Three Recent Trade Deadline “Rentals” Who Flopped for Their New NHL Team

Over the history of the NHL and the trade deadline, there have been some proposterously bad trades. What looks like a huge win can turn into a dud. The Capitals’ 2013 swap of prospect Filip Forsberg for veteran Martin Erat remains among the worst in NHL history, with Erat managing barely two dozen points before being moved again while Forsberg became a franchise scorer in Nashville. Vancouver’s Martin Rucinsky pickup, Minnesota’s Martin Hanzal rental, and Anaheim’s Ryan Whitney trade rank highly as well. But what about recent deals?

Are there any trades in the last couple of seasons that went incredibly wrong?

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Detroit Red Wings: Justin Faulk (D)

Wanting to take a stab at making the playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings pushed their chips in on Justin Faulk of the St. Louis Blues. They gave up a 1st-round pick, a 3rd-round pick, and players. Specifically, defenseman Justin Holl, forward prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, a 2026 first-round draft pick, and a 2026 third-round draft pick.

The end of the season for the Red Wings went about as badly as a stretch of closing games can go. The Red Wings went 3–13–3 over their final 19 games. They fell out of contention, missed the playoffs, and this summer, Steve Yzerman was removed as GM, and Dylan Larkin requested a trade.

It’s not fair to blame Faulk for everything. However, if the plan was to add him and then call that deadline a success, it was anything but. Faulk carries a $6.5 million cap hit with term, so he’s not just a rental. Perhaps the Red Wings can move him this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Scott Laughton (C)

Acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Scott Laughton, thinking he would be a huge addition to their depth down the middle. He played 21 games for the Leafs, scoring five goals and totaling eight points. The Leafs gave up prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a conditional 2026 1st-round pick (Flyers retained 50% salary).

Laughton didn’t return to the team amidst all their changes this summer. He signed a three-year deal at $3.5 million per season with the Los Angeles Kings.

The trade didn’t help the Leafs; they missed the playoffs, and they got little out of him before he walked away for no return.

Edmonton Oilers: Trent Frederic (F)

On March 4, 2025, the Edmonton Oilers acquired forward Trent Frederic and forward Max Jones from the Boston Bruins in a complex three-team trade that also involved the New Jersey Devils. The Oilers made the trade to get Frederic, but Jones has, to date, been the better part of the return. Frederic showed up injured and wasn’t effective.

That should have been a good indicator that maybe the Oilers walk away from him and cut their losses on a rental trade gone wrong.

Instead, he struggled in 2025-26 to carve out a role after the team signed him to a long-term, eight-year contract extension worth $30.8 million. The trade and the contract both appear to have been mistake in the early going. There’s time for Frederic to bounce back and turn it into a win, but he’s got some work to do to change the narrative that surrounds him. The Oilers parted with two draft picks and two prospects to land two players that aren’t even regulars in their lineup.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Oilers & Bobrovsky’s Reasoning