Checking in on the NHLers traded in 2024-25 so far

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Checking in on the NHLers traded in 2024-25 so far
Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NHL Trade Deadline isn’t until March 7, but we’ve already seen plenty of trades so far in 2024-25.

The NHL has 20 trades listed on their 2024-25 trade tracker since the first regular season game was played on Oct. 4, with some notable names moved along the way. The San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators, in particular, have been quite active. Heck, the Avs moved on from their main two goalies as quick as we’ve ever seen within a season.

Trades are fun, and with so many more on the way before the deadline a month and a half from now, we’ll see more notable names swapping homes before you know it. Today, we’re looking at 19 players who were moved at some point since the start of the regular season and how they’re doing (sorry, AHLers and other depth moves):

MacKenzie Blackwood, G (Colorado Avalanche)

Previous team: San Jose Sharks

Blackwood’s NHL career has been such a mixed bag, but the highs have definitely been high. Blackwood has been one of the top goaltenders over the past month, with his 13.12 goals saved above expected placing him second behind Logan Thompson since Dec. 15 (both goalies were left off Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster). He has averaged under two goals a game this whole time, showing that, in the right situation, the 28-year-old can be a star in this league. The Vezina Trophy is still Connor Hellebuyck’s to lose at this point, but Blackwood is putting himself in the finalist conversation, for sure.

Scott Wedgewood, G (Colorado Avalanche)

Previous team: Nashville Predators

When the Preds brought over Wedgewood this past summer, it was a big get – he was one of the most respected backups in the NHL. But he struggled mightily early on and was moved to Colorado, where he is back to playing some excellent hockey. His surface save percentage of .914 is on par with the best seasons of his career in Dallas and he’s racking up wins, too. Statistically, he has been a nice improvement from Annunen, creating an excellent duo with fellow lumberjack Blackwood.

Juuso Pärssinen, C (Colorado Avalanche)

Previous team: Nashville Predators

Pärssinen seemingly fell out of favor in Nashville and was shipped out to Colorado to help give the team some extra center depth – especially with the high number of injuries the team seemed to have in the first half. The Finnish forward brings a solid 6-foot-3 power forward frame to the table, and he’s defensively sound. Offensively, though, he’s been quiet. His two assists in Colorado came in consecutive games earlier this month, just like how four of his five points in Nashville came over a six-day span.

Alexandar Georgiev, G (San Jose Sharks)

Previous team: Colorado Avalanche

Georgiev struggled in Colorado – a Stanley Cup contender – and while he has still lost most of his starts, the Bulgarian-born goalkeeper has technically been better in San Jose. Georgiev has had his moments – he looked good in recent outings against the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings, for example – but he shouldn’t be playing more than Yaroslav Askarov right now. One positive stat: of the 73 goaltenders to play at least one game since Dec. 12 – his first game with the Sharks – Georgiev’s 1.1 goals saved above expected is 39th and a significant boost from his -6.9 GSAx from Colorado this year. So, sure, it’s better – but Georgiev’s underlying numbers still aren’t good.

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW (San Jose Sharks)

Previous team: Colorado Avalanche

Kovalenko made his long-awaited NHL debut with the Avalanche this year and had modest numbers in a bottom-six role. Kovalenko has been a bit more productive since the move to San Jose, producing at a rate of half a point per game. He was recently placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, hampering what had been a good few weeks for him with his new home. Kovalenko was still primarily playing in the bottom six, but he seemed to find some chemistry with Alex Wennberg and Tyler Toffoli. It’ll be interesting to see if he becomes the next Fabian Zetterlund – someone with some obvious skill, but just in need of the right opportunity.

Timothy Liljegren, D (San Jose Sharks)

Previous team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Liljegren went from being one of Toronto’s most coveted young defenders to the odd-man out to start the season. He played one game with the Maple Leafs before being shipped out to California in October. He’s been playing primarily with Mario Ferraro on the second pairing while also seeing some power play time. He hasn’t been great with the man advantage, but he has been a step up from Matt Benning and can play enough minutes to give Jake Walman and Cody Ceci a break. Liljegren’s been fine, all things considered.

Jacob Trouba, D (Anaheim Ducks)

Previous team: New York Rangers

The Rangers seem set to make big changes to their blueline this year, and Trouba was the first domino to fall. Trouba gave some depth on Anaheim’s right side, which already had Radko Gudas and Olen Zellweger. It’s a decent, but flawed blueline, so bringing in someone like Trouba to contribute experience and physicality was a nice touch. Trouba is averaging just less than 21 minutes a night, but he’s tied for first in blocked shots with Utah’s Ian Cole. Trouba is playing well without sacrificing his fearlessness – you love to see it (if you’re a Ducks fan, and nobody else).

Cam Fowler, D (St. Louis Blues)

Previous team: Anaheim Ducks

After years of rumors surrounding Fowler’s future in Anaheim, the Ducks finally moved him out after 991 career games. With Trouba in the fold, it made it easier to move on from Fowler, who spent 15 seasons with the club after first breaking into the NHL at 19 years old. Fowler had four points in 17 games with the Ducks this year, but he has 13 points in 18 outings with the Blues – which included a goal in the outdoor game in his 1,000th NHL appearance. Fowler is also playing 22:55 a night, nearly two minutes more a game than with Anaheim earlier this year. The Blues have to be happy with what the veteran defender has brought to the table.

David Jiricek, D (Minnesota Wild)

Previous team: Columbus Blue Jackets

Jiricek seemingly fell out of favor quite quickly among the Blue Jackets’ brass, especially after the GM change over the summer. Now, he’s looking for more playing time with the Minnesota Wild, where his minutes have ranged anywhere from 10:07 to 16:01. That’s still not a ton of ice time for someone many considered to be one of the best young defenders in the game. He’s serving on Minnesota’s third-pairing while Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon are on injured reserve, so Jiricek could end up back in Iowa before too long. It’s still early days for the 21-year-old Czech defender – hopefully, more consistent opportunities will arise sooner rather than later.

Kaapo Kakko, RW (Seattle Kraken)

Previous team: New York Rangers

Currently on Seattle’s top line, Kakko – taken second overall in 2019 – is playing the best hockey of his career. He has 13 points in 15 games, just one short of his 30-game total with the Rangers. At his curent pace, Kakko could have easily smashed 70 points over a full season – but he should at least come close to 50. Kakko’s usage with the Rangers always seemed questionable, but he still needed to show that he could be more than just a bottom-six player. Right now, he looks comfortable and is thriving in a way we just haven’t seen in the past.

Will Borgen, D (New York Rangers)

Previous team: Seattle Kraken

The 6-foot-3, right-shot blueliner gave the Rangers a defensive defenseman who can block shots and land sizeable hits. So while it might not have been a flashy return in the Kakko trade, it was still a good value pickup. Borgen is coming off a career-best season with 25 points and 65 penalty minutes, but his value is more in being a hard-working, stay-at-home option. He’s looking good on a pairing with K’Andre Miller – but could the Rangers look to flip Borgen to bring in some assets before the trade deadline?

Alexandre Carrier, D (Montreal Canadiens)

Previous team: Nashville Predators

Carrier was brought in to give the Canadiens some mobility and puck skill in the top four. He’s been fantastic from the get-go, playing around 20 minutes most nights while being very effective with the puck. He might not be big at 5-foot-11, but he’s so competitive, smart and skates well. It’s surprising that the Predators gave up on Carrier like they did, but he’s been great at getting the disk where it needs to be while being defensively sound, too.

Justin Barron, D (Nashville Predators)

Previous team: Montreal Canadiens

There were simply too many blueliners in Montreal’s system, so the 23-year-old was a solid choice to ship out of town. Barron has recently seen time alongside Roman Josi on Nashville’s top pairing, with mixed results. The highs have been solid, but we’ve seen some too many costly, dumb mistakes over the past month. Barron isn’t afraid to join the rush and make things happen with the puck. So far, the offense hasn’t really followed with just one point to date, but he’s at least trying to make things happen. Barron is still a bit hit-or-miss at times like he was in Montreal. But you ride the highs when they come.

Justus Annunen, G (Nashville Predators)

Previous team: Colorado Avalanche

Annunen needed a change of scenery after an ugly start in Colorado, and he’s been excellent with a .923 save percentage and some solid underlying analytics in Nashville. The 24-year-old was once viewed as the future of Colorado’s crease, but the arrival of Alexandar Georgiev signified a mindset shift. Annunen is a big 6-foot-4 keeper who tracks pucks well and has good athleticism – and while he might not exactly be Yaroslav Askarov, Annunen’s play has to make Predators fans feel better about trading away a goalie once viewed as the team’s long-term No. 1. As a No. 2 behind Juuse Saros, Annunen is more than capable of stealing wins when called upon.

Philip Tomasino, RW (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Previous team: Nashville Predators

A first-round pick in 2019, it just never seemed to work out for Tomasino in Nashville. After just one assist in 11 games with the Preds this season, Tomasino joined the Penguins in late November and started his tenure with points in his first four games. Unfortunately, he struggled with just three points in his next 11 games and ultimately saw his ice time drop to around 12 minutes a night on Pittsburgh’s third line. Given that it only cost the Penguins a fourth-round pick in 2027, it still has been a decent pickup overall, but it’ll be interesting to see if Tomasino can get his offensive game back on track.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph, D (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Previous team: St. Louis Blues

Joseph was traded shortly before Christmas, ending the short tenure he had alongside his brother Mathieu Joseph in St. Louis. Joseph returned to the Penguins organization, where he spent his first four NHL seasons, doing so in exchange for future considerations. POJ hasn’t registered a point to date with the Pens, but the 25-year-old has averaged around 17 minutes a night on the team’s back end. For the most part, his job is to provide some mobility and defensive depth, and that’s essentially what he has done in his small sample size – and not much else.

Lars Eller, C (Washington Capitals)

Previous team: Pittsburgh Penguins

Eller was brought in to give the Capitals a smart, strong two-way presence on the third line, and he looks ready to challenge for another 15-goal, 30-point season. Eller played some of his best hockey with the Capitals, winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 (where he had a whopping 18 points in 24 postseason games). The Capitals could use more center depth, which could push Eller down the lineup a bit, but he’s still been good in his role so far, and that’s all they could have asked for.

Olli Määttä, D (Utah Hockey Club)

Previous team: Detroit Red Wings

Määttä was the odd-man out in Detroit, and after finding himself averaging 15:52 – the lowest ice time of his NHL career – he was shipped out to Utah for a third-round pick. Määttä has taken on big responsibilities in Utah, especially with the injuries to most of the team’s blueline at some point or another this year. The Finnish defender is averaging around 21 minutes a night while filling in on the team’s top pairing. Overall, it’s been a solid fit for Määttä, who is arguably playing some of his best hockey in recent years. He’ll also play a big part on Finland’s 4 Nations Face-Off team, a group that doesn’t have as deep of a blueline to choose from compared to the other three squads.

Erik Brännström, D (Vancouver Canucks)

Previous team: Colorado Avalanche

It’s hard to believe that, at one point, Brännström was considered one of the top young blueline prospects in the game. Between the way he skated and moved the puck, Brännström looked like the real deal. But he struggled to find his footing in Ottawa, and after six years of trying to find his place within the team’s core group, he joined the Avalanche for the start of training camp. He didn’t even make it into a regular season game until the Avalanche sent him packing for Tucker Poolman (who hasn’t played since Oct. 18, 2022 due to injury) and a fourth-round pick. Brännström has struggled throughout most of the NHL season, but he has looked really good in the AHL with Abbotsford. At this point, he’s nothing more than a sixth defenseman at best.

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