NHL Trade Deadline Moves: 5 Bold Decisions That Shaped the NHL’s Future

Maple Leafs Solidify Their Defense for the Future

Trade deadline: The Maple Leafs have a strong top four, with Tanev next to McCabe and Rielly next to Carlo, and a No. 2 pairing in Rielly-Carlo that can check off secondary defensive matchups. They have added a strong defender who should provide a meaningful boost on the penalty kill, and Carlo will step into PK minutes there that went to Conor Timmins. Carlo is signed for two more seasons at $3.48 million, and the Leafs have nailed things on the back end for the foreseeable future. On the other hand, the Montreal Canadiens rookie defenceman Lane Hutson was sitting by himself on the bench at the Scotiabank Saddledome, ready to go practice.

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Canadiens’ Rookie Hutson Reflects Montreal’s Rebuilding Spirit

The Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki arrived a few minutes later, shared a few words with Hutson, and stepped on the ice. The practice was scheduled for 1 p.m. Mountain Time, right at the trade deadline. It was not a coincidence. And Hutson not wanting to go on the ice by himself was symbolic of that timing. Among Islanders fans’ emotions late on Thursday night was a feeling of relief: After three-plus seasons of muddling along, taking an equal number of steps forward as backward, the Islanders embraced change.

Lou Lamoriello, who had prioritized keeping his high-character core together too long after the successful seasons from 2018-2021, finally accepted reality and sold high on one of his best players. The return was terrific, with a top-notch prospect in center Calum Ritchie, who might just be ready for a shot at a roster spot in September, plus the Avalanche’s 2026 first-round pick. The last time the Islanders had two firsts in a draft was 2018, Lamoriello’s first summer on the job, which brought Oliver Wahlstrom at 11 and Noah Dobson at 12. Once the Nelson deal was completed late Thursday, the anticipation of Friday loomed.

Wild Watch as Division Rivals Make Big Moves at Trade Deadline

Would Lamoriello find a suitor for Kyle Palmieri, J-G Pageau, or even captain Anders Lee might have drawn a few calls. A seller’s market would have yielded a number of futures for the Islanders. GM Bill Guerin on the Wild’s trade deadline had to sit on the periphery and watch division rivals like the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche swing for the fences and announce to 30 other teams they’re each trying to win a Stanley Cup this year. If the Avs pass the injury-riddled Wild during this final month, the Stars and Avs may face each other right off the hop and one will not even get out of the first round.

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Blue Jackets’ GM Sticks to the Plan, Holds onto Key Pieces

GM Don Waddell on the Blue Jackets’ trade deadline: ‘This group is special’. Waddell has told rival GMs that he wasn’t going to trade away significant assets from his surprisingly competitive club, but there were two text exchanges with Blue Jackets players early on Friday that reassured him he was on the right track. He said that the team is at a different stage than those teams, and the leadership in that room has gotten them to where they are today.

GM Daniel Briere on the Flyers’ trade deadline: Since he took over nearly two years ago as the Philadelphia Flyers’ general manager, Daniel Briere has methodically subtracted players that he believed didn’t fit in with what the team was building or the culture they were trying to instill.