What we’re hearing about every NHL team heading into deadline week

The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

General managers are talking with some urgency.

Front offices are sizing up potential fits.

There seems to be a genuine desire to get down to business.

But in a season where more than two-thirds of teams are still legitimately in playoff contention, the floodgates have yet to open.

With Friday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline now coming into view, here’s what we’re hearing about the approach being taken by each of the league’s 32 teams.

Anaheim Ducks

Hanging around the distant reaches of the Western Conference playoff race, the Ducks are showing signs of turning a corner following six consecutive seasons well out of that mix. While general manager Pat Verbeek may elect to move veteran defenseman Brian Dumoulin, that doesn’t make him a seller. At least not to the degree he’s been in recent years. The Ducks would also be open to trading John Gibson, although there don’t seem to be any teams currently shopping for a goaltender in his price range. Gibson is willing to waive a no-trade clause to go to Edmonton — the Oilers insist they aren’t in the goalie market — and Anaheim has had on-again, off-again conversations with Carolina going back to last summer. They seem to be (mostly) off now. Add it all together and it may end up being a quiet deadline period in Anaheim.

Boston Bruins

These are unusual times on Causeway, where a perennial buyer has had to slowly get its mind around the prospect of selling. That task was made a little more difficult last week when Trent Frederic suffered a lower-body injury that left him in a walking boot. Still, there’s a belief the injured forward will be dealt in the days ahead along with, perhaps, fellow rental Justin Brazeau. Meanwhile, it’s down to white-knuckle time on negotiations with captain Brad Marchand. Both sides would like to get something done, with the term being the main sticking point in talks to date. One thing that does not appear likely is Boston shipping the heart-and-soul legacy player out of town.

Buffalo Sabres

Well down the road to a 14th straight year outside the postseason, the Sabres are sellers … albeit sellers wary of selling distressed assets below market value. They’ve received plenty of interest in 24-year-old forward Dylan Cozens and 23-year-old defenseman Bowen Byram but haven’t found a suitor willing to make an appealing player-for-player deal involving either. The same goes for veteran winger Alex Tuch, who has one season beyond this one left on his contract. Rival GMs have started to wonder about the future of JJ Peterka, a 23-year-old winger set to become a restricted free agent this summer. Unless something bigger comes together, though, Buffalo is most likely to move out some rentals, with Jordan Greenway and Henri Jokiharju among the possibilities.

Calgary Flames

Still with two games remaining on a difficult road trip before the deadline, the Flames are clinging to a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. That makes it unlikely GM Craig Conroy does anything that diminishes his group’s chances of getting in. Teams have called on right-shot defenseman Rasmus Andersson, but unless someone steps up with an offer the Flames simply can’t refuse in the days ahead, his future will likely be dealt with this summer. Andersson’s contract extends through 2025-26 so he’s eligible to sign a new deal as of July 1. Conroy, meanwhile, would love to add a young center who can grow with his group and has shown interest in Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens, among others. The GM continues to juggle the longer-range picture with the immediate one and hopes to keep all hands on deck for the playoff chase.

Carolina Hurricanes

Unless someone steps up with a can’t-miss offer on Mikko Rantanen, the Hurricanes have likely already made their biggest moves. While they continue to field calls on Rantanen, a pending unrestricted free agent who has indicated the need for more time before considering his options beyond this season, the most likely outcome for Carolina is holding on to the big winger for a playoff run and another shot at contract talks afterward. Remember that Carolina also acquired veteran Taylor Hall in January. Don’t be surprised if he signs an extension in the near future. This is a front office that seems to be in the middle of everything, but that doesn’t guarantee more fireworks by Friday.

Chicago Blackhawks

Kyle Davidson got a massive piece of business off his plate by trading dispirited defenseman Seth Jones to Florida on Saturday night, freeing himself up to focus on other moves ahead of the deadline. The Blackhawks have a highly coveted rental in Ryan Donato, who is having a career season, plus a slew of other veterans on expiring contracts who won’t be in nearly as much demand. It’s worth noting that while Chicago has oodles of cap space to potentially take on another team’s cap casualty with a sweetener, it does not have any remaining salary retention spots to deploy this season.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avs got ahead of the market by acquiring Ryan Lindgren from the Rangers over the weekend. He’s viewed as a competitor who will slide onto Colorado’s third defensive pairing. With that move completed, the Avalanche front office has an opportunity to continue tinkering with its forward group in the days ahead. They’ve shaken things up more than any other contender since the season began and wouldn’t mind strengthening their posture down the middle, if possible.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets were in on Gustav Nyquist before he was traded to Minnesota over the weekend and have made overtures at re-signing pending UFAs Ivan Provorov and Mathieu Olivier. So yes, after being presumed sellers for much of the season, they are operating like a buyer. There is growing internal belief that this group may be for real after unexpectedly hanging in the Eastern Conference playoff race all season and delivering two big wins over Detroit last week. As they continue looking for ways to bolster their forward group, the Blue Jackets have pivoted away from the rental market and are looking for options with term remaining on their contracts.

Dallas Stars

The biggest additions for this group may ultimately come when center Tyler Seguin and defenseman Miro Heiskanen return to health. While the timelines are still a bit fuzzy on when exactly those players will rejoin the lineup, the Stars aren’t banking on needing them both to stay on long-term injured reserve through the end of the regular season for cap reasons. They’ve already lost Nils Lundkvist for the season, opening up the space needed for any marginal additions in the days ahead. Plus, GM Jim Nill already made a splash by bringing in Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci from San Jose last month. Those acquisitions have worked out extremely well so far.

Detroit Red Wings

With an elusive playoff spot in their grasp and Andrew Copp done for the season, the Red Wings have the right mix of cap space and incentive to do something interesting at this deadline. That doesn’t necessarily guarantee that GM Steve Yzerman will go all in on a headline-grabbing move. But after years of patiently building, and with last season’s near-miss on a playoff return still fresh in mind, there has to be a temptation to put the cap space to use. The Red Wings could certainly use a little more depth both at forward and on the blue line.

Edmonton Oilers

A run of indifferent play out of the 4 Nations break has only reinforced the need to make a move to reinforce the blue line. That’s top of the agenda for GM Stan Bowman. A move to bring in another forward can’t be ruled out, either — at least assuming the Oilers can find a way to make the numbers work. To that end, Edmonton is currently exploring the market on Evander Kane, who saw a full no-movement clause converted to a 16-team approved trade list late last week and may be ready to come off LTIR before the end of the season. That would cause major cap complications if he remains with the Oilers post-deadline. Lots of moving parts here.

Florida Panthers

Even after making the trade to land defenseman Seth Jones, GM Bill Zito has lots of room to maneuver while trying to add a forward and third-string goaltender. With Matthew Tkachuk placed on LTIR, the Panthers can still add more than $8 million in cap commitments for this season. That puts Zito in an enviable spot while trying to give his core everything it needs to make a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final. He’s certainly shown no reluctance to take gambles at prior deadlines.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are believed to be among the teams that checked in with Carolina on Mikko Rantanen, but nothing seems to be cooking there. If anything, the Kings are likely to swing for a single rather than a home run. There seem to be some encouraging signs in Los Angeles about the way the group is coming together. The current wish list includes a middle-six winger.

Minnesota Wild

Bill Guerin effectively ruled out the possibility of a big swing when he told reporters Sunday that injured forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek are both expected to return during the regular season. That means the cash-strapped team won’t have the benefit of extra LTIR space to use on a roster upgrade. The Wild did manage to bring back veteran winger Gustav Nyquist in a trade with Nashville over the weekend. Anything else they do will need to be a cash-in, cash-out transaction, and those tend to be difficult to pull off at the deadline.

Montreal Canadiens

The Habs are poised to be modest sellers even after reeling off four straight wins to continue hanging around the margins of the Eastern Conference playoff race. They’ve got the effective penalty-killing duo of Jake Evans and Joel Armia to peddle as rentals and aren’t opposed to moving those two forwards as a package deal if it yields a strong enough return. Should they go individually, Evans is the more marketable of the two as a right-shot centerman who is strong in the faceoff dot. GM Kent Hughes also has right-shot defenseman David Savard playing on an expiring deal but will likely only move him if the price is right.

Nashville Predators

A brutally disappointing season has left Nashville in an awkward spot at this deadline. This is not a rebuild — at least not yet — so GM Barry Trotz isn’t conducting a fire sale of veterans after already moving out rental Gustav Nyquist. The Predators are listening on center Ryan O’Reilly but need to get a promising young player back in return in order to be compelled to pull the trigger on a reliable veteran with term. Trotz is more than happy to keep him. It sounds like nothing has advanced beyond tire-kicking on the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner as a result.

New Jersey Devils

What the prognosis is for Jack Hughes could have a bearing on how GM Tom Fitzgerald navigates the deadline. Things didn’t look good for Hughes on Sunday night after he slammed into the end boards late in a game against Vegas and went to the dressing room in obvious distress. New Jersey had been in the market for more help down the middle even before its leading scorer potentially suffered a significant injury. As for how that plan may shift now, stay tuned.

New York Islanders

It is anyone’s guess as to how cagey GM Lou Lamoriello will approach a deadline with two attractive rentals on his roster and his team’s hopes of qualifying for the playoffs fading fast. Lamoriello may simply choose to hold on to forwards Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri even though they’re pending UFAs. Nelson, in particular, could net a significant return with so few quality center options available on this trade market. The Islanders have a chance to do a little reboot/retool here, but there’s no guarantee Lamoriello takes it. Even rival teams don’t seem to know which way he’s leaning.

New York Rangers

It says something about how wayward things have gone on Broadway this season that a team that’s been to the Eastern Conference final two of the past three years feels like it can’t risk letting pending UFAs walk away for nothing. That was part of the rationale behind the trade that sent Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to Colorado over the weekend, and it’s also why Reilly Smith will soon join them out the door. Officially, the Blueshirts aren’t waving the white flag on their playoff chase. But they’re still focused on shipping players out rather than bringing them in like in years gone by.

Ottawa Senators

With his team pushing to get back to the playoffs after eight years on the outside looking in, GM Steve Staios would love to do his part to help the group get over the top. However, cap limitations will probably keep the Senators from being major players at this deadline. Still, Staois is in the market for a winger and should be able to find an addition that can be squeezed into the remaining space. Someone like Ryan Donato could fit the bill, although he’s got plenty of other suitors.

Philadelphia Flyers

While GM Daniel Briere is open to listening on a number of his players, it’s not yet clear how aggressively the Flyers will end up selling. That’s partly because the GM can set a high price on Scott Laughton and Rasmus Ristolainen, a pair who’ve drawn varying degrees of interest, since both have term remaining on their contracts. Basically, neither has to be turned into future assets by Philadelphia right now. The only rental players remaining on the Flyers roster are Andrei Kuzmenko and Erik Johnson, and it’s no guarantee either of those guys finds a new home before the weekend.

Pittsburgh Penguins

For Kyle Dubas, the deadline represents an opportunity to continue his mission of turning over the roster. There are very few untouchables in Pittsburgh, with the GM prioritizing young NHL players, prospects and draft picks as a return in any deals for his established roster players. While not stocked with any of the most-prized rentals on the market, Pittsburgh would like to be active. The organization has no intention of putting its biggest name in play — Sidney Crosby — as it tries to retool its way back to respectability, and the 37-year-old captain remains an impactful player.

San Jose Sharks

For a rebuilding organization still in asset-accumulation mode, the deadline is all about adding draft picks and prospects. GM Mike Grier got a head start on that task by trading Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to Dallas for a first-rounder and conditional third-rounder last month. His remaining rentals include Luke Kunin, Nico Sturm, Jan Rutta and two goaltenders — Vitek Vanecek and Alexandar Georgiev — and he has Mario Ferraro signed through next season, as well. The goal for Grier is to keep the rebuild moving along while the Sharks look forward to making another potential lottery pick in the upcoming draft.

Seattle Kraken

On their way to a third season outside the playoffs in their fourth year of existence, the Kraken have players to move. Yanni Gourde, on the verge of a return following sports hernia surgery, promises to be one of them, provided a last-minute contract extension doesn’t get worked out instead. Brandon Tanev is another rental forward on the block and is almost certain to find a new home. Seattle has a little more flexibility with veterans Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jamie Oleksiak signed through next season, but both of their names have made their way through the rumor mill, as well.

St. Louis Blues

It’s a period of transition in St. Louis, with GM Doug Armstrong set to hand off the organization’s day-to-day decision-making duties to Alex Steen in 2026. In the here and now, with a team just outside the playoff cut line, Armstrong is listening to offers on some veteran players, including captain Brayden Schenn. There’s certainly no guarantee he moves any of them right now. He’s got the ability to establish high prices with players signed well beyond this season. But the Blues are currently postured more as a seller than a buyer even with the playoffs still well within reach.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Management has reversed course in recent weeks, shifting focus away from pursuing a defenseman because of J.J. Moser’s return to health and Emil Lilleberg’s continued emergence, and prioritizing an addition at forward. That doesn’t rule out a depth addition on the blue line, though. The Lightning tend to conduct their business discreetly, but some in the industry believe they’d be open to a reunion with forward Yanni Gourde as a rental. The element of surprise is always in play with Tampa GM Julien BriseBois, too.

Toronto Maple Leafs

It’s nearly decision time after a months-long pursuit of a third-line center. The Leafs have looked at Brayden Schenn in St. Louis and Scott Laughton in Philadelphia, while keeping tabs on fall-back rental options like Montreal’s Jake Evans, Seattle’s Yanni Gourde and Utah’s Nick Bjugstad. Meanwhile, GM Brad Treliving is also hoping to procure another depth defenseman who can play the right side. A tight cap situation looms over every decision in Toronto, which is why Treliving is likely to seek salary retention from any seller and/or use another team as a third-party broker to make the money work.

Utah Hockey Club

There are eight pending unrestricted free agents on this roster, including center Nick Bjugstad and goaltender Karel Vejmelka, but there isn’t likely going to be a “For Sale” sign put up in Salt Lake City. Utah reeled off three big wins last week and management doesn’t seem inclined to make any moves that would take wind out of the sails of the playoff chase. Remember that they stockpiled plenty of draft picks and future assets before the move from Arizona. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise if GM Bill Armstrong made a trade to add to this group.

Vancouver Canucks

The coming days hold a range of possibilities for an organization that has endured its share of ups and downs this season. The most pressing decision surrounds winger Brock Boeser, a pending UFA the club held contract negotiations with earlier in the season. He could be in position to walk away for nothing this summer if he’s not extended or traded now. Ideally, GM Patrik Allvin would also like to fortify his forward group for a charge into the playoffs, particularly if he could find an upgrade down the middle. While Elias Pettersson’s long-term future in Vancouver is certainly in question, it’s difficult to imagine him being dealt at this deadline given the current depth of his struggles.

Vegas Golden Knights

There really aren’t any apparent holes in the Vegas lineup, but it would be unwise to conclude that GM Kelly McCrimmon will let the deadline pass quietly. That’s simply not how the Golden Knights operate. It’s believed Vegas is looking to add another forward, and given the team’s track record, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them opt for something splashy. Now, is that Brayden Schenn or perhaps another player not currently on our radar? We’ll have to see.

Washington Capitals

Wary of disrupting the chemistry that’s helped vault them to the top of the Eastern Conference, the word out of D.C. is that this could be an uneventful deadline. The Capitals have kept tabs on the market for depth forwards and are most likely to strike there, if at all, with the likes of Brandon Tanev, Jake Evans, Joel Armia and Ryan Donato among potential targets. Even though GM Chris Patrick recently told reporters that “anything is on the table,” the truth remains that there’s no reason to do anything drastic because of the position the Capitals have put themselves in. Also of note here is that top prospect Ryan Leonard is likely to turn pro and sign in Washington when his season with Boston College finishes this spring.

Winnipeg Jets

Kevin Cheveldayoff is involved in all kinds of different trade conversations, but the veteran GM isn’t expected to take a jackhammer to a roster that’s racked up the NHL’s best points percentage and an eye-popping plus-71 goal differential. The situation is similar to the one in Washington. Among the items on Cheveldayoff’s shopping list are a depth defenseman and a bottom-six forward who has the ability to jump into the top six for a spell should an injury necessitate it. As a result, the Jets are among the teams calling on Jake Evans, Joel Armia, Ryan Donato and others.

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic, with photos by R.J. Johnston and Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)