Speculation about the Devils acquiring a goalie all season was finally validated on Friday when they acquired Allen from the Montreal Canadiens for a conditional third-round pick that can become a second-round pick depending on games played. Allen is currently sporting a .892 SV% and a career-worst 3.65 GAA through 21 games this season (6-12-3).
Simek has been an NHL regular with the San Jose Sharks since the 2018-19 season but has spent the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL. In 40 games with the San Jose Barracuda, he has 16 points (4G / 12A) and 29 penalty minutes.
Kostin was in and out of the lineup for the Detroit Red Wings this season, being a healthy scratch for most of the last month. The 24-year-old Kostin has four points (3G / 1A) in 33 games this season.
Petan is no stranger to the NHL, with 170 career games, but was limited to only six contests with the Minnesota Wild this season. The 28-year-old Petan has spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, scoring an impressive 40 points (12G / 28A) in 44 games with the Iowa Wild.
Elson is a 31-year-old journeyman who has played three career NHL games, most recently in the 2021-22 season with the Detroit Red Wings. Elson has spent the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL), scoring 12 points (5G / 7A) in 38 games.
Zucker adds some offensive depth to a Predators club that already added Anthony Beauvillier to their roster via trade on Thursday. The 32-year-old Zucker has 25 points (9G / 16A), 104 shots, and 74 hits in 51 games and will likely be a fixture in the Predators middle-six down the stretch.
Maroon has not played since January 27th after undergoing back surgery but should return to action in two to three weeks. The 35-year-old Maroon has 12 points (4G / 12A), 54 shots, 71 hits, and 60 penalty minutes in 49 games this season.
Toffoli joined the New Jersey Devils in the offseason and was off to a blistering start, scoring 21 points (12G / 9A) in his first 21 games before slowing down to a more modest 23 points (14G / 9A) in his 40 subsequent games. Nevertheless, Toffoli adds a significant boost to the offensive depth of a Jets team that has already bolstered their lineup by adding Sean Monahan several weeks ago.
The Rangers have added some defensive depth to their blueline with the acquisition of Ruhwedel from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 33-year-old Ruhwedel is averaging only 12:33 time-on-ice this season, his lowest total in 10 seasons, and has four points (1G / 3A), 73 hits, and 36 blocks in 47 games.
Meyers is an undrafted 25-year-old who has played 53 career NHL games, all with the Colorado Avalanche, including nine this season. Most of his 2023-24 campaign has been spent with the Colorado Eagles (AHL), where he has 25 points (11G / 14A) in 32 games.
Sjalin was a fifth-round pick of the New York Rangers in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The 24-year-old made his North American debut last season and has played exclusively with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) since, tallying 11 points (5G / 6A) in 61 games over the past two seasons.
Okposo will add some offensive depth for the bottom six of an already offensively loaded Panthers club. The 35-year-old Okposo is an impending UFA and has tallied 22 points (12G / 10A), 106 shots, and 60 hits while averaging 13:37 time-on-ice through 61 games this season.
Subban has not played an NHL game since the 2021-22 season with the Buffalo Sabres, playing exclusively in the AHL since then. The 30-year-old Subban has enjoyed a respectable season with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL), posting a 2.94 GAA and .907 SV% in 31 games (11-14-4).
The Washington Capitals have agreed to retain 50 percent of the $7.8 million AAV attached to Kuznetsov, who has one more year left on his contract. Kuznetsov has struggled immensely this season, tallying only 17 points (6G / 11A) in 43 games, but the Hurricanes hope he will add another layer of offensive depth to their middle six.
Lucius was a fourth-round pick (No.124 overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old winger is still unsigned, playing in his sophomore season with the University of Wisconsin, where he leads the team with 31 points (12G / 19A) in 32 games.
Ponomarev was a second-round pick (No.53 overall) in 2020 and has appeared in just two career NHL games. The 21-year-old centre has spent most of the 2023-24 season in the AHL, where he has 29 points (8G / 21A) in 41 games. He will likely report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).
Koivunen was a second-round pick (No.51 overall) in 2021 and remains in Finland, playing for Karpat (Liiga). The 20-year-old centre is tied for the team-lead with 55 points (21G / 34A) in 57 games.
Bunting is in the first year of a three-year deal that carries a $4.5M AAV cap-hit. He gets reunited with his former GM Kyle Dubas, who moved from Toronto to Pittsburgh in the offseason. Bunting picked up 13 goals and 23 assists (36 points) in 60 games with the Hurricanes this season. He could be a candidate to skate with Sidney Crosby, now that Guentzel is out of town, which would be a huge fantasy boost for the 28-year-old winger.
Smith was a first-round pick (No.17 overall) in 2018 and made an early splash with the Devils, but did not have the same impact with the Penguins after being traded for John Marino in July 2022. Smith has spent the entire 2023-24 season in the AHL, where he had nine goals and 23 assists (32 points) in 51 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Guentzel is in the final year of a five-year deal that carries a $6.0M AAV cap-hit. The Penguins retained 25 percent of his contract, so the Hurricanes acquired him at a $4.5M AAV cap hit. Guentzel, who has been out with an upper-body injury since February 14th, has scored 22 goals with 30 assists (52 points) in 50 games this season. Over the last three seasons, Guentzel ranks 22nd in the NHL with 98 goals, so he'll provide some serious goal-scoring punch to the Hurricanes' middle-6.
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.
