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Latest NHL Trade Buzz: Oilers, Maple Leafs, Canucks

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jackson Weber | Last updated Dec 30, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The NHL’s holiday roster freeze is over, and the trade market is already stirring, with Yegor Chinakhov headed to Pittsburgh. Buckle up, because that might just be the beginning of a busy month leading up to the February Winter Olympics.

The Edmonton Oilers and Andrew Mangiapane appear to be working towards providing the player a change of scenery. The Toronto Maple Leafs are ravaged by injuries as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive in the extremely competitive Eastern Conference. And the Vancouver Canucks have surprisingly gone 4-2 to start the post-Quinn Hughes era, but will that stop their sell-off?

We’ll dive into all of that and more in the latest edition of NHL Trade Buzz.

Latest on Andrew Mangiapane

Mangiapane’s move to the other side of the Battle of Alberta hasn’t gone according to plan, with the fit and production lacking from the start. As a result, the veteran winger was a healthy scratch in Winnipeg on Monday, and Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman believes all parties would be willing to find the player a new home if possible.

Some have speculated about a reunion with GM Brad Treliving in Toronto, potentially in a one-for-one swap for another offseason acquisition that hasn’t panned out in Matias Maccelli. It could also just wind up being a salary-dump scenario to call up Isaac Howard and Quinn Hutson, both of whom have been tearing up the AHL of late and deserve another shot with the big club.

Maple Leafs Injury Woes

Just as the Maple Leafs appeared to be hitting their stride, the injury bug has bitten them in a big way. First, it was William Nylander suffering a lower-body injury on Saturday against Ottawa. Then came injuries to Dakota Joshua, Auston Matthews, and Chris Tanev on Sunday in Detroit.

Nylander remains out and day-to-day with his ailment, while Tanev and Joshua are also both out, the former sidelined with a separate lower-body injury from his previous concussion issues, while the latter is said to be dealing with a gruesome kidney injury. Finally, Matthews is a game-time decision for Tuesday night’s tilt with the Devils, still managing the effects of blocking a Dylan Larkin shot on Sunday.

In terms of trade talk, it’s touch-and-go in Toronto. Every win or loss swings the pendulum one way or the other, but we are nearing decision time of whether to buy, sell, or do both, so prepare for anything.

Who Gets Moved Next in Vancouver?

Who could have predicted the Canucks would be better without their captain? It’s a short sample size that likely won’t last, but the youth that came in the Hughes return package has given Vancouver some energy, and it’s shown in the results. Having Thatcher Demko healthy and shutting the door certainly hasn’t hurt either.

Mangiapane wasn’t the only notable name to be healthy scratched on Monday night, so was Jake DeBrusk, although reports suggest that any talk of a trade remains premature, as much as it makes sense to consider for a team starting a rebuild.

Meanwhile, Kiefer Sherwood continues to draw interest from just about the entire league, though the Canucks seem comfortable waiting things out until closer to the deadline. Lastly, Elias Pettersson’s name has popped back up in trade rumors, and whether there’s any truth to them or not, the chatter continues to link the Carolina Hurricanes.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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