NHL Trade Deadline: What To Know About The Prospects And Picks Dealt

The first Mikko Rantanen trade kicked off NHL trade deadline season on Jan. 24. Since then, 61 total draft picks and quite a few prospects were involved in the deals afterward. 

Let’s look at the prospects dealt in trade deadline season and how they project going forward with their new squads.

2025 NHL Draft Picks: 24 (1st x 3, 2nd x 9, 3rd x 4, 4th x 6, 5th x 1, 7th x 1) 

2026 NHL Draft Picks: 23 (1st x 6, 2nd x 3, 3rd x 1, 4th x 6, 5th x 5, 6th x 1, 7th x 1) 

2027 NHL Draft Picks: 10 (1st x 2, 2nd x 4, 3rd x 1, 4th x 1, 6th x 1, 7th x 1)

2028 NHL Draft Picks: 4 (1st x 1, 3rd x 1, 5th x 1, 7th x 1)

March 7: The New Jersey Devils trade forwards Chase Stillman and Max Graham to the Pittsburgh Penguins for forwards Cody Glass and Jonathan Gruden. 

Cody Glass is the primary player of interest here in this deal but Pittsburgh got a couple of decent depth prospects for him. Chase Stillman was a first round pick in 2021 but he's had some issues translating to the pro level. He was always viewed as a bottom-six player, but he has struggled a bit more than expected at the AHL level. A change of scenery my be best for his future.

Graham is the current captain of the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL and he's played at about a point-per-game rate this season but he hasn't played since mid-January. Graham is a meat and potatoes player who is at his best down low and around the net. He projects as a bottom-six forward as well. 

March 7: The Boston Bruins trade defender Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Fraser Minten, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

Fraser Minten is sent to Boston in the deal that sees the Leafs land Brandon Carlo. Minten has been slowly improving since being drafted in the second round of the 2028 NHL draft. He’s a smart, two-way center who has a good shot. He is a bit limited when it comes to dynamic skill and offensive upside but Minten has always looked like a solid two-way center who would look fantastic in the middle of the third line. Minten has been with the Leafs for a couple of cups of coffee. Now that he’s with the Bruins, it will be on them to see how much offense they can get out of him but he plays a steady, hard Bruins-style game. 

March 7: The San Jose Sharks trade forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Tristen Robins and a fourth-round pick to the Ottawa Senators for forwards Zach Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor, and a 2025 second-round pick.

Tristan Robins had a very good rookie season in the AHL but has regressed each of the last two years. He is a gifted puck handler and a player who plays with more grit than you’d expect, coming off the wall and out of battles with the puck and looking to make a play in the middle of the ice. He hasn’t figured it out quite yet at the pro level but he plays a steady offensive game and could be a nice swing for the Sens. 

Zach Ostapchuk has been a player that Ottawa fans have hyped up because of his work ethic and chaotic energy which has fit in nicely with the Sens’ youthful culture. He has a good shot and nifty mitts but the offensive side of things is limited. He plays a really projectable bottom-six game that could work in San Jose immediately and grow with the young squad. 

March 7: The Philadelphia Flyers trade forward Scott Laughton and a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick. 

Nikita Grebenkin is going to be a great Flyer one day. He went viral earlier this season after playing a few games in the NHL for answering a post-game question about his game with “Forecheck, backcheck, paycheque” followed by an endearing laugh. The Russian forward is a personality off of the ice and he embodies the Flyers classic personality on it. As he said, he forechecks hard and uses his size quite well. 

Grebenkin brings some sneaky 1-on-1 skill and he does an excellent job of making plays off the cycle. It will be interesting to see how his development goes because he is such a raw player but his development over the last couple of years has been on a steep track upwards.

March 7: The Boston Bruins trade center Charlie Coyle and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for center Casey Mittlestadt, forward Will Zellers, and a 2025 second-round pick. 

The Bruins are in full sell mode and acquiring Will Zellers is an interesting addition for Boston. He doesn’t fit their typical mold of what they like in a player but he’s been highly productive everywhere that he’s played. He’s quite undersized and plays small which is going to be his biggest hurdle when it comes to making it at the pro level. He’s almost a goal-per-game at the USHL level this season, using his speed and shiftiness to get involved offensively. Zellers is committed to the University of North Dakota for next season so there is plenty of runway in his development. 

March 7: The Carolina Hurricanes trade winger Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars for forward Logan Stankoven, 2026 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick,  a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick.

Logan Stankoven is the centerpiece of the deal that sees Carolina deal Mikko Rantanen after they acquired him just over a month ago. With Rantanen not showing interest in re-signing, they made the unprecedented move to deal the player they just traded for. 

With that said, on top of the two first-round picks, Logan Stankoven is a fantastic young player who could excel in Carolina. He plays at an incredibly high-pace and wants to play a electric style of hockey. Despite being undersized, Stankoven is a menace who hunts down pucks and displays relentless effort in all three zones. He should fit into Carolina's style of play. 

His puck skill and playmaking should help add an element to Carolina's attack long term and he has a wicked shot as well. Stankoven is a legitimate candidate to play top-six minutes in Carolina immediately. The kid is a "dawg" and Canes fans will love him

March 7: The Philadelphia Flyers trade forward Scott Laughton and a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick.

Nikita Grebenkin is going to be a great Flyer one day. He went viral earlier this season after playing a few games in the NHL for answering a postgame question about his game with “Forecheck, backcheck, paycheque” followed by an endearing laugh. The Russian forward is a personality off of the ice and he embodies the Flyers classic personality on it. As he said, he forechecks hard and uses his size quite well.

Grebenkin brings some sneaky one-on-one skill and he does an excellent job of making plays off the cycle. It will be interesting to see how his development goes because he is such a raw player but his development over the last couple of years has been on a steep track upwards.

March 6: New York Islanders trade forwards Brock Nelson and William Dufour to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Calum Ritchie, defenseman Oliver Kylington, a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft and a third-round pick in 2028.

With a prospect going both ways, this is an interesting deal that benefits both clubs. 

Calum Ritchie instantly becomes the Islanders’ top prospect. He gives them a solid one-two punch at the top of their system with Cole Eiserman, and the duo would mesh so well together when they eventually get to the NHL. 

Ritchie is one of the most complete players in the OHL and elevates his teammates when he is on the ice. His playmaking is precise and purposeful. He isn’t the flashiest player in the world, but he has the requisite skill to break out of the toolbox when needed. Ritchie will fit in perfectly with the Islanders, and he should be a very pivotal piece for the team moving forward. 

The Avalanche getting William Dufour is a decent swing on a player with some scoring pedigree. Mobility has always been his biggest drawback, but when he’s allowed to play a complementary role, he uses his high IQ to get to his spots and use his wicked shot. Dufour must find the right fit and play with the right players, but he has some offensive utility, which is a decent player to take a swing on. 

March 6: Boston Bruins trade forward Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild for forwards Marat Khusnutdinov and Jakub Lauko and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft.

Jakub Lauko is a young player the Bruins are quite familiar with, but the biggest piece in this trade is undersized center Marat Khusnutdinov. He is a high-IQ, high-pace player who brings value at both ends of the ice. He’s also a good transition player, moving the puck up ice with speed and skill. He has always needed a bit of time to adjust offensively to a new level, but when he gets comfortable, he excels as a playmaker who takes a lot of the defensive and transition responsibilities off his linemates. 

March 6: New York Rangers trade forward Reilly Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.

Brisson becomes yet another first-round pick the Knights trade before they establish themselves as an NHLer. He has struggled to break into the NHL behind a consistently strong NHL group in Vegas. Brisson is a shooter who plays a complementary role. He has struggled to translate his scoring to the AHL after a solid NCAA career. He could be a sneaky-good depth scoring addition for the Rangers if he can find his footing. 

March 4: Edmonton Oilers acquire forwards Trent Frederic, Max Jones and Petr Hauser in a three-team trade also involving the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils. Boston acquires defenseman Max Wanner, a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft, and New Jersey acquires forward Shane Lachance.

In a trade where the Oilers are looking to the playoffs, they also get the rights to 21-year-old Czech forward Petr Hauser who has stagnated a bit since being drafted. He’s a power forward with a good shot and decent mobility, but he must start taking steps if the NHL is in the cards for him. 

Max Wanner has had an underwhelming year in his second AHL season after a solid rookie year in Bakersfield last year. The Bruins are betting on the size, but his lack of confidence with the puck could hold him back.

The Devils are getting Shane LaChance, a 6-foot-5 winger who is the captain of the Boston University team. His size is the obvious draw but he’s shown himself to be a solid player in the NCAA who could be a nice bottom-six addition at the pro level. Signs were pointing to LaChance opting for free agency over signing with the Oilers so they made the best of a tough situation and traded his rights for some cap retention. 

March 1:  Chicago Blackhawks trade defenseman Seth Jones and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a first-round pick in 2026.

While the Panthers certainly got better by adding Jones at a reduced rate to solidify their blueline going forward, the Hawks’ acquisition of Knight (and a first-round pick) may be the sneakiest move of the deadline. While he’s not really a prospect at this point, I’m including him here because at just 23 years old, he still has so much room to develop, as most goalies are just starting to get a sniff of the NHL at this age. 

Knight has been a very solid NHL goaltender, and he comes with some incredible pedigree. When he was drafted 13th overall in 2019, he was heralded as the future of the position. The glimpses of that potential have been quite tantalizing. 

He was out of hockey for a while as he dealt with OCD, but since he’s returned, he’s been not only a great story but a very good player. The start to his Chicago tenure was nothing short of fantastic, stopping 41 of 42 shots and praising the fan base and team in the post-game interview. Knight could be the steal of the deadline. 

Feb. 1: Pittsburgh Penguins trade defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O'Connor to the Vancouver Canucks for forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Vincent Desharnais, forward prospect Melvin Fernstrom and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.

Pittsburgh is slowly building their prospect pool back up, and Fernstrom was a nice addition. His skating has always been the weak point, but he has an excellent show, and he’s a very solid passer. He plays a tactical game and seems to understand his limitations as a skater, ensuring he’s in good positions offensively and supporting the play in transition. He’s a bit of a project, but with some moderate skating improvement, Fernstrom could be a solid middle-six scorer. 

Jan 31: Vancouver Canucks trade forward J.T. Miller and defensemen Erik Brannstrom and Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers for forward Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.

Although he wasn’t drafted until his third year of eligibility, Mancini has been a player I’ve quite liked going back to his original draft year. He brings a bit of a do-it-all nature to the game, and while he won’t be a showstopper, he’s grown into a solid player this season. He looked solid in 15 games for New York, and although he’s playing in the AHL for Vancouver, he could be an interesting depth piece moving forward. 

Jan 25: Tampa Bay Lightning trade forward Lucas Edmonds to the New York Rangers for forward Ryder Korczak.

This was an interesting swap of prospects. Edmonds exploded in his lone OHL season as a 20-year-old for 113 points, which got him drafted by Tampa, but the mobility and pace were always the issue. It’s continued to plague him at the AHL level as he’s struggled to produce against pros. Korczak is two years younger, and pace was never an issue for him. Korczak has struggled at times to deal with the physicality of the pro game, but the playmaking and skill have always been evident. Tampa got younger in this deal and got the player with a bit more upside. 

Track all the trades at THN.com/deadline25.

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