NHL trade grades: Report cards for biggest deals of 2026 offseason - ESPN

The 2026 NHL offseason trading period has begun.

As the deals continue to roll in, ESPN reporters will be grading all the moves with the biggest impacts, including instant reaction on how the GMs involved did.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning kicked things into high gear, with the Leafs landing pending free agent defenseman Darren Raddysh on Friday. Then the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators turned the knobs up to 11 with a blockbuster trade that sent Brady Tkachuk to the Sunshine State, with four high draft picks heading back to Canada's capital.

Read on for more, and keep this page bookmarked as the trade volume rises ahead of the NHL draft on June 26-27 and free agency on July 1.

Note: The most recent trades will appear highest up on the page.

Having Matthew Tkachuk simply wasn't enough for the Florida Panthers. That's why they collected the full set with the summer's first blockbuster.

The Panthers acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the Nos. 9 and 25 picks in this year's draft, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2030 second-round pick.

So, what are the short- and long-term impacts — aside from it being easier for their parents to catch all their games? Here's a look at how both teams performed in this trade and what it all means.

«There are levels to this.» We hear that phrase a lot, and this trade is another example of why it's such a popular saying.

Of course, there's the Tkachuk of it all. It's been talked about for some time now. Especially as the NHL continues what must now be viewed as an exodus of star American-born players leaving Canadian markets. One of the earliest examples of that trend was, well, Matthew Tkachuk, back in 2022.

As for the dynamics of the trade