20 Biggest NHL Trades in the Past Year

There are many ways for a general manager to improve his team, be it free agency, the waiver wire and of course the trade market. It’s a dance that is done not only at the trade deadline but throughout the season and offseason as well. Some come together quickly and painlessly, while others take several months of painstaking negotiations between two opposing GMs.

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Over the past year, we have seen a few blockbuster trades get completed that have changed the entire landscape of the NHL. Over the course of this list, I will attempt to rank 20 of the biggest trades that have occurred in the last calendar year (since Feb. 3, 2023) while exploring the impact the deals have had on each team since the trade was completed. With that said, let’s start exploring some trades!

20. Lafferty Squeezed Out Of Toronto, Thriving With Canucks

The Trade: On Oct. 8, 2023, the Vancouver Canucks acquired Sam Lafferty from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2024 fifth-round pick.

While this trade was only a one-for-one involving a player and a draft pick, it has turned out to be a pretty big one when you take into account how Lafferty is thriving with the Canucks. Considering his versatility and skillset, the Maple Leafs probably would have liked to keep him, but their cap situation said otherwise. After signing Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Reaves, his $1.15 million average annual value (AAV) simply wouldn’t fit under the cap. So they were forced to trade him to the Canucks.

Sam Lafferty Vancouver Canucks
Sam Lafferty, Vancouver Canucks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Like DeSmith, Lafferty has fit like a glove in Vancouver. He has played all over the lineup this season, even seeing time with Elias Pettersson in the top six. Right now, he is playing on the fourth line with Nils Aman and Nils Hoglander, but head coach Rick Tocchet isn’t afraid to throw him into the top six when his star forwards are struggling to find some energy. Lately, the fourth line has been one of the Canucks’ best and Lafferty is one of the reasons why. He already has 10 goals on the season and 76 hits – third on the team behind JT Miller (103) and Dakota Joshua (143) – and is in the running as one of the best acquisitions of the offseason so far.

19. Bruins Continue To Load Up, Acquire Orlov To Bolster Blue Line

The Trade: On Feb. 23, 2023, the Boston Bruins acquired Dmitri Orlov from the Minnesota Wild for a 2023 fifth-round pick after the Wild acquired Orlov from the Washington Capitals for the rights to Andrei Svetlakov.

The Bruins were a very busy team leading up to the 2023 Trade Deadline as they added a couple of forwards in Tyler Bertuzzi and Garnet Hathaway and a top-four defenseman in Orlov. Clearly, they were looking to have one last hurrah with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci before they sailed off into the sunset. Unfortunately, that never happened as they were ousted in the first round by the Florida Panthers.

Orlov seemed to fit in right away on the Bruins’ blue line and was not one of the reasons why they couldn’t make it past the first round. He had 17 points in 23 games after coming over from the Capitals and then put up eight points in seven games in the playoffs. However, despite the individual success, the Bruins couldn’t afford him in the offseason and he signed a lucrative two-year contract with the Hurricanes worth $7.75 million average annual value (AAV).

18. Smith Traded To Penguins After Stanley Cup in Vegas

The Trade: On June 28, 2023, the Penguins acquired Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2024 third-round pick.

Speaking of cap crunches, the Golden Knights faced that challenge after their Stanley Cup win in 2023. Smith, one of the last members of the original expansion roster selected in 2017, was dealt to the Penguins for only a third-round pick. With his $5.25 million AAV salary off the books, they could afford to re-sign Ivan Barbashev and Aiden Hill to extensions. He left the Golden Knights as one of the franchise’s leading scorers with 124 goals and 286 points in 399 games. He never fell below 16 goals in a season and had three 20-goal campaigns. After that type of production, it’s hard to believe that all general manager Kelly McCrimmon could get for him was a third-round pick.

Reilly Smith Pittsburgh Penguins
Reilly Smith, Pittsburgh Penguins (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Smith is struggling a bit in his new home with only eight goals and 20 points so far. He is on pace for 15 goals, which would be his lowest since 2020-21 when he scored 14 in 53 games.

17. Cap Crunch Leads to Lightning Moving Colton to Avalanche

The Trade: On June 28, 2023, the Colorado Avalanche acquired Ross Colton from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2023 second-round pick (Ethan Gauthier).

The Lightning have lost a lot of solid depth forwards in recent seasons due to their cap situation. Colton was the latest casualty as they were forced to trade him to the Avalanche in the offseason for a draft pick. Over the years the Lightning have found gems in the later rounds, and Colton was definitely that, scoring 47 goals and 83 points in 190 games, including a career-high 22 in 2021-22. He also was good in the playoffs with 10 goals and 19 points in 52 games.

Ross Colton Colorado Avalanche
Ross Colton. Colorado Avalanche (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Now with the Avalanche, Colton has fit nicely into the middle-six and already has 10 goals and 26 points in 47 games averaging only 13:50 a night. As for what the Lightning got in return, they snagged Gauthier at the 2024 Draft, someone that could potentially take over as one of those skilled depth forwards in the future. He has 27 goals and 51 points in 41 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) right now.

16. Long-Time Red Wing Tyler Bertuzzi Gets Moved To Bean Town

The Trade: On March 2, 2023, the Boston Bruins acquired Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

After an offseason that saw general manager Steve Yzerman sign a plethora of veteran free agents, many fans thought that the Red Wings were finally going to make a push for the playoffs. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as they were once again sellers at the trade deadline. Amongst the moves before March 3, long-time Red Wing Tyler Bertuzzi was dealt to the Bruins.

Tyler Bertuzzi Boston Bruins
Tyler Bertuzzi, seen here with the Boston Bruins (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Bertuzzi ended up thriving in Bean Town as he put up 16 points in 21 games to end the season and another five goals and 10 points in the first round against the Florida Panthers. Unfortunately, the Bruins – who had secured the regular-season record for points – were ousted in seven games. With the Bruins facing a cap crunch in the offseason, Bertuzzi ended up signing with the Maple Leafs in free agency, where he has a modest six goals and 20 points in 46 games so far. He was the definition of a rental, as the Bruins lost a first-round pick in the upcoming draft for only 28 games of the 6-foot-2 winger.

15. Ivan Provorov Dealt to the Kings, Then to the Blue Jackets in a Three-Way Trade

The Trade: On June 6, 2023, the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Ivan Provorov from the Los Angeles Kings for Kevin Connauton after the Philadelphia Flyers traded Provorov and Hayden Hodgson to the Kings for Cal Petersen, Sean Walker, Helge Grans and a 2024 second-round pick.

After a season filled with injuries, the Blue Jackets went to work in the offseason rebuilding their defense. One of their first moves was acquiring Provorov from the Kings as part of a three-way trade with the Flyers. Provorov had spent his entire career in Philadelphia after being drafted seventh overall in 2015 and finished his tenure with 65 goals and 217 points in 532 games. He is having a solid season in Columbus despite the Blue Jackets toiling at the bottom of the standings once again. He has four goals and 23 points in 50 games so far.

Ivan Provorov Columbus Blue Jackets
Ivan Provorov, Columbus Blue Jackets (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

As for the other end of the deal, the Flyers took on a couple of bad contracts in Petersen ($5 million AAV) and Walker ($2.65 million) along with two premium assets in top prospect Helge Grans and a 2024 second-round pick. Petersen and Grans are currently in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms while Walker is having a bounceback season with five goals and 17 points in 50 games averaging 19:36 of ice time a night. Overall, this deal benefited every team as the Flyers got some pieces for their rebuild, the Kings shed cap space and the Blue Jackets got a top-four defenseman.

14. Patrick Kane Waves Goodbye to Chicago & Joins the Rangers

The Trade: On Feb. 28, 2023, the New York Rangers acquired Patrick Kane from the Arizona Coyotes for a third-round pick in the 2025 Draft after the Chicago Blackhawks traded him to the Coyotes for Vili Saarijarvi.

As the Blackhawks continued to drop further in the standings in 2022-23, it was only a matter of time before either Kane or Jonathan Toews was traded to a contender at the trade deadline. When the dust settled, it was Kane going to the Rangers by way of the Coyotes and Toews staying put until he retired in the offseason. It wasn’t a big trade in terms of assets going the other way, but considering the gravitas of the name and the fact that a legend was leaving Chicago it is worthy of being higher on this list.

Patrick Kane New York Rangers
Patrick Kane, seen here with the New York Rangers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Kane left a huge mark on the Windy City as he finished with 446 goals and 1,225 points in 1,161 games. He also led the team to three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015 and won the Calder Trophy in 2008, the Art Ross Trophy in 2007-08 and 2015-16, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2012-13, and the Hart Trophy and Lester B Pearson Award in 2015-16. His best season came in 2018-19 when he had 44 goals and 110 points in 81 games.

Like Bertuzzi, Kane’s tenure with his new team only lasted a short time. He only played 19 games at the end of the season and another seven games in the playoffs as the Rangers were eliminated in the first round by the New Jersey Devils. After rehabbing a hip injury in the offseason and into the 2023-24 regular season, he signed with the Red Wings and has a solid seven goals and 16 points in 19 games.

13. Toffoli Dealt to the Devils After a Career-High 34 Goals

The Trade: On June 27, 2023, the New Jersey Devils acquired Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick.

Even into his 30s, Toffoli has continued to produce like a top-line winger. Last season with the Flames he scored a career-high 34 goals at age 30 and already has 20 goals this season with the Devils at age 31. The former two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Los Angeles Kings is aging like a fine wine and is looking more and more like he could join other greybeards like Joe Pavelski and Sidney Crosby as veterans who keep producing well into their 30s.

Tyler Toffoli New Jersey Devils
Tyler Toffoli, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Not to be outdone, Sharangovich, who is six years younger than Toffoli, has 20 goals this season as well and has fit nicely into the Flames’ lineup. He is on pace to shatter the 24 goals he put up in 2021-22 and match the 34 that Toffoli put up last season. Even though the Flames are struggling to stay afloat in the Western Conference playoff race, Sharangovich has done his best to replace Toffoli’s production.

12. McCabe & Lafferty Leave Chicago & Join the Maple Leafs

The Trade: On Feb. 27, 2023, the Maple Leafs acquired Lafferty, Jake McCabe, a 2024 fifth-round pick, and a 2025 fifth-round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, a 2025 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick.

With the Blackhawks toiling at the bottom of the standings, they were expected to be sellers heading into the 2023 Trade Deadline. One of their first moves was dealing Lafferty and McCabe to the Maple Leafs for a substantial package including a decent young player in Anderson, a prospect in Gogolev and a couple of premium draft picks. The Maple Leafs were gearing up for a long playoff run and needed some grit in the bottom-six and on defence. They got that with the physicality and versatility of Lafferty and the size, snarl and shot-blocking of McCabe.

Jake McCabe Toronto Maple Leafs
Jake McCabe, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

McCabe and Lafferty weren’t going to be rentals either as both had term left on their contracts. Both players had a pretty good stint with the Maple Leafs to end the season as McCabe had a goal and five points along with 41 hits and 36 shot blocks and Lafferty had two goals and six points in 19 games along with 31 hits. They also performed in the playoffs with Lafferty notching three points and 23 hits and McCabe two points, 47 hits and 15 shot blocks. As for where they stand today, Lafferty is of course with the Canucks and McCabe is a regular in the top-four with four goals, 17 points, 69 shot blocks and 90 hits.

The Blackhawks secured quite the haul for McCabe and Lafferty as they got Anderson, who is part of an effective third line with Jason Dickinson and Nick Foligno, and two more chances to add additional blue-chip prospects to their ongoing rebuild. All in all, a huge trade that has benefited both sides so far.

11. Blues Trade Captain Ryan O’Reilly to the Maple Leafs

The Trade: On Feb. 17, 2023, the Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O’Reilly from the Wild for a 2025 fourth-round pick after the Wild acquired him from the Blues for Josh Pillar.

O’Reilly was the second big domino to fall in St. Louis as the Blues traded their captain to the Maple Leafs only a few days after Tarasenko was moved to the Rangers. He didn’t get nearly the same return as the Russian sniper, but considering the name and what he did for the Maple Leafs, this deal deserves to be in the top 10. He instantly fit into the Maple Leafs’ top-nine and although he was injured for a few weeks, still put up four goals and 11 points in 13 games. His biggest impact came in the playoffs when he put up nine points in 11 games and pushed them to their first series win in 19 years.

Ryan O'Reilly Toronto Maple Leafs
Ryan O’Reilly, seen here with the Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

O’Reilly’s time in his hometown must have reignited something in the veteran forward because he’s having a resurgent season right now – just not with the Maple Leafs. He signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators in the offseason and already has 17 goals and 42 points in 50 games. He is on pace for his best season since 2018-19 when he put up 77 points with the Blues.

10. Blues Start Rebuild/Retool, Trade Tarasenko to the Rangers

The Trade: On Feb. 9, 2023, the Rangers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues for Hunter Skinner, Sammy Blais, a 2023 first-round pick (Theo Lindstein) and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

The Blues were one of the biggest sellers at last year’s trade deadline, trading a lot of the core that helped them win their only Stanley Cup in 2019. First up was Tarasenko. Drafted by the Blues in 2010 at sixth overall, he spent 11 seasons in St. Louis accumulating 262 goals and 553 points in 644 games. Over that time, he had six 30-goal seasons, including a career-high 40 goals in 2015-16. He also thrived in the playoffs, especially in their run to the Cup when he scored 11 goals. But with his contract expiring at the end of the season, general manager Doug Armstrong decided to trade him to the Rangers to start a rebuild/retool.

Tarasenko played pretty well in the Big Apple scoring eight goals and 21 points in 31 games, and was even effective in the playoffs with three goals. However, that wasn’t enough to push the Rangers over the top as they fell to the Devils in seven games.

The Blues walked away with a pretty big haul for Tarasenko as they got a promising defensive prospect in Theo Lindstein with the first-round pick, and brought back Blais who had a solid finish to the season with nine goals in 31 games.

9. Ducks Move Jamie Drysdale To Flyers For Top Prospect Cutter Gauthier

The Trade: On Jan. 8, 2024, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick from the Anaheim Ducks for Cutter Gauthier.

After Gauthier made it known to Flyers GM Daniel Briere that he was never going to play for the organization, Briere quickly remedied the situation and got him out of town. In return, he got a defenseman that could eventually become a minute-muncher on the top pairing. He has gotten off to a good start in the City of Brotherly Love with three points in eight games so far.

Jamie Drysdale Philadelphia Flyers
Jamie Drysdale, Philadelphia Flyers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

As for Gauthier, he is currently playing for Boston College in the NCAA and is dominating the league with 19 goals and 32 points in 23 games. He is also coming off a gold medal at the 2024 World Juniors where he had two goals and 12 points in seven games. In the end, this trade seems like a win for both sides as both youngsters appear to have bright futures in the NHL.

8. DeBrincat Gets Traded Again, This Time To His Hometown Red Wings

The Trade: On July 9, 2023, the Detroit Red Wings acquired Alex DeBrincat from the Ottawa Senators for Dominik Kubalik, Donovan Sebrango, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick.

DeBrincat was on the move again last offseason, almost a year to the day when he was traded from the Blackhawks to the Senators. This time he was going to his home state of Michigan and the Red Wings. Shortly after the trade, he signed a four-year extension worth $7.875 million AAV that will keep him in Detroit until 2026-27. He is having a great first season with the Red Wings with 18 goals and 43 points in 50 games so far.

Alex DeBrincat Detroit Red Wings
Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The Senators didn’t get a king’s ransom for DeBrincat, but they did get some solid pieces for the future including a young mobile defender in Sebrango and a first-round pick to help with the rebuild. They also got a young-ish player in Kubalik that could be flipped at the deadline for a draft pick or another prospect. Sebrango is playing in the AHL right now with the Binghamton Senators where he has an assist in 12 games while Kubalik has been a regular in Ottawa with nine goals and 12 points in 43 games.

7. Dubois Trade Finally Happens, Goes To Kings For a Blockbuster Package

The Trade: On June 27, 2023, the Los Angeles Kings acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets for Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a 2024 second-round pick.

After a season of speculation that the Jets would trade Dubois to the Montreal Canadiens, they ended up trading him to the Kings for a, pardon the pun, king’s ransom. Giving up one of their top young players in Vilardi, who was coming off a career-high 23 goals, and Kupari, who was a former first-round pick in 2018, they were banking on Dubois being the heir apparent to Anze Kopitar once he retires. Immediately signing him to an eight-year extension worth $8.5 million AAV, the 25-year-old pivot is expected to be the future in Los Angeles as a possible one-two punch with Quentin Byfield.

That goal hasn’t gotten off to the best start as Dubois only has 10 goals and 20 points in 47 games so far, which puts him on pace for only 17 goals and 34 points. I don’t think that’s what GM Rob Blake had in mind when he gave up that many assets and opened his wallet for the former third-overall pick.

Pierre-Luc Dubois Los Angeles Kings
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Los Angeles Kings (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

On the Jets side, I think they are pretty happy with their return as Vilardi, despite dealing with injuries, has 11 goals and 20 points in 27 games, and Iafallo has seven goals and 18 points in 47 games. The only relative disappointment is Kupari, who only has one assist in 21 games and is playing primarily on the fourth line or as a healthy scratch. But the two main pieces of the deal have been huge parts of a Jets team that is currently fourth in the Western Conference. If Dubois doesn’t start living up to the massive contract he signed, this trade could go down as one of the worst in Kings’ history.

6. Jakob Chychrun Gets a Fresh Start in Ottawa

The Trade: On March 1, 2023, the Senators acquired Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2023 first-round pick (Daniil But), a 2024 second-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick.

Another thing that was rumored and speculated about for what seemed like a lifetime was a trade involving Chychrun. It finally happened just before the 2023 Trade Deadline when the Coyotes dealt him to the Senators for a trio of draft picks. A team seemingly in a rebuild mortgaged a pretty big part of their future by moving a first and two seconds for him, but as a 25-year-old elite two-way defenseman that could be a big part of said rebuild, it was a reasonable price to pay.

Jakob Chychrun Ottawa Senators
Jakob Chychrun, Ottawa Senators (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Chychrun has been worth that cost and more so far in his tenure with the Senators. He already has 10 goals and 33 points in 58 games and leads the defense this season with eight goals and 28 points in 47 games. Although he has been in rumors again leading up to the deadline, he and general manager Steve Staios have squashed those rumors saying that he wants to be in Ottawa long-term.

5. Oilers Bolster Their Defense With Mattias Ekholm

The Trade: On Feb. 28, 2023, the Edmonton Oilers acquired Mattias Ekholm and a 2024 sixth-round pick for Reid Schaefer, Tyson Barrie, a 2023 first-round pick (Tanner Molendyk), and a 2024 fourth-round pick.

The Oilers have always been known for their offense headlined by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Not so much for their defense and goaltending, though. That changed on Feb. 28, 2023, when they added Ekholm from the Predators. He gelled immediately upon his arrival and formed an effective partnership with offensive defenseman Evan Bouchard seemingly developing the young blueliner into a two-way force.

Ekholm finished the season with an impressive four goals and 14 points in 21 games and seven points in the playoffs and already has four goals and 19 points in 44 games this season. He continues to be a staple in their top-four, averages over 20 minutes a night and he’s signed for another two seasons. While his cap hit is a bit high at $6 million AAV, he has lived up to that money so far.

Mattias Ekholm Edmonton Oilers
Mattias Ekholm Edmonton Oilers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

As for the pieces the Predators received, Schaefer is playing in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals and could be a good top-nine option down the road, Barrie could fetch a good return at the deadline, and Molendyk is on pace to have a career season in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with six goals and 36 points in 30 games.

4. Red Wings Deal Filip Hronek to Canucks In Surprising Trade

The Trade: On March 1, 2023, the Canucks acquired Filip Hronek and a 2023 fourth-round pick from the Red Wings for a 2023 first-round pick (Axel Sandin-Pellikka), and a 2023 second-round pick (Felix Nilsson).

Heading into the 2023 Trade Deadline, the Canucks were expected to be sellers having traded their leading scorer and captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. So, many fans and analysts were surprised when GM Patrik Allvin moved two premium draft picks (the first-round pick they acquired in the Horvat trade and a second-round pick) to the Red Wings for 26-year-old Filip Hronek.

Filip Hronek Vancouver Canucks
Filip Hronek, Vancouver Canucks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Looking back at this trade now, it appears that both teams won out as Hronek is thriving on the Canucks’ top pairing with Quinn Hughes and Sandin-Pellikka has the potential to be a high-end offensive defenseman in the future. The added second-round pick was seen as a slight overpay by Allvin at the time, but seeing how Hronek is only three points away from shattering his career-high of 38 points, it’s not so much now.

3. Canucks Go All-In, Acquire Lindholm From Flames

The Trade: On Jan. 31, 2024, the Canucks acquired Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames for Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Before the 2023-24 season began, the Canucks were a bubble playoff team. Now they are the talk of the NHL and a possible Stanley Cup contender. Currently tied for first in the Presidents’ Trophy race, they bolstered their roster during the All-Star Break with Lindholm from the Flames and have arguably three top-line centers right now. Lindholm has struggled with the Flames this season with only nine goals and 32 points but has an 82-point campaign on his resume and a history of producing offense. He also has experience playing with elite players and could have a productive finish to his season possibly joining Elias Pettersson in the top-six.

Elias Lindholm Calgary Flames
Elias Lindholm, Calgary Flames (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

The Flames, who are outside of the playoff picture right now, are seemingly in sell mode and Lindholm might be the first domino in a series of moves before the trade deadline. Kuzmenko could make a difference offensively, but he’s struggled to get his game going after a 39-goal rookie season. The big pieces of this deal are the prospects and the first-round pick as GM Craig Conroy added a possible top-four defenseman in Brzustewicz, and a chance at another high-end defender in a draft filled with blue-chip talent.

2. Sharks Trade Erik Karlsson & His Massive Contract to the Penguins

The Trade: On Aug. 6, 2023, the Penguins acquired Erik Karlsson, Dillon Hamaliuk, and a 2026 third-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for Jan Rutta, Mikael Granlund, Mike Hoffman, and a 2024 first-round pick.

Coming off a record season of 101 points, the Sharks decided to sell high on Karlsson and trade him in the offseason to the Penguins. It wasn’t the same blockbuster package that the Senators got when the Sharks acquired him in 2018, but it still involved a first-round pick, a top-four defender and two forwards capable of playing in the top-six. GM Mike Grier also got his massive contract off the books that still has three years left at $11.5 million AAV.

Erik Karlsson Pittsburgh Penguins
Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

With Karlsson and Timo Meier off the books, the Sharks signaled to their fans that they were in full rebuild mode. The Penguins, on the other hand, are still banking on veterans Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang to bring them another Stanley Cup. Adding Karlsson reinforced that notion going into the 2023-24 season. While he hasn’t lived up to his contract like he did last season, he is still on pace for 50-plus points and has been a pretty consistent presence on the blue line for the Penguins.

1. Sharks Start Rebuild By Trading Timo Meier to the Devils

The Trade: On Feb. 26, 2023, the Devils acquired Timo Meier, Santeri Hatakka, Timur Ibragimov, Zachary Emond, Scott Harrington, and a 2024 fifth-round pick from the Sharks for Nikita Okhotyuk, Fabian Zetterlund, Andreas Johnsson, Shakir Mukhamadullin, a 2023 first-round pick (Quentin Musty), a conditional 2024 first-round pick, and a 2024 seventh-round pick.

Before continuing the fire sale in the offseason with the Karlsson trade, the Sharks started the festivities by moving Meier to the Devils. Taking the top spot on our biggest trade list, this deal didn’t just include a star in Meier, but 12 pieces in total. It wasn’t just big player-wise, but in quantity as well.

Timo Meier New Jersey Devils
Timo Meier, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Meier also signed a lucrative eight-year deal worth $8.8 million AAV after being acquired and could be a Devil until the 2030-31 season. He’s not having the best season right now with only nine goals and 18 points, but he’s capable of scoring 30 goals and being a top-line winger. There are too many players to go through individually, but the Sharks got some good pieces for the future from this trade including a potential top-four defenseman in Mukhamadullin who recently made his NHL debut, and a young forward in Zetterlund who has been one of the Sharks’ top players this season with 14 goals and 21 points in 50 games.

The Sharks also drafted another blue-chip prospect in Musty who is having a great season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Sudbury Wolves and have the opportunity to add another this year if the conditions on the first-round pick are met. The Devils paid a small fortune to get Meier on the roster, so hopefully he can bounce back from this disappointing season and live up to his contract sooner rather than later. The Sharks, meanwhile, will sit back and count their winnings, as right now they have the upper hand in this trade.


That does it for another edition of the 20 biggest trades of the past year. Stay tuned for more as the 2024 Trade Deadline is just around the corner!