Nazem Kadri is returning to the Colorado Avalanche. The team finalized the acquisition of the 35-year-old player from the retooling Calgary Flames on Friday, just before the NHL trade deadline.
In addition, Colorado obtained a fourth-round draft selection in 2027 from the Flames. Calgary, agreeing to cover 20 percent of Kadri’s wages, secured forward Victor Olofsson, the contract rights for prospect Max Curran who remains unsigned, a conditional first-round pick in the 2028 draft, and a conditional second-round pick for 2027.
Kadri, known as a tenacious center, makes his comeback to the franchise where he secured the Stanley Cup championship in 2022.
Throughout the 2025-26 season, the 35-year-old veteran has accumulated 12 goals and 41 total points over 61 appearances.
St. Louis trades veteran leader to New York Islanders
On Friday, the New York Islanders finalized an agreement with the St. Louis Blues for the acquisition of adaptable forward Brayden Schenn, who chose to forgo his no-trade protection to enable the transaction. Coincidentally, both organizations were lodged in the same hotel in San Jose, California.
For their part, the Blues gained first and third-round selections in the 2026 draft, alongside forward Jonathan Drouin and an emerging talent.
Schenn, a Cup winner in 2019 and the St. Louis captain for the last three years, integrates into a Long Island roster bolstered by exceptional rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who has invigorated the team since they won the draft lottery and selected him as their top choice.
During the 2025-26 campaign, the 34-year-old pivot’s contribution to the struggling Blues amounted to 12 goals and 16 assists, totaling 28 points across 61 appearances.Minnesota obtains Nick Foligno
Nick Foligno will reunite with his sibling, Marcus, on the Minnesota Wild roster, as the team initiated NHL trade deadline activities with a pair of transactions aimed at achieving long-awaited postseason triumphs.
The Wild are bringing in Foligno from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to Friday’s cutoff. This transaction, verified by Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill, is anticipated to involve undisclosed future assets, as the retooling club is granting its 38-year-old captain an opportunity to both join his brother and pursue the coveted Stanley Cup.
“The current period emphasizes roster depth, role clarity, and motivating players to exceed their perceived limits,” Nick Foligno remarked to Sportsnet. “I am enthusiastic about undertaking this with a team I inherently care about, especially with my brother as part of it.”
The Wild, a team that has not progressed past the initial playoff round since 2015 and recorded only a single journey beyond the second round in their entire franchise existence in 2003, have engaged in continuous activity throughout the week. Prior to securing Foligno, they obtained forward Bobby Brink from Philadelphia, dispatching defenseman David Jiricek to the Flyers in return.
Bill Guerin, Minnesota’s general manager, recently having assembled the United States squad that clinched gold at the Milano-Cortina Olympics, has maintained a busy schedule this entire week. He successfully picked up forward Robby Fabbri via waivers from St. Louis and executed exchanges with Nashville for center Michael McCarron, and with Florida for defenseman Jeff Petry, thereby addressing several roster depth requirements and enhancing their performance in faceoffs, a notable area of deficiency for the Wild.
Corey Perry rejoins Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Lightning welcomed back a well-known player by acquiring Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2028 second-round draft selection. The 40-year-old forward previously skated for the Lightning from 2021 to 2023, during which time he participated in the 2022 Stanley Cup final.
Deadline day sees a market favorable to selling teams
Given that players such as Vincent Trocheck, Nazem Kadri, Justin Faulk, and potentially Robert Thomas, remain available, teams looking to offload assets seemed to hold the advantage, commanding elevated prices and compelling playoff-aspiring buyers to consider various alternatives.
Trocheck continues to be a part of the New York Rangers, a team that dealt Sam Carrick to Buffalo. Toronto features several athletes available for trade. Meanwhile, St. Louis is actively engaged in transactions, with nearly every member of its lineup, from Thomas and Faulk to Colton Parayko and Jordan Binnington, accessible for the appropriate compensation.
Toronto benched three individuals — forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann, along with defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson — for their last two contests, a precautionary measure to avert potential injuries. It’s plausible that one, two, or all three of these players might be moved before 3 p.m. EST.
Carlson’s move to Anaheim highlighted overnight transactions
John Carlson is headed to the Anaheim Ducks, a component of an unexpected agreement struck with the Washington Capitals shortly after midnight. Anaheim dispatched a conditional first-round draft selection, applicable to either the current or subsequent year’s draft, in addition to a third-rounder in 2027, to Washington in exchange for Carlson, a 36-year-old defenseman who has exclusively competed for the Capitals since 2009 and contributed to their 2018 Stanley Cup victory.
Carlson’s current contract expires this year, making him an impending free agent, yet his departure before the deadline was not widely anticipated. He aligns with the Ducks as the team endeavors to conclude a seven-season absence from the postseason.
“John Carlson contributes leadership, strong character, advanced hockey intelligence, and a significant presence to our team composition,” stated Pat Verbeek, the Ducks’ general manager. “We are immensely pleased to incorporate a Stanley Cup champion to enhance our roster and facilitate a strong surge during the season’s concluding phase.”
Additionally, during the night, the Sabres acquired defensemen Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley from Winnipeg, concurrently, the Blue Jackets emerged victorious in a competitive offer process to secure winger Conor Garland from Vancouver.
On the verge of concluding an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, the Sabres dispatched forward Isak Rosen, defenseman Jacob Bryson, a fourth-round pick in 2026, and a second-rounder in 2027 to the Jets in exchange for Schenn and Stanley. Furthermore, they acquired Carrick by offering third and sixth-round selections.
Despite failing to finalize an agreement with the Blues for Parayko, who utilized his no-trade provision to decline a move to Buffalo, the Sabres have nonetheless strengthened numerous depth positions without impacting their primary group of players.
Columbus forwarded a third-round selection in the upcoming draft and a second-round pick in 2028 to the Canucks for Garland, the winger approaching his 30th birthday who had garnered attention from several Eastern Conference teams vying for contention.
What organizations are still seeking to complete transactions?
A significant portion of Friday’s trade activity might originate from the Eastern Conference, considering that many prominent Western teams concluded their acquisition efforts earlier in the week. Edmonton, a two-time consecutive Stanley Cup finalist, is anticipated to be finished after bolstering its defensive corps with Connor Murphy and acquiring defensive-minded center Jason Dickinson in distinct exchanges with Chicago; Dallas executed deals for Tyler Myers and Michael Bunting; and the league-leading Colorado addressed its most pressing need at center by obtaining Nicolas Roy from Toronto.
Minnesota has made supplementary additions, yet the Wild continue their search for a premier top-six center capable of assisting them in competing effectively against the Stars and Avalanche to navigate the formidable Central Division.
Carolina and Tampa Bay currently lead a highly competitive Eastern Conference and, alongside Detroit, appear to be contenders for Trocheck and other available players. The Sabres, who made ambitious but unsuccessful bids for Parayko and his Blues colleague Robert Thomas, might also engage in further dealings.
The Utah Mammoth, aiming for their inaugural playoff berth since relocating to Salt Lake City, enhanced their defensive strength by securing Mackenzie Weegar from Calgary, while also possessing a wealth of draft selections, developing players, and salary cap flexibility to execute another significant transaction.
Florida Panthers offering roster talent
Florida, following consecutive Stanley Cup victories and three consecutive appearances in the final, is trending towards missing the postseason, a scenario not seen for a reigning champion since Los Angeles in 2015. Captain Aleksander Barkov’s torn ACL initiated a cascade of injuries that disrupted the Panthers’ campaign, transforming them into unanticipated sellers.
Consequently, they stand out as a team deserving attention in the closing moments. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is approaching unrestricted free agency, however, it seems more probable that depth forward A.J. Greer will be moved, in addition to a few other players.
