It’s time to grade the biggest moves of the NHL trade deadline.
There was no shortage of drama on Friday [7 March] when the transfer window slammed shut, with teams across the league active in their attempts to win the Stanley Cup now or tank with an eye on the future.
Related: Stock Up, Stock Down – NHL Trade Deadline Edition | British Ice Hockey
But how did the NHL’s movers and shakers fare? Let’s take a closer look.
Colorado Avalanche acquire Brock Nelson from New York Islanders
Ahead of the trade deadline, Lou Lamoriello was the NHL’s main bottleneck.
The New York Islanders general manager had a decision to make – back his team to make the playoffs or punt on the season before the transfer window slammed shut.
Eventually, he made the right choice, sending centreman Brock Nelson and forward William Dufur to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenceman Oliver Kylington, prospect forward Calum Ritchie, and two conditional draft picks, including a conditional first-round selection next summer.
The Islanders retained half of Nelson’s $6 million salary charge and flipped Kylington to the Anaheim Ducks for future conditions (otherwise known as nothing).
Trade Deadline Grades: Brock Nelson, New York Islanders (Image: NHL)
It’s a deal that clarifies two facts – the Avalanche are all-in on winning another Stanley Cup, while the Islanders are finally ready to rebuild their goal-shy roster.
Nelson, a 33-year-old centre, has 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 61 appearances this season, making him the best player in his position available at the deadline.
The Minnesota-born forward has three 30-plus-goal seasons in his back pocket, with a wealth of playoff experience and two-way ability.
He projects as a second line player for the Avalanche, filling a position of need for Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland.
Nelson’s only downside is his expiring contract – he could walk for free in the summer and that’s a problem for Colorado, considering the package they spent to acquire him.
Islanders look to the future with Ritchie and draft picks:
Ritchie, rated as the best prospect in the Avalanche’s system before the trade, is 6-foot-2 and has the skill to become a first-line centre in the not-so-distant future.
The Islanders will also enjoy the conditional first- and third-round picks they acquired in this deal, as they look to the future.
If the Avalanche win the Cup, nobody will complain about the cost of this deal. But we’ll err on the side of caution with our immediate trade grades.
Colorado Avalanche: A- | New York Islanders: A
Carolina Hurricanes send Mikko Rantanen to Dallas Stars
It’s easy to criticise the Carolina Hurricanes for their inability to convince Mikko Rantanen to sign in Raleigh, but Eric Tulsky deserves some credit.
He took a big swing, stumbled, and still came out with a collection of very useful assets.
“Our organization is characterized by an aggressive approach,” said Carolina’s GM.
“Our forecheck tries to put pressure on [and] our defensive zone coverage tries to be aggressive. On and off the ice, we want to be aggressive whenever we can. Being aggressive means taking some risks. It means taking some chances.
“If you only make moves when you’re 100% you know exactly how it’s going to work out, you’re going to miss some opportunities to make the team better. That’s not what we want to do. If the team was already winning Cup after Cup after Cup, maybe that would be a time to be conservative, but we haven’t gotten where we want to be yet.”
Hurricanes make the best of a bad situation with Rantanen trade
Trade Deadline Grades: Mikko Rantanen, Carolina Hurricanes (Image: NHL)
Tulsky’s deadline day trade saw Rantanen, 28, join the Dallas Stars (and sign an eight-year extension) in exchange for rookie winger Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks, and two third-round picks.
The Hurricanes have taken a step backwards, at least for now.
While Stankoven is an elite prospect with a very bright future, he is unlikely to help them win a Stanley Cup this season – nor will a bunch of draft capital.
The Stars, by contrast, are instant winners as a result of this transaction, with Rantanen inking an eight-year contract worth $12 million per season in Dallas.
The Finn has two 100-plus-point seasons under his belt, with the physical, technical, and mental gifts to make an impact into his late 30s.
And, with that, let’s dip back into Tulsky’s press conference comments.
“We need to keep taking chances and trying to push things forward,” said the 50-year-old. “Ultimately, that means you’re taking some risks. When you’re bringing in a player like Mikko, the upside of having that work out long-term is worth that risk in my mind.
“Obviously, we didn’t want it to end with him being traded away; that wasn’t the goal, but that trade allowed us to bring in other pieces that will help us. It brings in a player who is going to be a long-term fit for us, who plays like he was born to be a Carolina Hurricane, and it brings in a lot of draft capital to help us keep reloading the team going forward.
“Ultimately, that’s a fit with how we want to run this organization, and we’re comfortable with the way it ended up.”
Dallas Stars: A+ | Carolina Hurricanes: B
Charlie Coyle traded from Boston Bruins to Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche were busy on deadline day, acquiring Charlie Coyle and a fifth-round pick (2026) from the Boston Bruins for Casey Mittelstadt, prospect Will Zellers, and a conditional second-round selection (2026).
Coyle is a heavy-hitting forward who can play in any forward position, with one and a half seasons left on his $5.25 million per season contract.
He injects plenty of playoff experience into an already battle-tested Avalanche squad and adds middle-six depth down the stretch.
Mittelstadt helps the Bruins address their No. 1 concern at the moment – retooling for the future. The26-year-old has shown some flashes of promise as a second-line centre (despite struggling in that position this year) and is locked at $5.8 million per season until 2026-27.
Colorado Avalanche: B | Boston Bruins: B-
Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators swap top-six talent
There’s a lot to unpack between the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators – so, let’s nail down the details:
- To OTT – Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert, second-round pick in 2026
- To BUFF – Josh Norris, Jacob Bernard-Docker
Struggling in the playoff race, the Senators need a spark and hope that Cozens will provide it.
The 23-year-old is a skilful two-way centre, who carries a $7.1 million cap hit through 2029-30.
Trade Deadline Grades: Dylan Cozens, Buffalo Sabres (Image: NHL)
Cozens has 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 61 games this season and is two years removed from his career high 68 points in 81 games.
Gilbert is a depth defenceman, who could play the occasional game for Ottawa.
Bernard-Docker is also a depth defenceman, albeit with untapped potential and a higher ceiling at age-24.
Norris, 25, is a flight-footed centreman, with 33 point (20 goals, 13 assists) in 53 appearances on the season.
The Canadian is injury-prone, but has the upside to make a real impact for the Sabres, who look set to miss out on the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season.
It’s a slam dunk for neither side.
Buffalo Sabres: B+ | Ottawa Senators: B-
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