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2023 Trade Tracker With Analysis: Sundqvist Headed to Wild; Pens Land Kulikov

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Oskar Sundqvist, Red Wings
The Montreal Canadiens traded Evgenii Dadonov to land Denis Gurianov from the Dallas Stars

With the NHL trade deadline five days away, teams are busy trying to find ways to either stock up for a long playoff run or how to better themselves for the future. Some deals have gone down already, others will commence over the course of the week. The flurry expected next Friday on trade deadline day will be like Christmas morning for hockey fans around the world.

This will be a one-stop shop for all trades until the wheeling and dealing ceases on March 3. The Bo Horvat trade, symbolizing one of the biggest deals in 2022-23, is where we’ll start. Please note that all trades are in the order of most recent.

March 3: Minnesota Wild acquired defenseman John Klingberg from the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Andrej Sustr, unsigned forward prospect Nikita Nesterenko (Boston College) and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick.

Snapshot: At the start of the season, the Ducks probably thought they would get a first- or second-round pick for Klingberg. He has offensive skill, but his defensive effort is often lacking. But the Wild might appreciate his ability to move the puck to his forwards.

March 3: Calgary Flames acquire defenseman Troy Stecher and forward Nick Ritchie from the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Connor Mackey and forward Brett Ritchie.

Snapshot: The unique aspect of this deal is the Ritchies are brothers. Red Wings fans remember Troy Stecher who played briefly for the the team. Stecher is a spunky competitor with a bit of offensive flair.

March 3: The Detroit Red Wings dealt forward Oskar Sundqvist to the Minnesota Wild for a 2023 fourth-round pick.

Snapshot: Sundqvist is good on the forecheck, can play a rough and tumble game and can contribute offensively. He’s also a big body and a quality teammate. Wild GM Bill Guerin knows him from his time in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ organization.

March 3:  Ottawa Senators acquire forward Patrick Brown from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2023 6th-round pick.

Snapshot: Brown is the son of former Detroit Red Wings player Doug Brown. He has played most of his career in the American Hockey League but he has played 43 games for the Philadelphia Flyers this season as a role player. He has 120 games as an NHL player.

March 3: The Minnesota Wild trade Jordan Greenway to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 fifth-round pick.

Snapshot: The second-round pick from Buffalo belongs to Vegas but Greenway adds some physicality for the Sabres. He makes them braver. Minnesota moved out Greenway for salary cap reasons.

March 3: The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired defenseman Dmitry Kulikov from the Anaheim Ducks for Brock McGinn and a 2025 third-round pick.

Snapshot: Kulikov gives the Penguins a low-panic defender. He’s got 866 games of NHL experience. Hextall stood firm in his conviction against giving up first-round picks. But it is also hard to make major deals without parting with them. What Pittsburgh Hockey Now said about the Kulikov deal.

March 3: San Jose Sharks send former Detroit Red Wings Vladislav Namestnikov to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. The Sharks had recently picked up Namestnikov in a deal with Tampa Bay.

Snapshot: As Red Wings can verify, Namestnikov has more skill than most people realize. He can provide secondary scoring and he is a dependable checking forward. He can be helpful in the playoffs.

March 3: New Jersey Devils acquire forward Curtis Lazar from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick

Snapshot:  Dependable role player. Has 449 games of NHL experience. Just came off the injured list on Thursday. The Devils will be his sixth NHL team.

March 3:  Pittsburgh Penguins acquire Nick Bonino from the San Jose Sharks in a three-team deal that also includes the Montreal Canadiens. San Jose receives unsigned draft choice defensemen Arvid Henriksson, a conditional 2024 5th-round pick and a 2023 7th-round pick in from Pittsburgh. Canadiens land defenseman Tony Sund and a 2024 5th-round pick from San Jose.

Snapshot: In Bonino, the Penguins get a second chance with the 34-year-old winger, who has 19 points (10-9) this season with the Sharks. WIth the window starting to close, Bonino’s return harkens back to the back-to-back Cup champions in 2016 and ’17. The Penguins currently sit in the first wild card spot.

March 3: Philadelphia Flyers acquire forward Brendan Lemieux, a 2024 5th-round pick from the Los Angeles Kings for forward Zack MacEwen.

Snapshot: Lemieux offers a physical presence. Coach John Tortorella will appreciate that. MacEwan is a 6-foot-3 center with nine points and 54 penalty minutes. Lemieux is Claude Lemieux’s son.

March 3: The Detroit Red Wings trade Jakub Vrana (50% retained) to the St. Louis Blues for a 2025 seventh-round pick and Dylan McLaughlin

Snapshot: Vrana’s value wasn’t what it once due to the Red Wings sending him to Grand Rapids for an extended stay. The return reflects that but it also frees up $2.63M in salary. McLaughlin has spent his career in the the AHL with the Rockford Icehogs and suiting up for six games with the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2022-23. So closes a chapter with Vrana that once looked so promising, and included a four-goal game in his fourth regular season Red Wings apperance.

March 2: The Dallas Stars acquired center Max Domi and AHL goalie Dylan Wells from the Chicago Blackhawks for goalie Anton Khudobin and a 2025 second-round pick.

Snapshot: The Central Division-leading Stars are a middle-of-the-pack offensive team. Domi (18 goals) gives them more scoring depth down the stretch and in the playoffs. Domi can play center and wing.

March 2: The Edmonton Oilers acquired center Nick Bjugstad & defenseman Cam Dineen from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for prospect Michael Kesselring and a 2023 third-round pick.  Arizona will retain 50% of Bjugstad’s salary.

Snapshot: Oilers add depth up front with Bjugstad (13 goals, 23 points in 9 games). Bjugstad is only making $900,000, which gives the Oilers depth at a bargain price.

March 2:  The Columbus Blue Jackets Flipped Goalie Jonathan Quick to the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2025 seventh-round pick and veteran goaltender Michael Hutchinson. The Blue Jackets recently acquired Quick from the Los Angeles Kings.

Snapshot: Quick will have a chance to prove the Los Angeles Kings made a mistake. The Kings have been criticized for the unceremonious way they dumped a legendary Kings player. In fairness to the Kings, Quick has a 3.50 goals-against average and .876 save percentage. The Golden Knights needed a goalie because Logan Thompson is injured. Imagine of the Golden Knights and Kings play in the postseason.

March 2: The Blue Jackets trade injured forward Jakub Voracek’s $8.25 million contract to the Arizona Coyotes for goalie Jon Gillies and a 2023 sixth-round pick.

Snapshot: Voracek has concussion issues and his career is in doubt. The Arizona Coyotes can use his contract to get to the salary cap floor.

March 2: The Detroit Red Wings trade Tyler Bertuzzi (50% retained) to the Boston Bruins for a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick

Snapshot: So now it becomes the question, what more will Yzerman do as the deadline is just a day away? Is he once again stock piling picks, or is this building up for something bigger? Bertuzzi never seemed like he would be extended until the Red Wings started threatening for a playoff spot last week. A week later, he’s gone. The 2024 first round pick is top ten protected but Detroit is building up its draft capital, with eight picks (four first, four second) in the first two rounds in 2023 and 2024. DHN’s Bob Duff has more on the Bertuzzi trade.

March 1: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired versatile forward Mikael Granlund from the Nashville Predators for a 2023 second-round pick.

Snapshot: GM Ron Hextall had to be feeling some heat to make something happen. Other Eastern Conference teams in playoff spots were adding pieces. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now analyzes what the Penguins did Wednesday.

March 1: The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired forward Michael Eyssimont from the San Jose Sharks for for veteran center Vladislav Namestnikov.

Snapshot: This is a swap of role players. Namestnikov is more skilled and Eyssimont offers a peskiness. San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng offers his take on the deal.

March 1: The Ottawa Senators acquired Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2023 first-round pick, and a 2024 and 2025 second-round pick.

Snapshot: The conditions on the picks should be noted but the Senators just landed Chychrun. The 25-year-old defenseman beefs up a Sens team seeking a playoff berth.  The conditions:

The Atlantic Division continues to move and shake. Who might be next?

March 1: The Detroit Red Wings trade Filip Hronek and a 2023 fourth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2023 first-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick

Snapshot: An out-of-the-blue trade from general manager Steve Yzerman, who snagged a first and second round pick from Vancouver for Hronek. The 25-year-old defenseman was red hot in November and built his stock back up to earn a couple high picks in return. Hronek is even with his point total from last season (9-29-38) but was hurt in Tuesday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators. The next question is whether Yzerman is angling to go after another defenseman or if he’s going to begin stocking more draft capital.

March 1: The Vegas Golden Knights acquired Teddy Blueger from the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Peter DiLiberatore and a 2024 third-round pick.

Snapshot: The Golden Knights are getting a veteran role player, a solid penalty killer. Thanks to their LTIR, the Golden Knights have more than $5 million in cap space remaining. They have more moves to come.

March 1: The Carolina Hurricanes acquired puck-moving defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for a 2026 third-round draft pick.

Snapshot: The Hurricanes seem intent on hanging onto their first-round pick. But they may not be done yet. They have almost $3 million left in salary cap space. The Hurricanes, a team with a good shot to win it all, haven’t made the splash that other Eastern Conference contenders have made.

March 1: The Washington Capitals  traded forward Lars Eller to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick. The Caps are retaining 31% (1.085 million) of Eller’s $3.5 million.

Snapshot: The projection is Eller (seven goals, 15 points) will center Colorado’s third line and be one of their top penalty killers. Is the Washington selloff finally compete. Maybe not.

March 1: General manager Rob Blake’s Los Angeles Kings acquired goalie Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for goalie Jonathan Quick, plus first- and third-round draft picks. TSN’s Darren Dregar reported the deal.

Snapshot: Quick isn’t the goalie he once was. The Kings were looking to give themselves a new look in net. Gavrilkov is a gritty, hard-working blue collar defenseman. Several teams were interested in his shutdown ability. This was a terrible way for Quick to end his career with the Kings.

February 28: The Minnesota Wild acquire Gustav Nyquist from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2023 fifth-round pick

Snapshot: Nyquist is still recovering from a shoulder injury but is likely to be ready for the playoffs. Red Wings fans are no stranger to Nyquist, who once put up steady goal numbers when he finally earned a full time chance in Detroit. He also scored some big goals in the playoffs, and the Wild are certainly hoping he can add some to his career total now that he’s in the Twin Cities. The Blue Jackets absorbed half of his contract while the fifth round pick belongs to Boston.

February 28: The Edmonton Oilers trade Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators for Mattias Ekholm. 

Snapshot: The Oilers landed on Ekholm needed to bolster their blue line. The Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun seemed like Ken Holland’s likely target but they’re able to squeeze Ekholm’s contract under the cap with Nashville retaining 4% of it. It also allows Edmonton to hold onto Ekholm for some time as he’s signed through the 2025-26 season.

February 28: The New York Rangers will acquire Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks for a conditional 2023 second-round pick that can become a first, plus a fourth-round pick. The deal also involves the Arizona Coyotes. The Blackhawks are retaining half of Kane’s $10.5 million contract and then the Coyotes will take another 25% in exchange for a third-round pick. Kane’s cap hit for the Rangers will be $2.625 million. According to ESPN, the deal doesn’t become official until 5 p.m

Snapshot: The Rangers continue to load up for the playoffs: they already brought aboard Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman NIko Mikkola. Kane is no longer in the prime of his career, but is one of the NHL’s most competitive athletes. He will raise his performance level in the playoffs. Kane wanted to play for the Rangers. Don’t forget he is history with Artemi Panarin. They were good together in Chicago.

February 28: Washington’s selling continued Tuesday Marcus Johansson was traded to the Minnesota Wild for a 2024 third-round pick.

Snapshot: The Wild rank 26th in scoring with an average of 2.82 goals per game. Johansson, who previously played for the Wild, can provide a boost as a middle six forward. He has 13 goals this season.

February 28: The Toronto Maple Leafs moved Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals for Erik Gustafsson (seven goals, 31 assists) and the Boston Bruins’ round. (The Capitals acquired that in the Dmitri Orlov trade).

Snapshot: Sandin is 22, and played well for the Maple Leafs this season. But the Maple Leafs wanted to get back the first round pick they gave up in the Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty acquisition. Sandin was going to be odd man out for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs. The Capitals like the fact that Sandin has two years left on his contract.

February 28: Maple Leafs shipped six-foot-five forward Pierre Engvall (12 goals, 21 points) to the New York Islanders for a third round pick. The Maple Leafs then acquired rugged Luke Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks. Terms of that deal have not been announced.

Snapshot: The Maple Leafs needed to clear out some cap space to get goalie Matt Murray off LTIR. The Maple Leafs may not be done. Could Gustafsson be on the move? Engvall’s cap hit is $2.25 million.

February 28: The Edmonton Oilers sent Jesse Puljujarvi to the Carolina Hurricanes for prospect Patrik Puistola.

Snapshot: Puljujarvi was the No. 4 pick overall in the 2016, but has never lived up to the expectations of being a premium draft pick. In 2021-22, he had 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points. But he has struggle to create offense this season. He has five goals. He was the NHL’s longest standing trade rumors. His name has circulated a long while. The Hurricanes drafted Puistola in third round in 2019. He’s 22 and having a good season in the Finnish League. He has 15 goals and 38 points in 56 games.

February 27: The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty in exchange for a conditional 2025 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick and forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev. The Leafs are also getting a conditional fifth-rounder in 2024 and a conditional fifth in 2025 from the Blackhawks in the deal. The 2025 conditional first-round selection is top-10 protected.

Snapshot: Are the Maple Leafs reacting to what the Tampa Bay Lightning did Sunday? McCabe upgrades the defense and Sam Lafferty adds to Toronto’s depth. It’s clear that the true contenders in the Eastern Conference are all in.

 

February 26: The Tampa Bay Lightning trade Cal Foote, a 2015 1st Round Pick, 2024 2nd Round Pick, 2023 3rd Round Pick, 2023 4th Round Pick, and a 2023 5th Round pick to the Nashville for Tanner Jeannot

Snapshot: It’s an absolute arms race in the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay unloaded a package to acquire Jeannot, who has just five goals and 14 points in 59 games this season. The price could upend the asking price for other players. Jeannot will be surrounded by loads of talent and could be a critical piece for the Lightning in what will likely be a dog fight through the playoffs. The Predators walk away with Foote, Tampa’s 14th overall pick in 2017 and five draft picks, including a first.

February 26: The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Jack Johnson from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange or defenseman Andreas Englund.

Snapshot: With Erik Johnson (no relation) now injured, the Avalanche needed some depth. Johnson played for the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup last season. Coach Jared Bednar knows his strengths and weaknesses and liked the idea of having him back.

February 26: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting the New Jersey Devils have acquired Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks. The details of the trade have not been announced.

Snapshot: Meier was one of the most coveted available players for this trade deadline. He’s a premium 220-pound winger with the strength and willingness to play a physical game. The Swiss standout has netted 31 goals in 57 games this season.

February 26: Dallas Stars acquired forward Evgenii Dadonov from the Montreal Canadiens for Denis Gurianov

Snapshot: Neither Dadonov (four goals, 18 points) or Gurianov (two goals, nine points) are having splendid seasons, but Dadonov, 33,  is the more proven scorer. He has netted 20 or more goals four times in the NHL. The Stars are a middle-of-the pack scoring team, and Dadonov gives them added depth. Montreal retains 50% of Dadonov’s save. The Habs undoubtedly are hoping the 6-foot-3 Gurianov, 25,  could be a diamond in the rough.

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February 26: The St. Louis Blues traded center Ivan Barbashev to the Vegas Golden Knights for a prospect

Snapshot: Barbashev has 36 goals and 89 points in his past 140 games with the Blues. Barbashev also likes to hit. He’s a pending UFA and the Blues opted not to sign him. He can give a boost to the Vegas offense. The Golden Knights are still expected to make a bigger move. Dean, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League center, was a 2021 first-round pick.

February 25: St. Louis Blues Claim Kasperi Kapanen off waivers

Snapshot: St. Louis has already made a couple deals in a pruning of its roster and head coach Craig Berube was vocal lately in that players were not putting in the effort that’s expected. The Penguins have been in a tailspin and Kapanen was one consequence of that. With just seven goals this season, could new surroundings with the Blues help both?

February 25: The Nashville Predators trade Nino Niederreiter to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2024 2nd Round Pick

Snapshot: The Jets acquire the winger, who is just two goals shy of hitting 20 mark for the third straight season. Winnipeg is 16th in scoring and adding Niederreiter should put some more goals in the scoring column. Nashville snags a second round pick next season and over the next two drafts, has eight picks in the first three rounds.

February 25: The Colorado Avalanche trade Shane Bowers to the Boston Bruins for Keith Kinkaid

Snapshot: The Bruins snag Bowers, who was once a first round pick but only has a single NHL game to his name. Kinkaid will provide depth in the crease for the Avalanche.The acquisitions serve as depth moves for both teams.

February 25: The New York Rangers trade Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks for William Lockwood and a 2026 7th Round Pick

Snapshot: Rumors are swirling that Patrick Kane only wants to go to the Rangers. This trade wasn’t exactly the one people expected but it sends the Canucks a player who never really hit the way the Rangers envisioned.

February 23: The Washington Capitals trade Dimitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins for Craig Smith, a 2023 1st round pick, 2025 2nd round pick, and a 2024 3rd round pick. The Minnesota Wild absorb 50% of Orlov’s deal, receive Boston’s 2023 5th round pick, and send Andrei Svetlakov’s rights to Washington. 

Snapshot: The Capitals decided to retool and got a haul in the process. 50% of Orlov’s expiring contract was absorbed by the Minnesota Wild, while the other half was taken by the Bruins. The Wild again work as a middle man to help massage a deal. The Capitals received a plethora of picks while the Bruins added to an already deep team, positioning them as the likely team to beat in not only the East, but the league.

February 22: The Ottawa Senators trade Nikita Zaitsev, a 2023 2nd round pick, and a 2024 4th round pick to Chicago for future considerations

Snapshot: The Senators dumped a $4.5M cap hit onto the Blackhawks with a 2023 second round pick, adding to Chicago’s already impressive haul in the upcoming draft. Over the course of the next two seasons, Chicago has four first round picks and five second round picks–likely to add more in the coming weeks. The future considerations tag is certainly an interesting element to watch while also keeping an eye on what Ottawa will do next.

February 22: The Vegas trade Shea Weber’s contract, plus a 2023 fifth-round pick, to the Arizona Coyotes for American League defenseman Dysin Mayo.

Snapshot: Weber’s career is over, but his contract must be carried on long-term injured reserve through the 2025-26 NHL season. The Golden Knights needed to get rid of it to prevent the Golden Knights to have any salary cap issues this offseason. The Coyotes can use the LTIR dollars to get to the salary cap floor next season.

February 19: The Ottawa Senators trade Tyler Motte to the New York Rangers for Julien Gauthier and a conditional 2023 7th round pick

Snapshot: Motte makes his return to Broadway for the second straight season and the conditional pick Ottawa receives becomes Winnipeg’s 6th round pick should the Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Another move made by New York to bolster lineup for a long playoff run.

February 13: The Minnesota Wild Acquire a 2025 4th round pick from Toronto in exchange for taking 50% of Ryan O’Reilly’s Contract; The Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Ryan O’Reilly from the Wild and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues; The Blues Acquire Adam Gaudette, Mikhail Abramov, a 2023 1st round pick, 2023 3rd round pick, and a 2024 2nd round pick. 

Snapshot: Instead of writing it all in the header, the long and short of it is that Minnesota entered the fray to ease the financial burden for Toronto while picking up a fourth round pick for its troubles. After purchasing 50% of O’Reilly’s contract from St. Louis, they then flipped it to Toronto at a 50% discount. The Maple Leafs end up with a $1.875 million cap hit in the end. But it came with a heavy package of picks heading back to St. Louis. Abramov is just 21 but has showed glimpses of being a scoring threat. This was an all-in-to-win move for Toronto.

February 9: The St. Louis Blues trade Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola to The New York Rangers for Sammy Blais, Hunter Skinner, and conditional 2023 1st and 4th round picks.

Snapshot: A domino effect of sorts that affected other deals (Toronto’s) while potentially stymieing other forwards (Patrick Kane). Tarasenko gives the Rangers another dynamic scoring option who already has potted two in five games. The Blues snag draft capital and retain half of Tarasenko’s contract. The first round pick acquired will be either Dallas’ or the Rangers, whichever is of less value. The fourth round pick becomes a third if the Rangers make the playoffs.

February 5: The San Jose Sharks trade Jaycob Megna to the Seattle Kraken for a conditional 2023 4th round pick

Snapshot: Megna has only played in one game since the deal and the conditional fourth round pick hinges on whether Seattle sends its own fourth round pick or Colorado’s. This is a light deal, but both teams are expected to be particularly active before or especially on trade deadline day.

January 30: The Vancouver Canucks trade Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and 2023 1st Round Pick (Lottery Protected)

Snapshot: The Islanders pick up the oft scoring centerman, who gives them a chance for a playoff push. They also inked him to a new contract.  Every deal comes with a price and Canucks pick up an intriguing prospect in Raty, The first round pick is protected and becomes a 2024 choice if the Isles choose between 1-12. Beauvillier’s time on the Island had reached its end and in Vancouver, he six points (4-2) in seven games. The change of scenery has helped so far.

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