Kraken Sign Jordan Eberle To Two-Year Extension
The Seattle Kraken are signing captain Jordan Eberle to a two-year, $5.5MM AAV contract extension, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The deal has a full no-trade clause in each of its two seasons. The Kraken have confirmed Eberle’s new extension.
Eberle, 35, was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer at the expiration of the two-year, $4.75MM deal he signed in March 2024. The veteran winger, who is repped by Craig Oster of Newport Sports Management, has been a key top-six contributor for the Kraken over the course of his time there.
An expansion draft selection by the team, Eberle ranks No. 3 in the all-time scoring rankings of the team’s brief history, and No. 2 in goals.
Despite aging deeper into his mid-thirties, Eberle has kept up his reliable levels of production. Contributing regularly on the power play, he’s scored 22 goals and 42 points in 59 games this season, which is a 31-goal, 58-point pace. If he keeps up his pace, those numbers would be Eberle’s best since 2022-23.
While there is likely some concern that Eberle might decline over the course of this extension – he will be 38 at the expiry of this extension – he has already shown an ability to keep up his high standard of play as he’s gotten older. As a result, there should be a reasonable level of confidence in Seattle that he’ll be able to remain a productive contributor deeper into his thirties.
The conversation surrounding the Kraken related to this deadline has been largely centered around the team’s pursuit of a high-end scoring winger. Eberle isn’t that kind of player, and is extremely unlikely to become one as he ages. But he’s a crucial veteran leader for a team that is desperate to make a return to the playoffs, and could very well end up on a line with any high-end scorer the Kraken eventually acquire.
Eberle’s re-signing ensures a degree of continuity in the Kraken’s forward corps, a group that could very well see some turnover, perhaps even within the next few hours.
The Kraken have reportedly been interested in trading 2022 No. 4 pick Shane Wright in their pursuit of a star forward, and he’s unlikely to be the only name the team is willing to part with as part of that chase. In the event the Kraken do make a franchise-altering trade, today’s re-signing of Eberle ensures they’ll be able to keep around a familiar face and leader to help guide their group through the changes.
Photos courtesy of Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
Blackhawks Acquire Derrick Pouliot
Speaking on Daily Faceoff Live, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the Chicago Blackhawks are acquiring defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the New York Rangers. Pouliot has spent the entire 2025-26 campaign with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Scott Power of The Athletic reported that forward Aidan Thompson will head to New York.
Pouliot is nearly exclusively an AHL talent at this point in his career. Since the 2019-20 season, Pouliot has tallied six assists in 26 NHL contests, averaging 14:45 of ice time split between the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars.
Still, he’s been a stable top-four presence in the AHL throughout that stretch. Since joining the Stars organization ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, Pouliot has registered 18 goals and 127 points in 186 games.
Despite being a rebuilding club for the last several years, the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs don’t have that kind of stability on the blue line. Prospect Kevin Korchinski is the team’s leading scorer among defensemen with two goals and 23 points in 45 games. Pouliot will immediately become the team’s offensive leader on the blue line, despite playing in seven more games than Korchinski.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that Pouliot will enjoy a trip through the Calder Cup playoffs with the IceHogs. The team is on the outside looking in with a 19-31-2-2 record. They’re currently ranked sixth in the AHL’s Central Division. They would have to find their way into the top five of the division to qualify for the postseason.
Meanwhile, shortly before the trade was made official, the Blackhawks recalled Thompson from the AHL, so he’ll presumably join the Rangers’ NHL roster. He is in his first full professional season, scoring six goals and 15 points in 40 games.
Still, he’s not that far removed from being a standout forward for the University of Denver. From 2022 to 2025, Thompson scored 42 goals and 117 points in 120 games for the Pioneers. He was drafted with the 90th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft, making this a quality return for the Rangers.
Vancouver Canucks Claim Curtis Douglas
The Vancouver Canucks have claimed forward Curtis Douglas off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The Canucks have already shipped out a veteran forward and more, such as pending UFA Teddy Blueger, could follow. This claim of Douglas adds a player from outside the organization for the Canucks, who could even use him in the fourth-line center role most recently occupied by Blueger.
Douglas, 26, is one of the NHL’s biggest players. The Oakville, Ontario native stands 6’9″, 242 pounds, and that size is an essential component of the value proposition he presents as an NHL player. He’s not much of a scorer, with just two points through 29 career NHL games, and his offense hasn’t fared too much better at the AHL level, either. But his size and strength give him notable upside as a defensive player and a physical threat, two traits teams often covet on their fourth line.
In Vancouver, Douglas will likely receive a clear opportunity to get regular minutes on a team playing out the stretch of a likely last-place season. He averaged under six minutes of ice time per game in Tampa Bay, but is positioned to see that number increase in Vancouver. Set to become a restricted free agent this summer, he’s likely staring at an extremely important set of games for the future of his career as he looks to prove he has what it takes to stick as an NHL player with the Canucks.
Kings, Mathieu Joseph Agree To Terms
The Kings have agreed to terms on a contract with winger Mathieu Joseph after he cleared unconditional waivers today to become a free agent, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports. The deal runs for the remainder of the season at a prorated cap hit of $900K, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Joseph, 29, had his contract with the Blues terminated to find an opportunity elsewhere at a reduced cap hit. He was in the final season of a four-year deal at a $2.95MM cap hit and forfeited roughly $500K in actual cash by opting for the termination and landing a prorated contract in Hollywood.
Los Angeles has signaled they’re dropping out of the playoff race after a tough stretch out of the Olympic break, dealing away wingers Warren Foegele and Corey Perry in the last 24 hours. With an injury list that also includes Joel Armia, Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala, and Andrei Kuzmenko, though, they were simply in desperate need of bodies up front to fill spots for the stretch run. They’ll find one for free and for cheap in Joseph, who wins a chance to continue contributing in an NHL role for the last few weeks of the season to hopefully boost his stock heading into free agency.
While Joseph brings some good speed and physicality, he’s been one of the league’s worst finishers over the past couple of years. That won’t help out a Kings team that shoots at just 9.3% too much, but he’ll still bring over 450 games of experience while helping L.A. avoid overstressing some underbaked forward prospects over the next few weeks. He’d put up two goals and 11 points in 39 showings in St. Louis this year before landing on waivers, averaging 12:41 per night.
Penguins Acquire Elmer Soderblom
According to a team announcement, the Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Elmer Söderblom from the Detroit Red Wings for San Jose’s 2026 third-round pick. The Red Wings have also confirmed the trade.
The writing was on the wall for Söderblom’s tenure in Detroit. Once viewed as a potential long-term fixture in Detroit’s bottom-six, Söderblom has been a frequent healthy scratch by the team this season. Due to the team’s abundance of prospects, he was overlooked on the long-term depth chart.
Still, the Penguins are taking a chance. He doesn’t have the highest offensive upside, but he has tremendous size. Throughout the past three years, Söderblom has scored 18 goals and 46 points in 99 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and six goals and 14 points in 65 games with the Red Wings.
Standing at 6’8″ tall, Söderblom will immediately become the biggest player on the Penguins’ roster, standing a few inches taller than Justin Brazeau. Unfortunately, although he has quality hands for someone of his stature, Söderblom doesn’t engage physically as much as he should. He’s amassed 128 hits over his brief NHL career, but the Penguins will likely hope he can increase those numbers to be of more value to the club.
Regardless, he’s only 24 years old and is a reasonable fit on a retooling Pittsburgh team. Despite eyeing an unexpected postseason berth this season, the Penguins were known to be targeting depth pieces with some upside. Given his age and relative skill for his size, acquiring Söderblom for a third-round pick was likely a no-brainer from Pittsburgh’s perspective.
Florida Panthers Claim Cole Reinhardt
The Vegas Golden Knights will lose one of their bottom-six forwards. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Florida Panthers have claimed Cole Reinhardt off waivers from Vegas.
Reinhardt, 26, will join the third organization of his career. The Calgary, AB native was selected 181st in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators, and spent five years playing in the organization before joining the Golden Knights last summer.
Throughout his days in the Senators organization, Reinhardt was mostly an AHL talent. Across his five years with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, Reinhardt scored 54 goals and 131 points in 270 games with 275 PIMs.
Unfortunately, his role as a secondary scorer in the AHL hasn’t translated to the NHL level. He’s played 44 games for Vegas this season, scoring three goals and seven points in 44 games. Across his career, he has registered four goals and nine points in 62 games.
Still, he has remained a physical force. In his 62 career contests, Reinhardt has tallied 123 hits. Since he’s still on the younger side, and can immediately join the Panthers’ bottom-six. Florida is expected to move a few depth pieces ahead of today’s deadline, and Reinhardt will be a stopgap for the time being. He is signed through next season at a $813K cap hit, but will be owed $850K in actual salary.
New York Islanders To Acquire Brayden Schenn
The New York Islanders are finalizing a trade to acquire veteran center Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The Islanders have confirmed the deal. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun has reported its full terms: the Islanders are getting Schenn for a first-round pick, third-round pick, veteran forward Jonathan Drouin, and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof. Per Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network, the first-rounder going to St. Louis is Colorado’s 2026 first-round pick, the one New York acquired in the Brock Nelson trade from last season.
Per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the Islanders were on Schenn’s 16-team no-trade list, but Schenn has decided to allow the trade to go ahead. 
Schenn, the Blues captain, has been at the center of significant trade rumors over the last few months. His inclusion in a trade today, assuming it is completed and confirmed, is part of a wider effort by the Blues to re-organize their competitive efforts in a more future-oriented direction.
While the 34-year-old is under contract for an additional two seasons at a $6.5MM cap hit, the Blues may not believe they are in a position to legitimately compete for a Stanley Cup within that time frame. As a result, they appear to have given Schenn the chance to chase the second Stanley Cup championship of his career on Long Island.
The Islanders sit third place in the Metropolitan Division and have one of the game’s most promising young players leading their resurgence: 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer. Today’s move confirms the Islanders’ seriousness about competing for a Stanley Cup in the immediate term, even while the future face of their franchise is still just 18 years old.
The addition of Schenn provides a jolt to New York’s depth at the all-too-important center position. The club has most recently been utilizing 21-year-old Cal Ritchie as its second-line center. While the 2023 first-rounder is a promising young player, he’s not an ideal fit for that role on a team that is looking to make a deep playoff run.
Schenn, on the other hand, is an almost perfect fit for that role. While his numbers are down somewhat this year (28 points in 61 games as the Blues have struggled overall) he did manage 50 points last season and has been a steady top-six forward for much of his career. With Schenn likely to be plugged in directly to the Islanders’ second line, the team instantly becomes one of the league’s deepest teams down the middle.
With Bo Horvat manning the first line, Schenn on the second, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas in the bottom-six, the Islanders not only have a strong group of four centers, they also have the flexibility to keep Mathew Barzal on the wing, where he has excelled.
While the Islanders are without question strengthened by this trade, the deal is not without some risk. Schenn turns 35 in August, and has two more years remaining on his deal. He hasn’t quite played up to the standard of a top-six center in St. Louis this season, but it’s still to be determined whether that says more about where Schenn’s game is at, or about the state of the Blues as a whole. In any case, if Schenn experiences age-related decline that impacts his playing abilities, the Islanders will have paid a hefty price for a player who isn’t what he once was.
With that said, there is also the possibility that the trade rejuvenates Schenn, and the chance to play for a playoff contender gives him something of a second wind. We’ve seen numerous veterans remain capable contributors as they progress deeper into their thirties, capably adjusting how they play to fit how they age. It’s also entirely possible Schenn goes down that path, making it so the Islanders have added a second-line center with more than two years of team control. Putting it that way, a first-rounder, third-rounder, and a prospect is hardly an unfair price to pay.
From the Blues’ perspective, the move falls in line with what has become their hockey operations department’s modus operandi: preparing for the future. With Alexander Steen set to assume lead decision-making authority, today’s trade adds at least one premium future asset to an already growing stockpile.
While they’ll surely miss Schenn both on and off the ice, the move clears the way for 2023 No. 10 pick Dalibor Dvorsky to receive even greater on-ice opportunity. If this trade can spark additional growth from Dvorsky, while also adding key draft picks and prospects to the Blues’ system, they’re likely to count it as a win.
The addition of Drouin may have been made to help balance the money being taken on by the Islanders, but there is some rationale behind his addition from the Blues’ side. Set to turn 31 this month, the odds are against him playing a role on the next contending Blues team. But with St. Louis likely to strip away further veteran talents this summer, there is the chance Drouin receives an opportunity to play regularly in the top-six in Missouri. He’s a player who never quite fit on Long Island, but excelled playing alongside Nathan MacKinnon as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Perhaps he finds similar chemistry with Blues star Robert Thomas down the stretch.
With another year left on his deal at a $4MM cap hit, it’s not totally out of the question that Drouin seizes the opportunity ahead of him with the Blues, and becomes a trade chip for next year’s trade season, which would mean Schenn’s trade could deliver further future value to St. Louis.
Also included in this deal is Gidlof, a big goalie prospect who was a 2024 fifth-round pick. He’s been a tandem goalie in the SHL over the last two years, playing in a total of 41 games for Leksands IF. This season, he has gone 9-15-0 with an .896 save percentage. A little over a year ago, Gidlof was considered one of New York’s better prospects. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranked him the No. 3 prospect in the team’s system, writing that he “has legitimate NHL upside.”
With starter Jordan Binnington‘s time in St. Louis potentially set to come to an end at some point over the summer, the inclusion of Gidlof in this deal represents further investment by the team in the future of the goalie position, a position in which the Blues have a somewhat uncertain future.
Photos courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Oilers’ Mattias Janmark Out For Season
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters today that winger Mattias Janmark has undergone an undisclosed surgery and will be out for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs (via Tony Brar of Oilers TV). He was already on long-term injured reserve, adding his $1.45MM cap hit to their pool, so there’s no cap impact for Edmonton as a result of the season-ending determination.
It’s been a season to forget for Janmark, who hasn’t played since Feb. 25 and missed significant time at the beginning of the campaign with an undisclosed issue as well. The two-way forward is relied upon more for defensive acumen and penalty-killing ice time more than offense at this stage of his career, but he’s still only contributed a goal and eight points in 43 games with a -8 rating. He’s averaging 11:51 of ice time per game, down nearly two minutes from last year, and his shorthanded ice time is down slightly. His possession impacts at 5-on-5 are quite subpar, only controlling 45.3% of shot attempts and 42.3% of expected goals.
Janmark is in the second season of a three-year, $4.35MM contract he signed to re-up with Edmonton in 2024. The Oilers initially landed him in free agency in 2022 and signed him to a pair of one-year deals before giving him a multi-year commitment.
He was valuable near the bottom of the lineup in his first year, notching 10 goals and 25 points in 65 games back in 2022-23, and he’s been a legitimate two-way factor in the Oilers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup Final runs. His regular-season performance recently has been lacking, though, and it’s led to speculation that he may end up on waivers and buried with AHL Bakersfield before the end of his deal. An injury-plagued season certainly won’t help his case as he’ll need to truly earn a roster spot in camp next fall.
Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire Corey Perry
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Tampa Bay Lightning are acquiring veteran forward Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings. The trade comes a day after Frank Seravalli of Victory+ reported that Perry had made his intention known to Los Angeles that he would be interested in remaining with the organization. Both organizations have confirmed the deal.
Seravalli shared that the Kings would receive a second-round pick from the Bolts in exchange for Perry’s services. Later, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun confirmed it was Tampa Bay’s 2028 second-round pick headed back to Los Angeles.
Last offseason, Perry signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Kings, with performance bonuses. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Los Angeles recently paid Perry $250K for reaching the 50-game mark. For the remainder of the year, the Bolts will be on the hook for a $125K payment for a Round One win, a $250K for a semi-finals win, and a $125K for a Conference Final win. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period added an interesting twist to his bonus structure, sharing that the Kings are retaining 50% of his salary, which would apply to his bonuses.
It’s a return to Tampa Bay for the 21-year veteran. Perry enjoyed two years with the Lightning from 2021 to 2023, scoring 31 goals and 65 points in 163 games, averaging 12:33 of ice time in a bottom-six role. Since then, he has spent his time in the Western Conference with the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, and Kings.
Although he’s far removed from being a constant threat for the Hart Trophy, Perry has remained a productive forward into his 40s. Since leaving the Lightning after the 2022-23 NHL season, Perry has registered 42 goals and 80 points in 185 games with a +5 rating.
Still, Perry’s recent runs in the Stanley Cup playoffs have become something of a running joke around the league. Since being bought out by the Anaheim Ducks after the 2018-19 campaign, Perry has reached five Stanley Cup Finals and lost each one of them.
Regardless, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t remained productive in the postseason. As he has done in the regular season, Perry has been a steady tertiary scorer in spring hockey. Since the 2019-20 postseason, Perry has scored 28 goals and 52 points in 119 playoff contests.
For Tampa Bay, the team didn’t need to add much on deadline day. The Lightning are already one of the best teams in the NHL, but it never hurts to insert additional goal-scoring, especially at the bottom of a lineup. To boot, Perry is a familiar face and will give the Bolts an extra veteran presence to lean on come playoff time.
From the Kings’ perspective, even if Perry had the desire to remain in Los Angeles for another season or two, it didn’t make much sense from an organizational perspective. Yes, Perry is productive, but he’s into his age-40 season, and the team has a decent crop of young talent that could theoretically fill the void on the bottom-six moving forward.
Still, the team is attempting to add significant draft capital. If the second-round selection is within the next two years, the Kings will have seven picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts, exiting the Anze Kopitar era.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.
Stars Activate Roope Hintz From Injured Reserve
March 6th: According to a team announcement, the Stars have activated Hintz from injured reserve. He’ll be back in Dallas’ lineup tonight against the Colorado Avalanche.
March 3rd: Earlier today the Dallas Stars shared that Roope Hintz has landed on injured reserve due to illness, retroactive to February 25.
Since returning from the Olympic break where he represented Team Finland and won bronze, Hintz has yet to play, missing Dallas’ last three games. Impressively they’ve won all three by a combined score of 13-4, while tonight’s action in Calgary marks the fourth straight missing their center.
A player ending up on injured reserve from sickness is rare, and while it may cause concern for his health, the timeline is a factor in the decision. With Hintz off the shelf as he heals up, Dallas has an open roster spot to work with leading up to Friday’s trade deadline. The 29-year-old will be eligible to return then, as his Stars will host the Avalanche; the only team above them in the standings. Dallas is usually active at the deadline, and considering that they’re second in the league with a window as open as ever, it figures that they’ll have some reinforcements coming.
Hintz’s fifth place standing in team scoring (44 points in 52 games) is more of an indication of how deep the Stars are up front. The Finn has an elite 59.2% faceoff win rate this year, a career best by a considerable margin, as he continues to rise as a Selke level player. The scoring has tapered off a bit after back-to-back 37 goal campaigns from 2021-23, but it’s hardly an issue considering his impact in other areas, as well as the Stars’ overall firepower.
Winners of nine straight, Dallas will march ahead without Hintz, likely to return sometime around the weekend.