2019 NHL Trade Deadline: What to Expect

The 2019 NHL Trade Deadline is approaching and there are a lot of rumors swirling around. Here’s what to expect on February 25th.

Introduction

The 2019 NHL trade deadline is just around the corner, and as always, there are plenty of rumours swirling around the league. Who will be on the move? Who will be staying put?

With so many teams still in the playoff hunt, it’s shaping up to be an interesting deadline day. Here’s a look at what to expect:

-Lots of activity: This is shaping up to be one of the busiest trade deadlines in recent memory. There are a lot of teams still in the hunt for a playoff spot, and as a result, there could be a lot of teams looking to make a move.

-High prices: With so many teams interested in making a move, prices are bound to be high. Don’t be surprised if we see some big names on the move, and don’t be surprised if they fetch a hefty return.

-Last minute deals: As always, there will likely be some last minute deals that go down right before the deadline. This is when things can really get interesting, so make sure you’re paying attention right up until 3:00 pm EST on February 25th.

2019 NHL Trade Deadline Preview

The NHL Trade deadline is less than a week away and there is plenty of speculation surrounding which teams will be buyers and sellers. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs are among the teams that are expected to be active.

Trades That Could Happen

The 2019 NHL Trade Deadline is just a few days away, and we could see some big trades happen before the 3 p.m. ET deadline on February 25. With that in mind, let’s take a look at six trades that could happen before the deadline.

1. The Winnipeg Jets trade defenseman Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers for defenseman Brady Skjei and a first-round draft pick

2. The Nashville Predators trade forward Kevin Fiala to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Max Domi and a second-round draft pick

3. The Pittsburgh Penguins trade forward Phil Kessel to the Arizona Coyotes for forwards Derek Stepan and Clayton Keller, and a first-round draft pick

4. The San Jose Sharks trade forward Gustav Nyquist to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Andreas Johnsson and a second-round draft pick

5. The Tampa Bay Lightning trade defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Florida Panthers for defenseman Aaron Ekblad

6. The Boston Bruins trade forward David Pastrnak to the Colorado Avalanche for defensemen Tyson Barrie and Nikita Zadorov, and a first-round draft pick

Trades That Should Happen

As the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline approaches, there are a few trades that many analysts and fans believe should happen. These proposed trades would help certain teams in their playoff push, while also increasing the level of competition throughout the league. Here are three 2019 NHL Trade Deadline trades that should happen:

1. The Tampa Bay Lightning should trade for Winnipeg Jets’ forward Kevin Hayes.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are currently first in the NHL standings, but they lack depth at center behind superstar Steven Stamkos. Adding Kevin Hayes would give the Lightning a much needed second-line center and would make them an even more dangerous team come playoff time.

2. The Toronto Maple Leafs should trade for Nashville Predators’ defenseman Ryan Ellis.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a good team, but they need to improve their defense if they want to be a true Stanley Cup contender. Trading for Ryan Ellis would give the Maple Leafs an experienced top-four defenseman who can provide some much needed stability on their backend.

3. The Boston Bruins should trade for Florida Panthers’ goaltender Roberto Luongo.
The Boston Bruins have been one of the best teams in the NHL this season, but their goaltending has been a weak spot. Tuukka Rask has been solid, but he cannot do it all by himself. Adding Roberto Luongo would give the Bruins another veteran goaltender who could help them in their quest for a Stanley Cup championship.

Trades That Won’t Happen

While we all love to speculate about who could get traded and where they might end up, let’s take a look at some trades that simply won’t happen. These are the types of trades that, for one reason or another, just don’t make sense and won’t happen.

1. The Big One for Pending UFAs
This is the trade where a team moves one or two big-name players who are set to become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) at the end of the season in order to get some assets in return rather than lose them for nothing in July. It’s a move that definitely makes sense from a business standpoint, but it’s also one that very rarely happens.

2. The Big One for Contractual Reasons
This is similar to the first type of trade, but instead of pending UFAs, it involves players with tricky contract situations. For example, a player who has a no-trade clause (NTC) or a limited no-trade clause (LNTC) in their contract and is unwilling to waive it. These types of players are often tough to move unless they’re willing to waive their NTC/LNTC, which is usually not the case.

3. The Big One for Salary Cap Reasons
The salary cap is always an issue when it comes to trades and there are often times when teams simply can’t make a trade work because of it. We’ve seen it happen countless times before where a team wants to make a trade but can’t because they don’t have enough cap space to take on the salary of the player they’re trying to acquire.

4. Blockbuster Trades Between Rivals
This is the type of trade that we all want to see but very rarely happens. It’s the blockbuster deal between two bitter rivals that completely shakes up the landscape of the league. We saw an example of this last year when the Pittsburgh Penguins traded defenseman Kris Letang to the Los Angeles Kings, but those types of deals are very few and far between.

Conclusion

The 2019 NHL trade deadline is less than a month away and there are already a number of big names being linked to potential moves. With the deadline falling on February 25th, there is sure to be a lot of activity in the days and weeks leading up to it.

So far this season, we’ve seen a number of blockbuster trades including the likes of Jeff Skinner, Taylor Hall, and Max Domi. With so many big names already on the move, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be next.

Below are some of the biggest names who could potentially be on the move before the deadline:

Artemi Panarin – The 27-year-old forward is in the final year of his contract and is currently buried on the Blue Jackets’ depth chart. He’s been linked to a number of teams, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be traded before the deadline.

Erik Karlsson – The 27-year-old defenseman is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has yet to sign an extension with the Sharks. He’s been linked to a number of teams, but it’s unclear if he’ll be traded before the deadline or if he’ll wait until after the season.

Tyler Toffoli – The 26-year-old forward is set to become a restricted free agent this summer and has yet to sign an extension with the Kings. He’s been linked to a number of teams, but it’s unclear if he’ll be traded before the deadline or if he’ll wait until after the season.