The New Jersey Devils wasted little time addressing a pressing need ahead of the trade deadline, while the reigning champion Florida Panthers made a savvy depth move, and the Vegas Golden Knights welcomed back a key player from their Stanley Cup-winning squad.
With deals flying in on Thursday, New Jersey landed veteran defenseman Brian Dumoulin from Anaheim, Florida bolstered its forward depth by acquiring center Nico Sturm from San Jose, and Vegas brought back winger Reilly Smith in a trade with the New York Rangers.
The Devils’ move for Dumoulin came after the team received tough news: star forward Jack Hughes is done for the season following shoulder surgery, and No. 1 defenseman Dougie Hamilton remains sidelined. In exchange for Dumoulin, New Jersey sent a second-round pick in this year’s draft and the rights to unsigned prospect Herman Traff to the Ducks. Thanks to Hughes being placed on long-term injured reserve, the Devils now have around $10 million in cap flexibility before the deadline, even after adding Dumoulin, as Anaheim is retaining half of his salary.
The Rangers also retained 50% of Smith’s salary in their trade with Vegas, which sent young forward Brendan Brisson and a 2025 third-round pick (originally from last-place San Jose) to New York. The Rangers quickly flipped that pick to Vancouver to acquire defenseman Carson Soucy, who provides a replacement for Ryan Lindgren following his trade to Colorado.
Smith, who played a crucial role in Vegas’ 2023 Stanley Cup run as an alternate captain and original expansion team member, has been on the move frequently. Since lifting the Cup, he has been traded to Pittsburgh, then to New York, and now back to the Golden Knights.
Florida, which fell to Vegas in the 2023 final before capturing its first championship last year, sent a 2026 fourth-round pick to San Jose in exchange for a 2027 seventh-rounder and Sturm. The 29-year-old center is a strong penalty killer with seven goals, six assists, and an NHL-best 62.7% faceoff win rate among players with at least 200 draws this season. Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini praised Sturm’s ability to do the “little things” that don’t always get recognition but make a difference.
“[He] makes sure all the small details are covered—penalty kill, faceoffs, defensive play, you name it,” said Celebrini. “It’s not flashy, but it will definitely help them.”
With top winger Matthew Tkachuk also on LTIR, Florida still has room to make another move as it aims to become the third team in the past decade to win back-to-back Cups. The Panthers have already brought in defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago and goaltender Vitek Vanecek, and on Thursday, they completed a depth goalie swap, acquiring Kaapo Kahkonen from Winnipeg for Chris Driedger.
New Jersey, looking to solidify its playoff chances after missing out last year, is banking on Dumoulin’s veteran experience. The 33-year-old defenseman, a two-time Cup winner with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017, has 16 points while averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time over 61 games this season with Anaheim.
“Brian was a great presence for us both on and off the ice, and we wish him the best in New Jersey,” said Ducks GM Pat Verbeek. “This was a tough decision, but it opens the door for our younger defensemen, who have shown they can compete at this level.”
Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald may not be finished making moves, as the team could still pursue a high-end center to help fill the void left by Hughes, who remains among the league’s top scorers with 70 points (27 goals, 43 assists), tied with Carolina’s Mikko Rantanen.
Rantanen’s future remains one of the biggest question marks ahead of Friday’s 3 p.m. EST trade deadline. The 2022 Stanley Cup winner, who was already traded once this season in a blockbuster move from Colorado to Carolina in January, could be on the move again if the Hurricanes are unable to secure him with a long-term extension.
“If he gets moved, it won’t be because of his play,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. “Mikko has played well since arriving in Carolina—he had some early struggles, but now the production is coming. He’s a fit on any team, including Carolina, but that’s just the business side of hockey.”
As teams finalize their rosters, the waiver wire was also active on Thursday. Nashville claimed winger Jakub Vrana from Washington and defenseman Jordan Oesterle from Boston, while Columbus picked up forward Christian Fischer from Detroit. Meanwhile, Toronto placed enforcer Ryan Reaves on waivers in an effort to free up $1 million in cap space.
