Team USA honors late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau after Olympic gold win
After winning Olympic gold, Team USA hockey honored late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau by carrying his jersey and inviting his kids onto the ice.
The 2026 NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, as it is now less than one week away. With this, trades around the NHL are going to be picking up in a big way.
Recently, The Hockey News looked at the top four center trade candidates with the deadline almost here.
Now, in this latest edition of the series, let’s look at the top four NHL defensemen who could be on the move.
Justin Faulk is the top defenseman trade candidate to watch this week. With the St. Louis Blues having such a disappointing season, they are open to moving Faulk, and he should generate a ton of interest.
He is an impactful top-four defenseman who plays a solid defensive game and chips in offensively.
Faulk’s contract also adds to his appeal, as he has a $6.5 million cap hit until the end of the 2026-27 season. With this, he would be more than a rental for any teams interested in acquiring him.
The right-handed blueliner is also having a strong season, so his trade value is high right now. In 59 games this season with St. Louis, he has 11 goals, 21 assists, and 32 points.
The Calgary Flames already traded Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this season. Now, another one of their top defensemen has been creating chatter as a trade candidate with the deadline almost here: MacKenzie Weegar.
Teams looking for a top-four right-shot defenseman certainly should be in the mix for Weegar. The 32-year-old blueliner works in all situations and can play both sides, so he provides plenty of versatility.
However, Weegar has a full no-trade clause this year, so he has the final say over whether he will get moved or not. Along with that contract is a $6.25-million salary cap hit for five more years after this season
In 58 games this season, he has recorded three goals and 21 points.
It is no secret that Dougie Hamilton could use a fresh start. The right-shot defenseman has been the subject of trade rumors since this past off-season.
With the New Jersey Devils‘ playoff hopes continuing to decrease, perhaps now would be a good time for both sides to finally move on.
Teams looking for more production from the point could pursue Hamilton. The 32-year-old defenseman is well-known as an offensive defenseman and can be a difference-maker when playing at his best. However, he is also having a down season for his standards, as he has just 23 points in 55 games.
Hamilton’s contract could also make a trade difficult for the Devils to pull off. The 2011 first-round pick has a hefty $9-million cap hit and a 10-team trade list. He also has two more years left on this deal following this season.
While this is the case, his strong résumé could help him generate interest.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are continuing to trend in the wrong direction and are likely to be sellers at the deadline. Due to this, defenseman Brandon Carlo has been creating chatter as a trade candidate.
If the Maple Leafs shop him, he should be a popular target for teams looking to add a stay-at-home defenseman for their top four.
Carlo has struggled at times to find his fit with the Leafs, but would still be a valuable addition for a playoff club. It is no secret that contenders love to add big, right-shot defenseman, and Toronto could get a decent return if they move him.
Carlo has a reasonable $3.485-million cap hit until the end of next season due to the Boston Bruins retaining a portion of his salary. In 37 games this season, he has recorded five assists, 70 blocks and a plus-5 rating.
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