5 NHL Teams Who Will Dominate Trade Headlines in August

There’s been plenty of trade activity across the NHL this summer, but things are far from finished. While the flurry of major moves has slowed, important decisions still need to be made. With training camps roughly a month away, teams are working to finalize rosters, and players caught in the rumor mill continue to wait for clarity.

Here are five teams expected to dominate trade headlines as August unfolds and the 2026–27 season draws closer.

Detroit Red Wings

What’s going on with Dylan Larkin? Perhaps we can only answer that question once we learn who is calling the shots in Detroit. While the team searches for a new general manager, it’s unclear who is talking to teams about a Larkin trade. He wants to be moved. The team seems open to moving him. However, the trade matters, and the return has to be right. Getting the right person to make that trade is imperative.

It could take another couple of weeks before this is all figured out. Once it is, expect the trade to become a priority. There’s also speculation about Alex DeBrincat and a new deal for Simon Edvinsson. Could either of these players be moved?

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are looking to add one more piece. Perhaps they haven’t decided that another forward who fits in with their core is essential, but GM Kent Hughes would like to find someone. That’s why they’ve been linked to Kirill Marchenko. Will this deal, or another one like it take place before the season starts? Is August the month the Canadiens pull off the blockbuster we’ve been hearing they’re trying to make?

Montreal has roughly $9.78 million in projected space with a full roster already in place. It will be a trade they make, not a signing if they want to add to the roster.

Columbus Blue Jackets

We can’t talk about the Canadiens without talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets. Marchenko is the name to watch, but what is this team going to do if he’s moved? For starters, there will be more chatter about Zach Werenski. For now, he’s staying put. But how long will he feel tied to the organization if they keep moving key pieces?

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said it had been weeks since he’s discussed a possible Marchenko trade with another general manager. That means those talks will likely pick up again in August.

Vancouver Canucks

There’s nothing imminent that we’ve heard of, but it feels like the other shoe is ready to drop in Vancouver. The team has several big names that could land in new cities, including Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser, and Conor Garland. Are the rebuilding Canucks really not going to do anything else? It seems hard to believe.

Buffalo Sabres

They’re clearly not landing Patrick Kane after the veteran forward signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, but what about Connor Hellebuyck? That deal felt so close to happening that it would be foolish to drop the idea altogether. The pieces in the return will have changed now that the NHL Draft has come and gone, but the Sabres are still interested.

Can the two sides find another way to get back to the table and start talking about a Hellebuyck trade again? The Sabres want to make a move. Adding the superstar goalie would be the biggest thing they could do.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Oilers, & Old Teams Win