Kaplan: Latest on Patrick Kane, Boston Bruins and more trade buzz
The NHL trade deadline is on March 3, and with just nine days to go, talks are intensifying around the league. Here’s what I’m hearing about some dynamics going on behind the scenes…
We should get clarity on Kane’s decision this week. None of this has been easy for the veteran winger. Kane always envisioned himself retiring as a Blackhawk. It’s only been over the last several months — and maybe even the last several weeks — where he was forced to accept that vision may not be realistic anymore. Based on conversations I’ve had with sources around the league, the behind the scenes talks with the Rangers were more advanced than have been reported. There was a path for Kane going to New York, his preferred destination should he leave Chicago, and then suddenly it felt like it was taken away — which is why you saw him react so vulnerably to the Vladimir Tarasenko trade.
Kane has been upset about the reporting about his hip injury, but that’s a real concern that teams have expressed. Kane is one of the league’s biggest gamers. He’s incredibly competitive and is diligent about the way he takes care of his body. Ahead of his age 30 season, he switched to a body weight movement-based training method; many players around the league, including Auston Matthews, follow. There’s a lot Kane does to get ready to get through the season. But he’s proven, especially with his home ice hat trick against the Maple Leafs on Sunday, that he still can be effective despite whatever ails him and no matter which linemates he’s playing with.
So now Kane is recalibrating again. I believe he’s asked to explore if going to the Rangers is still an option. It’s not impossible, but would require serious maneuvering. Kane also must consider what else is available. I know the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars are interested in him. I believe the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers are as well. There could be a mystery team lurking. One of the reasons Kane loves playing in Chicago is that there’s comfort and structure in place for him and his family. So Kane must decide if he can recreate the comfort and structure in one of those spots while giving himself a legitimate chance to win. If he can tick those boxes, we’ll see him move on and enter that next chapter. If not, the Blackhawks have been prepared for Kane to come to them and say he doesn’t want to move at all.
More on the Blackhawks
There was interest in Chicago captain Jonathan Toews. I know the Colorado Avalanche had been keeping tabs on him this season. The Seattle Kraken were monitoring his play as well. But once Toews took time away this month to search for answers on why he still didn’t feel healthy — symptoms of long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, he said — a move became less likely. GM Kyle Davidson confirmed to me that Toews will not be traded at the deadline.
This creates interesting flexibility for Chicago’s rebuild plans. Teams are only allowed to retain salary on three players, and the Blackhawks were expecting to retain some of Toews’ $10.5 million cap hit in a trade. They’ll likely retain some of Kane’s $10.5 million in a potential trade. But how could they use the other two spots now that Toews won’t be traded? Davidson has made it clear to his peers that he’s open to business. Call about any player on his roster, and give an honest offer, and he’s willing to listen. There’s a lot of league-wide interest in Jake McCabe, especially if his $4 million cap hit through 2024-25 is cut in half. I believe the ask from Chicago is a first-round pick, plus more for McCabe. There’s also been a lot of buzz about Sam Lafferty, who has finally found his speed in a regular NHL role, has an attractive $1.15 million cap hit and is under contract for next season, too. I believe the Blackhawks are looking for a second-round pick for Lafferty.
But even with Chicago trying to rebuild — collecting as many prospects and draft picks as possible — Davidson is not trading away players just to do it. He’s taken a lot of calls, but if the asking prices don’t materialize, he’s comfortable holding on to both veterans — who have helped with the culture of the team — and will be attractive to teams next year, as well.
What do the Bruins need?
The Boston Bruins have been the most complete and consistent team in the NHL this year. But they know a Presidents’ Trophy doesn’t guarantee playoff success, and they’re still looking to add. They’re plotting something potentially big. Other teams have told me that the Bruins have called asking if they’d take Craig Smith ($3.1 million cap hit) which would help them clear space.
While Boston has monitored all of the big names, including Timo Meier, their biggest need is on left defense. Ideally they can find somebody with size, and that can play with Charlie McAvoy — which would bump Matt Grzelcyk down in the rotation. They’ve been monitoring the Jakob Chychrun situation for a while now. I have heard from multiple sources that the Bruins have had advanced talks on Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov, but perhaps are waiting to do another transaction before they can consummate that trade. And if Gavrikov doesn’t work out, I believe they have contingency plans.
Expect the Lightning to do something
For the last three years, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois has publicly said the same thing around this time: He has no cap space to make any moves. And for the last two years, he’s figured it out, making a splash for Blake Coleman in 2021 and then Brandon Hagel in 2022. This year he’s singing the same tune, and when I met with him in Tampa last week, he insisted to me: “Really, this year I don’t have the cap space or the assets to do a Coleman or Hagel-type deal.”
The Lightning are without a first- and second-round pick in this year’s draft, and don’t have their first-round pick for 2024 either. Yet I have a hard time believing BriseBois. He is one of the craftiest managers in the league. He’s going to figure out a way to do something to help his team. BriseBois told me defense is not an area of need. They feel they have 10 NHL-ready blue liners across their NHL roster and with the AHL Syracuse Crunch. I have heard from other teams that the Lightning are open to moving Cal Foote, who has only played 25 games this year — in part due to the emergence of Nick Perbix.
Realistically, the Lightning are looking at a bottom six forward who can fit to their identity and culture (like Nick Paul, another pickup for them last season). I also think they’d like to add an element of speed, which is why Sam Lafferty out of Chicago and his cost certainty for next season makes sense. But again, when it comes to BriseBois, you should expect the unexpected.
Any surprise teams ahead of the deadline?
I asked an assistant general manager to tell me the surprise team that could be the main character of trade deadline day. “The Seattle Kraken,” the assistant general manager told me. “I think they’ve been sniffing around on a lot of possibilities to add to their roster. They still have the big picture in mind to build the right way, but I think they see an opportunity this year and may go for it.”
There have been some rumors that Carson Soucy could be available. He was scratched on Monday against the Sharks after taking a puck to the foot. Soucy, 28, is an unrestricted free agent this summer and there have been no extension talks yet. But it would be a big surprise if Soucy was moved; taking a veteran defenseman off a playoff bound team is bold.
Latest on Canes and Wild
The Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild are both looking for scoring help, but both teams are looking creatively. The Wild have been hesitant to give up high picks or prospects for rentals as they still navigate their buyout-forced cap crunch — and I also don’t think they are convinced this is their year to go all-in.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes tend to do business differently than the rest of the league. While they have the most cap space and flexibility among the top contenders due to Max Pacioretty’s LTIR designation, they have prices that don’t always align with what the market says, and they stick to them. While they’re monitoring Kane and Meier, I wouldn’t be surprised if their acquisition is an off-the-radar player with term. The Canes typically don’t do rentals or short-term decisions. They also tend to do business in the 11th hour. So while a lot of teams got ahead of the deadline, Carolina should be active on March 3.
The second Sunday of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs is here. There will not be any teams eliminated following the four matchups, but each game is nonetheless pivotal as we move closer to the second round.
In each of the four series that play Sunday, the home team has won every game thus far. Will that trend continue? Or will the favored teams in each head back home with a chance to close things out?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down in Saturday’s games, and the Three Stars of Saturday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues
Game 4 (WPG leads 2-1) | 1 p.m. ET | TBS
The two teams had an extra day off, playing Game 3 on Thursday, a 7-2 win for the Blues. Entering this game, history is not on the Blues’ side; teams that have led 2-1 in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win the series 68.6% of the time, and the Blues specifically are 8-20 when trailing 1-2 in a series.
The good news for St. Louis is that Game 3 was the club’s 13th straight victory at home, going back to the regular season. The Blues have scored at least five goals in seven of those 13 games.
Pavel Buchnevich‘s hat trick was the first of his career, and quadrupled his career playoff goal total — he previously had one goal in 22 games.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck appears off his game — compared to the regular season, but not past playoffs. He has allowed four goals or more in nine of his past 12 playoff games.
Winnipeg will need their top players to get back in the scoring swing. Mark Scheifele had two goals and three assists through the first two games, but was held scoreless in Game 3. Kyle Connor began with two goals and two assists and was also held pointless in Game 3.
Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils
Game 4 (CAR leads 2-1) | 3:30 p.m. ET | TBS
A healthy scratch earlier in the series, Simon Nemec was the Game 3 hero, scoring the game-winning goal in double-overtime. He is the youngest Devil with an OT goal in a playoff game (21 years, 69 days), and the second-youngest defenseman with such a goal in Stanley Cup playoff history; only Andrei Zyuzin (20 years, 97 days in 1998) pulled off the feat at a younger age.
The multiovertime result was not a shock based on the history of these two clubs: the Devils have now won five straight multi-OT playoff games, while the Hurricanes are now 1-11 in multi-OT playoff games, the worst percentage in Stanley Cup playoff history.
Jacob Markstrom has shown up for the Devils this postseason, with a .929 save percentage and 2.08 goals-against average through three games, facing an average of 33 shots per game.
The Hurricanes have had seven different goal-scorers through three games, including expected output from their stars like Seth Jarvis as well as from some surprising contributors such as Jordan Martinook (15 goals in the regular season) and Jalen Chatfield (seven).
As impressive as Markstrom has been for New Jersey, Frederik Andersen has been a bit better for Carolina: through three games, the Dane has 82 saves on 87 shots, generating a .943 SP and 1.48 GAA.
Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens
Game 4 (WSH leads 2-1) | 6:30 p.m. ET | TBS
The six goals that the Canadiens scored in Game 3 were the most they’ve scored in a playoff game since May 7, 2015.
With his assist on Cole Caufield‘s second-period goal, Lane Hutson now has 63 in the regular season and playoffs combined, tying Chris Chelios’ record for the most by a rookie defenseman.
Alex Ovechkin scored playoff goal No. 75, which passed Joe Pavelski for 13th all time. He’s now one behind Mario Lemieux for 12th.
All eyes will be on the status of the goaltenders heading into this game. Sam Montembeault left the Canadiens’ crease during the second period, while Logan Thompson was knocked out of action in the third period.
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers
Game 4 (LA leads 2-1) | 9:30 p.m. ET | TBS
As part of the Oilers’ offensive onslaught in Game 3, Leon Draisaitl extended his playoff point streak against the Kings to 17 games, which is the third-longest streak against an opponent in Stanley Cup playoffs history, two behind Wayne Gretzky (19, against the Flames) and Mark Messier (19, against the Kings). Decent company!
Connor McDavid now has 12 career playoff games with a goal and two assists, tied with Messier for second most in Oilers history. They both trail Gretzky, who had 24. McDavid also drew even with Jaromir Jagr in sixth place for most games with three-plus points in a game in Stanley Cup playoff history. McDavid has done it 20 times, trailing Gretzky (59), Messier (30), Jari Kurri (28), Nikita Kucherov (22) and Denis Savard (21).
Kings forward Adrian Kempe has nine points this postseason, tied for the second most by a player through three games in the past 40 years of the Stanley Cup playoffs (one behind Gretzky, who had 10 in 1987).
Anze Kopitar‘s six assists are the most through three games in Kings playoff history.
Heading into the postseason, Darcy Kuemper was seen as a strength for L.A. But through three games, he has an .859 save percentage and 4.04 goals-against average, well behind the .902 and 2.57 he registered for the Colorado Avalanche during their Cup run in 2022.
In the other crease, the Oilers switched to Calvin Pickard to start Game 3. Stuart Skinner had rung up an .810 SP and 6.11 GAA in two games, while Pickard generated an .857 SP and allowed four goals in the victory. Who starts Game 4?
Arda’s three stars from Saturday night
The Big Cat returned to form in Game 3, making 33 saves in Tampa Bay’s 5-1 win over Florida to make the series 2-1.
Barbashev had two points, including the overtime winner, as the Golden Knights tied up the series with a 4-3 win over the Wild.
The Battle of Ontario will continue! Sanderson scored the overtime winner for the Senators, keeping them alive with a 4-3 win in Game 4.
Landeskog scored his first goal since his return to the NHL — an absence of nearly three years. His teammates swarmed him, jumping for joy. What a moment!
0:47
Avs go up 3-0 on Gabriel Landeskog’s slap shot goal
Gabriel Landeskog’s slap shot gives the Avalanche a 3-0 lead in the second period.
Saturday’s scores
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Florida Panthers 1
FLA leads 2-1 | Game 4 Monday
As dominant as the Panthers were win winning Games 1 and 2 of this series in Tampa Bay, so were the Lightning in Game 3 in Sunrise. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk started the scoring at 2:43 of the first period, but it was all Lightning thereafter, as Brayden Point, Nick Paul, Jake Guentzel and Luke Glendening put pucks past Sergei Bobrovsky, and Anthony Cirelli scored an empty-net goal to put a cap on the festivities. Recap.
0:54
Guentzel scores off Kucherov’s setup 21 seconds into 3rd period
Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel connect again on a Lightning goal to increase their lead on the Panthers.
Vegas Golden Knights 4, Minnesota Wild 3 (OT)
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Tuesday
The Golden Knights were determined to avoid going down 3-1 in this series to the heavy underdog Wild, and they scored the first goal of the game, a Shea Theodore blast on the power play at 6:47 of the first period. The Wild would charge ahead on goals by Marco Rossi and Marcus Foligno before a Nicolas Roy goal early in the third tied the game at 2. After the two teams traded goals less than a minute apart midway through the third, the game headed to overtime, where Ivan Barbashev was in the right place at the right time to knock in a rebound for the game-winning goal. Recap.
1:06
Ivan Barbashev’s OT winner levels series for Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev manages to tip the puck into the net amidst the chaos and tie the series at 2-2 for the Golden Knights vs. the Wild.
Ottawa Senators 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
TOR leads 3-1 | Game 5 Tuesday
For the third straight game in the series, the Battle of Ontario went to overtime — this time, it was won by the Senators on a goal from Jake Sanderson with 2:18 remaining in the extra frame. Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto and David Perron had the other goals for Ottawa, while John Tavares, Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for Toronto. Recap.
1:07
Jake Sanderson sends Ottawa fans into a frenzy with Game 4 OT winner
Jake Sanderson celebrates with his teammates after netting the game-winning goal in overtime for the Senators vs. the Maple Leafs.
Colorado Avalanche 4, Dallas Stars 0
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Monday
A strange coincidence thus far in this series: Each Stars win has been by one goal, while each Avs win has been by four goals. Logan O’Connor and Nathan MacKinnon kicked things off for Colorado with first-period goals. In the second, Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in nearly three years, and Samuel Girard capped off the festivities with his first goal of the playoffs. Recap.
0:49
Avs go up 4-0 on Samuel Girard’s 3rd period goal
Samuel Girard lights the lamp to give the Avalanche a 4-0 lead.
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Ryan S. Clark
Perhaps the only detail more emphatic than the goals in the Colorado Avalanche‘s 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars Saturday night, was the impact provided by their captain, Gabriel Landeskog.
Landeskog, who returned in Game 3 of this Western Conference first-round series after missing nearly three seasons while recovering from a knee injury, scored his first goal since June 20, 2022, in a multi-point performance that saw the Avalanche tie the series at 2-2 in Game 4 at Ball Arena. Game 5 is Monday in Dallas.
“It means a lot,” Landeskog told reporters after the win. “Obviously, I’ve envisioned scoring again for a long time. There obviously days when I didn’t know if I was ever going to score again. It obviously feels good. It’s a tight playoff series in a big game here at home. To get to do it here at home in front of our fans obviously means a means a lot. Super exciting. Hopefully more to come.”
A short-handed goal from Logan O’Connor midway through the first period followed by a late power-play goal from Nathan MacKinnon staked the Avalanche to a 2-0 lead entering the second period.
That set the stage for Landeskog, who was in the slot when Brock Nelson fed a pass that the 32-year-old winger launched for a one-timer that beat Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger for a 3-0 lead.
Landeskog, who was playing on the second line, was instantly mobbed by his teammates on the nice such as Samuel Girard, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews and Nelson, who joined the Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline.
As Landeskog returned to the bench, he was congratulated by the entire team which also included a hug from a smiling MacKinnon, who along with Landeskog, have been with the franchise for more than a decade.
“I was just proud of him again,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the game. “I was proud of him regardless of if he scores or not because I know what he’s gone through, and I know how difficult that was. I think that takes it to another level. You know he wants to come back and contribute like he did in the past and he’s off to a great start.”
Landeskog’s goal was the latest milestone in what’s been a lengthy recovery from a chronically injured right knee. He missed what amounted to 1,032 days since his last NHL game.
In that time, the Avalanche have remained in a championship window but have dramatically altered their roster. The Avs have nine players from that championship team who have remained with the franchise and have since reshuffled a roster that led to them re-acquiring defenseman Erik Johnson, one of Landeskog’s closest friends, in their bid for the fourth title in franchise history.
Even with all the changes, there were still questions about when they could see Landeskog return to the lineup. And if Landeskog did return, what he could look like?
His first professional game in three years came April 11 with the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate where he logged 15 minutes. Landeskog would then score a goal and get an assist in his second and final game.
And much like his AHL stint, all it took was two games for Landeskog to score and have another two-point performance.
While Landeskog’s goal became the most celebrated moment of the evening, what he did to help create the Avalanche’s fourth goal was an example of why he’s so crucial to their title aspirations.
Landeskog played a pass to Nelson who then found a Girard for a shot from the point that gave the Avs a 4-0 lead in the fourth. In the time Landeskog passed the puck, he anchored himself at the net front to gain position on 6-foot-7 Stars defensemen Lian Bichsel to screen goaltender Casey DeSmith, who replaced Oettinger for the third period.
Jockeying with Bichsel, who is six inches taller and 16 pounds heavier, allowed Landeskog to test both his strength and that right knee to gain leverage.
The result? Girard’s shot found space in traffic with Landeskog making it hard for DeSmith to see the puck.
“He’s a big boy,” Landeskog said with a smile. “He’s a big strong guy, a physical player and hard to play against. I was trying to get in front of their goal, and he was trying to get me out of there. It was a good battle.”
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