The NHL trade deadline on March 6, 2026, saw several deals, including two involving Swedish players. Timothy Liljegren moved from the San Jose Sharks to the Washington Capitals, while Victor Olofsson was part of a larger trade sending him from the Colorado Avalanche to the Calgary Flames. Nazem Kadri returned to the Avalanche in that blockbuster exchange.
The NHL trade deadline, set at 3 p.m. ET on March 6, 2026, resulted in 20 trades involving 33 players across the league. Among the moves, two Swedish players changed teams late in the evening.
Timothy Liljegren, a 26-year-old defenseman from Kristianstad, was acquired by the Washington Capitals from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in 2026, originally belonging to the Vegas Golden Knights. Liljegren had played 43 games for the Sharks this season, recording 11 points (1 goal, 10 assists) and blocking 83 shots, the second-most among Sharks defensemen. Originally drafted 17th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017, he has tallied 93 points in 307 NHL games with Toronto and San Jose.
In a major deal, Victor Olofsson, a 29-year-old forward, was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Calgary Flames as part of the return for Nazem Kadri. The Avalanche received Kadri and a 2027 fourth-round pick, while the Flames acquired Olofsson, the rights to unsigned draft pick Maxmilian Curran, a conditional 2028 first-round pick, and a conditional 2027 second-round pick. The Flames will retain 20% of Kadri's $7 million cap hit. Olofsson posted 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 60 games for Colorado this season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent afterward. Kadri, who won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022, had 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in 61 games for Calgary.
Other notable trades included Corey Perry moving from the Los Angeles Kings to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2028 second-round pick, with the Kings retaining 50% of his salary; Ryan Strome from the Anaheim Ducks to the Calgary Flames for a 2027 seventh-round pick; and Nick Foligno from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations, reuniting him with his brother Marcus.
Separately, the Edmonton Oilers announced that Swedish forward Mattias Janmark's season is over due to surgery, freeing up $1.45 million in cap space before the deadline. Janmark, who joined in 2022, is expected to return for the 2026-27 season.
