NHL Trade Deadline: Avalanche Acquire Lindgren, Wild Get Nyquist, and Panthers Land Jones
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The NHL trade deadline is approaching, and several teams are making moves to strengthen their rosters for a playoff push. The Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Florida Panthers were among the teams that made significant acquisitions on Saturday. The Avalanche traded for defenseman Ryan Lindgren and winger Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers, while the Wild acquired pending free agent forward Gustav Nyquist from the Nashville Predators. The Panthers, meanwhile, landed defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Avalanche's trade with the Rangers included a second- and a fourth-round pick, young forward Juuso Parssinen, and veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan. The Rangers retained half of Lindgren's salary, and the Avalanche also received the rights to unsigned prospect Hank Kempf. The Rangers will receive the better of their own or Carolina's pick in the second round and the better of Colorado's or Vancouver's in the fourth round of the draft later this year. Lindgren, 27, has struggled this season but provides the Avalanche with left-handed-shooting depth on the blue line. Vesey, 31, did not get much playing time in New York and could get a bigger opportunity with the Avalanche.
The Wild's acquisition of Nyquist gives them a versatile forward who can play any role on the team. Nyquist is joining the Wild for the second time in three years, and the Predators are retaining half of his salary. The Panthers' trade for Jones includes a 2026 fourth-round pick, and the Blackhawks are retaining 26% of Jones' salary. Jones, 30, is under contract through 2030 and provides the Panthers with a skilled defenseman. The Panthers are already deep at forward, but Jones' addition strengthens their blue line. The Avalanche's trade was their second big one of the season, following the trade of top-line forward Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes in late January.
The Rangers, who will be without No. 1 defenseman Adam Fox for some time due to an upper-body injury, are four points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Moving on from Lindgren and Vesey does not mean the Rangers are giving up on the season, but they did not want to lose them for nothing this summer. The Rangers had been interested in Parssinen, 24, for some time, and he could fill the depth role vacated by fellow Finn Kaapo Kakko, who was traded to Seattle in December. The NHL trade deadline is on Friday, and several teams are expected to make moves to bolster their rosters. The playoffs are approaching, and teams are looking to make a deep run. The trade market is expected to be busy in the coming days, with several key players potentially on the move.
Here are the details of the trades:
- Avalanche acquire Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey from the Rangers for a second- and a fourth-round pick, Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, and the rights to Hank Kempf.
- Wild acquire Gustav Nyquist from the Predators for a 2026 second-round pick.
- Panthers acquire Seth Jones from the Blackhawks for a 2026 fourth-round pick and goaltender Spencer Knight.
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