NHL Hockey Player News

Alex Iafallo has been traded alongside Rasmus Kupari, Gabe Vilardi, and a 2nd Rd Pick to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Iafallo had 14 goals, 22 assists, 133 SOG, 20 PIMs and a +14 plus/minus through 59 games with Los Angeles in 2022-23 and has been traded alongside Rasmus Kupari, Gabe Vilardi, and a 2nd Rd Pick to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 29-year-old left-winger has played all of his 420 NHL games in a Los Angeles Kings jersey, picking up 204 points (85G/119A) during the six-year span.

Alex Iafallo
Rasmus Kupari has been traded alongside Gabriel Vilardii, Alex Iaffalo, and a 2nd Rd Pick to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Kupari had three goals, 12 assists, 53 SOG, 12 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 66 games with Los Angeles in 2022-23 and has been traded alongside Gabriel Vilardii, Alex Iaffalo, and a 2nd Rd Pick to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 23-year-old centre was Los Angeles 2018 first round selection (20th overall) and has picked up 29 points (9G/20A) across 130 games played in the NHL.

Rasmus Kupari
Gabriel Vilardi has been traded alongside Rasmus Kupari, Alex Iaffalo, and a 2nd Rd Pick to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Vilardi broke out in 2022-23 with 23 goals, 18 assists, 122 SOG, 18 PIMs, and a +10 plus/minus through 63 games with Los Angeles but has been traded alongside Rasmus Kupari, Alex Iaffalo, and a 2nd Rd Pick to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois Tuesday. The 23-year-old right-winger amassed 78 points (41G/37A) through 152 games played in four years with the Kings after being drafted in the first round (11th overall) in 2017.

Gabriel Vilardi
Pierre-Luc Dubois has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a 2nd Rd pick.

Dubois had 27 goals, 36 assists, 205 SOG, 77 PIMs and a +5 plus/minus through 73 games played with Winnipeg in 2022-23 and has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a 2nd Rd pick. The 25-year-old centre will be joining his third NHL team after picking up 302 points (129G/173A) in 434 games played through six seasons.

Pierre-Luc Dubois
The Sharks have acquired Mackenzie Blackwood from the Devils for a sixth-round draft pick.

Blackwood's career got off to a strong start, going 32-24-8 with a 2.72 GAA and .916 SV% in his first two seasons (70 games). However, he's struggled more in the last three years, going 33-33-10 with a 3.19 GAA and .897 SV%. He fell behind Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid on the depth chart, so he heads to San Jose, where he'll likely share time with Kaapo Kahkonen.

Mackenzie Blackwood
The Canadiens have acquired Alex Newhook from the Avalanche for a 2023 first-round pick (No.31 overall), a 2023 second-round pick (No.37 overall) and Gianni Fairbrother.

Newhook was the No.16 overall pick in 2019 and has tallied 66 points (27G / 39A) in 159 career NHL games since turning pro in 2021. Most recently, he had 30 points (14G / 16A) in 82 games, averaging 13:57 ATOI. He should play a larger role with the Canadiens and could play more on the wing, similar to what Montreal did with Kirby Dach in 2023.

Alex Newhook
The Blues have acquired Kevin Hayes from the Flyers for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Hayes is coming off of one of the best seasons of his nine-year career, posting 54 points (18G / 36A) in 81 games. However, most of that production came in the first half of the season, with Hayes picking up just seven points (1G / 6A) in his final 28 games. With the Flyers retaining 50 percent of Hayes' contract, he will only cost the Blues $3.571 million over the next three seasons. He will likely settle in as a middle-6 centre in St. Louis behind Robert Thomas.

Kevin Hayes
Reilly Walsh's rights have been traded to the Boston Bruins for Shane Bowers.

Walsh had nine goals, 32 assists, 40 PIMs and a -6 plus/minus through 71 games with the Utica Comets (AHL) in 2022-23 and has had his rights traded to Boston for Shane Bowers. The 24-year-old was New Jersey's 2017 third round pick (81st overall) and has played in one NHL game throughout his career.

Reilly Walsh
Shane Bowers's rights have been traded to New Jersey for the rights to Reilly Walsh.

Bowers had eight goals, 13 assists, 16 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 57 games with Providence (AHL) and Colorado (AHL) in 2022-23 and has had his rights traded to New Jersey for the rights to Reilly Walsh. The 23-year-old was Ottawa's 2017 first round pick (28th overall) and has appeared in only one NHL game since leaving Boston College after the 2018-19 season.

Shane Bowers
Alec Regula's rights have been traded to Boston alongside Ian Mitchell's for Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno.

Regula failed to pick up a point across four NHL games in 2022-23 but was a -3 plus/minus and had four PIMs and has had his rights traded alongside Ian Mitchell's rights to Boston for forwards Taylor Hall and the rights to Nick Foligno. The 22-year-old is currently a UFA and has played in 22 NHL games across three seasons, picking up a goal and 16 PIMs.

Alec Regula
Ian Mitchell's rights have been traded to Boston alongside Alec Regula for Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno.

Mitchell had a goal, seven assists, 25 SOG, eight PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 35 games with Chicago in 2022-23 and has had his rights traded to Boston alongside Alec Regula for Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno. The 24-year-old has appeared in 82 games across three seasons with Chicago, collecting four goals and 16 points.

Ian Mitchell
Nick Foligno's rights have been traded to Chicago alongside Taylor Hall for Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula.

Foligno had 10 goals, 16 assists, 71 SOG, 45 PIMs, a +18 plus/minus through 60 games with Boston in 2022-23 and has had his rights traded alongside Taylor Hall to Chicago for the rights to Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula. If the 35-year-old left-winger is to sign with the Blackhawks, he will enter his 17th season with his fifth NHL team having collected 215 goals and 525 points across 1081 career games played.

Nick Foligno
Taylor Hall has been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks alongside Nick Foligno for the rights to Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula.

Hall had 16 goals, 20 assists, 150 SOG, a +11 plus/minus and 24 PIMs through 61 games with Boston in 2022-23 and has been traded alongside the rights of Nick Foligno to Chicago for the rights to defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula. The 31-year-old will join his sixth NHL team since being drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010 and was the 2017-18 Hart Memorial Trophy winner. The veteran left-winger heads to Chicago with 693 points (264G/429A) across 822 NHL games played through 13 seasons.

Taylor Hall
Sean Durzi has been traded to the Arizona Coyotes for a 2024 2nd Round Pick (via Montreal).

Durzi had nine goals, 38 points, 110 SOG, 50 PIMs and a -12 plus/minus through 72 games in 2022-23 with Los Angeles but has been traded to the Arizona Coyotes for a 2024 2nd Round Pick (via Montreal). The 24-year-old heads to the desert having collected 136 career NHL games with Los Angeles, picking up 65 points across that span (12G/53A).

Sean Durzi
The Predators have acquired Alex Galchenyuk from the Avalanche for Ryan Johansen.

Galchenyk spent most of 2023 in the AHL, where he was a point-per-game player, posting 16 goals and 26 assists (42 points) in 42 games. During his time with the Avalanche, the 29-year-old was held pointless in 11 games. He should have an easier time cracking the Predators' lineup in 2023-24.

Alex Galchenyuk
The Avalanche have acquired Ryan Johansen from the Predators for Alex Galchenyuk.

The Predators retained 50% of Johansen's contract in the deal, so he will carry a $4.0M AAV cap-hit for the next two seasons. Johansen is coming off of a difficult season, posting 12 goals and 16 assists (28 points) across 55 games for the Predators. Johansen should fill serve as Colorado's No.2 centre behind Nathan MacKinnon.

Ryan Johansen
The Avalanche have acquired Frederik Olofsson from the Stars for future considerations and signed him to a one-year contract.

Olofsson was a pending UFA who split the 2023 season between the AHL and NHL. He had four points (1G / 3A) in 28 NHL games and 14 points (5G / 9A) in 37 AHL games last season. He will likely battle for a roster spot at the bottom of the Avalanche lineup next season.

Fredrik Olofsson
The Blue Jackets have acquired Damon Severson from the Devils for a 2023 third-round pick.

The Devils signed Severson to an eight-year deal worth $50.0 million ($6.25M AAV) and traded him to Columbus for the Flames' third-round pick (No.80 overall) in this year's draft. Severson was set to become a UFA on July 1st and is coming off of a 33-point season (7G / 26A) in 81 games with New Jersey. Over the last two seasons, Severson is tied for 32nd among defensemen in goals (18) and tied for 37th in points (79).

Damon Severson
Kevin Connauton has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings as part of a three-team deal involving the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Connauton has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings as part of a three-team blockbuster trade involving Columbus and five players and three draft picks. The 33-year-old defensemen had three goals, 12 assists, 49 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus through 63 games played with Lehigh Valley (AHL) in 2022-23 and has 360 career NHL games played with 80 points (28G/52A) across that span.

Kevin Connauton

NHL Trade Tracker

Are you looking for all the latest NHL trade news from around the league? Then you’ve come to the right spot! Daily Faceoff’s NHL trade tracker provides up-to-the-minute updates on the latest personnel moves and trade rumours from all 32 franchises. When your favourite player gets dealt for future considerations, you’ll be the first to know!

Along with our NHL trade tracker, we also provide information on how hockey trades work, the strategy behind these moves, and how the latest NHL trades could impact your sports betting strategy.

It’s important for fans, sports bettors, and fantasy managers to stay informed on the latest NHL transactions. If you can keep tabs on the latest moves in the NHL, this can assist you in making intelligent pickups or trades in fantasy hockey and help shape your bets based on the new personnel added to a team.

NHL Trade Rules

NHL trades can be quite lucrative, with players, prospects, and draft capital moved to complete a deal. While there are a variety of ways to finalize trades, they all need to abide by the trade rules and regulations set by the league. Even the San Jose Sharks can’t take on everyone’s bad contracts.

Learn more about the rules around trades below so you can better understand how trades work, and the transactions made in our NHL trade tracker.

Salary Cap

In order for any NHL trade to be processed successfully, all parties involved must abide by the league’s salary cap rules. The current NHL salary cap is $88M, meaning that each team’s total payroll must fall within the budgetary restriction.

The salary cap in the NHL is considered a “hard cap,” meaning that no team can exceed it. While the limitations around roster construction can be strict, there are still ways for teams to legally exceed the set limit that won’t cost teams a first-round pick.

In the playoffs, teams are technically able to exceed their cap space through the long-term injured reserve (LTIR). The LTIR allows teams to place injured players on extended leave (24+ calendar days or 10 NHL Games) and fill their roster spots based on their cap space heading into the regular season.

If a player is on the LTIR heading into the postseason, they can be activated regardless of if their re-addition to the team puts them over the salary cap.

Roster Limit

For any active NHL roster, they can only dress 23 skaters. While they’re able to move players up and down through their farm system (AHL/ECHL/International Players), they must abide by this player limit when it comes to active players dressed in each game.

This plays a big factor in determining trades, as teams will need to make salaries work to make the move official and fit the current team’s available roster spots.

Depth is an incredibly important part of any successful NHL team, so filling out their roster with talented players is pivotal to their success. Each roster spot holds immense value.

NHL Trade Deadline

The NHL trade deadline is the last opportunity for teams to make moves between each other during the regular season. The trade deadline generally falls after the All-Star break so teams can make their last-ditch efforts before the playoffs begin. Players must be on the team’s roster by the deadline at 3 PM to be eligible for the NHL playoffs.

Technically, teams can still make trades after this point if they don’t qualify or have been eliminated from the postseason. These trades will not take effect until the next season, but the transactions can still go through.

The deadline can make or break a team’s playoff hopes, making it a dramatic and hectic period for hockey fans and managers alike. Be sure to regularly check back with our NHL trade tracker around the deadline so you don’t miss any latest moves from across the league.

Understanding the Strategy Behind NHL Trades

NHL teams may want to make a trade for a number of reasons. Often, teams make trades when they are looking to head in a certain direction, whether this means trying to improve and compete for the Stanley Cup or tank and enter a rebuild.

A team that feels it has a strong enough unit to make a deep run into the postseason will likely forgo some of its draft capital to acquire proven talent and enhance its winning capabilities.

Conversely, a team that has hit a wall in terms of success and doesn’t feel they have what it takes to compete in the playoffs may opt to trade away valuable assets in favour of draft picks or promising prospects.

Other NHL trade strategies may involve team culture/personnel fits. If a player doesn’t fit within a coach’s game plan or doesn’t have chemistry with his line mates, teams may opt to deal him to find a better fit.

For daily fantasy sports players or hockey bettors, understanding the logic behind NHL trades can play a big part in your success. If you have a solid understanding of a team’s needs and the value brought by particular players, you can use this to gain an edge on your roster moves and bets.

Check out the most recent roster moves from around the league with our NHL trade tracker, and be sure to analyze the strategy used by each team when making their next move.

How NHL Trades Impact Sports Betting

NHL trades can have a major impact on sports betting, both in terms of daily games and futures. Players moving from team to team can alter a squad’s potential success and on-ice production.

For example, if a team decides to trade their leading goal-scorer, you can rightfully assume that their overall scoring numbers may drop as a result. This means a team you once would’ve taken the Over on may be better suited for the Under due to their new lineup.

Acquiring an all-star player for futures bets can dramatically influence the betting lines, increasing one team’s value while dropping another. If you’ve already placed a futures bet and the team you wagered on makes a trade, this could possibly increase or lower the value of your original ticket, depending on the result of the roster change.
Daily fantasy hockey players can also be impacted by NHL trades as you will need to see how a player fits into their new setting before including them in your drafted lineup.
Be sure to watch for any of the latest transactions by using our NHL trade tracker to stay informed on all the roster changes occurring throughout the league.

NHL Trades FAQs

Who decides NHL trades?

NHL trades are decided between two or more team general managers. The front office’s job is building a winning team. Building a winning team means discussing trades with other general managers across the league.

When can players be traded in the NHL?

During the NHL regular season, players can be traded up until the trade deadline. The deadline is the official cutoff point for when teams can no longer make moves between each other. Players can also be traded throughout the offseason.

Why do they trade players in hockey?

Teams trade players in hockey for a variety of reasons, but generally, it is done to find success, whether that is in the short term or long term. Teams may trade their top players in search of draft picks if they are undergoing a rebuild, whereas contending teams may look to acquire talent to boost their playoff chances.

How often are NHL players traded?

Trades are a common occurrence throughout the NHL and happen often. Some years feature less trades than others, it all depends on each teams needs and the availability of attractive talent.

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