The Arizona Coyotes sent forward Jason Zucker to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick, the teams announced.A pending unrestricted free agent, Zucker carries a cap hit of $5.3 million. Arizona isn't retaining any of his salary. The pick originally belonged to the Dallas Stars.Zucker has amassed nine goals and 25 points in 51 games in the desert this season while averaging 14 minutes of ice time.The 32-year-old enjoyed an offensive resurgence last campaign with the Pittsburgh Penguins, chipping in with 27 goals and 48 points in 78 outings.Zucker has totaled 191 goals and 363 points in 679 career NHL games.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings traded forward Klim Kostin to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Radim Simek and a 2024 seventh-round pick, the teams announced Friday.Kostin has three goals, four points, and 38 penalty minutes in 33 games this season. He tallied a career-best 11 goals and 21 points in 57 contests last year with the Edmonton Oilers.The 24-year-old carries a $2-million cap hit. He will be a restricted free agent when his current contract expires after next season.Detroit acquired Kostin and forward Kailer Yamamoto from the Oilers last June for future considerations. Yamamoto was immediately bought out.Simek hasn't played in the NHL this season. A veteran of 209 games with the Sharks, the Czechia native has 16 points across 40 AHL contests in 2023.The 31-year-old has a $2.25-million cap hit and will cost $1.1 million against the Red Wings' cap when in the minors. He's a pending unrestricted free agent.The seventh-rounder sent to Detroit is the New Jersey Devils' pick.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to the New York Rangers for a 2027 fourth-round pick, the teams announced Friday.Ruhwedel projects to serve as New York's No. 7 defenseman.The 33-year-old has managed just four points in 47 games this season while averaging 12:33 per contest. He shoots right and clocks in at 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds.Ruhwedel has 25 games of playoff experience and suited up for six postseason contests during Pittsburgh's 2017 Stanley Cup win.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils traded winger Tyler Toffoli to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-rounder, the teams announced.Toffoli is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $4.25-million cap hit, but the Devils are retaining 50% of his salary.The Jets add some offensive juice with the acquisition of Toffoli. The 31-year-old has eight 20-goal campaigns under his belt and has found twine 26 times in 61 games this season. His underlying offensive numbers are stellar too. Evolving-HockeyOnce Gabe Vilardi is healthy, Toffoli is a logical candidate to slot in on Winnipeg's second line alongside fellow newcomer Sean Monahan and speedy Danish winger Nikolaj Ehlers.Toffoli was in his first season with the Devils after the Calgary Flames traded him in the offseason for a third-round pick and Yegor Sharangovich.He comes with loads of postseason experience. Toffoli has tallied 18 goals and 26 assists in 88 career playoff games and helped the Los Angeles Kings win the 2014 Stanley Cup.This is the third time Toffoli has been dealt ahead of a deadline after he joined the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames for playoff pushes in 2020, and 2022, respectively. Winnipeg also marks the fourth Canadian team for the former Montreal Canadiens forward.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres traded captain Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional 2024 seventh-round selection, the teams announced Friday.The pick will turn into a 2024 fifth-rounder if Florida wins the Stanley Cup.Okposo has spent the last eight seasons with the Sabres and has donned the "C" since 2022. He totaled 103 goals and 245 points in 516 games in Buffalo.The 35-year-old chipped in with 12 goals and 22 points in 61 games with the Sabres this campaign. He can become an unrestricted free agent once his one-year, $2.5-million deal expires this summer.Okposo last appeared in the playoffs in 2016 as a member of the New York Islanders. The veteran forward has amassed 15 points in 24 postseason outings.The New York Rangers selected Sjalin in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He's appeared in 22 games with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers this season and put up three assists.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Seattle Kraken signed forward Jordan Eberle to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.75 million, the team announced Friday.There was speculation that the Kraken would potentially move Eberle ahead of Friday's trade deadline. His new contract includes a full no-trade clause, per CapFriendly."We are thrilled to have Jordan remain with the Kraken for the next two years," general manager Ron Francis said. "The extension is well-deserved and getting it done was a priority for us."Between his leadership in the locker room and his on-ice performance, Jordan has been an important part of our franchise from day one. We are looking forward to many memorable moments with him on ice."The 33-year-old has 14 goals and 37 points in 58 games this campaign. Eberle is in the final season of a five-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million.The Kraken claimed Eberle in the 2021 expansion draft. He's accumulated 55 goals and 144 points in 219 games with the team.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We split our best bets Thursday night, losing on the Oilers while cashing our under in Pittsburgh.We'll set our sights higher with a couple of plays for Friday's card.Wild (+180) @ Avalanche (-215)This is a battle between two teams heading in very different directions. The Wild sit seven points out of a playoff spot, and the closest team they're chasing - the Vegas Golden Knights - is drastically improving at the deadline. The playoffs are very unlikely at this point, which is why we're seeing general manager Bill Guerin sell some pieces.It's a much different story in Colorado. The Avalanche have won four of the past five, outscoring opponents by 15 in that span. They're ripping teams apart as they get healthy, and the additions of Casey Mittelstadt, Brandon Duhaime, and Yakov Trenin make them that much better up front.The Avalanche are a difficult team to deal with at five-on-five, and their power play is as terrifying as any. The Wild will have difficulty keeping up at altitude in a back-to-back situation.Goaltending is a big concern as well. Filip Gustavsson owns an .892 save percentage and continues to give up goals by the handful.It has been a truly disastrous year for the netminder, who ranks ahead of only Joonas Korpisalo and Vitek Vanecek in goals saved above expected this season.Look for Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and the high-powered Avalanche - now also equipped with real depth - to take care of business within 60 minutes.Bet: Avalanche in regulation (-130)Stars (-300) @ Ducks (+260)The Stars played in a barn burner against the Sharks last time out, but I wouldn't expect a ton of offense in this one.Before the 7-6 win in San Jose, seven consecutive Stars games featured six goals or fewer. They generally play a very structured game and don't give opponents much even in defeat.I certainly don't expect an exception against the Ducks. Pete DeBoer will no doubt want the screws tightened after a bit of a wake-up call last time out, and the Stars should be able to smother Anaheim's attack.The Ducks have next to no offensive juice in their lineup. Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, and Leo Carlsson are all sidelined with injuries. Troy Terry's status is in question as well. Adam Henrique was just traded and Frank Vatrano could soon follow.Dallas is three lines deep in terms of legitimate scoring punch but likely won't be pushed enough in this game to put forth a ceiling performance offensively.Ducks goalies Lukas Dostal and John Gibson have also shown the ability to put together 30-to-40 save performances on a routine basis and make scorelines look more respectable than they should.I see a 4-1 or 4-2 type of game in favor of the Stars.Bet: Under 6.5 (-120)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals are trading forward Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round pick, the clubs announced.Washington will retain 50% of Kuznetsov's $7.8-million cap hit through 2024-25.Kuznetsov had spent his entire 11-year career with the Capitals. He helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2018, leading all playoff skaters with 20 assists and 32 points in 24 games.However, the veteran forward has had a difficult 2023-24 campaign. He entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in early February and was cleared last Saturday. But the Capitals placed him on waivers shortly thereafter, and he went unclaimed on the wire Sunday.Kuznetsov, who'll turn 32 on May 19, has collected six goals and 11 assists while averaging 18:47 of ice time over 43 contests this season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We have a small but fruitful four-game slate ahead of us on deadline day. Let's waste no time getting to the best ways to approach it.Nathan MacKinnon: Over 4.5 shotsMacKinnon's shot volume is trending up in a big way. He's averaged 5.73 shots per game since the beginning of February and an absurd 6.5 over his last 10 games. He's returned to the shooting level we saw a season ago.I don't expect MacKinnon to slow down at all on Friday night. The Wild limit shots pretty well at five-on-five but take a ton of penalties, which should lead to plenty of time and space for MacKinnon to rip pucks.The Wild are also in the latter half of a back-to-back. They've given up plenty of volume in second legs this season, conceding 30+ shots in six of nine - with one of the exceptions coming against the Sharks. Minnesota has conceded at least 40 shots as frequently as it's given up 29 or fewer.Look for MacKinnon, who has double-digit shot attempts in five of his last seven versus Minnesota, to feast on the Wild once again.Odds: -110 (playable to -130)Mikko Rantanen: Over 0.5 assistsRantanen is a playmaking machine. He's recorded at least one assist in 56% of his games this season and is reaching new heights as the Avalanche get healthy.The superstar winger has piled up 12 assists over his last 10 games. MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen, and company are filling the net every night, providing plenty of opportunities for Rantanen to sneak in an assist.I love his chances of doing so once again versus the Wild. Minnesota is in a back-to-back situation, takes a lot of penalties (feeding into Colorado's lethal power play), and doesn't have reliable goaltending.Filip Gustavsson continues to struggle mightily between the pipes. His save percentage sits at a woeful .892 and he's conceded at least three goals in eight of his last 10 games.If that's the case again on Friday, Rantanen should be able to extend his assist streak to nine straight games.Odds: -120 (playable to -140)Shayne Gostisbehere: Over 0.5 pointsGostisbehere is quietly having a nice offensive season for the Red Wings. He's registered 40 points through 61 games and is playing his best hockey of the year.He's found the scoresheet in six of the last seven games, failing only against the powerhouse Panthers.I don't think getting involved will be a problem against the Coyotes. Ghost excels against bottom-tier competition, putting up at least a point in six of his last eight games versus the bottom 10 goal-prevention teams. The Coyotes fit into that group.They bleed shots nightly and can't stay out of the penalty box - music to the ears of a power-play specialist like Gostisbehere.The fact that the Coyotes are in a back-to-back situation and selling players at the deadline should only make life easier on Gostisbehere and the Red Wings.Odds: +115 (playable to -120)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

First Noah Hanifin, then Jake Guentzel.Ahead of Friday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, deals involving the top available NHL skaters bookended Thursday's action. Pittsburgh shipped out Guentzel minutes before midnight in a blockbuster swap with Carolina.The deal: the Hurricanes receive forward Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith, while the Penguins acquire forward Michael Bunting; prospects Ville Koivunen, Cruz Lucius, and Vasili Ponomarev; and two conditional draft picks.Pittsburgh gets a 2024 second-round pick that upgrades to a 2024 first-rounder if Carolina makes the Stanley Cup Final. If the Hurricanes win the Cup, the Penguins are awarded an additional 2024 fifth-rounder.The Penguins are retaining 25% of Guentzel's salary, lowering his $6-million cap hit to $4.5 million. Bunting, the only other NHLer in the deal, also makes $4.5 million, so it's a money-in, money-out transaction for the Hurricanes.Let's discuss how each team fared in this high-profile swap.Hurricanes' side of deal Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesOf all the trades leading up to deadline day, Guentzel to Carolina might be the best player-team fit. A sniper is exactly what the 37-19-6 Hurricanes need.Guentzel is an extraordinarily smart player - we're talking top 10 in the NHL in hockey IQ - and uses his smarts and silky hands to wreak havoc around the opposition's net every shift. Heading into Thursday's contests, Guentzel ranked second in the league in expected goals per game (0.67 in 50 games) and fourth in inner-slot shots per game (1.48), according to Sportlogiq.Unlike so many of Carolina's forwards over the past handful of seasons, Guentzel finishes his chances; he's a two-time 40-goal scorer and has racked up 22 markers this campaign for a 36-goal pace over 82 contests. What stopped the Hurricanes from advancing past the Eastern Conference Final in recent years is their inability to score timely goals, and Guentzel's production rate is even better in the playoffs - 34 goals in 58 career games.Guentzel's dealing with an upper-body injury but is expected to return soon. That's ultimately a non-issue. However, something to remember is that Guentzel has played most of his career on Sidney Crosby's wing. He's a tremendous player in his own right, yet we don't know what he can do over an extended period away from an all-time great. I wouldn't label that a "red flag" for Carolina. Maybe just a yellow one. Glenn James / Getty ImagesCoach Rod Brind'Amour can slide Guentzel onto the first line with star Sebastian Aho or have him team up with Martin Necas on the second. Either way, this acquisition injects star power into Carolina's lineup. As for Smith, he's been in the AHL all season. There's nothing wrong with seeing if a change of scenery can help the 23-year-old offensive defenseman return to the NHL.Carolina entered the season as a popular Stanley Cup pick. The club started slow but has dominated since December's holiday break. The Canes rank third in points percentage since Dec. 27, winning 20 of 28 games.This trade is a massive win for the franchise in the big picture. Carolina often strikes out on acquiring big-name players (Elias Pettersson, Erik Karlsson, Matthew Tkachuk, etc.) but can pursue blockbuster trades because it's so well-managed. Under general manager Don Waddell, the Canes have become peerless across the NHL at simultaneously contending for the Cup, keeping salaries down, and stockpiling draft capital and good prospects.I make this trade every day of the week if I'm Waddell (though I'm docking him slightly because, at the end of the day, he forked over five or six assets).Grade: A-Penguins' side of deal Dave Sandford / Getty ImagesLet's start with the positives.This trade brings in a top-nine winger (Bunting) on a reasonable contract through the 2025-26 season. It also brings in three promising prospects, plus one, potentially two draft picks.In a vacuum, that's a solid package for a pending unrestricted free agent, especially since Pittsburgh desperately needed to deepen its prospect pool.Now for the negatives.I'm borderline shocked the Penguins moved Guentzel without a guaranteed first-round pick coming back the other way. Sure, the Hurricanes are one of a handful of teams in the Eastern Conference with a legitimate shot of making the Cup Final, so that second could turn into a first. But the playoffs are unpredictable.The three prospects also aren't blue-chippers. The Athletic's Scott Wheeler recently ranked them sixth (Ponomarev), seventh (Koivunen), and ninth (Lucius) among Carolina's prospects. Pittsburgh may see more value in these forwards than Wheeler, but the main point remains: GM Kyle Dubas didn't reel in a player destined to become an NHL star. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesNo needle-moving NHLer. No first-rounder. No sure-thing prospect.Similar to the return package for Hanifin, Guentzel yielded quantity. The high-end rental market has been kind to buyers over the past few days.The Penguins are attempting to make the most out of the final years of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. It's a tight window, and this trade doesn't bring them appreciably closer to contending for the Cup next season.This is likely the first step of many for Dubas as he tries to aggressively retool. It's not a nightmare result. But it isn't a dream return, either.Grade: C+John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded winger Jake Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Michael Bunting, conditional first- and fifth-round picks in 2024, and prospects Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, and Cruz Lucius, the teams announced.If Carolina fails to make the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, Pittsburgh won't receive the first-rounder, instead getting a 2024 second-round pick originally belonging to the Philadelphia Flyers. If the Hurricanes don't win the Stanley Cup this year, the Penguins also won't receive the fifth-round pick.The Penguins are also retaining 25% of Guentzel's $6-million cap hit.Guentzel, a two-time 40-goal-scorer, was considered the best player available ahead of Friday's 3 p.m. ET deadline."The decision to trade Guentzel was one of the most difficult decisions that I have had to make in my time in management," Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. "In my first season with the Penguins, it has become quite clear why Jake means so much to his teammates, all Penguins staff, and the city of Pittsburgh."The 29-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent. The Hurricanes hadn't previously targeted high-profile rentals under their current regime led by general manager Don Waddell.Guentzel has registered 22 goals and 30 assists in 50 games this season. He's also proven to be a clutch playoff performer, as he's produced 34 goals and 24 assists in 58 career postseason contests and helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in 2017. The Omaha, Nebraska, native had spent his entire eight-year career in the Steel City after the Penguins drafted him in the third round in 2013.His nose for the net could be particularly helpful for a Hurricanes club whose downfall in recent postseasons has been a lack of scoring. Carolina mustered just six goals during a four-game sweep at the hands of the Florida Panthers in last year's Eastern Conference Final.Guentzel's analytic profile features strong offensive metrics but poor defensive results: Evolving-HockeyHe projects to slot in at left wing on either of the team's top two lines. Guentzel will also help improve an already strong power play that ranked third in the league entering Thursday.Bunting, meanwhile, will be reunited with a familiar face in Dubas, who drafted him with the OHL's Soo Greyhounds and signed him as a UFA with the Toronto Maple Leafs.The Hurricanes inked Bunting to a three-year, $13.5-million contract as a free agent this past offseason. The fit didn't quite pan out, as Bunting has registered just 13 goals in 60 games this season after producing 23 in each of the previous two campaigns. He was notably a Calder Trophy finalist with the Maple Leafs in 2022 when he racked up a career-high 63 points.Bunting could get a chance to take Guentzel's spot on Pittsburgh's top line alongside Sidney Crosby.Ponomarev, a 5-foot-10 center, was a second-round pick by the Hurricanes in the 2020 draft. The 21-year-old Russian has registered 29 points in 39 games with the AHL's Chicago Wolves this season.Koivunen, a 6-foot forward, has been excellent for Karpat in Finland's top professional league this season, tallying 55 points in 57 contests. He represented Finland at the 2022 and 2023 world juniors. Carolina selected him in the second round in 2021.Lucius, the brother of Winnipeg Jets first-rounder, Chaz, is in his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin, where the 19-year-old has tallied 31 points in 32 games for the Badgers. The 6-foot winger was a fourth-round pick by the Canes in 2022, but his outlook has been on the rise ever since.Smith, meanwhile, will give the Hurricanes some added defensive depth. A first-round pick by the New Jersey Devils in 2018, he's recorded 47 points in 123 career NHL games. The 5-foot-11 blue-liner has spent all of 2023-24 with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, producing nine goals and 23 assists in 51 contests.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sidney Crosby had very few answers when asked about longtime linemate Jake Guentzel's trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night."He's a great player, great teammate, a friend," Crosby said following the Penguins' 6-0 loss to the Washington Capitals. "I think he did everything he possibly could in his time here. Just a privilege to play with him for the course of that time. Some great memories. That's all I can say."Crosby wasn't yet sure of the message Penguins management sent to the team with the move."I don't know," he said. "That's probably a better question for them."Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said trading Guentzel "was one of the most difficult decisions" he's ever had to make as an executive.Pittsburgh shipped off Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Michael Bunting, Vasily Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen, Cruz Lucius, and two conditional picks.A pending unrestricted free agent, Guentzel had spent the last eight seasons with the Penguins after being selected by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft. His 219 goals in 503 games since his debut in 2016-17 are the second most on the Penguins behind only Crosby, while his 466 points are the third most.Guentzel helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in 2017."I think the trade deadline time is always tough, but I think, given the circumstances, yeah I'd say it's a little heavier," Crosby said.The rumors surrounding Guentzel's future were pervasive heading into Thursday's clash, and Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said all that noise had something to do with his team's lackluster performance."These guys are human," he said, per team beat reporter Michelle Crechiolo. "As much as we preach stay on task here and focus, obviously I have to believe some of that had an impact on what went on the ice tonight. It's not an excuse. We still need to do our jobs."Veteran defenseman Kris Letang, meanwhile, said his squad "didn't show up.""That one's tough to explain. ... There's nothing going on, no energy, no passion, nothing," Letang said.The Penguins are now eight points out of a wild-card spot and currently sit in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division with a 28-25-8 record. Though Pittsburgh's fight to enter the playoff picture gets even harder without Guentzel, Crosby is still keeping his fingers crossed for a quick turnaround."I hope," he said. "That would be great, obviously. Tonight's not gonna be the kind of game that's going to do that, but yeah, I hope so."Next up for the Penguins is a clash against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Maple Leafs' 4-1 defeat to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night stung in more ways than one, as Toronto also lost rookie forward Matthew Knies to injury.Knies departed the contest following a collision with Bruins captain Brad Marchand in Boston's zone late in the opening frame. There was no penalty called on the play, and Knies was unable to return to the game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired winger Anthony Duclair and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Jack Thompson and a 2024 third-rounder, the teams announced Thursday.Duclair can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He carries a cap hit of $3 million.The 28-year-old has totaled 27 points in 56 games this season, while his 16 goals were tied with Fabian Zetterlund for the most on the struggling Sharks.Duclair missed the majority of the 2022-23 campaign with an Achilles injury but was able to aid the Florida Panthers during their run to the Stanley Cup Final, chipping in with 11 points in 20 playoff games.He enjoyed his best statistical season in 2021-22 with the Panthers when he totaled 31 tallies and 58 points in 74 outings.With Florida up against the cap, the team traded Duclair to San Jose in July for forward Steven Lorentz and a 2025 fifth-round pick.Thompson, meanwhile, made his NHL debut earlier this season. The Bolts selected him in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and the 21-year-old has racked up five goals and 32 points in 46 games in the AHL this campaign.Duclair has amassed 288 points in 546 NHL contests. The Lightning will be his eighth team.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Florida Panthers inked defenseman Gustav Forsling to a maximum-term, eight-year extension, general manager Bill Zito confirmed Thursday, according to team content manager Jameson Olive.The new pact carries an average annual value of $5.75 million, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.Forsling, whose current cap hit is $2,666,667, is the Panthers' top blue-liner. He has blossomed since Florida nabbed him off the waiver wire from the Carolina Hurricanes in January 2021.The 27-year-old doesn't play as much as second-pairing anchor Brandon Montour - who leads the team in average ice time by about a minute and a half over Forsling - but the Swede has been the Cats' most productive rearguard in 2023-24.Forsling entered Thursday leading the squad's defensemen in assists (22) and points (31) through 62 games while logging 21:47 of ice time per contest. His underlying numbers have been tremendous as well.

It appears the New Jersey Devils have changed course regarding Tyler Toffoli.Two days after general manager Tom Fitzgerald said he wasn't shopping Toffoli, the veteran winger sat out of Thursday's game against the St. Louis Blues for precautionary trade-related reasons.Toffoli is a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a $4.25-million cap hit. The Devils acquired him in the summer with the hopes of making a deep playoff run, but they've taken a step back this season. They sit eight points out of a playoff spot entering Thursday's slate.The 31-year-old has continued to be an offensive threat despite New Jersey's disappointing campaign. Toffoli has produced 26 goals and 18 assists in 61 games this season.Getting traded midseason wouldn't be new to Toffoli, who excelled as a deadline pickup for the Vancouver Canucks in 2020 and the Calgary Flames in 2022. He's suited up in 88 career playoff games and won the 2014 Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Hurricanes activated goaltender Frederik Andersen off injured reserve and he'll start Thursday's clash against the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced.Andersen has missed Carolina's last 50 games due to a blood clot issue that ruled him out indefinitely in early November.The 34-year-old posted a .894 save percentage in six starts this season before being sidelined. He signed a two-year, $6.8-million deal over the summer to stay with the Hurricanes.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded forward Anthony Beauvillier to the Nashville Predators for a fifth-round pick in 2024, the teams announced.Beauvillier is an unrestricted free agent at season's end and carries a $4.125-million cap hit.The Blackhawks acquired the 26-year-old from the Vancouver Canucks in November. Beauvillier landed on the West Coast last season in the trade that sent Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders.Beauvillier has managed 14 points in 45 games this season between his two clubs. Despite a decline in production in recent years, Beauvillier does have a history of raising his game in the playoffs. He notched a combined 27 points in 41 postseason contests for the Islanders in 2020 and 2021.The Predators were expected to be sellers earlier this season but have surged into the Western Conference playoff picture thanks to an 8-1-1 run. Nashville currently holds a six-point cushion in the second wild-card spot with 19 games remaining.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators dealt forward Yakov Trenin and the rights to defenseman Graham Sward to the Colorado Avalanche for blue-liner Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 third-round pick, the clubs announced Thursday.Trenin most recently played on the Predators' second line alongside Colton Sissons and Cody Glass. Trenin notched 10 goals and four assists in 60 games with Nashville this season.The Russian is in his fifth NHL campaign. He collected a career-high 17 goals with the Predators in 2021-22. They drafted him 55th overall in 2015.Sward has 15 tallies and 58 helpers across 58 games with the WHL's Wenatchee Wild this season. Nashville selected the 20-year-old 146th overall in 2022 but didn't sign him to an entry-level deal.Hanzel has produced 13 goals and 37 assists over 58 contests with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds in 2023-24. The Avalanche drafted the 21-year-old in the sixth round of the 2023 draft.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We have a whopper of a 12-game slate ahead of us on the eve of the NHL trade deadline.Let's take a closer look at a couple of spots where I see the most value.Capitals (+140) @ Penguins (-165)Scoring goals has been an issue for the Capitals all year - even when at their best.They rank 30th in goals per game and just traded Anthony Mantha to Vegas. Mantha ranks second on the Capitals in goals and third in points per contest so his absence will suck some life out of an already struggling offense.For all the Penguins' faults, they're good at keeping the puck out of their net. They rank top 10 in goals allowed per game and have consistently had good goaltending all year.There isn't much reason to expect the Penguins to score in bulk. They have a top-heavy offense at the best of times and are missing a lot of key personnel.Jake Guentzel is injured and soon to be traded, Bryan Rust is sidelined with an injury, and Reilly Smith is a healthy scratch candidate with the deadline a day away.Those absences will take a lot of the juice out of an extremely shallow offense.These are older, slower-paced sides who struggle on offense. I don't see a recipe for fireworks.Bet: Under 6.5 (-130)Oilers (-270) @ Blue Jackets (+220)The Blue Jackets have been a consistent fade all season, and I'm going right back to the well against the Oilers.Daniil Tarasov rained on the parade with a quality start last time out, but that's far from the norm for him. He has allowed 10 goals more than expected through just 15 appearances and owns a putrid .891 save percentage.He deserves credit for holding up against the Golden Knights - who were without multiple key contributors - but I'm skeptical he can do it again versus Edmonton.The Oilers rank fourth in goals per game this season and have generated more high-danger chances than anybody. They put immense pressure on opposing goaltenders every night, and I don't see Tarasov being up for the challenge.He has allowed at least three goals in 11 of 15 starts, keeping only mediocre offenses like the Sabres, Ducks, Flames, and Flyers in check.The Leafs are legitimately the only top-10 offense Tarasov has faced all season. He allowed four goals and posted an .867 save percentage in that matchup.This is a big step up in class for him playing behind a team that bleeds chances every night.Look for the Oilers' offense to leave a mark en route to a multi-goal victory.Bet: Oilers -1.5 (-110)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes traded defenseman Troy Stecher and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-round selection in 2027, the clubs announced Thursday.This is the third straight year that Stecher has been dealt in the lead-up to the deadline. The Coyotes sent him to the Calgary Flames last March before signing him as a free agent on July 1. The Detroit Red Wings shipped him to the Los Angeles Kings in March 2022.The journeyman, who'll turn 30 on April 7, is joining his sixth team in eight seasons.Stecher is only 5-foot-10 and 184 pounds but has made a career out of compensating for that with his effort. The British Columbia-born blue-liner played his first four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.He posted a goal and four assists while averaging 18:26 of ice time across 47 games with the Coyotes in 2023-24.The Oilers have been active ahead of Friday's deadline. They acquired forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Anaheim Ducks for a package including a first-round pick Wednesday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild traded forward Brandon Duhaime to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2026 third-round pick, the teams announced.Duhaime is scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer and carries a $1.1-million cap hit. He's recorded eight points and 155 hits in 62 games this season while averaging 10 minutes per contest.The 26-year-old has played 193 career games since being drafted by the Wild in the fourth round in 2016.Minnesota is nine points back of the second wild-card seed in the Western Conference with 20 contests remaining.Colorado is in pursuit of the Central Division title and has been one of the league's busiest teams leading up to Friday's trade deadline. The Avalanche acquired Sean Walker and Casey Mittelstadt in separate deals Wednesday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues announced a two-year, $3-million extension for forward Oskar Sundqvist on Thursday.Sundqvist was scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer and earned a raise from his current $775,000 cap hit."I wanted to be part of this team and ... turning the ship around," Sundqvist said. "For me personally, I didn't want to just abandon it and leave (at the trade deadline). I wanted to stay here ... help this team get back to being successful and getting back into playoffs and (being) a competitor again. For me, it was a huge part to stay here and hopefully help this team win hockey games."Sundqvist signed a one-year deal to rejoin the Blues last July. St. Louis traded him to Detroit in 2022, and then the Red Wings moved him to the Minnesota Wild last season.He's notched 21 points in 62 this season while averaging under 13 minutes per contest.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The previous No. 1 name on these types of lists in Elias Lindholm has already been shipped out, as have fellow coveted players Chris Tanev, Sean Monahan, and Andrei Kuzmenko.Even with those players off the board, there are plenty of intriguing options for contenders and retooling teams alike. Those options include pending unrestricted free agents who could be snagged as rentals, as well as those under contract beyond 2023-24.This list takes into account both the likelihood of a trade and the player's skill level, placing more emphasis on the former. The skaters and goaltenders below aren't ranked solely by their level of talent or production.Here are the top players who could be sent packing ahead of the March 8 deadline.1. Jake GuentzelPositionAgeContractCap HitLW29Pending UFA$6MCan submit 12-team no-trade listIt was initially unclear whether the Pittsburgh Penguins would move Guentzel before Friday, but it now seems likely as they reportedly hope to have a deal in place by Wednesday night. The two-time 40-goal-scorer is having another productive season and would add instant firepower to a contender's offensive attack.Guentzel is out with an injury but is expected back about a week after the deadline, so that's unlikely to significantly impact his trade value.2. Jacob MarkstromPositionAgeContractCap HitG34Signed through 2025-26$6MHas full no-movement clauseWhether the Flames' deadline plans ultimately involve Markstrom remains to be seen, but the proven goaltender's status as a prime candidate to be moved is academic at this point. Unlike the other coveted Calgary players, he wouldn't be a rental, and his contract wouldn't be the easiest to trade. But the New Jersey Devils have reportedly looked into acquiring him, and they likely won't be alone in that pursuit given Markstrom's mostly dependable track record.Walker has fit in perfectly with the Philadelphia Flyers ever since they landed him in a three-way swap last June. While his club has exceeded expectations this season, the defenseman remains an appealing trade target given his team-friendly contract and the lack of an extension that would take him off the market. As Torts said, the Flyers would be "dopes" not to listen to offers for Walker.3. Jake AllenPositionAgeContractCap HitG33Signed through 2024-25$3.85MCan submit 7-team no-trade list this season, 3-team list in 2024-25It's no secret or surprise that the Montreal Canadiens are in sell mode given where they are in their rebuild and the fact that they already traded Monahan in early February. Allen has value as an experienced goaltender on a reasonable contract, even though that pact extends beyond the current campaign.4. Scott Laughton Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images Sport / GettyPositionAgeContractCap HitLW/C29Signed through 2025-26$3MPlayers under contract for two more seasons beyond the current campaign aren't always hot commodities at the deadline. But Laughton's cap hit is quite team-friendly, and his game - characterized by sandpaper and penalty-killing prowess - is tailor-made for the playoffs. The Flyers could very well keep him for a postseason run of their own, but other contenders could come calling - especially considering Philadelphia reportedly gauged interest in the forward in early February.5. Alexandre CarrierPositionAgeContractCap HitRD27Pending UFA$2.5MCarrier isn't the flashiest name on this list by any means, and he's undersized by NHL standards. But the Nashville Predators defenseman is underrated, and he wouldn't be a financial burden. Carrier doesn't rack up points but is fundamentally sound, blocks shots, and would be a safe addition to a contending club's third pairing.6. Jakub ChychrunPositionAgeContractCap HitLD25 (26 on March 31)Signed through 2024-25$4.6MCan submit 10-team no-trade listIf this is giving you deja vu, it's understandable. The Senators - who acquired Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes last March after he was on the block for over a year - have reportedly been listening to teams interested in him. He called that notion "ridiculous," but Ottawa is far from a contender this campaign and already has rearguards Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson signed long term at over $8 million apiece.7. Frank VatranoPositionAgeContractCap HitLW29 (30 on March 14)Signed through 2024-25$3.65MVatrano's enjoying a career year with the Ducks, so his value's peaking at an ideal time. He's not a rental, but dealing the Massachusetts-born forward - who recently earned his first All-Star nod - would still be a logical move for Anaheim, a club that's clearly rebuilding with a younger core.8. Jordan Eberle Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / GettyPositionAgeContractCap HitRW33Pending UFA$5.5MCan submit 16-team no-trade listThe Seattle Kraken have taken a step back this season, and as a pending UFA with experience, Eberle would be a natural candidate to be moved. His goal-scoring has dipped this campaign, but he's otherwise been a lock to produce at a 20-goal clip, doing so over an 82-game pace (0.24 per game) in all 13 of his previous campaigns.9. Pat MaroonPositionAgeContractCap HitLW35 (36 on Apr. 23)Pending UFA$1MCan submit 16-team trade listMaroon's resume speaks for itself, even if he earned his three consecutive Stanley Cup rings somewhat coincidentally. It's undeniable, though, that the veteran Minnesota Wild forward has plenty of playoff experience (150 games, to be exact). That'll undoubtedly entice contenders to pick up the phone.10. Pavel BuchnevichPositionAgeContractCap HitLW28 (29 on Apr. 17)Signed through 2024-25$5.8MCan submit 12-team no-trade listAs is evident above, there are several reasons why Buchnevich may not be traded. The urgency level isn't high given he's under contract for another season after this one, plus his cap hit and modified no-trade list could hinder a deal. But the ever-retooling Blues would be foolish not to at least listen to offers for the productive winger.11. Anthony Duclair Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPositionAgeContractCap HitLW/RW28Pending UFA$3MThe San Jose Sharks are the most obvious seller as we approach this deadline, and Duclair would be wise to prepare for a trade. The winger has struggled since returning from a torn Achilles with the Florida Panthers last season. But he racked up 31 goals and 27 assists over 74 games with the Cats in 2021-22.12. Tyson BarriePositionAgeContractCap HitRD32Pending UFA$4.5MBarrie's limitations are pretty well known by now. He's an offense-first defenseman who's most effective on the power play. Still, the Nashville Predators rearguard could have some appeal for contenders looking to improve their play on the man advantage.13. Morgan FrostPositionAgeContractCap HitC24 (25 on May 14)Signed through 2024-25$2.1MFlyers general manager Daniel Briere was reportedly willing to listen to offers on basically every asset he had last April. He repeated his willingness to try anything to reshape the roster a few months later. Frost isn't a pending UFA and is still fairly young, but he could be a trade target given his palatable contract and improved play lately.14. Dominik KubalikPositionAgeContractCap HitLW28Pending UFA$2.5MKubalik is an obvious candidate to be dealt because of his expiring deal and the low average annual value of his contract. The Senators winger isn't producing offensively as he has in the past, but he posted 30 goals in only 68 games as a rookie in 2019-20 and 20 tallies in 81 contests last season.15. Kaapo KahkonenPositionAgeContractCap HitG27Pending UFA$2.75MThere aren't likely going to be many goalies available ahead of the deadline, so Kahkonen should garner some interest by default. Contenders could do worse at the backup netminder position, and Kahkonen would be easier to acquire than his more coveted counterparts.16. Erik Johnson Bill Wippert / National Hockey League / GettyPositionAgeContractCap HitLD/RD35 (36 on March 21)Pending UFA$3.25MJohnson would be the quintessential trade-deadline rental. The veteran defenseman has no contract for next season, and his current AAV isn't astronomical. The Buffalo Sabres have to accept they're sellers soon, and when they do, Johnson could be among the first players they jettison.(Salary source: CapFriendly) Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals traded defenseman Joel Edmundson to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder, the clubs announced Thursday.The third-round selection originally belonged to the New York Islanders, and the Leafs initially got the fifth-round choice from the Chicago Blackhawks.The Capitals are retaining 50% of Edmundson's salary, or $875,000. He's a pending unrestricted free agent whose previous cap hit was $1.75 million, according to CapFriendly. That figure was originally $3.5 million, but the Montreal Canadiens retained 50% of that when they traded him to Washington for a pair of picks last July.The 30-year-old had a 10-team no-trade list.The Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning were also reportedly interested in Edmundson.He helped the St. Louis Blues defeat the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup in 2018-19. The 6-foot-5, 221-pound rearguard, who shoots left, was playing on the Capitals' third pairing. He's in his ninth NHL season.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We had a nice bounce-back night on the ice, winning two of three props Wednesday.Let's try and put together another profitable night with three more plays for a monster Thursday card.Nico Hischier: Under 3.5 shotsHischier has gone over this total in six of his past 10 contests, but I don't think his shooting success is sustainable. A soft schedule played a big part in the recent surge, with Hischier putting up ceiling games against bottom-tier teams like the Ducks and Sharks.He also spent a lot of those matchups with Jesper Bratt, the Devils' most pass-happy forward, on his wing.Hischier is now centering Timo Meier and Tyler Toffoli (if the latter doesn't sit for trade-related reasons Thursday). Hischier's shot rates are drastically lower with those wingers than with Bratt.New Jersey's captain has averaged nearly 16 shot attempts per 60 minutes alongside Bratt. He generates just 10.49 with Toffoli and 10.09 with Meier.Those are the two best goal-scoring wingers on the roster and are shoot-first players. Hischier will have to do much of the distributing and won't often get the puck back once he dishes it out.It's also worth noting that Hischier generally faces the stiffest competition on home soil, matching up against the opposing team's best players. That's likely why he has a 15% hit rate on a 3.5-shot line at home compared to 39% on the road.This is a good spot to sell high on Hischier's recent shot volume.Odds: -140 (playable to -165)Evander Kane: Over 2.5 shotsKane is as consistent as they come. He's recorded three-plus shots in 37 of 59 games this season, equating to a 63% hit rate.Kane's volume is a little higher on home ice, but a matchup against the Blue Jackets more than compensates for playing on the road.The Jackets consistently play in high-event contests and rank 30th in shots against per game this season and 28th over the past 10 contests. That should bode well for Kane.He played just 15 minutes when he faced Columbus earlier this year, which is well below his average of more than 17 minutes per game. However, it was still enough time for Kane to go over his total while recording multiple points.Expect a similar effort from Kane this time around.Odds: -140 (playable to -160)Roman Josi: Over 0.5 assistsJosi is an assist machine. He's picked up at least one helper in 19 of his past 30 games and 60% of his home contests for the campaign.The Predators are scoring goals in bunches right now, and Josi is getting involved in more than his fair share.That should be the case again Thursday night versus the Sabres. They're not a great team at the best times and find themselves in a road back-to-back situation against one of the hottest sides in the NHL.Buffalo will also be without Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who started Wednesday night in Toronto.Eric Comrie is expected to return to the crease, which will be a welcome sight for the Predators. Through eight appearances, Comrie has a .867 save percentage and has conceded nearly four goals per game.Nashville has scored more goals than all but the Maple Leafs over the past three weeks and should put up a healthy number against Comrie.Odds: -110 (playable to -130)Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Noah Hanifin saga is officially over.The Calgary Flames sent the defenseman to the Vegas Golden Knights late Wednesday in a three-way trade looping in the Philadelphia Flyers.Here are the high-level details:VGK receivesCGY receivesPHI receivesD Noah HanifinF Daniil Miromanov5th-round pick (2024)F Mikhail Vorobyov1st-round pick (2025)3rd-round pick (2025)The Flyers joined the party solely to retain a chunk of Hanifin's salary. Teams must send an asset back in retention trades, hence Vorobyov's inclusion. He's a 27-year-old Russian center currently playing in the KHL.With the Flames also retaining, Hanifin, a pending unrestricted free agent, arrives in Vegas with a cap hit of $1.24 million (down from $4.95 million).Both draft picks heading to Calgary have conditions attached. If the 2025 first is traded again this week, or if the pick's in the top 10, the Flames instead receive the Golden Knights' 2026 first. And, if Vegas wins a playoff round this season, the 2025 third upgrades to a 2025 second.Got it all? Let's assess Calgary's and Vegas' work here.Golden Knights' side of the deal Minas Panagiotakis / Getty ImagesOne thing we've learned about the Golden Knights in their seven-year existence is that they're almost always pursuing the marquee name available.Jack Eichel. Mark Stone. Alex Pietrangelo. Max Pacioretty. Robin Lehner.And now Hanifin, the top defenseman on the trade market all season.Vegas won the bidding war - like they always seem to do with trades and signings. As usual, general manager Kelly McCrimmon is using long-term injured reserve space to jam as much talent as possible onto the books. Make no mistake, the 33-22-7 Golden Knights aren't cheating. The NHL allows teams to operate this way. Vegas is simply exploiting the loophole better than others.Hanifin, 27, is the type of player who doesn't wow with one or two elite skills. Instead, the Boston native gets above-average marks in virtually every category. He's a do-everything defenseman who'll inject quickness and puck-moving ability into a blue line that's mostly filled with defense-first guys. Jeff Vinnick / Getty ImagesSpeaking of that defense corps, man, is it exceptionally deep. A new top pair of Hanifin and Pietrangelo. Alec Martinez (when he returns from injury) and Shea Theodore on the second pair. Some combination of Nicolas Hague, Brayden McNabb, and Zach Whitecloud on the third. Those are some massive dudes (four of seven guys, including Hanifin, are at least 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds), and they can work as a unit to grind teams down in the playoffs.Vegas is trying to repeat as Stanley Cup champions and, on Wednesday, they didn't give up an NHLer to acquire a No. 2-caliber defenseman. I don't see a downside to this trade for them. And if Hanifin excels - and if he signs an extension between now and July 1 - this move will become a grand slam.It's wild to think that, after picking up forward Anthony Mantha (for two picks) on Tuesday and Hanifin a day later, McCrimmon still has his first-rounder in 2024 to dangle in another trade ahead of Friday's 3 p.m. Eastern deadline.Grade: A+Flames' side of the deal Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesThe Flames traded an impact defenseman having a career year offensively for a first-round pick, a minor-leaguer with NHL potential in Miromanov, and a third-rounder which, in all likelihood, will become a second come draft weekend.That return is by no means terrible. But it feels ... slightly underwhelming.Part of the reason it feels mediocre is because this isn't the first time Calgary GM Craig Conroy has opted for quantity over quality.The recent Chris Tanev and Elias Lindholm return packages also lacked a player of significance. Sure, Miromanov has some promise, but his ceiling isn't super high. Same goes for Artem Grushnikov (Tanev trade). Hunter Brzustewicz (Lindholm trade) has the best chance of becoming a top-of-the-lineup player, but it's not as if he's one of the NHL's premier prospects. Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesHow much of this can be chalked up to the Flames unloading former GM Brad Treliving's baggage at a bad time for sellers? How much of this is subpar negotiating by Conroy? How much of this is poor luck, with none of Lindholm, Tanev, and Hanifin signing an extension with their new club at the time of the trade, thus making them a pure rental?Hard to say. It may be a perfect storm of all three issues.Circling back on the Hanifin deal: the return would look markedly better if Miromanov was either a fully formed NHLer or a high-end prospect. A first, a third that may turn into a second, and a young player with serious upside? Oh yeah, that's a much better outcome. Miromanov, who signed a two-year extension with Calgary following the trade, may blossom into an everyday NHLer. He's right-handed, huge, and physical. But he's also already 26.On a sunnier note, Conroy now has two first-round picks in 2024 and 2025.Grade: B-John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With only two sleeps until the NHL trade deadline, we hope the fun is just beginning.Unlike last year, when all the biggest moves came weeks before the deadline, there's still a lot to be decided by March 8 at 3 p.m. ET.Here are five X-factors that could define this season's action.Jacob Markstrom's future David Berding / Getty Images Sport / GettyWill he stay or will he go?No, seriously. Does anyone know what the future holds for Markstrom at this point? It's been a lot. Let's recap all of the rumblings surrounding his status so far.First, the New Jersey Devils apparently tried to acquire him from the Calgary Flames in February, but it didn't pan out because of some combination of retention and package disagreements. Markstrom has two years remaining on his current deal with a $6-million cap hit and will have some say over what ends up happening thanks to his full no-move clause (at this point, it is unclear if Markstrom has been asked to waive it).Next, Markstrom took aim at the Flames' front office, expressing frustration with how it's handling his situation. Then, a rumor cropped up from Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli that Calgary president of hockey operations Don Maloney nixed a trade that would have sent Markstrom to New Jersey.Got all that? Good. There's more.The Devils reportedly took another run at acquiring the veteran netminder last week. And we can see why. Markstrom owns a .912 save percentage on the season while ranking 11th among all goalies in goals saved above average (9.09) and second in goals saved above expected (33.76). New Jersey is hunting for a goaltender like that. None of the three goalies the team has used this season - Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid, and Nico Daws - own a positive value in either goals saved above average or goals saved above expected.The Flames may package out Markstrom by the deadline, or they may wait until the offseason. If they do it sooner rather than later, though, they'd be gifting us with a juicy blockbuster of an in-season trade with playoff implications for both conferences. Markstrom would boost the Devils' chances of making the postseason in a crowded East, while his departure would be detrimental to the Flames' pursuit of a wild-card spot in the West.GMs of (most) Canadian teams Steve Russell / Toronto Star / GettyThis deadline may just belong to teams north of the border.Canadian squads have pulled off two of the biggest trades of the season so far. The Canucks brought in Elias Lindholm from the Flames - not to mention Nikita Zadorov in November, Patrik Allvin has been a busy bee - while Kevin Cheveldayoff added Sean Monahan to his Winnipeg Jets to kick off the Western Conference arms race. Allvin and Cheveldayoff probably aren't done adding, either, as both teams have performed far above expectations this season and have given their GMs a reason to go all-in.Next, there's the Edmonton Oilers. After a catastrophic start to the season, they're back to looking like the Stanley Cup contenders we all believed they would be. Now, it's up to GM Ken Holland to reward his team's turnaround. Word is he's sniffing around for a forward and a defenseman, and with a little over $2 million in cap space at his disposal, it'll be interesting to see if he sticks to depth players or takes a big swing by moving some money out (we lean option No. 2).We previously wrote that the Toronto Maple Leafs shouldn't be a major player on March 8 thanks to their middling play, but their recent winning run may have changed how they'll approach the deadline. Toronto is getting consistent goaltending, depth scoring, and improved defending, which must be grabbing the attention of GM Brad Treliving. The executive already scooped up Ilya Lyubushkin, and he cryptically said he'd have to be "as creative as possible" to address his team's other needs. How much is he willing to give up to aid the Leafs' winning ways? Ex-GM Kyle Dubas went all-in at the deadline last season, limiting the assets Treliving has to work with.Finally, it seems like every opposing GM is licking his chops at the chance to strip the Flames for parts. GM Craig Conroy has already moved out Zadorov, Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Hanifin, but he owns another top deadline target in Markstrom. Admirably, Calgary still has a fighting chance to make the playoffs, even if it's a long shot at best. As a result, all eyes will be on Conroy. Is he going to trade away all his assets in the name of the future, or will he strike a balance to try and keep the Flames competitive for the rest of the season? Food for thought: When he was promoted to GM in May, Conroy was asked about letting Johnny Gaudreau walk as a UFA in 2022. His answer? "I don't think I would let that happen again."Mark Stone's health Jeff Bottari / National Hockey League / GettyThe bad news: The Vegas Golden Knights may be without injured captain Stone for the rest of the regular season - and maybe the playoffs as well.The good news: With Stone on long-term injured reserve, GM Kelly McCrimmon now has an extra $9.5 million to bolster his squad at the deadline. He's already brought in Anthony Mantha (along with Noah Hanifin on defense), but is that all he's got up his sleeve? We highly doubt it.Let's flash back to last season, shall we? Stone missed the second half of the campaign because of a back injury, allowing Vegas to scoop up Ivan Barbashev at the deadline. He proved an incredible fit on the Golden Knights' top line and was a key performer in the playoffs, earning himself a five-year extension in the process. Stone returned for Game 1 of the postseason and in no way seemed hampered by his injury, chipping in with 11 goals and 24 points to help Vegas win the Stanley Cup.Whew, we're getting a sense of deja vu already.Fully replacing Stone won't be an easy feat, but luckily for McCrimmon, there are some big names out there. Jake Guentzel ($6-million cap hit) is definitely the flashiest forward on the table. He won't come cheap (more on that later), but adding someone of his ilk would go a long way toward helping Vegas earn home-ice advantage in the playoffs. There are other options, though, like Devils winger Tyler Toffoli ($4.25-million cap hit) or St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich ($5.8-million cap hit).Go on, McCrimmon, throw that money around. This is Sin City, after all.Jake Guentzel's price tag (and Kyle Dubas' patience) Joe Sargent / National Hockey League / Getty"Price tag" means a couple different things in this instance.First, there's the cost of acquiring Guentzel. GM Dubas expressed a desire for the Pittsburgh Penguins to get younger during his midseason address, and moving out Guentzel would likely be his best chance at accomplishing that goal in short order. The 29-year-old pending UFA is an attractive option for contenders looking to bolster their top-six forward group and will thus come at a cost. A big cost. As in multiple first-rounders or a first-round pick plus top prospects or roster players, though apparently Dubas prefers prospects over picks. Dubas gave up quite a bit to acquire stud defenseman Erik Karlsson last offseason - including his first-round pick in this summer's draft - so this could be a way to recoup some assets.Next, there's what it'd cost to extend Guentzel and if teams will be allowed to discuss an extension before giving up a boatload of goodies to acquire him. That'd change the kinds of squads that could realistically add him. The Oilers, for example, have upcoming extensions for Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to think about, not to mention Connor Brown's $3.225-million performance bonus eating into next season's cap. What Guentzel is looking for in his next deal isn't exactly clear, but he's surely due for a raise over his current $6-million cap hit, and there are rumblings that his camp turned down the Penguins' offer of a six-year extension worth around $50 million. Further complicating things is Guentzel's 12-team no-trade list. Any squad willing to pay up, though, will be getting a proven winger who has twice cracked the 40-goal mark.Dubas has preached a certain level of patience with the Penguins in the past given their pedigree, but as he said, Pittsburgh is "running out of time" to prove itself this season. If the executive allows his patience to run out, he just might be able to give his team a brighter future at the deadline.Julien BriseBois' aggression (and wallet) Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyThe Tampa Bay Lightning are missing an $8.5-million man on their blue line because of Mikhail Sergachev's truly devastating leg injury.Wait ... do you hear that?By god, that's BriseBois' music.The Bolts GM is no stranger to being aggressive at this time of the year. He's moved out a grand total of six first-round picks over the last four trade deadlines. As a result, the Lightning's next selection in the first round won't come until 2026: They sent their 2024 first-rounder to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the Brandon Hagel trade, while their 2025 first-rounder went to the Nashville Predators in the Tanner Jeannot swap.That Jeannot deal, in particular, was downright hefty, seeing as BriseBois also sent out his 2024 second-round pick (not to mention THREE picks in 2023) to scoop up the forward. Because of the executive's recent in-your-face deadline strategy, the Lightning ranked 29th during The Athletic's most recent prospect pool rankings. Simply speaking, Tampa Bay doesn't have a wealth of attractive future assets to spend this deadline, meaning it'll be difficult for BriseBois to add an impactful piece to his aging squad despite his new-found cap space.However, we've learned never to doubt BriseBois' ability to be active at the trade deadline. We can't see a realistic path for him to add an impact blue-liner, especially after missing out on Hanifin (whose preferred destination was reportedly Tampa Bay). But we don't know what sort of tricks the GM has up his sleeve. BriseBois may need to plan his greatest trick yet to make the Bolts more relevant come playoff time.(Analytics sources: Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)(Salary figures: CapFriendly)Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights acquired defenseman Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames, the teams announced Wednesday.Vegas sent a conditional 2025 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 third-round pick, and defenseman Daniil Miromanov to the Flames in the trade. Calgary retained 50% of Hanifin's salary, while the Philadelphia Flyers retained an additional 25%.Hanifin and the Golden Knights haven't yet agreed on a contract extension, TSN's Chris Johnston reported on "SportsCentre."Miromanov signed a two-year contract extension with a $1.25-million cap hit immediately after being traded to Calgary. He was set to become a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer.If the Golden Knights still have their 2025 first-round pick on March 10 and it's subsequently not in the top 10 following the draft lottery, Vegas must give it to Calgary. If the Golden Knights don't have the pick, they'll send their own 2026 first-rounder to the Flames.The Flyers receive a 2024 fifth-round pick from the Golden Knights for the additional retention. Hanifin's cap hit is just over $1.2 million for Vegas.Hanifin was the No. 2 name available on theScore's trade board. The pending unrestricted free agent has 11 goals and 35 points in 61 games this season.A two-way defender, Hanifin has seen his usage increase each of the past four seasons. He's playing 23:46 per contest this campaign, the highest mark of his nine-season career, though his underlying metrics have dipped amid his significant workload.

Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil has been suspended three games for boarding Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday.Pospisil was issued a five-minute major and ejected for the collision in the Flames' 4-2 loss on Monday.

The NHL trade deadline's on Friday, at 3 p.m. ET ... right?Anxious general managers completed five trades Wednesday afternoon. Amid the chaos: Sniper Vladimir Tarasenko is off to Florida via Ottawa, and two-way center Alexander Wennberg is off to New York to join the Rangers via Seattle.Let's break down the other swaps - two of which featured 38-20-5 Colorado.Walker, Mittelstadt sent to Avalanche Tim Nwachukwu / Getty ImagesTrade 1 details: Colorado receives defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick. Philadelphia receives forward Ryan Johansen and a top-10-protected 2025 first-rounder.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Nick Seeler to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.7 million, the team announced Wednesday.The pact includes a full no-trade clause over the first two seasons, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston.Seeler was frequently mentioned as a trade candidate ahead of Friday's deadline, but the Flyers instead moved Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche earlier Wednesday.Seeler's previous deal carried a $775,000 AAV. He earned a significant raise after finding a prominent role under head coach John Tortorella. The 30-year-old has 12 points in 63 games this season while averaging nearly 17 minutes per contest. He leads the NHL with 184 blocked shots.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers have acquired forward Alexander Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken for a second-round pick in 2024 and a conditional fourth-round selection in 2025, the teams announced.The Kraken are retaining 50% of Wennberg's $4.5-million cap hit in the deal. The 2025 fourth-round pick becomes a third-rounder in the same year if Nils Lundkvist scores a combined total of 55 points through this season and last, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.Lundkvist was traded by the Rangers to the Stars for a first- and fourth-round pick in 2022. He currently sits at 31 points through 105 games played.Wennberg will likely slot in as New York's third-line center behind Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. The 29-year-old has notched 25 points in 60 games this season while averaging nearly 19 minutes per contest.He was drafted 14th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013 and spent six seasons with the franchise before pit stops with the Florida Panthers and Kraken.The Rangers had approximately $5.1 million in deadline cap space before adding Wennberg, per CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers acquired centers Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick along with a seventh-round pick from the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, the teams announced.Anaheim is receiving a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2025 that upgrades to a fourth if Edmonton wins the Stanley Cup. The Ducks are retaining 50% of Henrique's and Carrick's salaries.The Tampa Bay Lightning are retaining an additional 25% of Henrique's salary and received a 2025 fourth-round pick from the Oilers for brokering the deal. The Bolts also shipped Edmonton the rights to goaltender Ty Taylor.Henrique and Carrick are both pending unrestricted free agents. After retention, Henrique will count for roughly $1.45 million on Edmonton's books while Carrick will cost $425,000.The Oilers had approximately $2.37 million in deadline cap space before the trade, per Cap Friendly.Henrique has 42 points in 60 games this season, averaging 17 minutes per night and winning 52.9% of his faceoffs. His addition gives Edmonton more options down the middle, as Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins frequently bounce between center and wing.Carrick has 11 points in 61 appearances in 2023-24 and will likely be used lower in Edmonton's lineup down the stretch and into the playoffs. The 32-year-old is operating at 51% at the dot this season and is known for his physicality, posting 137 hits on the campaign.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Flyers dealt defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Ryan Johansen and a top-10 protected 2025 first-rounder, Walker's new club announced Wednesday.Philadelphia immediately placed Johansen and his $4-million cap hit on waivers upon acquiring him. The veteran forward is under contract through 2024-25. His original cap hit was $8 million, but the Nashville Predators agreed to retain 50% of it when they shipped him to Colorado last June.Walker was one of the most coveted players ahead of the NHL trade deadline. He's a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $2.65 million, per CapFriendly.The 29-year-old has a career-high six goals and is on pace for personal bests in assists and points with 16 and 22, respectively, through 63 games. He's also playing more than he ever has in the NHL, averaging 19:36 of ice time in 2023-24.Philadelphia acquired Walker from the Los Angeles Kings in a three-way trade last June. He spent his first five seasons with the Kings and originally signed with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, as an undrafted free agent out of college at Bowling Green.The Avalanche weren't done dealing Wednesday. Shortly after snagging Walker, they traded blue-liner Bo Byram to the Buffalo Sabres for forward Casey Mittelstadt.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Buffalo Sabres traded forward Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Bowen Byram, the teams announced.Mittelstadt is under contract for $2.5 million this campaign before becoming a restricted free agent in the offseason. At the time of his departure, he led the Sabres in scoring with 47 points in 62 games in 2023-24.Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams denied Mittelstadt's availability in February, saying trade rumors surrounding the young center are "flat-out not true."The Sabres drafted Mittelstadt eighth overall in 2017, and he managed 186 points in 339 games with Buffalo.The 25-year-old will give Colorado's top six a new look after the Avalanche sent veteran center Ryan Johansen to the Philadelphia Flyers earlier Wednesday for defenseman Sean Walker.Byram is set to earn $3.85 million through the 2024-25 season before becoming an arbitration-eligible RFA.The Avalanche drafted Byram with the fourth overall pick in 2019, and he's long been one of the most highly regarded young defensemen in the league. However, his career hasn't taken off as expected, largely due to numerous injury absences. Byram managed 20 points in 55 games this season with Colorado and played a key role in helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022.Buffalo now has three high-upside building blocks on its back end between Byram, Owen Power, and Rasmus Dahlin.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators dealt Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers for a conditional fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a third-round selection in 2025, his former club announced Wednesday.The conditional pick will become a 2026 third-rounder if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup, and Ottawa is retaining 50% of the forward's $5-million cap hit.The Russian is a pending unrestricted free agent and had a no-trade clause he would've had to waive to approve the swap, per CapFriendly.Tarasenko was one of the top players available ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline. The 32-year-old winger has proven he can still produce offensively, notching 17 goals and 24 assists in 57 games with the Senators this season.Ottawa signed Tarasenko to a one-year contract last July. He finished last season with the New York Rangers, who acquired him from the St. Louis Blues. He represented the Blues, who drafted him 16th overall in 2010, for parts of 11 campaigns.Tarasenko's best years came between 2014 and 2019. He scored at least 33 goals in each of those five seasons, racking up 40 in 2015-16. However, shoulder injuries (and three separate surgeries) hindered him until he bounced back with 34 goals and a career-high 82 points in 2021-22.The Panthers entered Wednesday with the league's best record at 43-16-4.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.Tuesday was a mixed bag on the ice: We swept our team bets but got blanked with player props.We'll look to get back on track with three plays for Wednesday's card.Cale Makar: Over 2.5 shotsMakar is having a very consistent season shooting the puck. He's averaged exactly three shots per game and gone over his total at a 60% clip this year. The blue-liner fares even better on home ice, where he generates 3.3 shots on 7.4 attempts, which translates to a remarkable 68% success rate in Colorado.Makar is back on home ice on Wednesday and has a favorable matchup against the Red Wings. The Wings are a solid team, but they rely more on shooting talent rather than a strong defensive process to win games. They've given up a lot of rubber all season, and the past 10 games are no different.Detroit is especially susceptible to giving up shots against opposing defensemen. The Wings sit 28th in shots allowed per game to defenders over the last 10 games and 27th on the campaign.Makar took advantage of the Red Wings the last time they met, finishing with three shots on six attempts in Detroit.Expect another active offensive performance from Makar this time around.Odds: -145 (playable to -160)Shane Pinto: Over 0.5 pointsPinto continues to center Brady Tkachuk on the top line. Those two have made magic offensively since being united, and they've posted electric numbers for the Senators: Ottawa has generated 77 shot attempts, 4.79 expected goals, and 4.32 scores per 60 minutes of five-on-five play with Pinto and Tkachuk on the ice.The Ducks are one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL, bleeding shots and chances every night. They're also missing a ton of key personnel due to injury - most notably Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Trevor Zegras - which makes it more difficult for the Ducks to put their foot in the ground and spend some time in the offensive zone.I don't think Anaheim will have an answer for the Pinto line at even strength. The Ducks are also prone to taking penalties, so Pinto should get ample opportunity on the man advantage (albeit the second unit) to make something happen offensively.This is a spot where the Senators could - and should - score goals by the handful. If that's the case, Pinto will likely get in on the fun.Odds: -120 (playable to -140)Jakob Chychrun: Over 2.5 shotsChychrun is in fine form shooting the puck. He's averaged 3.1 shots on 6.4 attempts over the past 10 games, which is impressive considering he's seen defensively sound teams like the Stars, Flyers, and Panthers over that stretch.He should benefit from an immense step down in competition on Wednesday night in Anaheim. The Ducks show absolutely no defensive resistance, allowing 36.10 shots per game over the last 10 contests while being outshot by an average of more than 13 each night.This matchup is as good as it gets for Chychrun, who's gone over his total each of the three times he's faced the Ducks over the past 13 months.Odds: -125 (playable to -140)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Capitals inked defenseman Rasmus Sandin to a five-year contract extension at an average annual value of $4.6 million, the club announced Wednesday.Sandin would've been a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at season's end. The Swede, who turns 24 on Thursday, has 20 points - including 17 assists - in 52 games with the Capitals in 2023-24.He also posted 20 points in 52 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season before being traded to Washington in February 2023.Sandin collected 15 points in 19 contests with the Capitals down the stretch last campaign.

The Toronto Maple Leafs aren't keen on dealing away Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan, or Fraser Minten before Friday's deadline."The one thing I do know is that people have asked them about Knies, Cowan, and Minten, and they have said no to this point," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said Tuesday on "The JD Bunkis Podcast."Friedman added that those are the three players the Maple Leafs are asked about most. He cautioned that "what is true yesterday might not be true tomorrow ... but to this point, Toronto's made it very clear that those three players are players that they are not interested in dealing."Knies entered Wednesday's action with 11 goals and 15 assists in 59 games with the Leafs this season. The 21-year-old winger has played on the club's top line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.Toronto drafted Knies 57th overall in 2021, and he joined the team on an entry-level deal last April. Knies was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2022-23 after notching 21 goals and 21 assists over 40 games in his sophomore (and final) campaign with the University of Minnesota.Cowan has 30 goals and 53 assists across 47 contests in his third season with the OHL's London Knights. The 18-year-old forward went 28th overall to the Leafs in last year's draft.Minten played four games with Toronto earlier this season but has spent most of the campaign in the WHL. The 19-year-old center has 16 tallies and 15 helpers in 28 games with the Saskatoon Blades in 2023-24. He posted three goals and seven assists in seven contests with the Kamloops Blazers in the fall before they traded him to the Blades.The Leafs drafted Minten 38th overall in 2022.Cowan and Minten are two of Toronto's most promising assets, but The Athletic's Scott Wheeler ranked the organization's prospect pool 28th in February. The Leafs have their first-round pick in this year's draft to offer in a potential trade, but no second-rounders for the next three years and no first-round selection in 2025.Toronto also projects to have just $144,166 in deadline cap space, according to CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes are keeping winger Jason Zucker out of the lineup for Tuesday's tilt with the Chicago Blackhawks for trade-related reasons, the team announced.Zucker is drawing interest from multiple teams leading up to the March 8 deadline, including the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, and Vancouver Canucks, reports Sportsnet's Jeff Marek.The 32-year-old has recorded 25 points in 51 games this season. He joined the Coyotes on a one-year, $5.3-million deal last summer.Zucker spent parts of nine years with the Minnesota Wild and four with the Pittsburgh Penguins before landing in Arizona. He boasts six 20-goal seasons and has 46 games of playoff experience under his belt.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The notoriously massive Vegas Golden Knights just got bigger.The Washington Capitals traded 6-foot-5 winger Anthony Mantha to the defending Stanley Cup champions for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder, the teams announced.Mantha is a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a $5.7-million cap hit, but the Capitals are retaining 50% of his salary.The 29-year-old is in the midst of a resurgent campaign. Mantha has recorded 20 goals and 14 assists in 56 games this season while averaging just 14:09 per contest. His underlying numbers are off the charts, too. Evolving-HockeyWhile Mantha has been a strong play-driver throughout his career, this is his first 20-goal season since he bagged a career-high 25 with the Detroit Red Wings in 2018-19. Injuries have plagued him in his nine NHL campaigns, as he's logged 70 games in a season just once. However, he's only missed four contests this campaign.Despite his huge frame, Mantha isn't overly physical and has registered just 31 hits this season.While Mantha has the skill set to play up and down the lineup, he's a logical fit to link up with William Karlsson on Vegas' second line.The Golden Knights' search for help up front has been no secret since it was reported that captain Mark Stone will miss the remainder of the regular season and is questionable for the playoffs. Even after the Mantha deal, Vegas still has room to make further moves with Stone's $9.5-million cap hit on LTIR.The Capitals, meanwhile, are set to be sellers as they enter Tuesday's slate with just a 6% chance of making the playoffs, per MoneyPuck. Mantha was the team's biggest rental trade chip, but fellow pending UFAs Max Pacioretty, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Joel Edmundson should garner plenty of interest, too.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman Zach Bogosian to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.25 million, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports.Bogosian, 33, was acquired by the Wild in November from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2025 seventh-round pick. He has one goal and nine points in 43 games with Minnesota.His 4.6 goals above replacement rank third among Wild defenders this season, behind only Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin, per Evolving-Hockey.The veteran gets a raise from his $850,000 cap hit this season. His new deal won't have any trade protection, The Athletic's Joe Smith reports.The three-year contract Bogosian signed with the Lightning in July 2021 had a full no-trade clause in the first two seasons and a 21-team no-trade clause in the final season.Bogosian has played 830 games in his 16-season NHL career, accumulating 222 points and 758 penalty minutes. The rugged defenseman was drafted third overall in 2008 and has also played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs.He won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020, which was the first time he made the playoffs.The Wild are 29-26-6 on the campaign and eight points behind the Nashville Predators for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks have discussed trading recently-acquired center Elias Lindholm to the Boston Bruins to facilitate the acquisition of Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel, reports The Athletic's Chris Johnston.Vancouver sent Andrei Kuzmenko, two prospects, and two picks to the Calgary Flames to acquire Lindholm in a blockbuster trade in January. The pending unrestricted free agent was one of the biggest names available ahead of this year's trade deadline.Lindholm has managed six points in 14 games since changing teams while averaging nearly 19 minutes per contest. The 29-year-old carries a $4.85-million cap hit, and the Bruins, rumored to be in the market for a center, have only $57,500 in deadline cap space, per CapFriendly.The Canucks have been linked to Guentzel for the past several weeks, but the market for the two-time 40-goal-scorer is reportedly deep with Stanley Cup contenders. Pittsburgh is reportedly hoping to facilitate a Guentzel deal by Wednesday.Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin, president Jim Rutherford, and head coach Rick Tocchet all worked with Guentzel during their respective tenures with the Penguins.Vancouver has $3.375 million in deadline money, meaning Pittsburgh would have to retain salary or the Canucks would have to make a corresponding move to accommodate Guentzel's $6-million cap hit.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Wednesday for boarding Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn during Monday's contest.The incident occurred late in the third period of the Flames' 4-2 loss. Pospisil caught Dunn from behind deep in Seattle's zone, knocking the rearguard head-first into the boards. He was assessed a five-minute major and was ejected.Pospisil took down Kraken blue-liner Adam Larsson with a big hit earlier in the matchup, drawing the ire of Ty Kartye. No penalty was called on that play.

The Pittsburgh Penguins hope to have solidified a deal to send Jake Guentzel elsewhere by Wednesday evening, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.Pittsburgh is eyeing a first-round pick, a young NHL player, and prospects in exchange for the potent winger, and the club is open to receiving quality over quantity, Dreger adds.Guentzel is expected to be dealt as a rental rather than with an accompanying contract extension, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.The pending unrestricted free agent is now the best player available ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline. He's a two-time 40-goal scorer and has 22 tallies and 30 assists over 50 games this season.In late February, it was reported several teams were interested in Guentzel, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights.Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas called Guentzel trade talk "pure speculation" in January. However, it was later reported that he was listening to offers on all non-core players. Dubas subsequently left the door open for a Guentzel swap by not ruling out the possibility.The trade deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Friday.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Edmonton Oilers placed veteran forward Sam Gagner on waivers Tuesday.Gagner joined the Oilers for a third tour of duty with the franchise in late October on a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 at the NHL level.The 34-year-old has appeared in 27 games this season, notching 10 points while averaging 10 minutes per contest. Gagner could draw interest on the wire as a cheap alternative to a trade, as many contenders covet center depth for the playoffs.Oilers general manager Ken Holland recently said he has "lots of irons in the fire" ahead of Friday's trade deadline as he looks to bolster a squad that sits second in the Pacific Division.Edmonton is currently projected to have approximately $2.3 million in deadline cap space, per CapFriendly.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find year-round coverage of betting news and insights for all sports by visiting our Betting section and subscribing to push notifications.We split our sides on Monday night. The Bruins took care of business as road underdogs, but the Golden Knights - despite a large edge in shots and chances - couldn't beat the Blue Jackets.Let's look at a couple of plays that pop off the page as we look for a mini-sweep Tuesday night.Oilers (-130) @ Bruins (+110)After a bit of a dip, the Oilers have gotten back on track in a hurry. They've won four consecutive games, allowing one or two goals in each of them.The Oilers have done a terrific job of limiting chances and making life easier for their goaltenders without sacrificing offense at five-on-five. In fact, no team has generated high-danger opportunities at a more efficient clip than the Oilers during this stretch. Complete games are again becoming the norm for Edmonton.I think the Oilers will create problems for Linus Ullmark and the Bruins in this one. Ullmark has quietly posted pedestrian numbers for a while, allowing at least three goals in 13 of his past 18 starts.That's not ideal considering the Bruins will likely ask a lot of him in this game. At five-on-five, they sit 26th in goals against and 28th in expected goals against over the past 10 games. They are not defending well without Hampus Lindholm.Leaky defense is a recipe for disaster against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and one of the league's highest-powered offenses. The Bruins are also in a back-to-back situation after an important divisional game Monday night.Bet: Oilers (-130)Panthers (-125) @ Devils (+105)The Devils made a change behind the bench Monday night, moving on from Lindy Ruff in favor of interim head coach Travis Green.Teams generally get a bump when they change coaches, but I'm not sure we'll see that from the Devils - at least not against the Panthers.Ondrej Palat is expected to miss this game with an injury. He's one of the Devils' most impactful two-way players and his absence will be felt against an excellent Florida team. Green is also scratching rookie Simon Nemec, who's been the team's best two-way defenseman all season.The Devils were already playing poor hockey - they've won two of their last seven, managing to defeat the Sharks and Canadiens - and things will be even more difficult now.The Panthers are as dominant as anybody at five-on-five. They have an abundance of scoring depth, they don't give up much defensively, and Anthony Stolarz has provided elite-level play as Florida's backup goalie.Even on a road back-to-back, the Panthers should be able to flex their muscles against a vulnerable Devils team.Bet: Panthers (-125)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello won't give up on the club's waning playoff hopes before this week's trade deadline."If we can add, we will. Are we going to subtract? Absolutely not," Lamoriello said, per The Athletic's Arthur Stape.The Islanders are currently six points back of a wild-card spot and a divisional seed but have games in hand on each team ahead of them. New York's playoff odds entering Tuesday's clash against the St. Louis Blues are 23.3%, according to Moneypuck.Veteran grinders Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck are the Isles' most notable pending unrestricted free agents, but they've been a part of New York's identity for several years. Defensemen Mike Reilly and Sebastian Aho are on expiring contracts as well.Although Lamoriello is adamant about not selling, adding pieces for New York's playoff push will be difficult as well: The Islanders have no deadline cap space available, per CapFriendly.The Islanders have been on the playoff bubble for much of the season. New York replaced head coach Lane Lambert with Patrick Roy in a stunning move on Jan. 20 to turn things around, but the club is 7-5-3 since the Hall of Fame netminder took over behind the bench.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald shed some light Tuesday on his strategy ahead of Friday's trade deadline.Fitzgerald confirmed he's looking to upgrade in the crease."I am in the market (for a goaltender)," he told reporters Tuesday. "Is there the right person out there for the right price without mortgaging the future, but understanding the short game here, it's an important position ... Our goaltending has not been good enough. Yes, that's on me to go out and try to upgrade, but it's not (easy)."The GM also explained where he stands with the Devils' leading goal producer this season."I'm not shopping Tyler Toffoli," Fitzgerald said. "Tyler and I sat together in L.A., we had a great talk. Tyler knows how much I'd like to bring him back, but unfortunately right now, there's a possible term difference (in contract talks). That doesn't mean we can't revisit this past the deadline, if he's still here, or in the offseason."But the reality is, teams have called on him, and (based on) what a return looks like, I wouldn't (want to) be giving away my leading scorer, that's for sure, just to gain future assets. But ... those future assets could help us down the road."The Devils entered Tuesday with the second-worst all-situations save percentage in the NHL (.882) and the third-worst mark at five-on-five (.901) this season. Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws, and Akira Schmid have all struggled in goal for New Jersey, with save percentages under .900 in all situations.New Jersey has reportedly been in talks with the Calgary Flames about acquiring netminder Jacob Markstrom, who recently expressed disappointment about how his current club has handled his situation.Toffoli is a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a $4.25-million cap hit. The winger came into Tuesday leading the Devils with 26 goals over 60 games in 2023-24.The Devils fired head coach Lindy Ruff on Monday night, naming associate coach Travis Green his interim replacement. New Jersey came into Tuesday's action with a 30-27-4 record. The club occupies sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, sitting eight points out of the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot with two games in hand.Copyright (C) 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.