NHL trade deadline: Analysis and grades for every notable deal

Welcome to your one-stop shop for analysis and grades of every major NHL transaction ahead of today’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

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March 6

Ducks acquire Carlson

Note: Anaheim has the option of changing the 2026 first-rounder to a 2027 first-rounder if it misses the 2026 playoffs.

The Ducks’ blue line is led by left-handed defensemen. While Carlson’s past his prime, he immediately becomes the club’s best option on the right side.

Carlson, 36, is a bit iffy defensively at this point in his career, yet he remains highly effective overall thanks to awesome scoring-chance and goal differentials. With 10 goals and 46 points in 55 games, Carlson, a career-long Capital until now, is on pace for his highest goal and point totals since 2021-22 and 2019-20, respectively.

Anaheim, which sits second in the Pacific Division, can take on Carlson’s full $8-million cap hit. He’s on an expiring contract so this could be a pure rental situation or a tryout of sorts for a shorter, cheaper deal to end his career.

The Capitals are four points out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The front office isn’t necessarily waving the white flag on 2025-26 by trading Carlson – a 17-year staple in Washington – or center Nic Dowd, who was dealt to the Golden Knights on Thursday. Management is instead recognizing this is a seller’s market and trying to recoup as many assets as possible on two veterans who likely weren’t going to be returning anyway.

I like this trade for both sides. Win-win.

Anaheim: B+
Washington: B+

Sabres acquire Stanley, Schenn

Note: Jets retain 50% of Schenn’s $2.75-million cap hit.

The Sabres had a trade in place to bring in Colton Parayko from the Blues, but the stud defenseman opted not to waive his no-trade clause. This deal with Winnipeg is clearly Plan B, making it impossible to not factor in what could have been.

Neither Stanley or Schenn are as talented or impactful as Parayko. In fact, even their combined on-ice value doesn’t add up to Parayko’s. So, in that sense, whether it’s entirely fair or not, Buffalo’s grade takes a hit here.

Stanley is enjoying a career year offensively (21 points in 59 games for a horrible Jets team). The 6-foot-7, 231-pounder will offer physicality and a booming shot to a defense corps that’s relied heavily on Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Bowen Byram, and Owen Power through 62 games.

Buffalo needed to backfill its blue line and Stanley very much helps do that.

I get why Schenn is part of this deal. The Sabres could use both a right-handed D-man and a beloved veteran for the dressing room. But expectations should be tempered for a 36-year-old plodding defender who, even when at his very best, barely scrapes by as a below-average third-pair guy.

In general, I love seeing the Sabres buy around the deadline. They’ve gone 26-5-2 since Dec. 9 for a league-leading 54 points and .818 points percentage in that time. That NHL record 14-year playoff drought is ending this season and management sees opportunity in a weak Eastern Conference.

As for the Jets, Rosen is the crown jewel of the return. The 2021 first-round pick is dominating the AHL at 22 years old. He has top-six upside on the wings.

Buffalo: B-
Winnipeg: B-

Blue Jackets acquire Garland

Garland is one of the NHL’s most underrated wingers. He plays much bigger than his size (5-foot-10, 165 pounds) and wins a ton of puck battles along the walls against giants. He’s also a strong skater, dogged forechecker, and skilled playmaker who’s good for 50 points a season.

In many ways, Garland’s exactly the type of player Columbus needs now and in the future. The “future” part is notable because Garland signed a six-year deal with the Canucks last July, and the extension doesn’t kick in until next season. While the Massachusetts native is making $4.9 million this season, he’ll earn $6 million annually from 2026-27 through the 2031-32 campaign.

Vancouver has been hesitant to fully commit to a rebuild. This trade signals the front office understands the task at hand. Garland’s next contract includes a no-move clause so trying to trade him later on would’ve been a headache.

It would have been nice if the Canucks reeled in a first-round pick. However, a lot of teams were likely turned off by the extension, given the term, cap hit, and Garland’s age (30 next week). I’m ultimately OK with the return.

Columbus: B+
Vancouver: B-

Senators acquire Foegele

“Fine” is the word that comes to mind here.

Foegele is a perfectly fine NHL winger – very good defensively at five-on-five and useful on the penalty kill, but with a relatively low offensive ceiling (career-high 46 points in 2024-25, and only nine in 47 games this season for the Kings).

The fit is fine. Ottawa doesn’t necessarily need another forward with Foegele’s skill set and statistical profile. But the 29-year-old worker bee is a useful piece for coach Travis Green and has a reputation as a well-liked teammate.

The cost is fine, too. Would a third-rounder have made more sense based on market trends? Yes. But a second is all right since Foegele is under contract through next season at a digestible $3.5-million cap hit.

All three picks in this deal feature a quirk: Los Angeles is receiving Buffalo’s second-rounder, not Ottawa’s. The third-rounder going to the Kings is the better pick between Ottawa’s own third and Washington’s third. Ottawa, meanwhile, is receiving the worse pick of L.A.’s own third and Dallas’ third.

Ottawa: B-
L.A.: A

Stars acquire Bunting

First, Tyler Myers. Now, Bunting. Stars general manager Jim Nill is getting his deadline shopping done early.

Bunting, a pending unrestricted free agent with a $4.5-million cap hit, is a dirty-areas winger who’s historically averaged half a point per game. He can man the left wing on virtually any line, but ideally, he slots into the bottom six at even strength and gets net-front duty on the second power-play unit.

A relentless pursuer of pucks, Bunting is tied with Matthew Tkachuk for the sixth-most penalties drawn since his rookie 2020-21 season – especially impressive since he’s logged just 15:30 a night in 405 career games. Dallas will be Bunting’s sixth team in six years (Arizona, Toronto, Carolina, Pittsburgh).

The Stars’ forward group needs more jam and feistiness, so I like this addition on the surface. I really like it at this low cost. Acquiring Bunting for a third-rounder is a bargain given the caliber of players currently garnering seconds.

Nashville’s now traded four pending UFAs this week. Nick Blankenburg, Cole Smith, and Michael McCarron are also gone, while Erik Haula and Tyson Jost should be traded before the deadline. The league is keeping an eye on GM Barry Trotz: Will he deal stars with term in Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly?

Dallas: A-
Nashville: C+

Avalanche acquire Roy

Note: First-rounder becomes an unprotected 2028 first if the Avalanche land a top-10 pick in 2027.

Colorado, the NHL’s best team all season, is bringing in a bottom-six center in exchange for a first-round pick (plus a fifth). Talk about a seller’s market.

It’s a bit difficult to evaluate this trade without knowing what else Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland has up his sleeve. If this is the Avs’ only move to upgrade at center, it’s underwhelming considering Nazem Kadri, Ryan O’Reilly, and Vincent Trocheck are all still reportedly available. A center group of Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Jack Drury, and Roy could power the Avs to a Stanley Cup. But this deal hasn’t meaningfully raised the club’s ceiling; a trade for a top-six center would.

Roy is 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds. The 29-year-old brings a little scoring touch, is solid in the faceoff circle, and won’t hurt you defensively. He’d been buried on the Golden Knights, and the Leafs had high hopes for him after picking him up in the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade deal last summer.

Colorado is betting on Roy excelling in a limited role, like he did in Vegas. Also, MacFarland may simply lack the types of high-end prospects required to pair with a first-rounder in order to acquire a premium center.

A first-rounder plus a fifth (which will be the lowest of Colorado’s three fifths in 2026) is a dream return for Toronto, especially since Roy’s 59 games in a Leafs uniform were mediocre at best. He makes $3 million this year and next – not an onerous contract for the Avs but not an amazing bargain either.

Colorado: C+
Toronto: A

Oilers acquire Dickinson

Note: Blackhawks retain 50% of Dickinson’s $4.25-million cap hit.

Edmonton deepened its blue line Monday by picking up Connor Murphy from Chicago. Two days later, GM Stan Bowman has returned to the same rival team (and his former employer) to deepen his forward group.

Dickinson, a 30-year-old pending unrestricted free agent, slides into the Oilers’ third-line center slot behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. A defensive pivot who scored a career-high 22 goals in 2023-24, Dickinson is best known for his penalty killing. The Blackhawks sit first in penalty kill percentage through 61 games in large part due to Dickinson’s diligence, and the Oilers will count on him to improve their 26th-ranked rate.

Dach, a 23-year-old forward, has split his season between the NHL and AHL.

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson is doing his old boss two money-saving favors by keeping $2.125 million (Dickinson retention) and bringing in $3.6 million in cap commitments through 2026-27 (struggling winger Mangiapane’s deal).

Dickinson alone wouldn’t have fetched a first-rounder, so the favors are worth it for the Blackhawks. (Is it worth it for the Oilers? That’s a trickier question considering so much of their current cap crunch is self-inflicted.)

The Blackhawks now own two first-round picks in 2026 and two in 2027, along with three second-rounders in 2026 and two second-rounders in 2027. Davidson’s attempting to build a sustainable Cup contender around superstar forward Connor Bedard, so expect Chicago to flip some of those picks for NHL help. The Blackhawks want to keep taking steps forward.

Edmonton: C+
Chicago: B+

Mammoth acquire Weegar

Utah’s Bill Armstrong has become one of the NHL’s boldest GMs of late, having acquired Mikhail Sergachev and JJ Peterka in 2024 and 2025 blockbusters. He strikes again by adding a top-pairing defenseman to a Mammoth defense corps that’s been missing a workhorse on the right side.

Weegar, 32, is a do-everything blue-liner who can handle heavy minutes. He skates well, makes crisp breakout passes, blocks a ton of shots and passes, recovers loose pucks efficiently, and lays the body when necessary. Like most Flames players, Weegar’s production is down in 2025-26: He’s got 21 points in 60 games for a 29-point pace after seasons of 47 and 52 points.

The 32-25-4 Mammoth, easily a top 10 defensive team this season, now have three key blue-liners under team control for the next handful of years – right-handed Weegar plus lefty Sergachev and stud rookie Dmitri Simashev.

Weegar’s in the third year of an eight-year deal paying him $6.25 million annually. Utah’s assuming risk in those final few years given Weegar’s age.

All that said, Craig Conroy deserves props. The Flames GM reeled in an absolute haul for a player whose best remaining seasons don’t align with Calgary’s timeline.

Maatta is a pro’s pro on the back end – a solid third-pair guy who can mentor young players. Castagna is a B-level forward prospect in the middle of a point-per-game junior year at Cornell. Three second-rounders in one draft is extremely fun and certainly better than getting only a first-rounder from Utah.

The Flames now own one-eighth of the 2026 second round: their own early selection, the New York Rangers’ early pick, the Ottawa Senators’ selection in the middle of the round, and Utah’s late pick. A good scouting staff can find Conroy two future NHLers with those four picks, all of which should fall within Nos. 33-55.

Utah: B+
Calgary: A-

Stars acquire Myers

Note: Canucks retain 50% of Myers’ $3-million cap hit.

Dallas, a legitimate Cup contender, desperately needs help on the right side of its blue line. Myers is indeed a veteran right-handed NHL defenseman, but I’m not convinced the 36-year-old solves the whole problem.

Myers, listed at 6-foot-8 and 229 pounds, can clear the front of the net and kill penalties. While mobile for his size, he isn’t smooth with the puck and spends too much time in the box (20 minor penalties in 57 games in 2025-26).

With Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen on the top pair, Myers will likely find a home beside Thomas Harley on the second pairing while Lian Bichsel and Ilya Lyubushkin or Nils Lundkvist hold down the third. That right side, beyond Heiskanen, remains vulnerable if Dallas doesn’t make another trade.

On the other hand, Myers arrives on a cheap contract with the Canucks retaining salary. He’ll count for a mere $1.5 million against the salary cap this year and next. So: bargain addition for the Stars but not a hugely impactful player.

The last-place Canucks, meanwhile, make out well by acquiring two draft picks, including a valuable second-rounder, for a player who’s of no use to them.

Dallas: B-
Vancouver: A-

John Matisz is theScore’s senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter/X (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).