NHL Trade deadline The National Hockey League ' s trade deadline is a date set by the NHL league office after which no trades will be allowed for the remainder of the season . The deadline for the 2010 – 11 NHL season is set for March 2 at 3 : 00pm EST . Prior to the current CBA , the trade deadline date has been set for mid - March . In the current CBA , the trade deadline is on the 40th day counting from the end of the regular season while previously it was on the 26th day . The NHL trade deadline , and the weeks beforehand , usually brings a flurry of activities for many teams . Teams who are either making a final push to secure the last playoff spots , or hoping to go deep into the playoffs , will trade to acquire a key veteran or a proven scorer in order to solidify their rosters . Conversely , teams who are re - building with younger players will want to trade away their more expensive players in order to " dump " ( reduce ) salary and get draft picks in return . Also , players who are about to become unrestricted free agent s and have indicated that they do not want to return to their respective teams may be traded away so that those teams will get something in return , instead of having such players sign on with another team while their former teams receive nothing in return . The NHL trade deadline also generates a huge buzz for hockey fans and analysts , with much speculation and discussion about which players will get traded and where they will go . In Canada , the NHL trade deadline is treated with such significance that sports stations such as TSN , Rogers Sportsnet , and The Score will devote the entire trade deadline day to analyze the trades that have occurred throughout the day , and the trades that have already happened prior to that day . The Score prides itself on being the original network to devote an entire day to covering the trade deadline . As this day focuses on the ' play making ' abilities of the General Managers , it ' s business as usual for the rest of the team with regularly scheduled games and practices taking place . 2008 – 09 NHL season . A list of trades that took place on the trade deadline , March 4 , 2009 , are as follows . For a complete list , see 2008 – 09 NHL transactions : 2007 – 08 NHL season . Here are some major transactions that took place on the trade deadline of the 2007 – 08 season ( February 26 , 2008 ) . For a complete list , see 2007 – 08 NHL transactions . 2006 – 07 NHL season . Here are some major transactions that took place on the trade deadline of the 2006 – 07 season ( February 27 , 2007 ) . For a complete list , see 2006 – 07 NHL transactions . 2005 – 06 NHL season . Here are some major transactions that took place on the trade deadline of the 2005 – 06 season ( March 9 , 2006 ) . For a complete list , see 2005 – 06 NHL transactions . 2003 – 04 NHL season . Trade deadline : March 9 , 2004 . 2002 – 03 NHL season . Here are some major transactions that took place on the trade deadline of the 2002 – 03 season ( March 11 , 2003 ) . For a complete list , see 2002 – 03 NHL transactions . 2001 – 02 NHL season . Trading deadline : March 19 , 2002 . 1999 – 2000 NHL season . Trading deadline : March 14 , 2000 . March 7 , 1983 : Laurie Boschman traded from Edmonton to Winnipeg for Willy Lindstrom . 1982 – 83 NHL Season . March 8 , 1983 : Ken Solheim traded from Minnesota to Detroit for future considerations . March 9 , 1982 : Guy Lapointe traded from Montreal to St . Louis for St . Louis ' 2nd round choice in 1983 Entry Draft . References .