The NHL Trade Deadline is one of the most significant dates of every season as teams gear up for the postseason, marking the final day that clubs can acquire talent and bolster their sports betting odds ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Below, I’ll outline what day the NHL Trade Deadline falls on for the 2025-26 season, some rules and stipulations to look out for, as well as a reminder of what the Toronto Maple Leafs did at last year’s deadline.
When Is the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline?
The NHL Trade Deadline is on March 6, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET.
The Trade Deadline is less than two weeks after the conclusion of the 2026 Olympics and about six weeks prior to the final day of the regular season.
When Does the NHL Trade Deadline End?
The NHL Trade Deadline on March 6 stipulates that players must be acquired before the deadline to be eligible for the playoffs. However, teams are still technically able to make trades after the deadline and throughout the playoffs.
Generally, teams will resume trading players at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but there have been many instances of non-playoff clubs swapping assets before then.
Can NHL Players Be Traded After the Deadline?
Yes, players can technically be traded after the NHL Trade Deadline. However, those players will not be eligible to participate in the upcoming playoffs if they are acquired after March 6, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET.
It is somewhat uncommon for teams to make trades in the six-week gap between the deadline and the playoffs, but deals often resume once teams are eliminated from the postseason.
Who Did the Toronto Maple Leafs Get in the Trade Deadline Last Year?
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired two major pieces at last year’s NHL Trade Deadline: forward Scott Laughton and defenceman Brandon Carlo.
The Maple Leafs acquired a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2027 from the Philadelphia Flyers along with Laughton. In exchange, Toronto gave up forward Nikita Grebenkin and a first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
The Carlo trade saw the Maple Leafs move forward Fraser Minten, a conditional first-round pick in 2026, and a fourth-round pick in 2025 to the Boston Bruins.
In a less noteworthy move, Toronto also acquired minor league forward Reese Johnson from the Minnesota Wild for future considerations.
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