Tracking every completed deal before the 2020 NHL trade deadline

The NHL trade deadline is upon us. Here are all the trades that have been made before the deadline at the end of February.

After a long road to get to this point, the 2020 NHL trade deadline is here.

It’s hard to say just how many trades will be made before the upcoming NHL trade deadline on Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. EDT. This season, it seems as if there are very few high-profile names on the trade block, with NHL general managers looking more for players to stick around long-term than pure rentals to bolster their Stanley Cup chances.

Since the December trade that sent Taylor Hall to Arizona, there have only been a handful of middle-tier assets that have been put on the trade block. New York’s Chris Kreider wants to stay with the Rangers, but if the team falls out of contention they’ll likely trade him away to a contender.

The Penguins, as everyone predicted, made the first major splash of the trade deadline two weeks ago, getting Wild forward Jason Zucker in a trade that sent Alex Galchenyuk to Minnesota.

Kings’ forward Tyler Toffoli was sent to the Vancouver Canucks last week, ushering in the latest major move an NHL team has made before the deadline this season. Canadiens forward Ilya Kovalchuk was also dealt before the deadline, as Montreal sent him to the Capitals on Sunday evening.

Here is every major NHL trade you need to know about as the upcoming deadline comes into view.

Feb. 24

OILERS ADD GOALTENDING DEPTH

GOLDEN KNIGHTS ACQUIRE DZIERKALS

ISLANDERS, MAPLE LEAFS COMPLETE MINOR LEAGUE DEAL

COYOTES LAND AHL FORWARD DEPTH

CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA SWAP MINOR LEAGUERS

CALGARY SENDS DAVIDSON TO SAN JOSE

COUSINS TRADED FROM CANADIENS TO GOLDEN KNIGHTS

WASHINGTON NABS SPRONG FROM ANAHEIM

NASHVILLE, ANAHEIM SWAP DEFENSEMEN

CANUCKS LAND GOALTENDING DEPTH FROM DEVILS

TAMPA BAY ADDS GOODROW

BRADY SKJEI HEADS TO CAROLINA

BLUE JACKETS ADD SHORE

LEHNER LANDS IN VEGAS

HURRICANES NAB VATANEN FROM NEW JERSEY

FLORIDA ADDS ON DEFENSE

SHEARY RETURNS TO PITTSBURGH

CHICAGO MOVES ON FROM GUSTAFSSON 

FORBORT PICKED UP BY FLAMES

ENNIS LANDS WITH THE OILERS

ATHANASIOU HEADS TO EDMONTON

The Oilers have picked up a stellar top-line winger to slot in alongside McDavid for their upcoming playoff push. Athanasiou is a speedy winger that automatically gives the Oilers a more lethal bump to their top line alongside the already slippery McDavid.

Detroit may have wanted to keep Athanasiou, who has 24 points in 46 games this season, for their future, but the Red Wings rebuild will benefit more from the pair of draft picks they acquired in the trade.

EDMONTON GRADE: A
DETROIT GRADE: B+

OTTAWA GETS PECA FROM MONTREAL

BRUINS, DUCKS SWAP FORWARDS IN ONE-FOR-ONE DEAL

BUFFALO TRADES FOR WAYNE SIMMONDS

The Sabres are eight points out of a wild card spot entering Monday, and yet Buffalo traded for Simmonds in a move that does not fit their situation. Simmonds is an upcoming free agent this summer, with the possibility of signing in Buffalo in the future, but the team gave up a fifth-round pick in 2021 to barely move the needle in terms of their playoff standings.

At least on the New Jersey side, they picked up a mid-round pick for Simmonds in a lost season.

BUFFALO GRADE: C-
NEW JERSEY GRADE: B-

FLYERS NET FORWARD DEPTH IN GRANT

TORONTO ADDS TO THEIR DEFENSE WITH ROSEN

MARLEAU TRADED TO PITTSBURGH IN QUEST FOR STANLEY CUP

FLYERS ADD VETERAN DEPTH IN THOMPSON

HURRICANES LAND TROCHECK FOR FOUR PLAYERS

SENATORS MAKE BANK TRADING AWAY PAGEAU

Pageau is a great fit for the Islanders, who is a defensive-minded forward but has 40 points (24 goals) in 60 games this season while shooting at a career-high 17.8 percent this season. The Islanders pay a hefty price, but are in the midst of a playoff push and needed to make a move to separate from the pack in the Metropolitan Division. In return, the Senators grab three draft picks, including a first and a second in this year’s draft.

Ottawa may also end up with three first-round picks this summer, as well. Quite the haul for a selling team.

NEW YORK GRADE: B
OTTAWA GRADE: A

NAMESTNIKOV SENT TO COLORADO FOR A PICK

GREEN GOES TO EDMONTON

Feb. 23

KOVALCHUK TRADED TO WASHINGTON

Ilya Kovalchuk finds a home in Washington for the rest of the season in a great deal for the Capitals. Exchanging just a third-round pick in this year’s draft is a great swap for Washington, who plans to contend for a Stanley Cup once again.

Kovalchuk adds depth to the Capitals offense, who has had 13 points in 22 games since signing with the Canadiens earlier this season. Montreal has fallen out of playoff contention, so letting Kovalchuk go to the Capitals while adding a third-round pick in this year’s draft is a nice pickup as well.

WASHINGTON GRADE: A
MONTREAL GRADE: A

Feb. 21

GOLDEN KNIGHTS’ EAKIN SENT TO WINNIPEG

BOSTON PACKAGES BACKES TO ANAHEIM FOR KASE

Boston likely saw the price for Kreider skyrocket over the last few days, and instead opted to deal with Anaheim for forward Ondrej Kase. The Bruins send David Backes and his albatross of a contract to the Ducks, along with a defensive prospect and this season’s first-round pick.

Anaheim, coming into the trade deadline, were expected to take on a team’s bad contract in exchange for a prospect and a future pick. However, Kase is a good, young player, who scored 20 goals in 66 games for Anaheim during the 2017-18 season as a 22-year-old. The Bruins add an impact player to their middle-six and get rid of some salary cap in the process. Anaheim was never going to win a trade as lopsided as this.

ANAHEIM GRADE: C
BOSTON GRADE: A

Feb. 20

PENGUINS CONTINUE TO MAKE SMALL DEALS

Feb. 19

MARTINEZ HEADS TO VEGAS

MAPLE LEAFS, PANTHERS TRADE AHL FORWARDS

Feb. 18

SCANDELLA LANDS IN ST. LOUIS

WASHINGTON UPGRADES THEIR BLUE LINE

WINNIPEG SNAGS A DEFENSEMAN

HURRICANES, RANGERS EXCHANGE PROSPECTS

Feb. 17

TOFFOLI LANDS WITH THE CANUCKS

Vancouver drops a lot of assets to take Tyler Toffoli from Los Angeles. The Canucks are in a heated battle with the majority of the Pacific Division for a playoff spot, and Toffoli no doubt gives them a bump to their top-six with his offensive production.

The Kings get back a salary dump in Schaller, but add an exciting prospect in Madden to their already deep pool of young talent and get a second-round pick this year as well. The price is high for Vancouver to nab Toffoli, who is an upgrade, but if the forward decides to test free agency this summer, the price may not be worth it if the Canucks aren’t hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.

VANCOUVER GRADE: C
LOS ANGELES GRADE: B+

Feb. 16

TAMPA BAY NABS COLEMAN FROM NJ

New Jersey stays busy before the trade deadline, sending forward Blake Coleman to Tampa Bay as the Lightning bolster their offense with a middle-six forward. The Lightning pay a big price to add Coleman, who will have one year left on his contract at a $1.8 million cap hit after this season, but are adding a 20-goal scorer to their roster in an attempt to fill out their Stanley Cup contending team.

The Devils lose a fan-favorite in Coleman, but add a 2020 first-round pick and a highly-touted prospect in Foote to their pool for the future. A solid trade for both sides that fills a need.

NEW JERSEY GRADE: A
TAMPA BAY GRADE: B+

DEVILS SAY GOODBYE TO THEIR CAPTAIN

New Jersey has said goodbye to five-year captain Andy Greene, as they found a suitor for the 37-year-old defenseman. This is a very Lou Lamoriello trade for the Islanders, as the New York general manager gave up a lot (a second round pick!!!) to add depth to the team’s bottom pairing.

The price for defensemen is alway high at the trade deadline, but the Islanders may have overpaid here for a player that will most likely only add help at the margins.

NEW JERSEY GRADE: B
NEW YORK GRADE: C-

Feb. 10

PITTSBURGH LANDS ZUCKER

The first major trade of the 2020 deadline! The Penguins fill a need in their top-six, grabbing Zucker in exchange for a hefty sum. Zucker is an immediate upgrade to the Penguins offense, possibly slotting in next to Sidney Crosby on the team’s top line. The loss of Galchenyuk won’t hurt as much, as the forward missed extended time with Pittsburgh this season, playing just 45 games and netting only 17 points.

In return, the Wild snag a stellar defensive prospect in 19-year-old Addison, who the Penguins selected at No. 53 in the second round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The addition of Addison fills a prospect need for Minnesota, whose cupboard is quite bare in terms of young talent.

PITTSBURGH GRADE: A
MINNESOTA GRADE: A

Feb. 5

TORONTO GETS A GOALIE

With Frederik Andersen out due to injury, Toronto nabbed Jack Campbell to replace Michael Hutchinson in net as the team’s backup. Campbell is a serviceable backup, and likely better than Hutchinson all things considered, but may not tip the scales in the end. Kyle Clifford is an ancillary bottom-six add for the Maple Leafs as well, with Toronto losing a piece they were likely never going to utilize in Trevor Moore.

TORONTO GRADE: B
LOS ANGELES GRADE: C+

Jan. 17

PENGUINS, STARS SWAP AHL CONTRACTS

Jan. 2

FLAMES FORGO FROLIK

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