Mangiapane had a breakout campaign in 2022, scoring 35 goals with 55 points, earning him a three-year contract with a $5.8M AAV cap-hit. He failed to find that same success in 2023 and 2024, combining for less goals (31) and 52 assists (83 points) in 157 games. Entering the final year of that deal, the Capitals are banking on another big contract year season from the 28-year-old winger.
Burroughs went from a sixth/seventh defenseman with the Canucks in 2023 to a top-4 option with the Sharks. He averaged 19:09 TOI/gm and picked up eight points (2G / 6A) while finishing with the fifth-worst plus/minus (-42) in the NHL. With the Kings, he'll likely go back to being a sixth/seventh defenseman.
Grundstrom appeared in 50 games during the 2023-24 season, scoring eight goals with four assists (12 points). Grundstrom has always been a fringe roster player for the Kings but should earn a more permanent role with the Sharks. His last three seasons have been very similar, he's averaged 54 games, 10 goals and six assists (16 points).
Mikheyev is heading into the third-year of a four-year deal that carries a $4.75M AAV cap-hit. As a part of the trade, the Canucks are retaining 15% of that remaining term. The 29-year-old winger is coming off of one of the most productions seasons of his career, he had 31 points (11G / 20A) while appearing in a career-high 78 games. He should fit into the Blackhawks' middle-6 in 2025.
Lafferty just finished a two-year deal, which he originally signed with the Blackhawks before being traded to Toronto and then to Vancouver. He is a pending UFA, so the Blackhawks have a small window to try and get him under contract before he hits the open market. The 29-year-old centre had career-highs in goals (13) and points (24) during the 2023-24 season.
Walman carries a $3.4 million cap hit for the next two seasons and was traded alongside Tampa Bay's 2024 2nd-round pick from Detroit in what appears to be a cap dump situation. The 28-year-old set the hockey world ablaze with his "Gritty" celebration and had a solid 2023-24 season despite the trade, with 12 goals, 21 points, 108 SOG, 44 PIMs and a -2 plus/minus in 63 games played.
Gibson was the Red Wings' 2023 2nd-round pick (42nd overall) but has been traded to Nashville for Jesse Kiiskinen and a 2024 2nd-round pick. The 19-year-old defenseman has spent the last three seasons with the Soo Greyhounds (OHL) and had 12 goals and 44 points in 68 games in 2023-24.
Kiiskinen was Nashville's 2023 third-round pic (68th overall) and has been dealt to Detroit alongside a 2024 second-round pick for Andrew Gibson. Kiiskinen is an 18-year-old right-winger who has spent his entire playing career in Finland and had four goals, and 10 points in 38 games with Pelicans (Liiga).
Kastelic is a big (6-2, 210 lbs), rugged forward who will fit into the Bruins' bottom-6 in 2024-25. During the 2023-24 season, Kastelic had 10 points (5G / 5A), 126 hits and 31 blocked shots in 63 games with the Senators.
Korpisalo signed a five-year deal with a $4.0M AAV last July 1st but struggled to live up to his cap-hit in his first year with the Senators. The 29-year-old net minder went 21-26-4 with a 3.27 GAA and .890 SV% in 55 games (49 starts) and gets moved to Boston, where he'll serve as the backup to Jeremy Swayman if he isn't traded again or bought-out. The Senators retained 25 percent ($1.0M AAV) of Korpisalo's contract.
Ullmark is headed into the final year of his contract that carries a $5.0M AAV cap-hit. Ullmark enjoyed tremendous success in his three years in Boston, including a Vezina Trophy and William Jennings Trophy in 2023. He went 88-26-10 with. A 2.28 GAA and .924 SV% in 130 games with the Bruins while splitting time with Jeremy Swayman. In Ottawa, he becomes the unquestioned No.1 net minder and should set a career-high in games played in 2024-25.
With Egor Afanasyev looking for a way out of Nashville if he didn't get more ice time next season, San Jose jumped all over the rumours and acquired the 23-year-old towering left-winger in a one-for-one trade for right-winger Ozzy Wieblatt. Wiesblatt was San Jose's 2020 first-round pick (31st overall) and spent the 2023-24 season with both San Jose (AHL) and Milwaukee (AHL). In his second AHL season since making the jump from the WHL, he had only four goals and 17 points combined in 50 games played.
Nashville made a minor prospect deal on Sunday as they traded Egor Afanasyev to San Jose for right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt. The Predators had their hands tied with Afanasyev as he had informed them that he expected to play in the NHL full-time next season or he would be heading back to his native country of Russia. The 23-year-old left-winger has appeared in 19 NHL games with the Predators in the last two seasons and has one goal, no assists and a -8 plus/minus.
Minnesota completed a minor move on Friday as Adam Beckman has been moved to New Jersey for Graeme Clarke. Clarke is a 23-year-old right-winger who was New Jersey's 2019 third-round pick (80th overall) and made his NHL debut in 2023-24, failing to pick up a point in three games played.
New Jersey made another offseason move on Friday as they traded forward Adam Beckman for defenseman Graeme Clarke with the Minnesota Wild. The 23-year-old has appeared in 23 games sparsely across three seasons with Minnesota and had no goals, three assists, 14 PIMs and 26 shots on goal.
Los Angeles solved their goaltending issues on Wednesday as they acquired Darcy Kuemper in a one-for-one deal for Pierre-Luc Dubois. The 34-year-old Kuemper won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022 and quickly signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract in the offseason. He will start 2024-25 in the third year of that contract after posting a 13-14-3 record, 3.31 GAA and .890 SV% in 33 games played in 2023-24 with the Capitals.
Washington got itself a new centre on Wednesday as it made a one-for-one trade with Los Angeles to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois for goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Dubois is in the second year of an eight-year, $68 million contract that he signed in June of 2023. The 25-year-old had the worst full season of his eight-year career in 2023-24, with 16 goals and 40 points in 82 games played.
Dallas had simply run out of room for forward Ty Dellandrea and has traded the 23-year-old centre to San Jose for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Dellandrea was Dallas' 2018 first-round pick (13th overall) and appeared in 42 games for the Stars in 2023-24, picking up two goals, nine points, 23 PIMs and a -10 plus/minus. In four NHL seasons, he has 14 goals and 42 points in 151 games played.
Calgary and New Jersey made the first big trade of the offseason on Wednesday as they traded Jacob Markstrom (31.25% salary retained) for Kevin Bahl and a 2025 1st-round pick. The 23-year-old towering defender in Bahl appeared in all 82 games for New Jersey in 2023-24, picking up a goal, 10 assists, 82 PIMs and 63 SOG.
New Jersey made the first big splash of the offseason on Wednesday as they traded 23-year-old Kevin Bahl and their 2025 1st-round pick for goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames. Calgary will retain 31.25% of Markstrom's salary as an add-on in the deal, and a nice cherry on top for New Jersey. In 48 games played in 2023-24 with the Flames, Markstrom was 23-23-2 with a 2.78 GAA AND a .905 SV%.
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.
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.
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.
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.
