Avalanche get Nicolas Roy, Golden Knights acquire Nic Dowd ahead of the NHL trade deadline

Nicolas Roy reacts after scoring for the Maple Leafs against the New Jersey Devils in Toronto on Tuesday Dec. 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Two of the top Stanley Cup contenders in the Western Conference are not waiting until trade deadline day to make significant additions down the middle.

The NHL-best Colorado Avalanche acquired centre Nicolas Roy from Toronto on Thursday for a conditional fifth-round pick this year and a conditional first-rounder in 2027. The Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights got centre Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick, a 2029 second-rounder and young goaltender Jesper Vikman.

Roy fills a major void for Colorado with significant size at 6-foot-4. Now 29, he helped Vegas win the Cup in 2023, when depth played a major role in that title run.

Dowd, 35, gives the Golden Knights a penalty killer and shutdown defender down the middle who can also chip in some offence. He has 16 points and 43 blocked shots in 55 games this season and is under contract through ’26-27 at a reasonable salary cap hit of US$3 million.

These are not the first additions for either team in recent weeks. Vegas jumped the line to pick up defenceman Rasmus Andersson from Calgary prior to the Olympic break, while Colorado also added on the blue line with Brett Kulak and Nick Blankenburg.

Trading Dowd signals the Capitals’ intention to at least in part be sellers, sitting four points back of the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference but having played three more games than Boston, which is in that position. Pending unrestricted free agent forward Brandon Duhaime and defenceman Trevor van Riemsdyk are also trade candidates for Washington.

With less than 26 hours to go before the deadline, plenty of other teams who declared they’re open for business are awaiting more deals. Vincent Trocheck remains with the New York Rangers, and coach Mike Sullivan was noncommittal about whether the centre whose name is atop many trade boards would play Thursday night against Toronto.

Roy played Wednesday night at New Jersey for the Maple Leafs, who are all but certain to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade. They sat three other players for roster management reasons as trade talk heats up: Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press