NHL Trade Roundup: Teams Make More Trades Before Free Ageny Opens

Hey folks. With the NHL Draft officially behind us, the league has wasted little time transitioning into the next phase of the offseason. Before free agent frenzy officially opens on July 1, front offices across the league are making one last push to fine tune their rosters, whether that's by creating cap flexibility, acquiring veteran leadership, or giving players a much needed change of scenery.

Not every trade needs to be a blockbuster to make an impact. Sometimes it's the smaller moves that quietly reshape depth charts, open new opportunities, or give a player the fresh start needed to reignite a career. As teams continue positioning themselves for next season, fantasy managers should be paying close attention to these transactions, because today's supporting move can quickly become tomorrow's breakout story. Let's dive in.

Make sure to check out our Fantasy Hockey Trade Analyzer. Real-time trade insights at your fingertips that give you an in-depth snapshot of each player's true market value - all season long. Powered by AI; refined by our experts.

Canucks and Predators Trade

To the Vancouver Canucks: Third-round draft pick (2029)

To the Nashville Predators: Nils Hoglander

Fantasy Breakdown

The Nashville Predators added another young forward to their growing core by acquiring Hoglander from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Entry Draft. While the return may seem modest on paper, this is the type of move that could quietly pay dividends if Hoglander benefits from a fresh opportunity.

From Vancouver's perspective, this feels like an organization accepting that the experiment simply did not unfold as expected. Hoglander was originally selected in the second round with hopes of becoming a reliable offensive contributor, but he never consistently developed into the player the Canucks envisioned. Rather than continue waiting for that breakthrough, Vancouver recoups a future draft pick and opens another roster spot as it continues shaping the team ahead of next season.

For Smashville, however, this is an intriguing gamble.

Hoglander is still in the prime years of his career, and a change of scenery may be exactly what he needs to reset his game. Sometimes a player simply benefits from a new coaching staff, a different system, and a fresh opportunity to prove himself, and the Predators are giving him that chance. If he can rediscover the offensive upside that made him such an intriguing prospect, this trade could end up looking like a bargain.

From a fantasy perspective, this is a player worth keeping on the radar. Hoglander is not someone fantasy managers need to target immediately, but opportunity often creates value. Should he earn a consistent role in Nashville's middle six or find his way onto a powerplay unit, there is enough offensive skill to make him relevant in deeper formats.

Overall, I like this move for both teams. Vancouver gains future draft capital while moving on from a player who never fully reached expectations, and Nashville takes a low-risk chance on a talented forward who still has plenty of time to live up to the projections that once made him one of the Canucks' more intriguing young players. Sometimes all a player needs is the reset button, and Hoglander will have every opportunity to press it in Smashville.

Hoglander has two goals, three assists, and no powerplay points in 38 games played as a forward. He also has 35 shots on goal, 52 hits, and eight blocked shots.

Mammoth and Canadiens Trade

To the Utah Mammoth: Joshua Roy

To the Montreal Canadiens: Maksymilian Szuber

Fantasy Breakdown

The Utah Mammoth continued reshaping their roster ahead of free agency by acquiring forward Roy from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defensemen Szuber. With both players still looking to establish themselves as full-time NHL contributors, this feels like a classic hockey trade where each organization is betting that a change of scenery will unlock untapped potential.

Roy arrives in Utah after showing flashes of offensive ability throughout his development, particularly at the American Hockey League level, but he was never able to secure a permanent role with the Canadiens. The Mammoth clearly see enough upside to give the former fifth-round pick another opportunity, and shortly after completing the trade, they signed him to a one-year, two-way contract.

On the other side, Montreal adds size to its defensive pipeline with Szuber. The 6-foot-3 blueliner has steadily developed in the AHL and gives the Canadiens another young defenseman to work with as they continue building organizational depth. While he remains more of a long-term project than an immediate NHL contributor, this is the type of move that quietly strengthens a prospect pool.

From a fantasy perspective, there is very little immediate impact. Roy is the player with the higher offensive ceiling, making him the more intriguing dynasty option if Utah can provide him with a clearer path to NHL minutes. Szuber, meanwhile, remains a player to monitor in deeper prospect formats but is unlikely to carry fantasy relevance in the near future.

Overall, this feels like a fair hockey trade. Both organizations exchanged players who may have reached a crossroads in their development, and sometimes those are the deals that end up benefiting everyone involved. Whether Roy finds the fresh start he needs in Utah or Szuber develops into a reliable piece of Montreal's future blue line will ultimately determine who comes out ahead.

Roy had no goals, assists or powerplay points in three games played as a forward. He also has two shots on goal, six hits, and zero blocked shots.

Canadiens and Canucks Trade

To the Vancouver Canucks: Brendan Gallagher

To the Montreal Canadiens: Future considerations (Montreal retains $3.25 million of Gallagher's contract)

Fantasy Breakdown

The Vancouver Canucks made one of the more surprising moves ahead of free agent frenzy by acquiring veteran forward Gallagher from the Montreal Canadiens. In return, Montreal receives future considerations while retaining $3.25M AAV of Gallagher's salary, making this one of the most one-sided transactions we've seen so far this offseason from a purely asset management perspective.

To me, this is essentially the hockey equivalent of being traded for a bag of pucks.

Future considerations rarely amount to much, and the fact that Montreal is also retaining a significant portion of Gallagher's salary makes this an even more difficult trade to understand on the surface. The Canadiens are quite literally paying Gallagher to play somewhere else, which feels like a tough ending for a player who has given so much to the organization over the years.

Has Gallagher lived up to the contract he signed? Probably not.

But he has also developed a reputation that, in my opinion, is harsher than it should be. He remains a more than serviceable NHL player who brings leadership, work ethic, physicality, and plenty of compete every night. While the offensive production is no longer what it once was, there is still value in the type of player Gallagher has become.

For Vancouver, this is a tremendous piece of business.

The Canucks add an experienced veteran for very little acquisition cost while Montreal absorbs a sizeable portion of the contract. Gallagher brings leadership, playoff experience, and the type of relentless motor that coaches love, giving Vancouver another dependable forward as it continues shaping its roster for next season.

From a fantasy perspective, this trade is unlikely to dramatically change Gallagher's value. His best fantasy seasons are behind him, but a fresh opportunity in Vancouver could allow him to carve out a meaningful middle-six role while contributing secondary scoring, shots, and physical play in deeper formats. His greatest value may ultimately come in the dressing room, where his leadership and experience should prove just as important as anything he produces on the scoresheet.

Overall, I think Vancouver is the clear winner here. Acquiring a veteran of Gallagher's calibre for future considerations while having Montreal retain over $3M of his salary is outstanding value. Regardless of where Gallagher fits in the lineup, this is a low-risk move with very little downside, and one that gives the Canucks another respected veteran without sacrificing meaningful assets.

Gallagher has seven goals, 16 assists, and five powerplay points in 77 games played as a forward. He also has 120 shots on goal, 98 hits, and 20 blocked shots.

Panthers and Ducks Trade

To the Florida Panthers: Radko Gudas

To the Anaheim Ducks: A.J. Greer

Fantasy Breakdown

The Florida Panthers continued building a roster that looks increasingly difficult to play against by acquiring veteran defensemen Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Greer. Well, to be clear this was a players rights for players rights exchange, in which the Ducks immediately signed Greer to a four-year, $17M contract extension. Let's assume Gudas also signs.

While neither player is expected to carry significant fantasy value on his own - unless you are in a bangers league in which Gudas is always a great blueliner to pick up for minimal value. Either way, this trade says a great deal about the identity Florida is continuing to establish.

The Panthers are becoming the bullies of the NHL.

They already boast one of the league's most intimidating lineups, led by Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, and Sam Bennett - players who thrive on playing a physical, relentless brand of hockey. Adding Gudas only reinforces that identity, giving Florida another defenseman who plays with an edge and isn't afraid to make life miserable for opposing forwards.

Honestly, I thought there was an unspoken understanding around the league that, after everything that unfolded last season, teams might be hesitant to bring Gudas into the fold.

Apparently not. If the Oilers can hire head coach Mike Babcock, then all bets are off and the Panthers can pick up Gudas.

The reality is that this is a ruthless business, and general managers are paid to win hockey games, not popularity contests. If they believe a player makes their team harder to play against and gives them a better chance to compete for another Stanley Cup, they'll make the move regardless of outside perception.

From a fantasy perspective, Gudas isn't someone managers should expect to provide much offensive production, but he remains valuable in multi-category leagues that reward hits, blocked shots, and penalty minutes. His real impact, however, will be felt on the ice rather than in the fantasy box score, as he adds another layer of nastiness to an already punishing roster.

For Anaheim, Greer provides an energetic depth forward who brings physicality and work ethic to a younger group still finding its identity. While he isn't likely to become a major offensive contributor, he fills a role and gives the Ducks another experienced option in the bottom six.

Overall, I think this trade reinforces exactly who the Panthers want to be. They aren't trying to become a more skilled team - they're trying to become an even more miserable team to play against. If I were another Eastern Conference contender, I'd be keeping my head up every time I stepped onto the ice against Florida, because this group has become one of the most physical and intimidating teams the league has seen in years.

Gudas has two goals, 11 assists, and zero powerplay points in 56 games played as a defensemen. He also has 63 shots on goal, 164 hits, and 88 blocked shots.

Penguins and Jets Trade

To the Pittsburgh Penguins: David Gustafsson

To the Winnipeg Jets: Jack St. Ivany

Fantasy Breakdown

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets wrapped up this series of pre-free agency trades by swapping depth pieces, with the Penguins acquiring forward Gustafsson and the Jets adding defensemen St. Ivany. Both players will be looking for larger opportunities as they join new organizations ahead of training camp.

From a fantasy perspective, there isn't much to see here. Neither player is expected to carry meaningful value in standard leagues, and this deal is more about organizational depth than making an immediate impact at the NHL level.

Overall, this feels like a straightforward hockey trade. Pittsburgh adds another forward option, while Winnipeg strengthens its defensive depth with a right-shot blueliner. Sometimes the smallest offseason moves are simply about giving both players a fresh opportunity and allowing each organization to better balance its roster heading into next season.