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The Tampa Bay Lightning have reunited with a familiar face, bringing back defenseman Ryan McDonagh in a trade with Nashville on Tuesday.

The Lightning sent a 2025 second-round draft choice and 2024 seventh-round selection to the Predators for McDonagh and the Edmonton Oilers‘ 2024 fourth-round pick.

Tampa Bay previously traded McDonagh — for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash — to Nashville in July 2022. It was a salary cap dump the Lightning had to make at the time despite how valuable McDonagh had been on their back end through Stanley Cup championship runs in 2020 and 2021.

He was originally traded to Tampa Bay by the New York Rangers in February 2018 as part of a multiplayer swap that included J.T. Miller. McDonagh signed a seven-year, $47.25 million contract extension with the Lightning that June and went on to produce a career-best season in 2018-19 with nine goals and 46 points in 82 games.

It was the next two years that McDonagh, 34, would truly excel, though, as he helped the Bolts secure back-to-back titles. He was a consistent presence guiding their defensive efforts while adding one goal and 13 points across both playoffs.

Tampa Bay advanced to the Cup Final again in 2021-22 and lost there to Colorado. In the ensuing offseason, the Lightning had to create cap space and did so by sending McDonagh to Nashville.

McDonagh was a top-four blueliner for the Predators, producing five goals and 52 points during his tenure there. He was also a top skater for the Predators in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series loss to Vancouver, carrying nearly 24 minutes per night. Shipping McDonagh back to Tampa frees up about $6.75 million on the cap for Nashville.

The Lightning would have targeted McDonagh for more than just nostalgia’s sake. Tampa Bay was hampered by blueline issues throughout last season, especially with multiple long-term injuries to top-pairing defender Mikhail Sergachev. The Lightning were 11th in goals-against (3.26) during the regular season and third overall (4.00) there in the postseason, where Tampa Bay made an early first-round exit against Florida.

McDonagh has two years remaining on his contract, taking him through the 2025-26 season.

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NHL trade grades: Report cards for the Trent Frederic swap, Seth Jones blockbuster, other major deals

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NHL trade grades: Report cards for the Trent Frederic swap, Seth Jones blockbuster, other major deals

The NHL trade deadline for the 2024-25 season is not until March 7, but teams have not waited until the last minute to make major moves.

For every significant trade that occurs during the season, you’ll find a grade for it here, the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks swapping goaltenders, Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues, Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, the blockbuster deal sending Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes and Martin Necas to the Avalanche, J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks to the New York Rangers, and the Canucks staying busy and getting Marcus Pettersson from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

March 1 featured three big trades, with Ryan Lindgren headed to the Colorado Avalanche, the Minnesota Wild adding Gustav Nyquist, and Seth Jones joining the Florida Panthers.

Read on for grades from Ryan S. Clark and Greg Wyshynski, and check back the next time a big deal breaks.

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Devers says he’s not ready, delays spring debut

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Devers says he's not ready, delays spring debut

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers, who was expected to make his spring training debut Tuesday, has pushed it back after telling manager Alex Cora he did not feel ready while taking live batting practice.

Cora did not say when the three-time All-Star will play, but the manager suggested it might not be until this weekend.

Devers hit .272 with 28 homers and 83 RBIs last season despite complaining of soreness in both of his shoulders. He spent the first couple of weeks of spring training trying to strengthen them for the rigors of a 162-game regular season.

Exactly where Devers will play once he returns remains another question.

The Red Sox signed two-time All-Star Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract this offseason, giving them a Gold Glove winner at third base, where Devers has posted poor fielding metrics over the years. Devers has led the American League, or been tied for the lead, in errors three times in the past seven seasons.

Devers has balked at moving to DH, though, saying last month: “Third base is my position.”

Devers could remain at third base while Bregman moves to second, where he has played in just nine games over eight big league seasons.

“The decisions that are going to be made here about roster construction and about what we’re going to do in the future, we’re going to make sure we have the best team possible out there,” Cora said. “[Devers] has a lot of pride. We know that. He feels like he’s a third baseman. He’s going to work out as a third baseman and then we’ll make decisions accordingly.

“I think here it’s not about Bregman or Devers or Cora. It’s about the Red Sox.”

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Rangers’ Garcia injures oblique; opener at risk

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Rangers' Garcia injures oblique; opener at risk

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia was scratched from the lineup Tuesday and will undergo an MRI on his left oblique, throwing into question his availability for Opening Day on March 27 against the Boston Red Sox.

It is the same oblique Garcia injured during the Rangers’ World Series run two years ago.

“He’s going to miss a little bit of time. We’re hoping not much,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy told reporters.

A two-time All-Star, García is trying to bounce back from a disappointing season in which he hit .224 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 154 games. He had six hits and two walks in 21 plate appearances so far this spring training.

García is the second Rangers outfielder to be sidelined by an oblique injury this spring training after Wyatt Langford went down Feb. 21.

Langford is still working his way back, but Bochy said it’s possible Langford could make his first exhibition appearance this week.

The 23-year-old Langford, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft, made an instant impact for Texas last season, hitting .253 with 16 homers, 74 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in just 134 games.

The Rangers also have Evan Carter, Leody Taveras, Josh Smith and Kevin Pillar as outfield options.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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