The Week Ahead: Trade Deadline Week

It's a busy week in the NHL as the trade deadline is Friday at 3:00 pm EST. There are going to be a multitude of deals and plenty of rosters will look a lot different Friday.

All stats are through Saturday night unless otherwise noted.

WEEK OF MARCH 2-8

4 Games - Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Nashville, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Vegas

3 Games - Calgary, Chicago, Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota,  Montreal, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Utah, Winnipeg

2 Games – Washington

Anaheim and New Jersey play four games at home.

Carolina and Tampa Bay play four games on the road.

Buffalo, Calgary. Columbus, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Seattle and Winnipeg play three games at home.

Colorado, Florida, Montreal, the New York Islanders, Ottawa, St. Louis and Utah play three games on the road.

ANAHEIM

Games this week

vs. Colorado, vs. New York Islanders, vs. Montreal, vs. St. Louis

Tired: vs. New York Islanders (Wednesday)

Rested: vs. Colorado (Tuesday)

Notes

The Ducks play four games this week, including three games in four nights… Lukas Dostal should get three starts in the Anaheim net with Ville Husso playing once… The Ducks complete a nine-game homestand this week… Beckett Sennecke has a goal and three assists in two games since returning from the break… Leo Carlsson returned to action Wednesday from a thigh injury that cost him 11 games. The young center has two goals and two helpers in a pair of games since returning.

BOSTON

Games this week

vs. Pittsburgh, @ Nashville, vs. Washington, @ Pittsburgh

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Bruins play four games this week, including three games in four nights… Jeremy Swayman should garner three starts with Joonas Korpisalo playing once… Viktor Arvidsson has eight goals and nine points in his last 13 games… Elias Lindholm is having a nice season with 11 goals and 27 assists in 45 contests… Jonathan Aspirot has become a fantasy asset of late. He has five assists in his last five games after garnering two goals and one assist in his first 33 outings.

BUFFALO

Games this week

vs. Vegas, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Nashville vs. Tampa Bay

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Sabres play three games in four nights as part of a four-game week... Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen should split the net… Josh Norris had a pair of goals Saturday, giving him eight goals and 20 points in 22 games. If only he could stay healthy… Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and two assists Saturday. The defenseman has 12 goals and 51 points in 56 appearances.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. Dallas, vs. Ottawa, vs. Carolina

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Dallas (Tuesday), vs. Carolina (Saturday)

Notes

The Flames are home for all three games this week and are the rested team in two contests… Mikael Backlund has 13 goals and 35 points in 58 appearances, three points better than last season when he played in 76 regular-season contests… Zayne Parekh does not have a point in four games since his return to the lineup… Matthew Coronato has 14 goals and 30 points in 57 games, as he has been one of the few bright lights for the Flames this season.

CAROLINA

Games this week

@ Seattle, @ Vancouver, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary

Tired: @ Calgary (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Hurricanes play all four games on the road this week, including three games in four nights… Brandon Bussi will get at least two starts and probably three, while Frederik Andersen picks up the remaining start(s)… Taylor Hall had a goal and two assists Saturday, giving him five points in two games since returning from the break. Hall has 14 goals and 32 points across 59 games.

CHICAGO  

Games this week

@ Winnipeg, vs. Vancouver, @ Dallas

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

Chicago is slowly catching up to the rest of the NHL as far as competing for a playoff spot is concerned. The team has 53 points in 58 games this season after picking up just 61 in 2024-25... The talent is starting to come on, led by Connor Bedard, who is finally showing why he was selected first overall in 2023. Bedard has 25 goals and 55 points in 46 appearances this season and should smash his career high of 67 points in 82 games, set last season at age 19.

COLORADO

Games this week

@ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim, @ Dallas. vs. Minnesota   

Tired: @ Anaheim (Tuesday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Avalanche play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week… Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood should share the crease… Nathan MacKinnon had a pair of helpers Saturday, boosting his point total to 97, six points in arrears of Connor McDavid… Joel Kiviranta suffered a concussion Thursday and his status for this week's games is up in the air… Valeri Nichushkin has 12 goals and 35 points in 49 appearances this season.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ New York Rangers, vs. Nashville, vs. Florida, vs. Utah  

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Blue Jackets are on the ice for four games this week, including three in four nights… Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins are expected to share the net… Greaves has been stellar this season, posting an 18-12-7 mark with a 2.65 GAA and a .909 save percentage across 38 outings… Zach Werenski continues to shine as a top-three defenseman in the NHL. Werenski has 20 goals for the third time in his career, as well as 45 assists in just 54 contests.

DALLAS

Games this week

@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, vs. Colorado, vs. Chicago  

Tired: @ Calgary (Tuesday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Stars play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week… Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith should share the net as the Stars likely want to give Oettinger a little more time off after he was part of the gold-medal American Olympic team… Thomas Harley had an outstanding Olympics for Team Canada, and his success has carried over into the regular season. Harley has three goals and eight points in his last seven games after scoring only twice with 16 assists in his first 40 games.

DETROIT

Games this week

@ Nashville, vs. Vegas, vs. Florida, @ New Jersey

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Vegas (Tuesday), vs. Florida (Thursday), @ New Jersey (Sunday)

Notes

The Red Wings get a huge break this week as they are the home team for all four of their games, as well as being the rested team in three of the four contests… Patrick Kane snapped a four-game streak without a point, snapping his ninth goal of the season Saturday in a 5-2 loss to Carolina… Lucas Raymond has 19 goals and 62 points in 58 games.

EDMONTON

Games this week

vs. Ottawa. vs. Carolina, @ Vegas

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Oilers likely need help between the pipes at the trade deadline, as Tristan Jarry has not done the job since being picked up from Pittsburgh. Jarry is 6-4-1 with the Oilers, posting a 3.85 GAA and an .864 save percentage. Those are nice stats in indoor lacrosse, but not in the NHL... Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 103 points… Evan Bouchard had a goal and two assists Saturday, giving the blueliner 17 goals and 67 points in 61 games.

FLORIDA

Games this week

@ New Jersey, @ Columbus, @ Detroit,

Tired: @ Detroit (Friday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Panthers play three games in four nights... Sergei Bobrovsky should get a pair of starts with Daniil Tarasov starting once... Seth Jones (upper body) was hoping to return immediately after the Olympic break but he is still out of action, having missed the last 19 games… Aaron Ekblad remains on the first power play until Jones returns… Sam Bennett has a goal and two assists in two games since returning from the Olympics.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

vs. Colorado, vs. New York Islanders, vs. Montreal

Tired: None

Rested: vs. New York Islanders (Thursday), vs. Montreal (Saturday)

Notes

The Kings lost veteran Drew Doughty to a lower-body injury Thursday and he missed Saturday's tilt… Andrei Kuzmenko is likely out for the remainder of the regular season, after undergoing knee surgery for a torn meniscus this past week… With Kevin Fiala (lower leg) also out for the remainder of the season, the Kings really did not get an overall gain when they traded for Artemi Panarin prior to the break.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

vs. Tampa Bay, @ Vegas, @ Colorado

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

Matt Boldy has been red hot. The 24-year-old is on a nine-game point streak with eight goals and 18 points, including a pair of four-point games. The hot streak has boosted Boldy to 35 goals and 33 assists in 56 appearances… Ryan Hartman is centering the top line, between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. The assignment gives him some fantasy value.

MONTREAL

Games this week

@ San Jose, @ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles

Tired: @ Los Angeles (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes

Cole Caufield notched a pair of goals Saturday in Montreal's 6-2 win over Washington. Caufield has three goals in two games since the NHL returned to action, giving him 35 goals in 59 games, just two shy of his career-best 37 goals he scored last season… Noah Dobson saw his six-game point streak come to an end Saturday, but he did strike for a pair of goals Thursday in his first game against his former Islander teammates.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

vs. Detroit, @ Columbus, vs. Boston, @ Buffalo

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Predators play four games this week, including three games in four nights… Juuse Saros should start three times with Justus Annunen playing once… Steven Stamkos continues to find the back of the net. He had a pair of goals this past week, giving him 30 on the year… Jonathan Marchessault has just 10 goals and 17 points in 40 appearances this season… Luke Evangelista is having a good but quiet season, scoring only eight times but adding 36 assists in 58 outings.  

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

vs. Florida, vs. Toronto, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Detroit

Tired: vs. Toronto (Wednesday), vs. Detroit (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Devils play a pair of back-to-back sets… Look for Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom to share the crease… The Devils got Luke Hughes back Saturday after he missed 10 games with a shoulder injury. Hughes had an assist in his return… Timo Meier has a pair of goals this past week, giving him 16 markers in 2025-26... Nico Hischier has only two goals in his last six games.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

@ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles, @ San Jose

Tired: @ Los Angeles (Thursday)

Rested: @ Anaheim (Wednesday), @ San Jose (Saturday)

Notes

The Islanders play three road games in four nights during a California swing... Ilya Sorokin will play twice while David Rittich should start once... Matthew Schaefer set an NHL record when he potted a pair of goals Thursday in a 4-3 overtime win over Montreal. He has 18 goals, a record for an 18-year-old defenseman, and 41 points in 60 games. He is the overwhelming favorite for the Calder Trophy… The Islanders are thrilled with the play of Calum Ritchie, whom they received last season in exchange for Brock Nelson. Ritchie has seven goals and 16 points in 43 games and is centering their second unit. The points will come.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

vs. Columbus, vs. Toronto, @ New Jersey

Tired: vs. Toronto (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes

Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers with 24 goals, including 12 on the power play… Gabe Perreault has only one assist in his last 11 games, despite playing on the first line with Zibanejad as well as seeing second-unit power play time… Adam Fox returned to the lineup Thursday after missing 13 games with a lower-body injury. He has four goals and 28 points in 32 injury-filled games this season

OTTAWA 

Games this week

@ Edmonton, @ Calgary, @ Seattle

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Senators have received great goaltending from Linus Ullmark (personal) since his return to action Jan. 31. Ullmark is 3-0-1, allowing just seven goals on 86 shots… Drake Batherson halted a 10-game goal drought Saturday with a pair of goals. He has 21 goals and 51 points in 56 contests… Jake Sanderson has an assist in each of his two games since returning from the Olympics with a gold medal.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week

@ Toronto, vs. Utah, @ Pittsburgh

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

Dan Vladar continues to perform well this season. He stopped 26 shots Saturday in a 3-1 win over Boston, boosting his record to 18-9-6 with a 2.42 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He has stabilized the Flyers' goaltending this season, a big problem for the team over the last couple of seasons… Trevor Zegras got off to an amazing start this season after an offseason trade from Anaheim, but he has only two goals and two assists in his last 10 games.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

@ Boston, vs. Buffalo, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Boston

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Penguins play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week... I would expect Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs to share the crease... Losing Sidney Crosby (lower body) for at least another three weeks really hurts the Penguins' chances of making the postseason… Thomas Novak has taken over as the top center in Crosby's absence. He has three goals and an assist in his last five games.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

vs. Montreal, vs. St. Louis, vs. New York Islanders

Tired: vs. New York Islanders (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes

Yaroslav Askarov snapped a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) Saturday, stopping 20 Edmonton shots in a 5-4 win. He is 18-16-2 with a 3.53 GAA and an .887 save percentage. The Sharks were hoping for a lot more from the 23-year-old netminder, but don't lose hope if you are in a dynasty league… Macklin Celebrini is closing in on the 100-point mark. The 19-year-old sophomore has 29 goals and 82 points in 57 games this season… Kiefer Sherwood moved up to the first line alongside Celebrini and Will Smith on Saturday, but with the Sharks likely in trade mode, Sherwood is being dangled as trade bait.

SEATTLE

Games this week

vs. Carolina, vs. St. Louis, vs. Ottawa

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

Matty Beniers snapped a five-game point drought Saturday with his 15th goal of the campaign. He has 38 points in 59 contests… Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists Saturday in a 5-1 win over lowly Vancouver. Stephenson has 14 goals and 39 points in 57 appearances… Vince Dunn has 19 of his 35 points on the power play.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

@ Seattle, @ San Jose, @ Anaheim

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Blues are expected to get Robert Thomas back this week from a leg injury and subsequent surgery. He was expected to play immediately after the break, but had a personal leave of absence from the team, extending his time on injured reserve… The Blues are likely to be the biggest sellers at the trade deadline, with Jordan Binnington at or near the top of the list of assets they have available.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

@ Minnesota, @ Winnipeg, @ Toronto, @ Buffalo

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Lightning play three times in four nights as part of a four-game week, all on the road… Look for Andrei Vasilevskiy to play three times with Jonas Johansson guarding the cage once… Victor Hedman scored his first of the season Saturday in a 6-2 loss to Buffalo. He has scored at least nine goals in each of his last 12 campaigns… Brayden Point missed the last 11 games before the Olympics, as well as a spot on Team Canada, with a lower-body injury. He has returned with a flurry with five points in three games this past week.

TORONTO

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, @ New Jersey, @ New York Rangers, vs. Tampa Bay

Tired: @ New York Rangers (Thursday)

Rested: @ New Jersey (Wednesday)

Notes

The Maple Leafs play three games in four nights as part of a four-game week… Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz should share the cage, barring any trades… The Leafs should be sellers as they have lost their last three games, falling well behind the pace in the Eastern Conference… Though Morgan Rielly has a no-movement clause in his contract, he needs a change of scenery as he has struggled all season in Toronto.

UTAH

Games this week

@ Washington, @ Philadelphia, @ Columbus

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Mammoth got Logan Cooley back this past week after he missed 28 games with a lower-body injury. He has a goal and an assist in two games since his return… Nick Schmaltz has four goals and four assists in his last four games. He has 23 goals and 55 points in 59 games and is only nine points away from a career high… The Mammoth have a strong top six up front with Clayton Keller, Schmaltz and Lawson Crouse on the first line and Jack McBain, Cooley and Dylan Guenther on the second unit.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Dallas, vs. Carolina, @ Chicago, @ Winnipeg

Tired:  @ Winnipeg (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Canucks play four games this week, including three games in four nights… Kevin Lankinen and Nikita Tolopilo are likely to share the crease… The Canucks could easily finish last in the NHL this season, putting them in good position for the top pick in the 2026 Entry Draft… Marco Rossi (lower body) returned this week after missing 18 games. He is without a point in his last two games and has only a goal and an assist in 10 games with the Canucks since his trade earlier in the season from Minnesota.

VEGAS

Games this week

@ Buffalo, @ Detroit, vs. Minnesota, vs. Edmonton

Tired: None

Rested: @ Detroit (Wednesday)

Notes

The Golden Knights complete a five-game road trip in Detroit. They play four games this week, including three games in four nights… Adin Hill should get at least two starts and possibly three, with Akira Schmid picking up the remainder… Pavel Dorofeyev has a five-game point streak with four goals and three assists. He has 28 goals and 47 points in 59 games this season. The Golden Knights did an outstanding job drafting him in the third round (79th overall) in 2019.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

vs. Utah, @ Boston

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Capitals are the only team to play just twice this week… Alex Ovechkin potted a pair of goals Saturday, giving him 24 on the season… Jakob Chychrun leads all defensemen with 22 goals. He has chipped in with 26 assists and has a plus-20 rating and 51 PIM for leagues that use those categories, makes him a fantasy gem… Pierre-Luc Dubois has three goals and five points in four games since returning from abdominal surgery that cost him 47 games this season.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Chicago, vs. Tampa Bay. vs. Vancouver

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Vancouver (Saturday)

Notes

The Jets are in tough to make the playoffs… Connor Hellebuyck was unbelievable at the Olympics, backstopping the United States to gold, but he reverted back to his poor regular-season form when he gave up five goals on 40 shots in an overtime loss to Anaheim on Friday… Gabriel Vilardi is back on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, replacing Alex Iafallo.