Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
The NHL's roster freeze begins at midnight Saturday and suspends activity until Dec. 28.
Some organizations are taking action ahead of the deadline to put together AHL rosters. After all, the midpoint of the 2025-26 season is just a few weeks away. From there, it's going to be an all-out sprint into the second half and toward the Calder Cup playoffs.
Let's take a look back at some of the biggest trades surrounding the AHL to date.
Bakersfield Condors
On December 12, the already efficient offense became even more powerful in front of the forwards. Sam Prine Coming to the Edmonton Oilers in a major trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bakersfield is averaging 3.56 goals per game so far and ranks third in offensive efficiency at 26.5% (26 goals in 98 games).
But Poulin, 24, had 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 22 games before the trade and was a regular for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, one of the AHL's top teams. Poulin was also a 2019 first-round pick out of Pittsburgh. He recorded two assists in his Condors debut in Tucson on December 13. Joined by impressive newcomers on the left Virjami Majala Early in his tenure with the Condors. and Quinn Hutson Poulin returned to Edmonton with 16 goals (second-most in the AHL), but his arrival was even more important for Bakersfield.
iowa wild
The Minnesota Wild front office has shown a willingness to be aggressive a third of the way through the 2025-26 season.
That approach, of course, led to a massive trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 12 that brought in the star defender Quinn Hughes to Minnesota. But Minnesota is also always on the lookout for potential bargains. One such attempt was on October 17, when they acquired forward Oscar Olausen From the San Jose Sharks.
Olawson is considered a key piece on the roster as Iowa tries to shake off a slow start. Playing primarily on the left side of the top six, he contributed nine points (three goals, six assists) in 23 games with the Iowa Greens.
Lehigh Valley Phantom
No NHL team has been more aggressive in revamping its AHL defense than the Philadelphia Flyers.
TheAHL.com took a closer look at the moves earlier this month, as deals with the Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning brought Christian Kyrou, Max Genette and Roman Schmidt Enter the Philadelphia organization. All three players have since settled on the Lehigh Valley blue line.
As usual, the Phantoms find themselves in the middle of the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division. Despite their recent decline, they are still strong contenders. Their 14-11-1-2 record puts them in third place in the conference.
Rockford IceHogs
with the rookie forward Oliver Moore and Nick Radice With Blackhawks, IceHogs regain lead Rem Pitlik Trade with Bakersfield last week. Pitlick played for Rockford in the 2023-24 season, where he scored 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 27 games. Prior to the trade, he had 15 points in 24 games with the Condors.
Pitlick had an impactful game in the IceHogs' first game back, adding a goal and three assists in the IceHogs' 7-3 win over Manitoba on Saturday.
Springfield Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds are trying to undo the damage from a slow start, while the St. Louis Blues front office has been aggressive in making changes to the AHL roster.
On November 3, the Blues brought back the defender Rosen Street From the Washington Capitals. Rosen is one of the AHL's best-known hockey distributors, having competed in the 2022 Calder Cup finals with Springfield and winning the championship in 2018 with the Toronto Marlies.
Springfield was averaging just 2.33 goals per game (26th in the AHL) when the trade occurred. In the next 16 games, the team increased their goals per game average to 2.81.
St. Louis also sent Nikita Alexandrov Los Angeles Kings forward Akil Thomas December 2nd. However, Thomas, 25, has yet to make his Springfield debut.
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. In 2016, he received the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
