The NHL’s roster freeze is over, and with the trade deadline less than two weeks away, the rumour mill will start heating up quickly.
With so many teams still holding onto playoff hopes, the line between buyers and sellers isn’t totally clear just yet, which makes for an interesting trade season in the lead-up to March 6.
Flyers listening on Ristolainen
The Philadelphia Flyers were sellers last season, and barring a pretty significant post-Olympic break win streak, it looks like they’ll be in the same position again as the 2026 deadline nears. And, like last year, it appears defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen will be an increasingly popular trade target. As Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reported last week, the Flyers “likely would get some calls” on Ristolainen, and would listen.
It’s easy to see why. The 6-foot-4 blue liner, who is coming off a bronze-medal victory with Finland in Milano, covers a lot of squares on the trade deadline bingo card: He’s a big, right-shot rearguard with a reasonable cap hit ($5.1 million), and with one more full season left on his contract, he isn’t a true rental. The 31-year-old missed most of the first half of the season with injury, making his 2025-26 debut in mid-December, but has been healthy since.
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So, which teams would be interested? Kurz highlights the Dallas Stars, who were in on discussions around defenceman Rasmus Andersson but ultimately lost out to the Vegas Golden Knights. Team need is there, and so is chemistry — Dallas’ blue line features fellow Finns Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell; forwards Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz also starred for the Finnish team in Milano.
Other teams in the running for Andersson included the Bruins. Boston could also be an interesting team to watch, should the market for Ristolainen heat up.
Kadri taking trade rumours in stride
The Calgary Flames dealt defenceman Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights last month, and they likely aren’t done yet. The rebuilding club is poised to factor heavily into trade talks as the deadline draws near, which means top veteran players like Nazem Kadri are in the spotlight.
Trade talks aren’t new to Kadri. He’s dealt with them before, and when asked about how he’s handling hearing his name in the rumour mill he made it clear he’s keeping a level head and focusing on being where his feet are. The forward said his focus is on the Flames right now, and said he has been part of conversations with team leadership — though, he didn’t share details on how those chats went.
“We’ve had internal chats. Obviously those, I’ll keep private. But we’ve had discussions and communicated,” Kadri said on Monday. “That’s what makes it great, is having that open line of conversation and just being able to understand where everybody’s at.”
Blues could be busy
The St. Louis Blues rode a three-game losing skid into the Olympic break and considering their place at the bottom of the standings and how much speculation that’s surrounded the roster this season, they’re pretty clear sellers.
The list of possible trade targets is long, and it includes players signed both for the short-term (defenceman Justin Faulk, who has one year left on his deal at $6.5 million, and captain Brayden Schenn, with two more at the same) and long — with Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas both poised to be in the trade-market spotlight. Both Kyrou and Thomas have four more seasons on their respective deals, with identical $8.125-million cap hits and no-move clauses to match.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported last month that the Blues would be searching for a significant trade package for Thomas.
Chatter around Kyrou is bound to get louder, too, with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period expressing last week the idea that a change of scenery would likely benefit both Kyrou and the Blues. Per Pagnotta, Kyrou would be willing to waive his no-move clause for the right destination.
While it feels likely the 27-year-old forward will be moved, it’s a trade that might be better-suited to summertime, considering the term and cap hit he brings.
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If Blue Jackets’ UFAs want to stay, Waddell will “find a way”
With a new head coach at the helm in Rick Bowness and a seven-game win streak bringing the Blue Jackets within reach of a wild card spot heading into the Olympic break, Columbus appears to have something good brewing.
That they’ve clearly got some momentum going at this pivotal point of the season makes them an intriguing team to watch as the NHL gets underway again this week. That their roster includes four pending unrestricted free agents makes them even more interesting. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline wrote last week the team has “not engaged in serious negotiations regarding contract extensions” for forwards Boone Jenner, Charlie Coyle, and Mason Marchment and defenceman Erik Gudbranson but that those are coming.
Per Portzline, Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell is following the players’ lead when it comes to how best to proceed.
“If guys want to stay here, I’ll find a way to keep them here,” Waddell told Portzline.
“Everybody wants to stay here,” he said.
How the Blue Jackets continue to build from here, and whether they can lock up those veterans pre-deadline, will tell us a lot about the direction of the club.
