How Players Can Still Move After Today's NHL Trade Deadline

(Credit: Logan Foust/Texas Stars)

Welcome to one of the wildest days on the hockey calendar: the NHL trade deadline. 

Note of course that it's the NHL trade deadline. This is your standard annual reminder that the AHL trade deadline is seven days after the NHL deadline, next Friday, March 14. 

Players can still move around the AHL after today in two situations:

NHL contracts in the AHL

Players on NHL contracts are generally assigned only to their AHL affiliate. Players can be assigned to any team in the AHL with the agreement of that AHL team, however. Often, we see these "trades" for players on expiring contracts who might not get an opportunity to play in the AHL playoffs with their current AHL team and who need to build a postseason resume for their next contract.

There are a few Dallas examples out there but the most remarkable to my memory is the 2012 reassignment that sent Ray Sawada to the St. John's IceCaps. The Stars were far out of the playoff race, and Dallas had clearly decided they weren't renewing Sawada's deal. St. John's then signed the IceCaps for the next season after playing 15 playoffs games with them.

AHL only contracts
Players on AHL contracts can be traded as normal until next Friday.

One final note is that players must be on an AHL roster, any AHL roster, at the NHL trade deadline today to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. Exceptions include ECHL recalls and tryout players from college, Europe and major junior.