Welcome to Trade Deadline Day. After 1:00 PM MT on Friday, teams loading up for a playoff run will no longer be able to trade for players from other clubs.

In other words, whatever your roster looks like by the end of today is the one you’re taking into the stretch drive.

The Edmonton Oilers already made a couple of moves earlier this week, adding Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson, and Colton Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks. Some Pacific Division rivals have also been active, with the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames leaning fully into seller mode while the Anaheim Ducks added a top defender with Stanley Cup pedigree.

Ducks acquire Carlson from Capitals

Sitting on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture with a quarter of the season left to play, the Washington Capitals moved soon-to-be UFA defenceman John Carlson to the Ducks in exchange for a conditional first-round draft pick and another third-rounder.

Selected in the first round of the 2008 draft, Carlson has spent his entire 17-season NHL career with the Capitals to this point, racking up 771 points over 1,143 regular-season games and 78 points in 137 playoff games. The 36-year-old helped Washington win its first-ever Stanley Cup in 2018, and ranks second in team history in games played and fifth in points.

The Ducks, who sit second in the Pacific Division with a 34-24-3 record, are looking to snap a seven-year playoff drought. Adding a player with Carlson’s excellent puck-moving ability and strong shot from the point should help Anaheim’s power play, which sits below league average at 18.2 percent. Carlson is also expected to slot into a top-four role immediately, giving the team another veteran presence alongside its young core.

Sabres pivot to Schenn and Stanley

After missing out on Colton Parayko because the defender activated his no-trade clause, the Buffalo Sabres quickly found a different seller to add some grit to their blueline, sending Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks to the Winnipeg Jets for Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn.

While the Jets sit seven points back of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Sabres are pushing to end the longest playoff drought in NHL history, which dates back to the 2010-11 season. Buffalo owns a 37-19-6 record and is currently riding a five-game winning streak. They’re tied with Tampa Bay for top spot in the Atlantic Division, though the Lightning have two games in hand.

The Sabres boast a very skilled blueline, led by Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram, and Mattias Samuelsson, but only one of those players has any experience in the playoffs. Schenn has nearly 1,200 regular-season and playoff games to his name and won back-to-back Stanley Cups with Tampa in 2020 and 2021. Stanley stands at 6-foot-7 and has suited up in 17 playoff games with the Jets.

Senators add Foegele and Perron

The Ottawa Senators moved out one former Oiler and added another one on Thursday, acquiring Warren Foegele from the Los Angeles Kings before sending David Perron to the Detroit Red Wings.

Perron, who turns 38 in May, has 10 goals and 25 points over 49 games for the Sens this season. If the veteran winger plays in at least one game for Detroit before the playoffs, Ottawa gets a fourth-round pick. If the Red Wings advance to the second round and Perron plays in 50 percent of the first-round games, the Sens also get a third-round pick.

Foegele signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal with the Kings on July 1, 2024. He scored a career-high 24 goals and 46 points for his new club in 2024-25, but has struggled offensively this season with just seven goals and nine points in 47 games. Even if the speedy winger doesn’t produce much offensively for Ottawa, the Sens care mostly about him helping their abysmal penalty kill, which ranks 30th in the NHL at 72.9 percent.

Other news from the NHL…

The Golden Knights acquired centre Nic Dowd from the Capitals in exchange for goaltender Jesper Vikman along with second- and third-round draft picks. Vegas leads the Pacific Division with a 29-19-14 record, and Dowd gives the club additional depth down the middle ahead of the playoffs.
The Colorado Avalanche also added centre depth on Thursday, acquiring Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a conditional first-round pick and a conditional sixth. Roy was originally acquired by Toronto from the Golden Knights last summer in a sign-and-trade deal for Mitch Marner.
The Canucks continued their fire sale on Friday morning, sending forward Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets for two draft picks. Over five seasons with Vancouver, Garland scored 82 goals and 221 points in 371 games.
A couple of other former Oilers are also on the move before this year’s deadline. The Sabres added Sam Carrick from the New York Rangers, while the Minnesota Wild acquired Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers.

Follow our Live Blog for updates on the Oilers throughout the Trade Deadline and check out Daily Faceoff’s Trade Tracker for all your transaction needs

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