NHL trade deadline 2026: Eight key players who could be on the move this week
The NHL trade deadline is less than a week away, and there should be plenty of activity between now and Friday afternoon. Playoff contenders will be looking to improve their roster for the final stretch, and there are plenty of impact players available.
We have already seen some superstars change teams during the 2025-26 season. Quinn Hughes moved from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild, and the New York Rangers sent Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings. These two big names may be off the table, but the trading block is still filled with players who can be the difference between winning the Stanley Cup and an early exit from the playoffs.
As the Rangers continue to trade, expect Vincent Trocheck’s name to come up in trade rumors. The new Olympic gold medalist is a good middle-six center who can kill penalties and win faceoffs. That goes a long way with general managers who have an eye on the playoffs. Trocheck is just one of a handful of centers to watch, as few things are more important in the playoffs than depth in the middle.
Teams looking to score before the deadline will also have a few options. The St. Louis Blues have had Jordan Kyrou on the block for most of the season, and Elias Pettersson is a struggling player with superstar potential.
As the 2026 NHL trade deadline approaches, here are eight players who could have a big impact on the playoff race.
Vincent Trocheck | C | New York Rangers
After winning a gold medal at the Olympics, Trocheck is firmly engaged in business. The Rangers are beginning (another) rebuild and Trocheck is one of the most attractive players on the team. Trocheck can win faceoffs and decisive penalties – two playoff qualities coveted by NHL general managers – and he’s been able to produce (38 points in 45 games) for an otherwise awful Rangers team. Ideally, Trocheck would be a good second or third line center on a contender.
That said, there may be an element of buyer distrust when it comes to Trocheck. Now 32, Trocheck has three years remaining on his contract at a $5.625 million cap hit, and his underlying numbers raise some red flags. Looking back to the start of the 2024-25 season, Trocheck holds a 46.7% expected goals share at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. Of course, that could be because he’s playing on a bad team in New York, and he could thrive again in a better environment.
Nazem Kadri | C | Calgary Flames
Kadri’s time in Calgary didn’t go as planned, and it would probably be best for both sides to find a trade partner. A veteran center with a Stanley Cup on his resume, Kadri would appeal to a team with legitimate championship aspirations. Kadri’s production was down this season, but he scored 35 goals in 2024-25, so he still has that scoring touch. Kadri should be able to bring some offensive pop, as well as some tenacity, to any team’s mid-six.
Much like Trocheck, the issues with Kadri are age and how much of his decline on the stat sheet is due to a bad team around him. The 35-year-old has three years remaining on his contract at $7 million per season. Maybe the Flames would be willing to eat some of that money to get a deal done, but that would only increase the acquisition cost.
Jordan Kyrou | RW | St. Louis Blues
I think Kyrou could be one of the biggest steals at this trade deadline. He’s aiming for 56 points on an 82-game pace, which would be his lowest total over a full season, by 11 points. However, Kyrou’s 11.0% shooting percentage is 2.3 points below his career average, and he dominates his minutes at five-on-five.
St. Louis has 62.5% of expected goals with Kyrou on the ice at five-on-five, and that number leads the team by a wide margin. Beyond that, Kyrou has proven he can be a perennial 70-point player, and he’s only 27 years old. Yes, he’s a winger with five years remaining with a pretty expensive cap hit ($8.125 million), but Kyrou could be a front-line force in the right situation. The good news for buyers is that the price may never get lower.
Elias Pettersson | C | Vancouver Canucks
Pettersson went from a 100-point player who received Hart Trophy votes in 2022-23 to one of the most disappointing players in the league. Since the start of last season, Pettersson has only 28 goals and 52 assists in 114 games. He surpassed those totals in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons individually. This makes Pettersson a Rorschach test where each team might see things a little differently.
Some playoff teams could see a broken player who carries a cap hit of $11.6 million through 2031-32 — hardly worth the acquisition cost and resulting salary cap crisis. Other teams may see a sleeping star whose trade value is in the tank. Can any team sweeten the deal enough to convince the Canucks to eat their salary without giving up the farm? Maybe that’s the key here.
Ryan O’Reilly | C | Nashville Predators
If available, O’Reilly will be one of the most sought-after commodities on the trade market. Stanley Cup champion and 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, the veteran is playing at an extremely high level. The 35-year-old has 21 goals and 36 assists in 59 games, his five-on-five impacts are sparkling and he can play in any situation. Additionally, O’Reilly has one year left on his contract at a very reasonable $4.5 million.
The question is whether outgoing Predators general manager Barry Trotz will actually trade O’Reilly. Nashville is in the thick of the playoff race in the West, and its center depth behind it is nonexistent. Despite their growing playoff chances, the Predators would do well to trade O’Reilly, who could bring back a crop and set the team up for future success.
Jesper Wallstedt | G | Minnesota Wild
It’s not often you see players from Stanley Cup contenders on these lists, but Wallstedt is one of the biggest trade assets Minnesota has left in its arsenal. Wallstedt, 23, has already shown his star potential and has one year remaining on his $2.2 million contract. Because the Wild have already signed Filip Gustavsson through 2030-31, they are in a bind at the crease, and trading Wallstedt could help bring back a high-end skater.
In just 24 appearances this season, Wallstedt has saved 11.5 goals above average while posting a .912 save percentage. Any team that acquires Wallstedt would secure the long-term future of his goaltending position. If the Wild want to make the top six, Wallstedt could make a deal all the way to the finish line.
MacKenzie Weegar | D | Calgary Flames
The Flames are in full sell mode and, even if they don’t have to trade Weegar, he would get a significant return. While his minus-26 goal differential at five-on-five isn’t very flattering, Weegar suffers from a miserable PDO on the ice and remains a solid top-four defenseman. After all, Weegar had 47 points while posting a plus-17 goal differential at full strength. The 32-year-old has five years remaining on his contract at $6.25 million per season, a fair price for a defenseman of his caliber and perfectly manageable thanks to a rising salary cap.
Perhaps the biggest problem for Calgary is that they already traded Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this season, so losing Weegar would really leave the blue line in a tough spot. The Flames could always wait and make a deal this offseason — or during the 2026-27 campaign — if they don’t get the deal they’re looking for.
Robert Thomas | C | St. Louis Blues
The acquisition cost for Thomas, 26, could be high. It might also be worth it. Thomas is an elite playmaking center who recorded 60 assists in consecutive seasons from 2023 to 2025. Thomas struggled with injury in 2025-2026, but his peak impact could really be seen last year. During the 2024-25 campaign, Thomas tallied 81 points and posted a plus-21 goal differential at five-on-five. Thomas is owed $8.125 million per year over the next five seasons, but that should be an easy pill to swallow for any team looking for a good No. 1 center from an elite No. 2 center.
Thomas has a no-trade clause, so he will have a say in his destination. That said, I have to imagine there will be a few Cup contenders to land Thomas, meaning they would be attractive destinations for a player firmly in his prime.
