2026 NHL Trade Deadline: Pacific Division preview
It’s the final chance for teams to upgrade their rosters for the stretch run of the NHL season as we get nearer to the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline on Friday, March 6.
Vegas, Anaheim and Edmonton top the Pacific Division, while Seattle currently holds the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.
But, of all the divisions in the NHL, the Pacific holds the most teams that should be willing to sell at the trade deadline.
Let’s dive in.
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Anaheim Ducks
Deadline status: Moderate buyer
The Anaheim Ducks have taken a major step forward this season, led by a trio of young studs in Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke.
While it’s been an impressive regular season for the Ducks, they’re likely not ready to make a big run in the playoffs, so I have them pegged as moderate buyers.
Adding some skill to Anaheim’s middle-six forward group would really help the depth of this team. I look at players like Alex Laferriere and Jared McCann as strong wingers with scoring touch, although acquiring players from within the division could be difficult.
Calgary Flames
Deadline status: Sell the farm
Sitting 10 points out of the playoff picture, it’s time for the Calgary Flames to go scorched earth with a full-blown rebuild.
Calgary has a chance to recoup a ton of assets as Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman are expected to be among the most desirable trade options for contending teams.
The Flames already moved Rasmus Andersson to Vegas, while Ryan Lomberg is also likely to be traded as a pending UFA. Get ready for the pain Calgary fans because this trade deadline is about helping the Flames be competitive years down the road.
Edmonton Oilers
Deadline status: Buyer
The Edmonton Oilers are third in the Pacific not because of how good they are, but because of how bad the division is.
But, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their prime, Edmonton has to be aggressive to upgrade a roster that needs help everywhere. A goalie swap with Pittsburgh to bring in Tristan Jarry hasn’t gone well, with the Oilers already linked to potentially flipping Jarry for St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington.
Edmonton is in a tough spot as they’ve burned a lot of draft and prospect capital to make runs to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. This years team isn’t nearly as deep as the last two seasons and they have less to offer in any potential trades. It’s bleak in Oil country.
Los Angeles Kings
Deadline status: Buyer
The L.A. Kings just fired head coach Jim Hiller and replaced him with D.J. Smith on an interim basis, signalling they’re not ready to give up on the season despite sitting three points out of the playoffs.
L.A. already established themselves as buyers by trading for Artemi Panarin, but they still need help after losing Kevin Fiala to a season-ending injury at the Olympics.
The Kings are in a cap crunch with roughly $2 million in space to add to the roster. The best move might be to take a risk on a player like Seattle’s Shane Wright, whose value is low at the moment.
San Jose Sharks
Deadline status: Buyer
The San Jose Sharks have taken a leap forward this year and sit three points out of the playoffs in large part because of 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who has more than double the points (83) of his next closest teammate, Will Smith (41).
San Jose finds themselves in a situation very similar to Anaheim. The Sharks have shown a lot of improvement in the regular season, but they’re far from playoff contenders, so I expect them to focus on adding pieces that contribute long-term rather than pending UFAs.
San Jose has the picks and prospects to go big-game hunting and I think everything is on the table, including Elias Pettersson in Vancouver, Robert Thomas in St. Louis and MacKenzie Weegar in Calgary.
Seattle Kraken
Deadline status: Moderate buyer
The Seattle Kraken currently hold down the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, which means they will be buyers, but they continue to be a team stuck in the middle. They’re too good to get franchise-altering players in the draft, but not good enough to truly contend for a Stanley Cup.
Seattle is in a nice spot when it comes to trade capital as they have plenty of prospects and high draft picks to offer, however, they don’t have a ton of cap space.
The Kraken reportedly went hard after Panarin this year, so I expect them to target a star player. They could go after Elias Pettersson, but that seems like more of an off-season move.
Vancouver Canucks
Deadline status: Whatever the level below scorched earth is
The Vancouver Canucks are dead last in the NHL and it’s not close, with a 10-point gap separating them and the next closest team, St. Louis.
Vancouver hasn’t used the word “rebuild”, but that’s clearly what’s happening with the trade of superstar Quinn Hughes to Minnesota earlier this season.
For the deadline, pending UFAs like Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger and David Kampf have to go. And while Elias Pettersson could get moved, it seems more like an off-season decision.
Vegas Golden Knights
Deadline status: Buyer
The Vegas Golden Knights have been all-in every year of their existence and that will be no different now as they lead the Pacific Division.
The salary cap is the biggest enemy for Vegas right now as they have the least projected space in the NHL. However, that’s never been a problem for the Golden Knights, who always seem to find a way to land an impact player at the trade deadline.
While injuries have hurt the forward group, Vegas’ biggest roster weakness is goaltending. Names like Jordan Binnington and Sergei Bobrovsky have been floated around and while I have no idea how they would make it work, I’ll never count out the Golden Knights when it comes to acquiring the player they want.