The trade deadline is just days away. We’ve seen a couple of moves so far which are included in our key stories along with some other notable news across the NHL.
Kuznetsov Returns, Gets Waived: Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov was cleared to resume practicing with the team as he reached the follow-up phase of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. However, the team he’ll actually practice with is AHL Hershey after Washington waived him, sending him down after he cleared on Sunday. The 31-year-old has struggled this season with just six goals and 11 assists in 43 games, hardly a good return on a $7.8MM contract that runs through 2024-25. Now the highest-paid player on a regular AHL assignment in league history, the Capitals will continue to look to find ways to give him a chance at a fresh start with another organization.
Tanev To Dallas: Another big domino from Calgary came off the trade board as the Flames moved defenseman Chris Tanev to Dallas as part of a three-team trade that also saw New Jersey pick up a fourth-round pick for retaining 25% of Tanev’s salary. Calgary, who retained 50% of Tanev’s $4.5MM price tag, picked up defense prospect Artyom Grushnikov, who was a 2021 second-round pick, along with Dallas’ 2024 second-round selection. If Dallas wins the Stanley Cup, the Flames would also get their 2026 third-round choice. Tanev, who is still dealing with visa issues, gives the Stars a quality shutdown defender who will undoubtedly log big minutes on the penalty kill and help bolster their top four in general while having a minimal effect on their cap at only a quarter of his actual price tag.
Eight For Pettersson: While Elias Pettersson’s original plan was to wait until the offseason to sign his next contract, it didn’t play out that way. As speculation started to mount about his potential future with Vancouver, which even included trade discussions with Carolina, Pettersson opted to give the green light to his camp to work out a new deal now. Those talks ended with an eight-year, $92.8MM extension, the richest contract in franchise history. The deal contains no-move protection starting in 2025-26, the first year he’s eligible for it. Pettersson has certainly earned the deal, becoming one of the top two-way centers in the league over the past couple of seasons while he has a shot at back-to-back 100-point seasons. As things stand, he’s set to be the fifth-highest-paid player in the league next season with an AAV of $11.6MM.
Another Year For Quick: When the Rangers brought in Jonathan Quick as their backup last summer, there were some question marks as he was coming off a rough 2022-23 campaign. However, things have gone quite well for him this season and he was rewarded for his efforts with a one-year, $1.275MM extension, one that carries a 20-team no-trade clause. The 38-year-old has fared quite well this season, posting a 2.45 GAA along with a .916 SV% in 21 games so far. If that holds, those would be his best numbers since the 2017-18 campaign with Los Angeles. All told, it has been a nice bounce-back year and he’ll be staying in New York for a little while longer.
Back To Toronto: Two years ago, Ilya Lyubushkin had a good run down the stretch with Toronto before departing for Buffalo in free agency. The Maple Leafs are hoping that history will repeat itself as they acquired the blueliner from Anaheim in a trade that also saw Carolina hold back 25% of his contract in exchange for a sixth-round pick. The Ducks, meanwhile, retained the maximum of 50% of his $2.75MM price and received a 2025 third-round selection. Lyubushkin has four assists along with 138 blocks and 116 in 56 games this season and gives Toronto a much-needed right-shot option. However, he suffered an upper-body injury in his first contest with the Leafs on the weekend.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dallas Vs. Florida for the Cup
Well if you can’t lose your job because of injury( Another myth), Now you can definitely lose your job because you’re a drunk. See Perry, Kuznetsov.