We are now over a week past since the NHL trade deadline has passed this season. Fans have found out what new combinations are working and which one’s we still have to wait and see. 

These are my top three favorite and most impactful NHL trades this season closing to the deadline. (All trade details are from NHL.com and “NHL Trade Tracker”). 

Honorable Mention: Defensemen Conor Timmons and Forward Connor Dewar were traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick this year. 

These two have already had a huge impact on the Penguins’ current four-game win streak along with a rejuvenated Tristan Jarry. Dewar has scored three goals in his last two games, and Timmons himself has scored a goal and two assists in his last two games. Both scored on their debut with the team against the St. Louis Blues. 

According to nhl.com under the Penguins tab, both players have three points in the last two games as well, and average 13 and 17 minutes of ice time. 

Number three: The Pittsburgh Penguins traded forwards Cody Glass and John Gruden to the New Jersey Devils for forwards Chase Stillman, Max Graham and a third-round pick in 2027. 

Right now, only Glass plays in the NHL, and with the Penguins, Glass played in 51 games and only had 15 total points. With the Devils, Glass has played in four games and scored four points (two goals, two assists). 

Currently, the Devils sit in third place of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference with 78 total points. With the Devils eight points behind the second place Carolina Hurricanes and only six points ahead of the fourth place New York Rangers, the Devils, with only 14 games remaining in the regular season, need to keep their heads above  water and not get sucked into the Eastern Conference wild-card race, which sits to be very chaotic. 

With the way Glass has contributed to the Devils’ cause with no Dougie Hamilton and Jack Hughes, who are the team’s top two contributors and out on injury, it is important he remains active for the Devils if they wish to return to the playoffs. 

Number two: The Boston Bruins traded forward and captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers for a conditional second-round pick in 2027. 

The Bruins, after winning the president’s trophy- the trophy that goes to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season- just two years ago, sits second to last in the Atlantic Divisional standings in the Eastern Conference with 68 total points. 

The Bruins also dealt out defenseman Brandon Carlo and  forwards Trent Fredric and Charlie Coyle at the trade deadline as well. The Bruins, who currently have an interim head coach at the helm, sit in the rebuild category in the NHL right now, so starting over essentially is a must. 

The Bruins received conditional first and fourth round picks in this year’s draft and  conditional second round picks for this year’s draft and in 2027. 

The Panthers, who sit a-top the Atlantic Division have 85 total points, which is fourth-best in the NHL. The Panthers had some “sneakier” deals at the deadline, including goaltenders Vitek Vanacek and Kappo Kahkonen, forward Nico Sturm, and defensemen Seth Jones. 

The Panthers have made it to the Stanley Cup Final two of the last three seasons, and adding Brad Macrchand, a physical divisional rival, along with their already well put-together team, this can only help the Panthers get to their third Stanley Cup Final. 

Number One: The Hurricanes traded Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars for forward Logan Stankoven, conditional first round picks in 2026 and 2028, and third rounds picks in 2026 and 2027. 

This is by far the best trade because of the team and the value of the player going to that team. 

Rantanen has three points in the three games he has played with the Stars scoring two goals in his first two games. Rantanen started the year on the Colorado Avalanche having 64 points in 49 games (25 goals, 39 assists). Rantanen then went to the Hurricanes for 13 games where he had six points in those games, before heading to the Stars. 

The Stars also have the best odds according to ESPN.com, along with the Panthers, to win the Stanley Cup Final. The Stars also currently sit second in the Central Division in the Western Conference with 86 points, only behind the Winnipeg Jets who have 96 points. 

Overall there were a plethora of trades that impacted the NHL, and with every NHL team having less than 15 games less to play, the time table is winding down. The NHL as well as a whole this season continues to climb in popularity and ratings. 

According to NHL TV Buzz on X, the NHL’s all-star game format (Four Nations Faceoff) had the most viewership with over nine million viewers. That’s two million over the next highest all-star game with the MLB.