Breaking down every NHL team’s draft pick situation ahead of 2024 NHL Trade Deadline

Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

With less than two months until the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline March 8, we’re delivering at least one deadline-focused story every day at Daily Faceoff.

Today, we look at every NHL team’s draft pick situation while speculating whether they’ll build upon their pipeline or use those picks to bring in immediate help.

2024 NHL Trade Deadline Countdown: 44 days

If there’s anything that’s both overrated and underrated simultaneously, it’s the value of draft picks in the NHL.

Just look at any draft class from the past 15 years. First-rounders are valuable, no matter where you’re picking, but the difference between the 15th-best prospect and, say, the 40th is often insignificant. And then the difference between a third-rounder and a fifth-rounder can be razor-thin. It’s good to have the most picks available, as high as possible, to give yourself a chance to be good in the long term.

But many GMs can’t think 5-10 years down the line because they’ve got to figure out something now, which can mean trading a valuable asset in search of short-term gain. The rush, the excitement of pulling off a move that could potentially take you one step forward in the search for a Stanley Cup is so alluring. And yet, so many teams make the same mistakes each year, sacrificing the future only to get crushed in the opening round.

Everyone’s chasing after Macklin Celebrini, the top prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft. And it’s a solid class, especially for teams looking to fortify their defensive depth. If you can get out of the deadline without moving high-end assets, that’s great. But for others, it’s the perfect tool to get the right piece you need.

Here’s how every NHL team’s draft pick situation looks with another six weeks to go until the deadline:

Anaheim Ducks

2024: 1/2/2/3/3/3/4/5/6/7
2025: 1/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

As expected, the Ducks are once again near the bottom of the NHL standings and poised to be sellers, if anything. They currently have six picks in the first three rounds in 2024, including three in the third after moving Dmitry Kulikov to Pittsburgh and prospect Henry Thrun to San Jose last year. They also acquired an additional second-rounder back in 2022 after offloading Hampus Lindholm, a deal that also brought them picks that turned into Nathan Gaucher and Damian Clara. Anaheim moved its 2025 second-rounder and defenseman Jamie Drysdale earlier this month in the move that brought over Cutter Gauthier.

Anaheim is in an excellent spot to move a few mid-round picks to bring in some long-term help, but with the potential for Trevor Zegras and Adam Henrique to be moved, among others, it seems safe to say they’re going to be in the market to add more.

Arizona Coyotes

2024: 1/2/2/2/3/3/3/4/4/5/6/7/7
2025: 1/2/2/2/2/3/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/2/2/3/3/4/5/6/7

The Coyotes already have a strong prospect pool, and now they’re set to have 20 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts. For a team that’s clearly on the upswing, that’s massive. For once, it’s tough to get a good read on whether the team will be buyers or sellers, but they’re set up for both.

With 10 second-round picks in the next three years alone, they could prove huge for getting some more long-term help. CapFriendly has them at $11.769 million in deadline cap space, so they have room to spend if they need to. It seems unlikely they’ll hold on to all the picks come draft day, so it’ll be interesting to see how active they get with no major trade targets this time around.

Boston Bruins

2024: 4/5/6
2025: 1/3/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Quite the stark contrast to Arizona, huh? The Bruins have been in win-now mode for a few years now, and their prospect pool has taken a beating to make that happen. But if you’re a Boston fan, you’re going to need more convincing to show this isn’t going to all go to waste like last year.

If the Bruins want to get aggressive, they have their first-round picks in 2025 and 2026. But with no second-rounders for another two years, and nothing this year until the fourth round, they’re stretching themselves thin on the draft pick front.

Buffalo Sabres

2024: 1/2/3/4/6/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/4/5/6/7/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Sabres have fallen below expectations this year, but the future still looks bright. The young kids are just getting started, and the prospect pool is still among the best. Years of selling pieces off and keeping their own picks will eventually pay off.

Buffalo is only missing their fifth-rounder this year, so they’re still freshly packed and ready to go. Jordan Greenway will be the team’s top trade target to watch this year, with the club potentially looking to recoup some investments after moving second and fifth-round picks last year. Beyond that, staying the course with their current pick crop would be smart.

Calgary Flames

2024: 1/2/3/4/5/6
2025: 1/2/3/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/3/4/5/6/7

Take your pick: with Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin in the rumor mill, the Flames could eat well at the draft table. They moved their seventh-round pick in a three-pick deal that resulted in the Flames picking up Calle Jarnkrok in 2022 but otherwise have a clean bill for the rest of the draft.

The Flames are still in playoff contention, sitting just four points behind Nashville for the final Wildcard spot in the Western Conference, but they continue to play inconsistent hockey. There’s still quite a bit of uncertainty about their first-round pick following the 2022 Sean Monahan trade, though. It’s protected as long as it’s a top-19 pick this year, but Montreal can take the 2024 pick instead if it falls later. Here’s a breakdown from CapFriendly to help you understand all the crazy conditions.

Carolina Hurricanes

2024: 1/2/2/3/4/5/6/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/6/7
2026: 1/2/4/5/6/7

The Hurricanes still have all their own picks, and they picked up a second-rounder in the deal that sent Tony DeAngelo to the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2022 draft. That could come in handy if they don’t feel confident in their goaltending situation – especially now. Frederik Andersen’s return – whenever that is – will be crucial to figuring out next steps.

Beyond that, keep an eye on DeAngelo again. He’s still a good offensive defenseman, but he rarely plays and is a big liability in his own zone. DeAngelo is a pending UFA at $1.675 million, so a top contending team might be in a tight spot to add him. Perhaps he can fetch a draft pick or two along the way.

Chicago Blackhawks

2024: 1/1/2/2/2/3/3/6
2025: 1/1/2/2/3/4/4/6/7
2026: 1/2/2/2/3/4/4/5/6

Chicago has eight picks for the 2024 NHL Draft, but five of them come in the first 62 spots. Will they keep them? They should, and they’re even inching closer to having the best odds at landing the first pick this year – again. Could you imagine Celebrini and Connor Bedard together?

The Blackhawks could unload some depth guys along the way, but after signing the likes of Nick Foligno and Petr Mrazek to new deals, they’re focused more on getting to the salary floor for 2024-25. They’re a long ways away from being competitive and have no need to trade any future pieces right now, so it seems safe to assume they’ll hold onto their assets here. But come 2026 – who knows?

Colorado Avalanche

2024: 1/4/5/6/7
2025: 1/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

GM Chris MacFarland doesn’t have much draft capital to work with again this year, but the Avs have still got their first-rounder if they believe moving it is crucial in keeping them in the playoff race.

The Avs will be buyers at the deadline, hoping to keep their Cup contention window alive for at least a few more years. Do they snag a goaltender? Moving a first-round pick to get a rental behind Alexandar Georgiev doesn’t make much sense. Don’t be surprised if they enter the 2024 draft with the same five picks.

Columbus Blue Jackets

2024: 1/3/3/4/5/6
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Blue Jackets have one of the best young crops in the game – but they don’t want to seem to use them correctly. They still have a bright future, whether with coach Pascal Vincent or someone else, and they still have the majority of their draft picks over the next few years. They’re not going to move that first pick because it’s looking like a top-five selection right now, and they’re not going to be buyers, that’s for sure.

Given their logjam, could they move a defenseman for another mid-round pick? What about forward Jack Roslovic, someone who might be a valuable middle-six option for a contender? Maybe goaltender Elvis Merzlikins heads to a contender? It’ll be interesting to see how they try and capitalize on their assets right now.

Dallas Stars

2024: 1/2/5/7
2025: 1/3/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The good thing about a team with solid young core? It’s that they’ve got a long competitive window ahead. And the best part? They still have their first two picks this year, having instead moved their latter-round picks to add depth.

This could be an interesting deadline for a Stars team many expect to compete for the title. CapFriendly has the Stars with just $1.923 million in deadline cap space, so getting aggressive will be difficult. But someone like Adam Henrique could still be an interesting option for them. Given some salary would have to be retained, don’t be surprised if they part with a high pick to make it happen.

Detroit Red Wings

2024: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Red Wings still have at least one pick per round until 2026, which is good for a team looking to keep pushing forward. They won’t have their own first-rounder, but they do have Boston’s, which should still snag them an impact player later in the first round.

If there’s one player to watch at the deadline for Detroit, it’s James Reimer. He’s one of the top goaltenders on the trade market, especially now that Mrazek has signed his new deal in Chicago. If a team feels he’s the right guy to solidify their crease situation in the short term, it could nab the Wings another pick or two – and that makes more sense than bringing in another contract.

Edmonton Oilers

2024: 1/2/5/6/6
2025: 1/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Given how great the Oilers have been in most facets of the game over the past two months, it might be wise to be careful when making deals around the deadline. That being said, they have to start focusing on winning sooner rather than later, and they’ve got some high draft picks over the next three years they can move out to make that happen.

But, if they’re looking to develop from within, holding on to another first-rounder wouldn’t hurt. They traded the last guy they took first in Reid Schaefer (2022) and have made just seven picks over two years, to varying levels of success.

Florida Panthers

2024: 3/4/5/5/6/7
2025: 2/3/4/4/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Panthers are no stranger to trading first-round picks, given they haven’t had one since taking Mackie Samoskevich 24th overall in 2021. So what’s another two years?

GM Bill Zito has given up lots of draft capital to make things work, and it paid off with a Stanley Cup Final trip last year. But with Boston in the same division, Florida might look to move more assets to take another crack at the title this year. They’re safely in a playoff spot for now, but they’ve got to stay consistent.

Los Angeles Kings

2024: 1/4/6/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Kings have moved three of their picks this year, including their second-rounder, to facilitate a three-way deal that let them clear some cap space last June. For now, they’ll have to figure out what team they are.

They’ve fallen into a Wildcard spot, but given the overall – is “mid” the right term to use here? – competition around the space, it might be wise to just hold on to what they have and just focus on the next few seasons instead. If they want to move their first pick, just wait until the draft.

Minnesota Wild

2024: 1/2/4/5/5/6
2025: 1/2/3/4/6
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/5/6/7

Between poor play and injury issues to key players, it’s been a disaster for the Wild this year. But they’re still not out of the playoff picture, sitting just four points out of a Wildcard spot. It might not be a bad idea to just hold on to everything you’ve got and focus on next year at this point, though.

One player they could look to capitalize on is goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He’s been well worth the 2022 second-rounder they paid to get him two years ago, but it might be difficult to get similar value for the 39-year-old now. He has a no-movement clause, but you’d have to think he’d waive it to go to a contender – perhaps one willing to move some draft capital.

Montreal Canadiens

2024: 1/2/3/3/4/5/5/6/7/7/7
2025: 1/1/2/2/3/3/4/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Keep selling, baby. The Canadiens have a strong prospect pool and are still far from being relevant in the playoff picture on a consistent basis. Sell high while you can and keep recouping to go on a longer run a few years later.

The Habs have 11 picks in 2024, but that number will undoubtedly rise. They already got a first-rounder for taking Sean Monahan from Calgary; another isn’t out of the question. And with the goalie market tightening up, Jake Allen could be a target for someone out there. It’s worth noting they have eight picks in the first four rounds in 2025, which could be used to acquire a more long-term piece.

Side note: they have a wackload of seventh-rounders for some reason.

Nashville Predators

2024: 1/2/2/2/3/3/4/4/4/5/6
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

This could go two ways here: the Preds could use all their high draft picks and extra cap space to splurge as buyers, or they could keep selling off and focus on a shorter-term rebuild.

Either way, they’re in an interesting spot. Starting goaltender Juuse Saros has been mentioned as trade bait throughout the season, but top prospect Yaroslav Askarov could also bring in a hefty return. Add in Alexandre Carrier’s name and you’ve got some intriguing pieces GM Barry Trotz could part with to bring in even more draft picks.

Regardless, it’s going to get interesting in Smashville.

New Jersey Devils

2024: 1/3/5/5/6/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Many fans just want the Devils to pull the reset button on the year and just focus on 2024-25 – potentially without coach Lindy Ruff. The team clearly needs some help on the blueline and the crease situation is a disaster yet again, so it could take parting with a lot of future assets to make that work.

With no second-rounder, making something happen could be a bit more difficult. They could add more draft picks from 2025 and 2026 if they have to sweeten the deal because they do have some solid young players, but the moves have to make sense. They don’t look like Cup contenders this year, but they’ve got the base to make some noise in the coming years if they deal their cards right.

New York Islanders

2024: 1/2/4/5/6
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/3/4/5/6/7

You never really know what’s going on in Lou Lamoriello’s head. But at 81 years old, he’s going to have to make some big moves quickly if he’s going to contend for another Stanley Cup.

If it wasn’t any other GM leading this team, I’d beg them to just hold on to a first-rounder and try to build up one of the worst pipelines in the league. But they’re just two points out of a Wildcard spot right now and need some help if they’re going to cement a playoff spot.

Is it worth it for Lamoriello to go all out here? We’ll see.

New York Rangers

2024: 1/2/4/5/6
2025: 1/4/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/3/4/5/6/7/7

The Rangers were the biggest movers at the deadline last year, acquiring Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarsenko, among others. It didn’t work, as the team got eliminated early, but hopes were high heading into 2023-24.

But things are looking rocky right now. Their goaltending hasn’t been good enough, and they don’t have much cap space to work with. Could Filip Chytil’s eventual return alter the team’s deadline plans? It’s hard to get a good grasp as to what the Rangers might do, but they can afford to move a few high picks to remain a contender for a few more years, at least.

Ottawa Senators

2024: 1/1/2/4/4/4/5/6
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/3/5/6/7

There’s a bit of mystery surrounding Ottawa’s own first-round pick, with the team set to forfeit one of their next three first-rounders after the draft lottery due to the botched Evgenii Dadonov trade. They have a legitimate chance of picking in the top 10 this year, so you’d have to think they’d keep this year’s pick and bank on them stepping things up over the next few seasons.

So, could the Senators dangle Detroit’s first-rounder this year to help make it happen? There’s also the uncertain future of Jakob Chychrun, whom they could look to maximize their value on after acquiring him from Arizona last year. We’ll have to see what direction GM Steve Staois sees his team taking in the short term after a difficult transition season.

Philadelphia Flyers

2024: 1/1/2/2/3/4/5/6/6/7
2025: 1/2/2/3/4/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Do you need some good news for Flyers fans? They might make the playoffs AND still pick four times in the first two rounds, which could come up huge after top prospect Cutter Gauthier left for the Ducks.

With the Flyers getting an extra second-rounder as compensation for not signing 2018 first-rounder Jay O’Brien, that could be used to help solidify depth somewhere in the lineup. What about adding a veteran goaltender to pair up with Samuel Ersson with Carter Hart on an indefinite leave of absence?

GM Danny Briere just has to figure out what this team can realistically achieve this year. The have a strong prospect pool, but they’re still at least another two years away from seeing Matvei Michkov. Could they hold on to their picks in hopes of replacing Gauthier?

Pittsburgh Penguins

2024: 2/4/6/7/7
2025: 1/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/3/4/5/6/7/7

GM Kyle Dubas is no stranger to moving draft picks to acquire help, and the Penguins are still in the playoff hunt. But it’s been anything but smooth sailing since bringing in Erik Karlsson, with the Penguins still sitting five points out of a Wildcard spot.

If the Pens aren’t in a realistic spot to make the postseason come March 8, could they trade Jake Guentzel and get some help to build up one of the worst prospect pools in the league? The Penguins likely won’t blow things up while Sidney Crosby is still around, but they’ve got to figure something out to avoid being utterly irrelevant in the short term.

San Jose Sharks

2024: 1/1/2/2/4/5/7/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/4/6/7/7
2026: 1/2/4/6/7

This is easy: no, the Sharks aren’t moving their own first-rounder, and they shouldn’t move any of their first four picks. If anything, try and flip Kevin Labanc and Mike Hoffman for some mid-round picks and continue to build up an already solid pipeline.

Simple. As. That.

Seattle Kraken

2024: 1/2/3/3/4/6/7/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

If I were the Kraken, I’d capitalize on the fact they’re more likely to get a top 10 pick than make a realistic playoff push and stay the course. Making the playoffs last year was a nice tease of what’s to come, but there’s an argument to be made they’d benefit from being a bottom-feeder again and continuing to build for the future.

At least they’ve drafted very, very well early on. Ron Francis, don’t divert from the long-term goals for short-term gain.

St. Louis Blues

2024: 1/2/2/3/3/4/5/7/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

The Blues took advantage of a bad season and drafted three players in the first round. There won’t be a similar firesale this time, but Kevin Hayes could be traded for a significant draft pick if they’re willing to keep around half his $3.57 AAV for another year.

St. Louis is still in the playoff hunt, but if the Blues can clear some cap space and get another high draft pick, that could be huge.

Tampa Bay Lightning

2024: 3/5/6/7/7/7
2025: 2/3/4/5/6/7/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

It’s been a while since the Bolts weren’t essentially a playoff lock after five games. They’ve made it out of a Wildcard spot for now, but it’s going to be a battle between them, Toronto and Detroit for a while now.

GM Julien BriseBois is no stranger to moving picks at the deadline, although he probably wishes he could have a redo after moving five picks to acquire bottom-six forward Tanner Jeannot last year. He only has one pick in the first four rounds this year, so if the Bolts are going to get aggressive, they’ll have to sacrifice more of the future to pull things off.

Toronto Maple Leafs

2024: 1/3/4/5/5/5/6/7/7
2025: 3/5/5/6/7
2026: 1/3/4/5/6/7

It seems likely the Leafs will be active to try and bring in some defensive depth, so it seems likely the first and third-round picks will be in play, at least. They also have an abundance of fifth-rounders over the next two years to spice things up, if needed.

GM Brad Treliving has had some rough misses this year, but he can make up for it by bringing in high-impact players by the deadline. Will he follow in Kyle Dubas’ footsteps and move as many picks as possible to make it happen?

Vancouver Canucks

2024: 1/3/4/4/6/6/7
2025: 1/2/4/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/4/5/6

Just making the playoffs would have been a major accomplishment for the Canucks this year. But here we are, more than halfway into the season, and Vancouver is the favorite to win the Presidents’ Trophy.

Sure, they had an easier first half than some other contenders. But their play since the change of the calendar has proven this team is for real. Vancouver’s pipeline isn’t anything worth getting excited about, but they have an opportunity to lean into the success and move picks to bring in extra scoring depth. Moving away from Andrei Kuzmenko and his $5.5 million cap hit would be a good start, but they should still be classified as buyers for the first time in a while.

Vegas Golden Knights

2024: 1/2/3/5/6/7/7
2025: 1/2/3/4/5/6
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

If history has told us anything, it’s that Vegas doesn’t like to keep the guys they select in the first round. So why not just get it over with and make some big in-season moves instead?

Vegas looks to be a serious Stanley Cup contender again, even though injuries have plagued the team lately. Capfriendly lists them as having $16.862 million tied up in four players on long-term injured reserve and another $13.787 million on five players on regular IR. They’ll be significantly more dangerous once William Karlsson, Shea Theodore, and Jack Eichel return, so making a substantial high-value move that fits within the salary cap will be difficult – unless they pull a Mark Stone and keep some of their money on LTIR until the playoffs.

Washington Capitals

2024: 1/3/3/4/5/6
2025: 1/2/2/2/3/4/5/6
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

It’s unclear how active the Capitals will be on the trade market, but moving on from Anthony Mantha and at least part of his $5.7 million AAV deal will be a focus for this team. He’s a pending UFA, so 50 percent retained won’t hurt the team too much.

The Caps are still in the playoff hunt, but they’re on the outside looking in. If they come out of the all-star break even further down, they’ll have to seriously consider moving on from the likes of Max Pacioretty, Joel Edmundson and maybe even Evgeny Kuznetsov to try and build up as much draft capital as possible. Ryan Leonard was a nice get last summer, but they’ve got a long way to go if they’re going to rebound quickly once the Alex Ovechkin era is over.

Winnipeg Jets

2024: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
2025: 1/2/3/5/6/7
2026: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

This looked like a total sell-off year for the Jets. Fans weren’t showing up early and it seemed like too many key players didn’t want to stick around. But here they are, with Josh Morrissey, Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele all signed long-term, and the likes of Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Cole Perfetti getting the job done on the scoresheet.

By all means, it’s time for Winnipeg to keep adding. They don’t want to do much to screw with the team chemistry, understandably, but adding someone like Chychrun, Nick Schmaltz or, heck, maybe even Kuzmenko could make this team more dangerous to play against. They’ve got enough high-quality prospects they can add in trades too, but their strong draft pick cupboard might be enough here.

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