left for the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency. As a result, they generate just 2.45 expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five.
Related: NHL’s 2026 Trade Deadline Predictor 2.0: Trocheck, Kadri & More
GM Kevin Cheveldayoff should be a seller at the trade deadline, but the Jets don’t have many high-end tradeable assets, either. They should sell high on Logan Stanley, who’s a pending UFA, and Luke Schenn will likely bring them back a draft pick or two. The Jets need to retool their roster to get younger and faster, so expect other pending UFAs like Gustav Nyquist and Tanner Pearson to get traded, too, even if they don’t bring much back in return.
St. Louis Blues
I’m not surprised that the Blues are out of the playoff picture, but they aren’t as bad as their record indicates. They’ve gotten submarined by some of the worst goaltending in the NHL, and they’ve been missing one of their top players in Robert Thomas for nearly a month due to injury.
Just how bad has the Blues’ goaltending been this season? Jordan Binnington has given up 24.9 goals above expected, the worst mark in the NHL. Joel Hofer has been much better, but he’s still allowed 2.1 goals above expected. They have suffered plenty of goalie losses, especially early in the season.
The Blues may be the most interesting team in the NHL ahead of the trade deadline. From Thomas to Jordan Kyrou to Binnington, Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn, plenty of their players have been in the rumor mill. Some are more available than others, but will GM Doug Armstrong opt for a complete firesale? I’d guess on something in between, but they could be busy once the Olympics conclude.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are one team here that will likely make the playoffs, but they have been a disappointment this season. They sit in second place in the Pacific Division but have a record of just 28-22-4. They’re lucky the Pacific is what it is because they’d be in a more precarious situation otherwise.
Goaltending has been a problem for the Oilers this season, whether it’s been Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard or Tristan Jarry. However, they also give up a ton of grade-A chances at five-on-five, so their goalies aren’t exactly getting help. And it’s not like they have great forward depth outside of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Because the Oilers are in a playoff spot, they’re the one team here that should be a buyer at the trade deadline. They could use an upgrade on defense, but they don’t have a ton of cap space to work with. It’ll be interesting to see what GM Stan Bowman decides to do because the Pacific does offer a much easier path to make a run in the Western Conference playoffs than the Central Division.
For most of these teams, their season is as good as over. Now, it’s about turning the page and looking to retool for the 2026-27 season, and that’s why the trade deadline will be important for so many of them.
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