NHL trade deadline 2026: Vincent Trocheck, Jordan Kyrou among eight key players who could be on the move
These players could change the fortunes of playoff contenders
The NHL trade deadline is less than one week away, and there should be a flurry of activity between now and Friday afternoon. Playoff contenders will be looking to upgrade their rosters for the stretch run, and there are plenty of impact players available.
We've already seen some superstars change teams in the 2025-26 season. Quinn Hughes went from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild, and the New York Rangers sent Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings. Those two big names may be off the board, but the trade block is still littered with players who can make the difference between winning the Stanley Cup and an early playoff exit.
As the Rangers continue to sell, expect Vincent Trocheck's name to come up in trade rumors. The newly-minted Olympic gold medalist is a good middle-six center who can kill penalties and win faceoffs. That goes a long way with general managers who have an eye toward the postseason. Trocheck is just one of a handful of centers to watch because few things are more in important in the playoffs than depth the down the middle.
Teams looking for scoring ahead of the deadline will have some options, too. The St. Louis Blues have had Jordan Kyrou on the block for most of the season, and Elias Pettersson is a struggling player with superstar upside.
As the 2026 NHL trade deadline approaches, here are eight players who could make a big impact on the playoff race.
Vincent Trocheck | C | New York Rangers
Fresh off winning a gold medal at the Olympics, Trocheck is firmly on the trade block. The Rangers are starting (another) rebuild, and Trocheck is one of the team's most enticing players. Trocheck can win faceoffs and kill penalties -- two postseason qualities coveted by NHL general managers -- and he's been able to produce (38 points in 45 games) for an otherwise awful Rangers team. Ideally, Trocheck would be a good second- or third-line center on a contender.
All that said, there may be some element of buyer beware when it comes to Trocheck. Now 32 years old, Trocheck has three more years left on his contract at a $5.625 million cap hit, and his underlying numbers raise some red flags. Going back to the start of the 2024-25 season, Trocheck owns a 46.7% expected goals share at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. Of course, that may be due to playing on a bad team in New York, and he might thrive again in a better environment.
Nazem Kadri | C | Calgary Flames
Kadri's time in Calgary hasn't gone as planned, and it would probably be best for both parties to find a trade partner. A veteran center with a Stanley Cup on his resume, Kadri would be appealing to a team with legitimate championship aspirations. Kadri's production has taken a dip this season, but he scored 35 goals in 2024-25, so he still has that scoring touch. Kadri should be able to bring some offensive pop, as well as some tenacity, to the middle six of any lineup.
Much like Trocheck, the issues with Kadri are age and how much of his decline on the stat sheet is due to a poor team around him. The 35-year-old has three years left on his contract at $7 million per season. Perhaps the Flames would be willing to eat some of that money to get a deal done, but that would only raise the acquisition cost.
Jordan Kyrou | RW | St. Louis Blues
I think Kyrou could be one of the biggest steals at this trade deadline. He's tracking for 56 points at an 82-game pace, and that would be his lowest total in a full season by a whopping 11 points. However, Kyrou's 11.0% shooting percentage is 2.3 points lower than his career average, and he's dominating his minutes at five-on-five.
St. Louis owns 62.5% of the expected goals with Kyrou on the ice at five-on-five, and that number leads the team by a wide margin. Beyond that, Kyrou has proven he can be a perennial 70-point player, and he's only 27 years old. Yes, he's a winger with five years remaining on a rather expensive ($8.125 million) cap hit, but Kyrou could be a first-line force in the right situation. The good news for buyers is that the price tag may never be lower.
Elias Pettersson | C | Vancouver Canucks
Pettersson has gone from a 100-point player who received Hart Trophy votes in 2022-23 to being one of the most disappointing players in the league. Since the start last season, Pettersson has just 28 goals and 52 assists in 114 games. He exceeded those totals in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons individually. That makes Pettersson a Rorschach test where each team might see things a little differently.
Some playoff teams may see a broken player who carries an $11.6 million cap hit through 2031-32 -- hardly worth the acquisition cost and ensuing salary cap crunch. Other teams may see a dormant star whose trade value is in the tank. Can a team sweeten the deal enough to convince the Canucks to eat salary without giving away the farm? That may be the key here.
Ryan O'Reilly | C | Nashville Predators
If he's available, O'Reilly will be one of the hottest commodities on the trade market. A Stanley Cup champion and the 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, the veteran is playing at an extremely high level. The 35-year-old has 21 goals and 36 assists in 59 games, his five-on-five impacts are sparkling and he can play in all situations. Plus, O'Reilly has one year left on his contract at a very reasonable $4.5 million.
The question is whether outgoing Predators general manager Barry Trotz will actually trade O'Reilly. Nashville is in the thick of the playoff race in the West, and its center depth behind him is non-existent. Despite their increasing playoff chances, the Predators would be wise to trade O'Reilly, who could bring back a haul and set the team up for future success.
Jesper Wallstedt | G | Minnesota Wild
It's not often you see players from Stanley Cup contenders on these lists, but Wallstedt is one of the biggest trade chips Minnesota has left in its arsenal. Wallstedt, 23, has already shown his star potential and has one year left on his contract at $2.2 million. Because the Wild already have Filip Gustavsson signed through 2030-31, they have a logjam in the crease, and trading Wallstedt could help bring back a high-end skater.
In just 24 appearances this season, Wallstedt has saved 11.5 goals above average while posting a .912 save percentage. Any team that acquires Wallstedt would be securing the long-term future of its goaltending position. If the Wild want to land a top-six forward, Wallstedt could push a deal over the finish line.
MacKenzie Weegar | D | Calgary Flames
The Flames are in full sell mode, and while they don't have to trade Weegar, he would command a sizable return. While his minus-26 goal differential at five-on-five isn't very flattering, Weegar suffers from a miserable on-ice PDO and remains a strong top-four defenseman. After all, Weegar tallied 47 points while posting a plus-17 goal differential at full strength. The 32-year-old has five years remaining on his contract at $6.25 million per season, a fair price for a defenseman of his caliber and perfectly manageable thanks to a rising salary cap.
Perhaps the biggest issue for Calgary is that it already traded Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this season, so losing Weegar would really leave the blue line in rough shape. The Flames could always wait and make a deal in the offseason -- or the 2026-27 campaign -- if they don't get the offer they're looking for.
Robert Thomas | C | St. Louis Blues
The acquisition cost for Thomas, 26, might be high. He also might be worth it. Thomas is an elite playmaking center who posted 60 assists in back-to-back seasons from 2023-25. Thomas has battled injury in 2025-26, but his maximum impact could really be seen last year. In the 2024-25 campaign, Thomas tallied 81 points and posted a plus-21 goal differential at five-on-five. Thomas is owed $8.125 million per year over the next five seasons, but that should be an easy pill to swallow for any team looking for a good No. 1 center of an elite No. 2 center.
Thomas does have a no-trade clause, so he will have some say in his destination. Having said that, I have to imagine that there will be some Cup contenders in the mix to land Thomas, which means they would be appealing destinations for a a player firmly in his prime.
