The Canucks have acquired Travis Dermott from the Maple Leafs for a 2022 third-round pick.
NHL Hockey Player News
The Kings have acquired Troy Stecher from the Red Wings for a 2022 seventh-round draft pick.
Stecher is in the final year of a two-year contract worth $1.7 million. Stecher provides the Kings with some serious injury concerns at the moment. They've been without Drew Doughty, Mikey Anderson and Matt Roy for the last few weeks. There was also a report earlier in the weekend that Doughty's injury may be more serious than originally feared, so Stecher brings a veteran presence to a team relying on a lot of young defensemen right now.
The Senators have acquired Travis Hamonic from the Canucks for a 2022 third-round pick.
Hamonic is in the first year of a two-year deal that carries a $3.0M AAV cap-hit. The Canucks did not retain any salary in the trade. Hamonic has picked up seven points (3G / 4A), 30 hits and 55 blocked shots in 24 games this season.
The Panthers have acquired Robert Hagg from the Sabres for a 2022 sixth-round pick.
Hagg is in the final year of a two-year deal worth $1.6M AAV. The Panthers created room by placing Aaron Ekblad (lower-body) on LTIR and Hagg provides a little more defensive depth with Ekblad out for the rest of the regular season. Hagg has picked up one goal and seven assists (eight points) in 48 games with Buffalo this season.
The Flyers have acquired Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick from the Panthers for Claude Giroux, Connor Bunnaman, German Rubtsov and a 2024 fifth-round pick.
The Panthers have acquired German Rubtsov, Claude Giroux, Connor Bunnaman and a 2024 fifth-round pick from the Flyers for Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick.
The Panthers have acquired Connor Bunnaman, Claude Giroux, German Rubtsov and a 2024 fifth-round pick from the Flyers for Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick.
The Panthers have acquired Claude Giroux, Connor Bunnaman, German Rubtsov and a 2024 fifth-round pick from the Flyers for Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick.
The Boston Bruins have acquired Kodie Curran and Hampus Lindholm from the Ducks for Urho Vaakanainen, John Moore, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.
The Ducks have acquired John Moore, Urho Vaakanainen, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick from the Bruins for Hampus Lindholm and Kodie Curran.
The Ducks have acquired Urho Vaakanainen, John Moore, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick from the Bruins for Hampus Lindholm and Kodie Curran.
The Boston Bruins have acquired Hampus Lindholm and Kodie Curran from the Ducks for Urho Vaakanainen, John Moore, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.
The Wild have acquired Nicolas Deslauriers from the Ducks for a 2023 third-round pick.
The Blackhawks have acquired Boris Katchouk, Taylor Raddysh, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 first-round pick from the Lightning for Brandon Hagel, a 2022 fourth-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick.
The Blackhawks have acquired Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 first-round pick from the Lightning for Brandon Hagel, a 2022 fourth-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick.
The Lightning have acquired Brandon Hagel, a 2022 fourth-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick from the Blackhawks for Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 first-round pick.
The Flames have acquired Calle Jarnkrok from the Kraken for a 2022 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 seventh-round pick.
The Kraken are retaining 50 percent of Jarnkrok's remaining salary. Jarnkrok is a quality defensive-first forward, who could be a perfect fit on a line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. Jarnkrok, who is Elias Lindholm's cousin, is in the final year of a six-year deal that carries $2.0M AAV cap-hit. He has scored 12 goals with 14 assists (26 points) in 49 games.
The Panthers have acquired Ben Chiarot from the Canadiens for Ty Smilanic, a 2023 1st Round Pick and a 2022 4th Round Pick.
The Canadiens will retain 50% of Chiarot's salary for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. Chiarot was in his third season with the Canadiens and has scored seven goals with 11 assists (18 points) in 54 games this season. He's in the final year of a three-year deal with a $3.5M AAV cap-hit and will be a UFA this summer.
The Rangers have acquired Frank Vatrano from the panthers for a 2022 fourth-round draft pick.
Vatrano has had a down year in Florida, scoring just 10 goals with nine assists (19 points) in 49 games. Vatrano has scored at a 23 goals per 82 game pace in his first three seasons with the team but is on a 17-goal pace this season. Vatrano should see more important ice time in New York than her did in Florida this year.
The Wild have acquired Tyson Jost from the Avalanche for Nico Sturm.
Jost was selected No.10 overall in 2016 but has struggled to produce offensively, largely due to his role. Jost has played primarily as a bottom-6 forward this season due to the impressive depth in Colorado. Jost could play a more offensive role in Minnesota and heads there with six goals and eight assists (14 points) in 59 games this season.
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.