Federico Staksrud Sent to New Jersey in Blockbuster MLP Trade

The last official trade of the 2026 Major League Pickleball season is a big one

The final trade of the 2026 Major League Pickleball season is in – and it is a stunner.

We don't use the term "blockbuster" lightly, but we're pretty sure this qualifies:

• The Fives receive Federico Staksrud and Milan Rane
• The Squeeze receive Martin Emmrich, Lina Padegimaite and cash

This move pushes New Jersey into the "Super Team" conversation alongside the St. Louis Shock.

Most people assumed NJ would need to give up one of their starting men – Noe Khlif or Will Howells – to pick up a top male like Fed, but somehow they managed to keep their already strong lineup intact while adding one of the best guys across all three disciplines in the sport.

This is a power move for NJ. And it adds a ton of pressure to St. Louis who's still looking for their first MLP title.

As pro Zane Navratil puts it, "the rest of the league is playing for third place."

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Here's what MLP expert and GM of the California Black Bears Erik Tice thinks of the trade:

I know [New Jersey GM Ryan] Harwood and the Fives were looking to add another elite level guy before the deadline. I will assume the cash is the max at $400k for the two trades – so plenty of cash headed into next year.

I still don't love this deal for Orlando. They should have at least gotten Noe Khlif back plus the $400k. Now the Fives have Khlif, Howells, and Fed. The two questions for the Fives are:

#1: Who starts in men's and on which side?

#2: What are the mixed lineups?

The other conversation is related to who is favored to win the whole thing this year? The Fives or the Shock? I think Fives women are slightly favored in a best two-out-of-three scenario, despite having lost the last time they played. I think Hayden and Gabe are still favored over whatever lineup the Fives send out in men's. In mixed, it is a toss-up, so I would say this is a toss-up, and if it comes to a Dreambreaker, the Fives are slight favorites over the Shock, but not much.

For reference, here were each team's rosters BEFORE the trade:

New Jersey 5s

Orlando Squeeze

Feature image via MLP.