Trade talks heating up around Oilers, Predators, Red Wings despite Olympic roster freeze

Welcome back to an Olympic roster freeze edition of around the NHL. It’s great to have NHL players back playing in the Olympics, as nothing beats best-on-best hockey on the biggest stage internationally.

While the best hockey players in the world gather in Italy, general managers and executives around the league are still staying in constant contact, discussion parameters of trades. The NHL’s roster freeze concludes on Feb.22, and teams will have 12 days to sprint to the finish line in any transaction, as the trade deadline is set for Mar.6.

Here’s the very latest from around the NHL:

Edmonton Oilers looking to fill two specific needs via trade

As far as trade assets go, the Oilers don’t have a ton to work with. They don’t own a first-round pick in 2026, and their current roster isn’t littered with young, upcoming talent with high potential. If Bowman pulls the trigger on a deal it’s likely going to involve a couple of their NHL-ready prospects, who have spent the majority of their seasons in either the American Hockey League, or even college, or junior prospects.

Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings linked to blockbuster

The Predators have had an up-and-down season in 2025-26, and entered the Olympic break with a 26-24-7 record, sitting just five points out of a playoff spot.

Despite the close proximity to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and 25 games to go, the Preds are open to moving out some of their expensive, veteran talent. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, one player that stands out for him is Jonathan Marchessault.

Marchessault, 35, is signed through the 2029 season at $5.5 million AAV. He owns a full no-movement clause until his final season of his contract, so the pesky winger certainly controls his own destiny. There’s been some chatter the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens are interested, and when it comes to the Habs, they could include pending free-agent forward Patrik Laine in the deal.

Moving on from Marchessault, Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly continue to be two of the biggest fish onlooking teams covet. O’Reilly doesn’t have any trade protection on his current deal, however, the organization has promised him he’ll be kept in the loop on potential destinations and won’t complete the deal unless it can make sense for O’Reilly, and his family. The Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings are two teams who have been heavily linked in O’Reilly trade talks.

As for Stamkos, he’s signed through the 2028 season at $8 million AAV, and his no-movement clause gives the future hall-of-famer all the say in the matter. The Carolina Hurricanes are one team to keep an eye on, and the same can be said about the Red Wings, as Steve Yzerman and Stamkos are very close, and the Red Wings will be looking to add a top-six forward, and top-four defenceman ahead of the deadline.

The Red Wings are having a fantastic season, entering the Olympic break with a 33-19-6 record, sitting third in the Atlantic Division. Last season Yzerman didn’t make a move ahead of the deadline, despite decent playoff odds, and was ridiculed by captain Dylan Larkin in the media. This year will be a very different story, so expect to see a couple of big names make their way to Motown ahead of Mar.6.

Quick hits from around the NHL

• Team Canada had their first practice on Olympic ice and here’s how the lines were stacked up:

• Meanwhile, Auston Matthews was named captain of Team USA, and is centering the team’s second line in between Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy.
• William Nylander is expected to play on Team Sweden’s top line, centered by Mika Zibanejad.
• There’s been a lot of chatter about the Los Angeles Kings not being close to finished ahead of the trade deadline, and Calgary Flames‘ Nazem Kadri continues to be linked.
• Winnipeg Jets are expected to cash in on pending free-agent defenceman Logan Stanley, who is having a career season, and at 6-foot-7 and a smooth skater, can bring a whole different look to a contending team’s blueline.
• Speaking of bluelines, the San Jose Sharks only have two defencemen signed for next season, and GM Mike Grier is trying to add at least one d-man who is signed through next season via trade.
• As for Kadri, his trade talks appear to be linked to St. Louis Blues’ Robert Thomas, who many teams feel is ‘plan A’, and Kadri is ‘plan B’, when it comes to trade interest.
• The New York Rangers aren’t done making moves and don’t be surprised to see them give former first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere a change of scenery before Mar.6.
• Seattle Kraken are open to moving Shane Wright, but only for a top-six forward with term. They included Wright in the Artemi Panarin trade talks, but Panarin wasn’t interested in signing a two-year extension in Seattle, despite being offered more money than the Kings.
  

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