When is the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline?

The NHL Trade Deadline is a day to circle on the calendar. Every year, the NHL sets a deadline for the last day that teams can make trades for the season. The trade deadline is towards the end of the season, leaving some time for players who were traded at the deadline to acclimate to their new team.

Exciting trades happen just ahead of the deadline every year. In the 2022-23 season, the deadline was March 3, 2023. Many trades happened in the two weeks leading up to the deadline but we saw an incredible 21 trades happening on the actual day.

One of the biggest deals ahead of the 2023 deadline was a three-team trade that sent Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks to the New Jersey Devils. Another big trade saw Patrick Kane moving from the Chicago Blackhawks to the New York Rangers. A notable deadline day trade was John Klingberg being traded from the Anaheim Ducks to the Minnesota Wild.

When is the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline?

In the 2023-24 season, the NHL Trade Deadline is Friday, March 8, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. ET. While 3:00 is the cutoff time, some trades that are inked right at the deadline might not be reported until after 3:00. The deadline comes about six weeks before the end of the regular season, which is April 18.

The NHL intentionally set this year’s deadline to avoid interfering with scheduled games. There are fewer games taking place on the day of the deadline than last season. All four NHL games taking place that day will start at 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. ET. This means organizations will be able to sort out trades by the deadline with plenty of time between the cutoff time and when a game begins.

The final two weeks ahead of the deadline tend to be very busy for teams looking to fill holes in their lineups ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs, gain draft picks for rebuilding, or shed salary. Strong players on teams that are at the bottom of the standings are always trade targets for possible Stanley Cup contenders.

Some teams will be buyers, and some teams will be sellers. It’s often clear which way it’ll go for a team early on, while other teams may not know what their trade deadline will look like until late in the season if their playoff hopes could go either way. The days leading up to March 8, 2024, are sure to be filled with anticipation and exciting news.