The trade deadline is about who is eligible to play in the playoffs. A player can be traded anytime but can not play in the postseason after the deadline.
No, can't play at any time if traded after deadline in NHL. Changed a couple years ago I think?
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While there is a specific deadline for trades, teams can still acquire players from other clubs after March 3.
The caveat is that any player traded after the March 3 deadline is not eligible to play in any regular season or playoff games for their new teams.
If any deals are done post-deadline, it typically involves AHLers or injured players with term on their contracts. "
NHL general managers have a hard deadline on Friday to complete trades.
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