The NHL trade deadline is less than two months away, and some teams have more cap space and draft picks to use in trades than most others. Here are four teams primed to make a significant trade splash as they battle for playoff contention.
The NHL’s 2026 trade deadline is now less than two months away, and as speculation rises about teams selling or buying talent by the March 6 deadline, it’s essential to know which organizations have the most to spend, both in terms of salary cap space and in terms of draft picks.
We’re not guaranteeing the teams below will throw caution to the wind and empty their stocks in pursuit of talent, but it’s important to know what teams are in the best position to make a splash.
So, with that said, let’s look at four teams that have the best combination of picks and cap space heading toward the deadline:
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have surged to the top of the Atlantic Division this year, and GM Steve Yzerman has given himself plenty of flexibility with which to operate as the deadline approaches. Detroit currently has a whopping $26.8 million in cap space – a number that balloons to a stunning $62 million by the deadline. That means the Wings will be able to absorb the contract of anyone available and still have plenty of space to add depth in hopes of a long Stanley Cup playoff run.
Yzerman also has all three of his first-round draft picks in the subsequent three drafts, as well as two second-round picks and three third-rounders. The Red Wings need to make the playoffs and end their playoff drought of nine years.
So the days of Detroit adding prospects should be over. It’s time to make a sustained post-season push, and Yzerman needs to use his cap space and picks to acquire a name-brand player who can move the needle for them. That’s the type of player the Wings have lacked in recent years, and Detroit fans deserve a bump in talent by or before the deadline.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the league this season, and they currently sit two points out of a playoff position in the Western Conference. However, in their past 10 games, Anaheim has gone 1-8-1, so if any team could use an infusion of veteran talent, it’s the Ducks.
Like his former Red Wings teammate Yzerman, Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek is flush with cap space, as the Ducks have $22.7 million available to spend, and if he holds onto that amount, it converts to $52.4 million at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Verbeek also has all three first-round picks, five – that’s right, five – second-rounders, and three third-rounders to use in a trade.
Anaheim doesn’t need any more youngsters to develop down the line. Instead, the Ducks need experienced hands, most likely, in terms of a bottom-six forward and/or a third-pair defenseman. Another option for Verbeek could be to bring in a backup goalie, as current No. 2 Ville Husso’s numbers (including an .884 save percentage) aren’t particularly impressive. In any case, the Ducks are a team on the rise. But their young core could benefit from some veterans to bolster their attack, and that’s going to be Verbeek’s focus at the deadline.
Carolina Hurricanes
As one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, the Hurricanes aren’t in a position where they have to make trades urgently. But don’t kid yourself – ‘Canes GM Eric Tulsky has managed his cap space well enough to ensure he’ll be able to make at least one move of consequence at the deadline.
Carolina currently has $16.2 million in cap space, which rises to $37.4 million at the deadline. The Hurricanes also have significant draft capital to use in trades, as they have four first-round picks – one in each of the next two years, and two in 2028 – and they’ve got two second-rounders and three third-rounders. Their owner, Tom Dundon, is always in win-now mode, and that means there’s no real focus on the future ahead of the present.
What do the Hurricanes need? Well, this writer has long said Carolina could use an improvement in goal, as veteran Frederik Andersen (.866 SP, 3.35 goals-against average) has not been great. The Canes also could use some forward depth. Tulsky is well-known for taking big swings when making personnel changes, so a blockbuster move of some sort isn’t out of the question. So Carolina should surprise no one if they pull off a major addition or two.
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Buffalo Sabres
Along with the Red Wings, no team needs a playoff appearance more desperately than the Sabres, whose recent 10-game win streak has put them in the conversation for a playoff berth in the East. Thus, new Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen has every reason to make a notable addition by or before the deadline.
While the Sabres have only $3.7 million in cap space at the moment, that total rises to $8.6 million at the deadline. In addition, Buffalo has all three of their first-round picks, two second-rounders and three third-rounders in the successive three drafts.
We’re not here to tell you the Sabres should mortgage their future by throwing whatever they can against the wall in a trade and hoping it sticks. But we are here to say that Buffalo needs to show its players that management believes in them by improving the team’s overall depth.
Buffalo doesn’t need goaltending, and it has high-end defensive depth. So if there is an area for Kekalainen to address by the deadline, it’s his group of forwards. No matter who they trade for, the Sabres can’t afford to stand pat.
The status quo isn’t an option for this team in their current competitive cycle, and Buffalo has to do whatever it takes to bring in someone who can provide them with a second-half-of-the-season boost their fans are in dire need of seeing.
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