The NHL returns to play on Wednesday night after the Olympic break. The Olympic trade freeze has ended, and the trade deadline is on March 6 at 3 p.m. ET. Teams were able to discuss trades during the freeze, but could not complete them.
Now, the trade deadline season has kicked off with a minor trade between the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues, as announced by the Islanders on X, formerly Twitter.
The Islanders have acquired forward Matt Luff in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier.
Luff was undrafted and signed with the Los Angele Kings after a tryout with the team. Luff initially played with the Ontario Reign of the AHL and first appeared in the NHL with the Kings in 2018-19. The forward left in free agency following the 2020-21 season, signing a one-year deal with the Nashville Predators. He started 2022-23 with the Detroit Red Wings franchise before time with the Florida Panthers and Blues' AHL teams.
Luff has played five games with the Blues this season, scoring one goal. Overall, he has played in 111 games at the NHL level, finding the back of the net 16 times and adding 12 assists.
Meanwhile, Gauthier was the 21st overall selection of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. He made it to the NHL level in 2019-20, playing five games with the Canes before being traded to the New York Rangers. The former first-round pick was once again traded to the Senators ahead of the 2023-24 season, appearing in 17 games with the Senators. He would sign as a free agent with the Islanders in the summer of 2023. He has played in 181 NHL games, with 19 goals and 22 assists, last appearing with the Islanders in 2024-25.
New York's hope is that flipping their AHL players could aid in their push for a playoff spot. The Islanders are 32-21-5 on the season, placing them in third in the Metropolitan Division. They return to the ice on Thursday night, visiting the Montreal Canadiens.
