The countdown is on to the 2022 NHL trade deadline.
March 21 is just a couple of weeks away and the rumor mill has been busy, with prospective players and teams coming up in potential trades for months.
Teams will have just a short time to determine whether they are buyers or sellers. Clubs sitting outside the playoff picture will want to trade away pending free agents for draft capital and prospects while contenders will look to nab rentals to bolster their lineup for a run at the Stanley Cup.
The first domino has already fallen, with the Montreal Canadiens sending forward Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames for a package that included a first-round pick and a prospect. Who will follow suit?
Here is everything you need to know heading in to the NHL trade deadline.
MORE: NHL trade rumors tracker: Vancouver Canucks "not that into the idea" of trading J.T. Miller
When is the 2022 NHL trade deadline?
The deadline for general managers to call trades in to the league office is 3 p.m. ET on Monday, March 21. Trades may be announced after the 3 p.m. deadline as long as they have been submitted before that time.
Who are some of the top deadline targets?
There are a number of big names who have been tied to trade rumors.
Arguably the most impactful player who could be moved is Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. While the 24-year-old still has three years left on his deal, he's a young, proven asset on a team-friendly deal ($4.6 million) who any team would love to have. The Coyotes are trending toward a rebuild and could jumpstart that process by acquiring prospects and picks in a deal involving Chychrun.
A few rentals who could be on the move are forwards Claude Giroux, Joe Pavelski and Ben Chiarot. Giroux, the long-time captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, is in the final year of his eight-year deal. With the Flyers on the outside of the playoff picture, they could get a good return for Giroux, who leads the team in points. A trade would also give Giroux a chance at a Stanley Cup, something he has yet to achieve in his career.
Pavelski is in a similar situation. He's a veteran forward having a very good season with the Dallas Stars and in the final year of his contract. The 37-year-old would make for a great top-six addition to a contender, as well as have another shot a ring. Chiarot is a pending free agent on a bad Montreal Canadiens team and could boost a team's defensive unit with his size and playoff experience.
John Klingberg and Jake DeBrusk are two players who are pending free agents and have requested trades. DeBrusk asked for a trade from the Boston Bruins in November after another slow start to the season, resulting in a healthy scratch. Despite his increase in production of late, he still wants out of Boston. Klingberg asked for a trade from the Stars in January after he was unhappy with extension discussions with the Stars. He's a top-pair right-handed defenseman who would be a strong rental addition.
Can players be traded after the deadline?
While there is a specific deadline for trades, teams can still acquire players from other clubs after March 21.
The caveat for this is that any player traded after the March 21 deadline is not eligible to be placed on a team's postseason roster. They can play the rest of the regular season with their new squad, however.
The teams making those trades post-deadline are typically non-playoff teams that are looking to acquire players with term. Or, some teams acquire players who are free agents that summer in order to work a deal before free agency hits.
Is the trade deadline always in March?
The NHL trade deadline is typically in late February. However, this year is an exception.
With the NHL regular season not ending until late April as opposed to early to mid-April, the deadline was extended so that teams will have sufficient time to determine their deadline strategy. The delay in the regular season's end is due to the built-in break the NHL had scheduled for the 2022 Winter Olympics before opting to not send its players.
