The NHL trade deadline is at noon PST on March 7th.

We will look at each team in the West and determine if they are buyers or sellers, considering which players a seller might deal and what positions a buyer needs to bolster.

Anaheim Ducks – 26W – 25L – 7OT – 59 PTS – Probable Sellers

(Deadline Projected Cap Space $73.59 million* from puckpedia.com)

*As I understand it, this figure is the annual cap hit that each team has space to add at the deadline as they only have to pay the player from the deadline to the end of the season. I was a little confused why the number was so high at first.

John Gibson – G (10-team no-trade list)

Trevor Zegras – F

Alex Killorn – F (full no-trade clause)

Robby Fabbri – F – UFA

Brock McGinn – F – UFA

Brian Dumoulin – D (10-team no-trade list)

Olen Zellweger/Pavel Mintyukov – D

If healthy, I think that Fabbri, Dumoulin and McGinn will be dealt for mid-level draft picks as all are UFAs.

The interesting names who have been in the trade rumors for awhile now are Gibson and Zegras. Gibson makes sense if the Ducks feel that Lukas Dostal is ready to play 45-55 games on a regular basis, while Zegras has struggled both to stay healthy and be consistent. Zegras is 24-years old now and in the second year of his three-year $5.75 million AAV contract. He's still an RFA.

I'm sure the Ducks would love to get out from the four-year $6.25 million AAV deal that they signed Killorn to as he is only in year two of four. He has a full no-trade clause, so easier said than done.

With the elevation of Jackson LaCombe and the struggles of Zellweger and Mintyukov to be regulars, I wonder if the Ducks entertain any notion of trading either one at this point. I'm sure teams are circling but they would have to get back a lot for either.

The Ducks have two spots still available to retain salary.

Calgary Flames – 28-22-8-64 – Status Quo/Sellers ($81.85 million)

Kevin Rooney – F

Joel Hanley – D

Rasmus Andersson – D

Dan Vladar – G

Rooney, Hanley and Vladar are all set to become UFAs, but none will bring much value back in a trade.

I think the Flames sit tight at the deadline and try to make the playoffs as they are, without sacrificing any assets. I don't think many people thought that they would be a playoff team in 2024-25.

I have Andersson listed, but I don't think they trade him unless they get a phenomenal offer in return, and they start to drop out of the playoff race. He is set to become unrestricted at the end of 2025-26.

I think the Flames take on some salary as a third party to get some draft capital as they have two retained salary spots still.

Chicago Blackhawks – 17-35-7 – 41 – Sellers ($23.67 million)

The Blackhawks dealt Seth Jones on Saturday as he waived his NMC to go to the Florida Panthers along with a 4th round pick in 2026, in exchange for Spencer Knight and a conditional 1st round pick in 2026. This opens the door for 2nd overall pick Artyom Levshunov to try to fill the role of Jones in the coming years.

Patrick Maroon – F

Lukas Reichel – F

Jason Dickinson – F

Philipp Kurashev – F

Ryan Donato – F

Craig Smith – F

Alec Martinez – D

Petr Mrazek – G

Andreas Athanasiou – F

Athanasiou, Maroon, Donato, Smith, Martinez and Mrazek are all set to become UFAs.

Donato has had a great year and could get a 1st/2nd round pick in return, while Martinez might get a 3rd rounder as he's a proven playoff performer. Maroon, Smith, Mrazek and Athanasiou might get anywhere from 4th to 6th round picks.

Chicago could try to get some value for Dickinson, Kurashev and Reichel now rather than next season. I'm not sure that the Blackhawks re-sign Kurashev as a RFA.

The Blackhawks have no more slots to retain any salary after the Seth Jones trade.

Colorado Avalanche – 34-24-2 – 70 – Status Quo/Buyers ($3.29 million)

The Avalanche made a deal on Saturday with the NY Rangers sending Juuso Parssinen, Calvin De Haan, a 2nd round pick in 2025 and a 4th round pick in 2025 for Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Hank Kempf.

Colorado upgraded their top-six on defense and added a veteran in the bottom-six in the forwards and addressed two key areas they needed.

By getting back Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin, the Avalanche have upgraded their top six forwards already. If Gabriel Landeskog somehow makes it back, they are gold.

I don't see any other big areas that they need to address at this time.

Dallas Stars – 37-19-2 – 76 – Buyers ($4.59 million)

The Stars top-nine forwards are as deep as anyone in the NHL. If Tyler Seguin is healthy for the playoffs, he is the only forward addition that they might need. They have some impressive depth in the AHL.

With the injury to Miro Heiskanen, the Stars will need to add another depth defender or two to their mix aside from Cody Ceci. If Lian Bichsel is ready, then they just need one.

Edmonton Oilers – 34-21-4 – 72 – Buyers ($5.16 million)

The big need for the Oilers, is the same need that they've had for two or three seasons. In goal. To get the likes of John Gibson, they'd like the Ducks to retain some salary and they'd have to give up Stuart Skinner and a high pick and/or prospect. Would it be worth the perceived upgrade?

Karel Vejmelka is another goalie that they might target. Younger, cheaper, but not as experienced as Gibson.

Edmonton also needs bottom-six forwards and perhaps another defender for depth over Troy Stecher or Travis Dermott.

Los Angeles Kings – 31-17-8 – 70 – Buyers ($4.02 million)

The Kings have a pretty strong top-nine in the forwards and with Drew Doughty back from his injury, they don't really scream out for huge help at the deadline.

Like most playoff teams, they probably just need to improve their fourth-line depth and add another depth defender ahead of Jacob Moverare and Kyle Burroughs.

Minnesota Wild – 34-21-4 – 72 – Buyers ($7.52 million)

The Wild need the return of Kirill Kaprizov to the lineup but that appears to be quite a few weeks away still.

They added Gustav Nyquist from the Nashville Predators for a 2nd round pick in 2026, which should help their top-nine with or without Kaprizov. If Ryan Hartman is healthy for the playoffs, he will be like a trade deadline addition as well.

They could use another depth defender as they only have Jon Merrill as an experienced seventh or eighth defenseman. Ideally, they'd like someone ahead of Merrill.

Nashville Predators – 21-30-7 – 49 – Sellers ($30.29 million)

Gustav Nyquist was traded to the Minnesota Wild for a 2nd round pick in 2026.

Mark Jankowski – F

Cole Smith – F

Tommy Novak – F

Ryan O'Reilly – F

Michael McCarron – F

Colton Sissons – F

Andreas Englund – D

Luke Schenn – D

The only UFA from the above list is Englund and I'm not sure he garners anything more than a 7th round pick.

Do the Predators look to blow things up a little with the players who don't have no-trade clauses (Stamkos, Saros, Josi, Skjei, Forsberg and Marchessault)? To be fair, the no-trade clause for Saros doesn't kick in until 2025-26. But they are not trading him after dealing Yaroslav Askarov before the campaign.

I could see anyone or all of Jankowski, Smith, O'Reilly, McCarron, Sissons or Schenn being dealt with term left on their deals.

The Predators are showing all three of their retained salary spots being taken, but one is Ryan Johansen which is under grievance proceedings at the moment. The Flyers are trying to terminate the contract, but the NHLPA has stepped in. I'm not sure how this will affect the Predators with trying to retain another salary in 2024-25.

San Jose Sharks – 15-36-9 – 39 Sellers ($32.84 million)

Carl Grundstrom – F

Nico Sturm – F

Luke Kunin – F

Jan Rutta – D

Mario Ferraro – D

Vitek Vanecek – G

Alexandar Georgiev – G

Barclay Goodrow – F (15-team no-trade list)

The Sharks have no spots left to retain any salary in 2024-25, so they are unable to weaponize their cap space at the deadline.

Yaroslav Askarov is the goalie of the future for the Sharks and both Georgiev and Vanecek are UFAs to be. I'd expect the Sharks to trade one of them if not both.

Kunin and Sturm are both set to be UFAs and Kunin could bring back a 3rd or 4th round pick while Sturm perhaps a 4th or 5th.

Jan Rutta is also to become unrestricted, but he's on the IR and I'm not sure he will get traded because of his injury.

Grundstrom has been a disappointment, so I could see the Sharks including him if a roster player needs to go back the other way in any deal.

Ferraro has been rumored to be on the block, but he's having a bit of an off year so the Sharks might be selling low if they do move him.

The Sharks would love to move Goodrow, but they are unable to retain any of his salary, so he's unlikely to be moved this year.

Seattle Kraken – 25-31-4 – 54 – Sellers ($4.69 million)

Jaden Schwartz – F (16-team no-trade list)

Jared McCann – F (10-team no-trade list)

Brandon Tanev – F (10-team no-trade list)

Andre Burakovsky – F (10-team no-trade list)

Josh Mahura – D

Jamie Oleksiak – D (16-team no-trade list)

The Kraken are sure close to the cap for a team this far out of the playoffs. It makes me think that they try to move some of their contracts and use their three retained salary slots.

Tanev and Mahura are the only UFAs with Tanev bringing some intangible values over and above his stat line. Tanev might bring a 3rd round pick back, but Mahura will just be a depth addition to any deal.

I listed Schwartz, McCann, Burakovsky and Oleksiak as possible roster players to trade, but they all have no-trade lists. I think it's imperative that they move Burakovsky at this point and get rid of that contract even if they have to retain a good portion.

Moving Schwartz, McCann or Oleksiak would need to bring back some value for one or all of them to move on at this point.

St. Louis Blues – 28-26-6 – 62 – Sellers ($6.02 million)

Radek Faksa – F (5-team no-trade list)

Brayden Schenn – F (full no-trade clause)

Ryan Suter – D

Nick Leddy – D (full no-trade clause)

Faksa and Suter are both set to become UFAs. Faksa has some value as a defensive specialist, so could get back a 3rd or 4th round pick if a team values him that highly.

Suter could also get back a 3rd or 4th but it might be an overpayment as at this point, he is a 7th or 8th depth defender on most playoff bound teams.

I've read the name of Brayden Schenn in a few trade rumors and if true, he'd bring the Blues back a pretty good return. He does have a full no-trade clause and three more years at $6.5 million AAV. The Blues would likely have to retain salary to move him.

Leddy has one more year at $4 million and the Blues would surely love to rid that contract from their books. If not, Leddy might be a buyout in the summer.

Utah Hockey Club – 27-24-9 – 63 – Sellers ($28.52 million)

Michael Carcone – F

Alexander Kerfoot – F

Matias Maccelli – F

Kevin Stenlund – F

Nick Bjugstad – F

Olli Maatta – D

Ian Cole – D

Karel Vejmelka – G

Utah have Vejmelka, Cole, Maatta, Bjugstad, Stenlund, Kerfoot and Carcone all set to become UFAs

Vejmelka might be a target for Edmonton and a deal with him and Ian Cole or Olli Maatta might be an attractive one for the Oilers. It wouldn't come cheaply.

Kerfoot and Bjugstad still have perceived value and perhaps garner 3rd or 4th round picks in return at this point.

Cole and Maatta on their own are probably each 3rd or 4th round costs.

Stenlund and Carcone are depth additions to most playoff rosters and their cost might be 5th or 6th rounders.

Maccelli would be a selling low, so unless a team valued him at 2023-24 levels, it might not be a good trade for Utah. He might need a fresh start though.

If I was a playoff contender, I'd be asking about Michael Kesselring. He might cost a 1st or 2nd round pick as he is under contract and only 25.

Vancouver Canucks – 27-22-11 – 65 – Buyers and Sellers ($10.41 million)

Elias Pettersson – F

Brock Boeser – F – (10-team no-trade list)

Thatcher Demko – G

Nils Hoglander – F

Pius Suter – F

Derek Forbort – D

Carson Soucy – D (full no-trade clause)

As much as the public or media would like the Canucks to be sellers at the deadline, there is absolutely no way that this ownership or management team goes down that path. Any trade they negotiate has to take into account the future of Quinn Hughes being in Vancouver beyond 2026-27 when he is set to become unrestricted.

They have just over $10 million of cap space and could use all of it.

I do think the team entertains trading Boeser and/or Pettersson, but any deal they do will bring back established players, not draft picks or prospects.

I don't think that they do any trade involving Demko till the off-season, where they know what his health is.

I'd like to see them trade Hoglander, Forbort and Soucy and upgrade those three players if they can.

These periods in a franchise are when they go from contender to pretender very quickly if they aren't careful.

Vegas Golden Knights – 35-18-6 – 76 – Status Quo/Slight Buyers ($2.42 million)

Two of the best additions to Vegas will be Shea Theodore and William Karlsson returning to their lineup in a few weeks or month.

Depth additions will be needed in their bottom-six, as well as improving their 8th or 9th defenders. They do have some decent forward depth in the AHL. 

They could be quiet at this deadline.

Winnipeg Jets – 42-15-3 – 87 – Buyers ($12.40 million)

The Jets have one of the best top-nine forward groups in the NHL and the best goalie in the NHL.

All they could add would be some fourth-line forward depth and perhaps a more experienced 7th defender.

Adding a second-line center would be shooting for the moon and would cost them dearly. They do have the cap space for it, but are they willing to trade a very good prospect and a high pick?

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