With less than 24 hours remaining until the 2026 NHL trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 6, several teams made moves to bolster their rosters or acquire draft capital. Key deals included forwards Warren Foegele and Michael Bunting changing teams, while defensemen like MacKenzie Weegar and Tyler Myers found new homes with playoff contenders. These transactions reflect teams positioning themselves amid a competitive playoff race.
The 2026 NHL trade deadline approached with a flurry of activity on March 5, as teams navigated contract protections, salary cap constraints, and the new playoff salary cap rules. The Los Angeles Kings traded winger Warren Foegele, who had requested a change of scenery, to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick. Foegele, 29, signed through 2027 at a $3.5 million cap hit, brings secondary scoring and penalty-killing experience from his time with the Edmonton Oilers' recent Stanley Cup Final runs, despite a down season with seven goals in 47 games.
The Nashville Predators sent winger Michael Bunting to the Dallas Stars for a 2026 third-round pick originally belonging to Seattle. Bunting, 30, in the final year of his $4.5 million contract, has 13 goals and 31 points in 61 games, adding left-wing depth behind Jason Robertson for the Stars, who sought more scoring punch.
In a significant defensive addition, the Utah Mammoth acquired defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Olli Maatta, forward prospect Jonathan Castagna, and three 2026 second-round picks. Weegar, 32, provides a right-shot puck-mover on an eight-year, $50 million deal. The Dallas Stars also bolstered their blue line by trading for defenseman Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks, sending a 2027 second-round pick and a 2029 fourth-round pick while retaining 50 percent of Myers' salary.
Other notable deals included the Toronto Maple Leafs trading center Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional 2027 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick; the Chicago Blackhawks sending forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach to the Edmonton Oilers for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 first-round pick; and the Florida Panthers dealing veteran defenseman Jeff Petry to the Minnesota Wild for a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick, which upgrades to a fifth if certain playoff conditions are met.
The Blackhawks also traded defenseman Connor Murphy to the Oilers for a 2028 second-round pick, while the Predators moved forward Michael McCarron to the Wild for a 2028 second-round pick. These moves highlight sellers like the Predators and Blackhawks acquiring future assets, while buyers such as the Stars, Mammoth, and Oilers aim to strengthen playoff pushes. St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko exercised his no-trade clause to block a deal to the Buffalo Sabres, per reports. As the deadline nears, rumors swirl around players like Sergei Bobrovsky and Robert Thomas, but confirmed trades underscore strategic roster adjustments across the league.
