Trending Now - NHL Teams Strengthen Rosters Ahead of Playoff Push
WHO:
John Carlson, 36, traded from the Washington Capitals to the Anaheim Ducks.
Doug Armstrong, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the St. Louis Blues.
Brayden Schenn, traded from the St. Louis Blues to the New York Islanders.
Nazem Kadri, traded back to the Colorado Avalanche from the Calgary Flames.
Connor McDavid, player for the Edmonton Oilers.
Jarmo Kekäläinen, General Manager of the Buffalo Sabres.
Colton Parayko, player for the St. Louis Blues, declined a trade to the Buffalo Sabres.
Stan Bowman, General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers.
Alex Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals.
Mathieu Darche, General Manager of the New York Islanders.
Rick Curran, Carlson's agent.
Nick Foligno, traded to the Minnesota Wild from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Marcus Foligno, player for the Minnesota Wild and Nick's brother.
WHAT:
The 2026 NHL trade deadline occurred on March 6, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET.
20 trades were completed involving 33 players.
Carlson was traded for a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
The Ducks are currently first in the Pacific Division with a record of 35-24-3.
The Capitals are fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 31-25-7.
The Buffalo Sabres added Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn, and Sam Carrick.
The St. Louis Blues received two first-round picks and a third-round pick for Schenn and Justin Faulk.
The Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry from the Penguins and Connor Murphy from the Blackhawks.
The Kings acquired Scott Laughton from the Maple Leafs for a conditional third-round pick.
WHERE:
John Carlson was traded from Washington, D.C. (Capitals) to Anaheim, California (Ducks).
The St. Louis Blues are based in St. Louis, Missouri.
The New York Islanders are based in New York.
The Buffalo Sabres are based in Buffalo, New York.
The Edmonton Oilers are based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The Chicago Blackhawks are based in Chicago, Illinois.
The Minnesota Wild are based in Minnesota.
WHEN:
The NHL trade deadline was on March 6, 2026.
Carlson was informed of his trade in the early hours of March 6, 2026.
The Ducks are attempting to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
WHY:
The Capitals traded Carlson as they were four points out of the playoffs and wanted to pause contract discussions.
The Ducks valued Carlson's experience and puck-moving skill to aid their playoff push.
The Blues are undergoing a rebuild and sought to acquire future assets by trading veterans.
HOW:
The trade for Carlson involved a conditional first-round pick and a third-round pick as compensation.
The Kings acquired Laughton for a conditional third-round pick, which could become a second-round pick if they qualify for the playoffs.
The NHL trade deadline on March 6 saw a flurry of activity, with 20 trades completed involving 33 players, including John Carlson moving from the Washington Capitals to the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional first-round pick and a third-round pick. The St. Louis Blues also made headlines by trading Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders and acquiring two first-round picks in the process, while the Edmonton Oilers strengthened their roster by bringing in Tristan Jarry and Connor Murphy. As the Ducks aim for their first playoff appearance since the 2017-18 season, they hope Carlson's experience will be a key asset in their push.