Aarif Deen
The Central Division has led the NHL for most of the season. Specifically, the Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild. That group has often held three of the top six spots in the league, if not the top three.
They’re all looking to take that next step. For each franchise, it’s an all-in, Stanley Cup or bust year. The Avs have held that label since winning it all in 2022. The Dallas Stars, who have fallen short in the Western Conference Final in three consecutive seasons, are also in the same boat.
The Minnesota Wild weren’t necessarily there to start the season, but by making the biggest in-season move of the year — acquiring Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks — it’s safe to include them in that category.
Each of them has also made additions in the days leading up to the trade deadline. With less than 48 hours separating the NHL from the 1 p.m. MT deadline, there’s an expectation that more could be coming.
The Avs are rumored to be going hard at reacquiring Nazem Kadri to shore up their center depth. Kadri, who won the Stanley Cup in Colorado in 2022, would also be a good fit for the Minnesota Wild. But it looks more like Bill Guerin is focused on enticing Vincent Trocheck to accept a trade to the Eastern Conference.
As for the Dallas Stars, it’s anybody’s guess what they’ve got in mind. With Tyler Seguin officially on season-ending long-term injury reserve, the Stars opened up several million in additional cap space. The trade they made on Wednesday didn’t nearly eat up much of that.
Then there’s the Utah Mammoth. As they look to qualify for the postseason for the first time since moving from Arizona, the Mammoth are all-in on making a splash. And they made perhaps the biggest trade on Wednesday.
Here’s what the Central Division has done as of Wednesday evening.
Colorado Avalanche
Starting with the No. 1 team in the league, the Avs cleared cap space nearly two weeks ago when they swapped Samuel Girard for Brett Kulak. But on Wednesday, general manager Chris MacFarland addressed his depth defense role outside of his main six.
The Avs sent a fifth-round draft pick in 2027 to the Nashville Predators in exchange for 27-year-old defenseman Nick Blankenburg. With a league minimum cap hit ($775,000), the Blankenburg addition didn’t take up much of Colorado’s available cap space and fills the role of the No. 7 defenseman. MarFarland still has upwards of $9 million in cap space to work with.
Dallas Stars
Winners of 10 straight games for the first time in franchise history, the Stars made one notable move on Wednesday, and could do more before hosting the Avs on Friday night after the deadline.
Dallas shipped second and fourth-round draft picks to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for veteran right-shot defenseman Tyler Myers. The Canucks are also retaining 50% of Myers’ remaining contract, which means the Stars will get him for just $1.5 million against the cap for the rest of this year and for 2026-27.
Myers is the latest in a long line of RHD additions that the Stars have made in recent years. Last year they tried Cody Ceci before letting him walk as a UFA. In 2024, they signed both Ilya Lyubushkin and Matt Dumba. The latter only lasted a year, and the former has been their best true right-shot defenseman since.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild already needed help down the middle entering the season. That need grew when Marco Rossi was one of the key pieces sent to Vancouver for Hughes.
While a No. 2 center is still on their shopping list, the Wild struck a deal earlier in the week, acquiring bottom-six center Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators for a second-round draft pick. It’s a hefty price to pay for a depth piece who has 12 points in 59 games. But at 6’6, 232 lbs, McCarron is a big body that was likely a necessity for the Wild to acquire ahead of what should be a physical series against the Stars in the first round.
Utah Mammoth
The Mammoth stole the league headlines on Wednesday, when they announced that Mackenzie Weegar was on his way to Utah from the Calgary Flames.
The 32-year-old veteran right-shot defenseman will add to an already talented blueline led by Mikhail Sergachev, Sean Durzi, and John Marino.
In return, the Flames received veteran defenseman Olli Maatta, prospect Jonathan Costagna, and three 2026 second-round draft picks.
Nashville Predators
The Preds are in sell mode, as we’ve seen with two of their depth pieces sent to division rivals. While they’re still trying to make a run for a playoff spot, Nashville is also trying to take advance of some of its trade assets on expiring deals.
Blankenburg netted the Preds a fifth-round pick. McCarron got them a second. And forward Cole Smith, who was sent to Vegas, brought in a third-round pick.
There are teams circling around Erik Haula, and potentially even Ryan O’Reilly, too.
Winnipeg Jets
Kevin Chevaldayoff has not made any trades since trade deadline day last year. I would assume that changes by Friday.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have taken advantage of Stan Bowman’s desperation in Edmonton. After acquiring a 2028 second-round draft pick for Connor Murphy earlier in the week, Chicago struck another deal with the Oilers on Wednesday and used its cap space to its advantage.
The Blackhawks sent depth center Jason Dickinson with 50% retention and forward Colton Dach to the Oilers for Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2027 or 2028.
Dickinson has 13 points in 47 games, but will certainly help shore up the Oilers’ defensive game in the bottom six. And Mangiapane, who signed with Edmonton over the summer, was a cap dump by the Oilers. Acquiring his $3.6 million cap hit for this year and next is likely what helped the Blackhawks net a first-round pick.
St. Louis Blues
That brings us to the last-place St. Louis Blues. They were all over the news on Wednesday, but have yet to announce a trade. It does sound like they’re close on at least one.
The Blues traded Nick Bugstad to the New Jersey Devils for a fourth-round pick before the Olympic break. Now, they’ve got more notable names on the market. We’re talking Robert Thomas, Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, and even Jordan Binnington.
Parayko is the key player to follow. Several NHL Insiders reported that there is a deal on the table that would send Parayko to the Buffalo Sabres for a package that includes a first-round pick and highly touted prospect Radim Mrtka. None of those pieces are confirmed yet, and the whole trade is being held up because Parayko has not yet waived his no-trade clause to accept the deal.
The 32-year-old towering right-shot defenseman has four more years remaining on his deal, carrying a $6.35 million AAV.