The National Hockey League trade deadline took place on Friday. Here are five European players who switched teams.
Andrei Kuzmenko
The left winger from Yakutsk, Russia was traded on Friday from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Los Angeles Kings with a seventh round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft for a third round pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft. The Kings are Kuzmenko’s fourth NHL team following two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks (2022 to 2024). two seasons with the Calgary Flames (2023 to 2025), and one season with the Flyers (2024 to 2025).
In 44 games this season, Kuzmenko has six goals and 14 assists for 20 points with the Flames and Flyers. He was a -12 with 12 penalty minutes, eight power-play points, three game-winning goals, 52 shots on goal, one faceoff win, 11 blocked shots, 11 hits, 15 takeaways, and 36 giveaways. The faceoff win came in a 3-2 Flames win over the Anaheim Ducks on January 7.
Petr Mrazek
The goaltender from Ostrava, Czech Republic was traded on Friday from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Detroit Red Wings with center Craig Smith of Madison, Wisconsin for center Joe Veleno of Kirkland, Quebec. Mrazek is returning to the Red Wings, the team he played for from 2012 to 2018. Mrazek has also played for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017-18, the Carolina Hurricanes from 2018 to 2021, the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021-22, and the Chicago Blackhawks the last three seasons since 2022. In 33 games with the Blackhawks this season, Mrazek has a record of 10 wins, 19 regulation losses, and two losses in extra time, with a goals against average of 3.46 and a save percentage of .890.
Mikko Rantanen
The right winger from Nousiainen, Finland was traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Dallas Stars on Friday for center Logan Stankoven of Kamloops, British Columbia and two first round picks (2026 and 2028), and two third round picks (2026 and 2027). The Stars are Rantanen’s third NHL team following 10 seasons with the Colorado Avalanche from 2015 to 2025, and one season with the Hurricanes in 2024-25. In 62 games this season with Colorado and Carolina, Rantanen has 27 goals and 43 assists for 70 points. He was a +9 with 38 penalty minutes, 21 power-play points, six game-winning goals, 175 shots on goal, 126 faceoff wins, 35 blocked shots, 38 hits, 30 takeaways, and 62 giveaways. In 2022, Rantanen was on the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup.
Nico Sturm
Tbe center from Augsburg, Germany was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Florida Panthers with a seventh round NHL draft pick in 2027 for a fourth round pick in 2026. The Panthers are Sturm’s fourth NHL team after four seasons with the Minnesota Wild (2018 to 2022), one season with the Colorado Avalanche (2021-22), and three seasons with the San Jose Sharks (2022 to 2025). In 47 games with the Sharks this season, Sturm has seven goals and six assists for 13 points. He is a -4 with 13 penalty minutes, one shorthanded point, one game-winning goal, 75 shots on goal, 175 faceoff wins, 5 blocked shots, 70 hits, three takeaways, and 16 giveaways.
Sturm, who won a Stanley Cup with Rantanen in Colorado in 2022, had his game-winning goal this season in San Jose on November 10, 2024, He scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 Sharks win over the New Jersey Devils on November 10. Carl Grundstrom of Umea, Sweden and defenseman Henry Thrun of Southborough, Massachusetts had the assists with three minutes and 39 seconds left in the first period.
Sturm’s shorthanded point was a shorthanded goal in a 6-3 Sharks win over the Detroit Red Wings on January 14. Sturm scored from William Eklund of Stockholm, Sweden and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic of Montreal, Quebec with two minutes and 19 seconds left in the first period to put the Sharks up 2-0.
Fabian Zetterlund
The winger from Karlstad, Sweden was traded from the San Jose Sharks on Friday to the Ottawa Senators with center Tristan Robbins of London, England and a fourth round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for centre Zack Ostapchuk of St. Albert, Alberta, centre Noah Gregor of Beaumont, Alberta and a second round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Senators are Zetterlund’s third NHL team following two seasons with the New Jersey Devils from 2021 to 2023, and three seasoned with the Sharks from 2023 to 2025. In 64 games with the Sharks this season, Zetterlund has 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points. He is a +8 with 10 penalty minutes, six power-play points, 141 shots on goal, 30 faceoff wins, 63 blocked shots, 115 hits, 20 takeaways, and 44 giveaways.
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