It's known as NHL trade deadline day, but really it's NHL trade deadline week.
As Friday's 3 p.m. deadline nears, many teams have already added the biggest names available. Of the top 10 players from Version 1.0 of our ESPN Trade Board, six have been traded; in total, 13 of the initial top 50 have moved. That includes the No. 1 overall player Jake Guentzel, who was sent from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. Another player, Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, has been all but taken off the board by his team, thanks to their playoff push.
That said, there's still a lot of action expected today.
Here is Version 2.0 of our Big Board for the 2024 NHL trade deadline, listing the top 40 players that could be available in terms of impact and quality. It was compiled through conversations with sources and media reports from around the NHL.
It's a list that assumes everyone rumored may be available, although where teams end up in the standings before the deadline could ultimately determine that. And we're a little more pessimistic about the availability of some players than others.
Remember: Sometimes deals that aren't made at the deadline are the ones that are eventually made in the offseason. "At the deadline, it's about moving money in and moving money out. I do think that restricts things, where that opens up a little more in the summer," one NHL general manager said. "In the summer, you have more flexibility with expiring contracts off your team. You know your standing in the draft order, too."
So just because someone doesn't move now doesn't mean they can't move later.
Here's the Big Board for 2024, starting with a star winger from the East: