NHL Trade Watch: Maple Leafs Selling, Panarin Interest, Wright On The Move?

The NHL is now just five days away from the Olympic roster freeze, and the rumour mill is heating up fast. At this point, it feels like every hour brings a new report or a fresh name tied to the deadline. The Artemi Panarin sweepstakes sit right at the centre of it all. With the Olympic break running from Feb. 6–24, teams are left with just 10 days to lock in a plan before the March 6 Trade Deadline arrives.

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In this edition of NHL Trade Watch, we dig into the latest buzz surrounding the New York Rangers and Artemi Panarin, as new teams continue to put their names into the mix. We also assess whether the Toronto Maple Leafs are finally trending toward a sale as their losing streak drags on. Lastly, we examine whether the Seattle Kraken are truly serious about trading Shane Wright.

Kraken Shopping Wright?

Believability Rank: Highly Believable

This one checks out. Wright hasn’t developed the way the organization likely hoped after selecting him fourth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. On top of that, Seattle has several highly skilled prospects pushing for NHL spots, some of whom could realistically take Wright’s place in the lineup as early as next season.

Because of that, this feels like a situation that could come to a head by the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. That said, it wouldn’t make much sense for the Kraken to move him just for the sake of making a hockey trade. If they part with Wright, they’re going to want a true impact piece coming back. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman touched on this during the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, the podcast, suggesting Seattle would only move Wright in a deal that brings in a legitimate top-line scorer.

“I could see them putting Wright-plus out there for Panarin,” Friedman said. “I just don’t know how Panarin feels [about playing in Seattle], and if that’s at all reasonable. So I would say that’s unlikely, but I have no doubt Seattle called and said that’s the kind of player we want and that’s the kind of deal we would do for Shane Wright.”

The message is clear. Seattle doesn’t want to trade Wright just to reset the clock. If they move him, they want a home-run deal.

Panarin Sweepstakes Heating Up

Believability Rank: Highly Believable

As mentioned earlier, it feels like every day brings a new report linking Panarin to another team. On 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman ran through a lengthy list of potential suitors, which only highlights how active this market really is.

Here’s who he believes has a legitimate interest:

• Colorado Avalanche: Love him as a rental, but an extension isn’t realistic.
• Dallas Stars: Strong interest, but everything hinges on Jason Robertson’s future.
• Los Angeles Kings: Interested, but still figuring out the long-term direction of the organization.
• Seattle Kraken: Looking for a scoring winger and willing to move Wright-plus.
• Washington Capitals: Reportedly the most aggressive, but only if an extension is included.
• Carolina Hurricanes: Always interested in players like this, but cautious about fit, similar to the Mikko Rantanen situation last season.
• Florida Panthers: Panarin’s preferred destination, but extending him would be difficult.
• San Jose Sharks: Mutual interest, but uncertainty around a Macklin Celebrini extension complicates things.
• Detroit Red Wings: Interested, but only with an extension.
• Anaheim Ducks: Interested, but not willing to extend him at this time.
• Minnesota Wild: Not realistic given Kirill Kaprizov’s new deal and a possible Quinn Hughes extension.
• Utah Mammoth: Believed to be “big-game hunting” more than they are willing to admit.

Friedman also mentioned the Vegas Golden Knights, New York Islanders, and Philadelphia Flyers as teams that could have interest, though he wasn’t sure how serious those conversations are or how a deal would get done. He added that, despite previous rumours, he has heard the Maple Leafs are not interested in Panarin.

Maple Leafs Inching Toward Selling

Believability Rank: Highly Believable

Lastly, the Maple Leafs appear to be inching closer to selling at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Friedman addressed this in 32 Thoughts as well, noting that Toronto is expected to begin testing the market with several players.

“I think you’ll see talks about Toronto’s players intensify,” he said. “I don’t know if you’ll see anything before the Olympic freeze, which is on Wednesday. But I definitely think you’re going to hear a lot more Toronto names get out there, more than you would have expected this year.”

The players likely to generate the most interest include Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Each of them could fetch at least a first-round pick or multiple second-round picks, along with quality prospects. Beyond that group, Toronto could also listen on Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Carlo, Calle Järnkrok, and potentially even Max Domi or Nicholas Robertson, depending on how aggressive they want to be.

The biggest swing they can take would be attempting to move Morgan Rielly. His contract makes that difficult, but if Toronto could find a path there, it would open up significant cap space heading into the offseason. If the Maple Leafs truly commit to selling, it makes sense to move assets in a way that changes the roster’s makeup and allows them to retool around Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies.

Next: Insider: Maple Leafs’ Trade Return From Oilers for Bobby McMann