Like many years, the 2026 CHL trade deadline was an arms race with teams across Canada loading in hopes of a Memorial Cup visit. While the top contenders loaded up on NHL-Drafted prospects and junior hockey veterans, younger teams focused on building for the future by acquiring the league’s next wave of top talent. As you would expect, the moves of the deadline will have a large impact on the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, with a group of projected top prospects set to finish their seasons in new homes. 

Mathis Preston to the Vancouver Giants and Tyus Sparks to the Spokane Chiefs

The highest-profile draft-eligible prospect to change scenery at the 2026 CHL trade deadline was easily Mathis Preston. After making a run to the WHL Championship in 2025, the graduations of Berkly Catton, Andrew Cristall, Shea Van Olm, and others gutted the Chiefs’ roster. The ensuing middling start to the 2025-2026 season prompted Spokane to trade their 2023 3rd overall pick as they gear up for a longer-term rebuild. Though Preston had a slower start to the season than expected, he is one of the best individual creators in the 2026 NHL Draft. He uses his great speed and quick release to generate plays both off the rush and in the zone. In Vancouver, he’ll join fellow NHL Central Scouting A-Rated prospect Ryan Lin as the Giants look to build for the future. The Penticton native will have big shoes to fill in Vancouver, as the club traded out the WHL’s leading scorer, Cam Schmidt. The change of scenery paid dividends for Preston, as he recorded two points in his Giants debut, including the highlight reel overtime winner. He returned to the scoresheet in his second outing, but he was forced to leave the game early with an apparent knee injury, which unfortunately may cost him significant time. Heading the other way was C-Rated prospect Tyus Sparks. Though the Idaho native is not rated as highly as Preston, he is still a formidable player in his own right with good hockey IQ and a strong shot. 

Joe Iginla to the Vancouver Giants

Hours before the blockbuster Preston deal, the Giants made a similar swap, sending veteran Aaron Obobaifo to the contending Oil Kings in exchange for Joe Iginla. Though he is not rated as highly as his older brother Tij, Joe was also passed down the family goal-scoring touch. The 12th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Draft, Iginla will now be given a much bigger opportunity in Vancouver, with a chance to play at the top of the lineup. If Preston is to miss substantial time, Iginla will likely slide up to the Giants’ top line. With proven family lineage, Joe will be highly coveted if he has a strong second half.

Noah Kosick to the Seattle Thunderbirds

In a somewhat surprising deadline, Seattle shipped out their captain, Vancouver Canucks first-round pick, Braeden Cootes, while loading up for a run in 2027 by acquiring the aforementioned WHL leading scorer Cam Schmidt, and 2026 NHL Draft eligible Noah Kosick. After scoring just 3 points as a rookie last season, the Michigan commit broke out this season with 34 points in 37 games with Swift Current. Kosick is a flashy stick handler and playmaker who will now have an opportunity to play alongside one of the league’s premier scorers. With his smaller stature, it will be interesting to see how NHL teams evaluate Kosick, but if he can catch fire in Seattle, he may shoot up draft boards.

Jiri Kamas and Kalder Varga to the Red Deer Rebels

The Red Deer Rebels snagged a duo of intriguing NHL Draft eligibles at the deadline, as they shipped out veterans Keith McInnis and Samuel Drancak. Kamas, acquired from the Penticton Vees, is a mobile puck-moving defender who led Czechia in goals at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The Plzen native will be given more opportunity to display his offensive abilities in Red Deer. Like Kamas, Varga was also a Hlinka Gretzky standout, helping the Americans capture gold at the event. He had a promising rookie season in Kelowna last season, but saw his role diminish as the Rockets prepared to host the 2026 Memorial Cup. He has excelled early with the Rebels, scoring 2 goals and an assist through his first 4 contests.

Jean-Cristoph Lemieux to the Sudbury Wolves

With a heavy arms race taking shape in the OHL, the Windsor Spitfires were forced to part with 2024 2nd round pick JC Lemieux in order to outbid teams for Seattle Kraken prospect Nathan Villeneuve’s services. The Gatineau native blends high pace with flashy skills and projects to be a mid-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. In Windsor, Lemieux was sheltered in a deep forward core, but with the Wolves, he has been given the keys to the offence, playing top-line minutes. Lemieux has come out of the gates flying in Sudbury, tallying 5 points in his first 3 games. If he can continue producing even near this level of production, Lemieux could be one of the biggest draft risers in the CHL.

Nathan Amidovski to the Brampton Steelheads

After trading away 5 of their top 6 leading scorers, the Brampton Steelheads cashed in some of their draft capital on 2024 OHL first-round selection Nathan Amidovski. The Alliston native was regarded as one of the top goal scorers in the 2024 class after torching the U-16 level with the Barrie Jr. Colts. He had a relatively quiet rookie season with just 8 points in 54 games, but he took a major step forward in 2025-2026 with 22 points through his first 34 games in Ottawa. Even with his breakout, his role shrank as the 67s surprised the league by transforming into one of the OHL’s top teams. Though he will not have as much talent to play with in Brampton, Amidovski will be given significantly more ice time, and his draft stock will surely rise if he can continue to produce with less talent around him on the Steelheads.

Jacob Xu to the London Knights

In one of the most shocking blockbusters of the deadline, the London Knights shipped captain Sam O’Reilly and fellow Memorial Cup Champion Jared Woolley to their Midwest Division rival, the Kitchener Rangers. For these teams to complete a trade like this, the return had to be huge, and it was both in quantity of picks and quality of players heading back to London. Alongside 2025 OHL first-round selection Kane Barch, the Knights received C-Rated prospect Jacob Xu. The Richmond Hill native was projected to be a top pick in the 2024 OHL Draft, but his NCAA commitment caused him to fall all the way to the 8th round. Xu turned heads last season, cracking the Rangers lineup at the end of the season before dressing in 13 playoff contests as a 16-year-old. After winning back-to-back OHL titles, the Knights have already formed a formidable draft-eligible core featuring Jaxon Cover, Braidy Wassilyn, Ryan Brown, Caleb Mitchell, and now, Jacob Xu. 

William Lacelle to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

The QMJHL deadline was dominated entirely by two teams, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. With offseason addition Jakub Milota out with injury, the Armada were forced to counter the Sagueneens addition of Lucas Beckman by acquiring William Lacelle to tend the crease. The late 2007-born netminder helped backstop the 2025 Memorial Cup host Rimouski Oceanic last year, winning 27 of his 36 outings. Despite many players in front of him graduating, Lacelle’s numbers improved this season, with the second-best save percentage in the QMJHL at 0.916 per cent. Lacelle will now have the rare opportunity to start for a top contender in his draft-eligible season. If he can help lead the Armada to a Memorial Cup Championship, he could be one of the first goalies taken off the board in June.

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.