Who won the trade wars? A look at the major deals on NHL deadline day
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The defending Stanley Cup champions from the East and a strong contender in the West flashed their demolition permits on Friday, engineering two blockbusters to cap NHL trade deadline day.
Of the 20-plus deals completed by the 3 p.m. ET buzzer, Mikko Rantanen and Brad Marchand changing addresses to Dallas and Florida, respectively, headlined market action, a near unthinkable result for both just a couple of weeks ago.
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Postmedia’s wrap-up and assessment of Friday’s major moves:
TO DALLAS: RW Mikko Rantanen
TO CAROLINA: C Logan Stankoven, conditional first round picks in 2026 and ‘27, third-round picks in ‘26 and ‘27
WINNER: Rantanen becomes a very rich man, enticed to Texas with a new eight-year $96 million US contract. Dallas could also knock out the Avs along the way using their former star Rantanen, who had 101 playoff points there.
After this complicated swap was delayed by insistence from Rantanen camp’s on the lucrative extension — part of the reason Colorado sent the 50-goal, Stanley Cup-winning right winger to the Canes in the first place — the Stars matched or bettered Colorado bringing in centres Charlie Coyle and Brock Nelson.
But the Canes, especially players, coaches and fans, are less thrilled they first lost Martin Necas to the Avs and went through all the hoops in the original Rantanen deal that involved salary retention by Chicago and aren’t better positioned for a Cup.
Rantanen said he had to think of “my life for a long period, not just on ice,” and while praising the Canes as Cup contenders, he wasn’t producing much there and said he viewed Dallas as the right fit.
“It’s been crazy, but here we are,” Rantanen told TSN of the past few weeks, which included the unexpected trade to the Canes. “I had to look at all the options. I wouldn’t say it was just (Dallas that he considered), but you look around and see what’s best.”
Rantanen had an option to say no to a trade, go for a Cup with the Canes and head to free agency as the marquee July 1 catch, but said he’s familiar with the city of Dallas and their organization.
Canes GM Eric Tulsky told local media his team ultimately “didn’t feel like home” to Rantanen and did not begrudge his decision.
TO FLORIDA: LW Brad Marchand
TO BOSTON: Conditional ’27 second round pick, becoming a first in ’27 or ’28 if Panthers win two playoff rounds this year with Marchand appearing in at least half the games.
WINNER: If anyone doubted the struggling Bruins were switching to rebuild mode after earlier deals sent Trent Frederic to Edmonton and Justin Brazeau to Edmonton, then moving their captain to a division rival, and in the same breath, defenceman Brandon Carlo to Toronto, sealed their fate.
Marchand might come back to Beantown as a UFA, but for now, he restores an edge to the Panthers after some Cup pieces moved elsewhere and Matthew Tkachuk was injured. Memes are surely in the works for a Marchand-Sam Bennett-Tkachuk terrorist line, as long as the latter recovers from his lower-body issue by late April.
TO OTTAWA: C Dylan Cozens, D Dennis Gilbert, second round pick in ‘26.
TO BUFFALO: C Josh Norris, D Jacob Bernard-Docker
WINNER: One of a couple of deals that signals Ottawa GM Steve Staios not only believes his team will secure a playoff spot but push deeper into May. Cozens, ‘The Workhorse from Whitehorse’, checks a lot of boxes for the Senators and will be motivated after a few years of the Sabres spinning their wheels.
TO COLORADO: C Charlie Coyle and a ‘26 fifth-round pick.
TO BOSTON: C Casey Mittelstadt, C William Zellers, ‘25 second rounder.
WINNER: Avs now have Nathan McKinnon, Thursday acquisition Brock Nelson from the Islanders and Coyle down the middle. Avs only had a wildcard spot as of Friday night, but this will move them up the ladder and beyond.
TO COLORADO: C Brock Nelson, F William Dufour
TO NY ISLANDERS: Conditional first round pick in ‘26, conditional third-rounder in ‘28, D Oliver Kylington, F, Calum Ritchie.
WINNER: Nelson has been looking to make noise with a playoff team for awhile and should rock it in the Rockies. There’s finally some clarity on whether Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello thinks his team is still in this year’s race, as he turned Kylington into future considerations from Anaheim.
TO TORONTO: C Scott Laughton, ‘25 fourth round pick, ‘27 sixth-round pick.
TO PHILADELPHIA: Conditional first round pick in ‘27, RW Nikita Grebenkin.
WINNER: Leafs pursued St. Louis’s Brayden Schenn, who stayed put, Nelson and likely others until settling on GTA native Laughton as their third centre behind Auston Matthews and John Tavares. Worth the risk of a bare first-round cup board the next few years.
TO TORONTO: D Brandon Carlo.
TO BOSTON: C Fraser Minten, first round pick in ‘26.
WINNER: An ideal Craig Berube-type defenceman comes to Leafs, one who caused them nothing but grief in past playoff series, all won by Boston. A badly needed right-shot blueliner to play with Morgan Rielly or Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
TO WINNIPEG: LW Brandon Tanev
TO SEATTLE: ‘27 second round pick
TO WINNIPEG: D Luke Schenn
TO PITTSBURGH: ‘26 second-round pick, ‘27 third-round pick
WINNER: Jets lead the league standings, but don’t want to be early playoff victims again. Hit machine Schenn and scrappy Tanev give them a deterrent in Western arms race.
TO DETROIT: G Petr Mrazek, C Craig Smith
TO CHICAGO: C Joe Veleno
WINNER: The only notable deadline deal to include a goalie gives Mrazek a chance to help his original team squeeze into a wildcard position.
TO EDMONTON: D Jake Walman
TO SAN JOSE: Conditional first round pick in ‘26, C Carl Berglund
WINNER: A top four blueliner should lift spirits for sagging Oilers, one who can help their blueline production and plug into the McDavid offensive power outlet.
TO OTTAWA: LW Fabian Zetterlund, C Tristen Robins, ‘25 fourth round pick.
TO SAN JOSE: LW Noah Gregor, C Zack Ostapchuk, ‘25 second round pick.
WINNER: Zetterlund and Cozens give the Sens improved offence to go with their muscle flexing.
TO NEW JERSEY: C Cody Glass, C Johnathan Gruden
TO PITTSBURGH: RW Chase Stillman, C Max Graham, third round pick in ‘27.
WINNER: Glass won’t replace the sidelined Jack Hughes, but Devils needed a playoff boost.
TO COLUMBUS: C Luke Kunin
TO SAN JOSE: Fourth rounder in ‘25.
WINNER: A few teams were interested in Kunin, who’ll be vital to Jackets wildcard push.
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