The NHL trade deadline isn’t until Friday at 3 p.m. ET, but the market is already heating up.
The dealing got started early when the Islanders traded for Canucks captain Bo Horvat on Jan. 30. The Blues made two major trades shortly thereafter, sending Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers on Feb. 9 and Ryan O’Reilly to the Maple Leafs on Feb. 17.
But the trade market has really picked up in the past few days and promises to remain active until the curtain closes Friday afternoon. Let’s recap the biggest moves made, look at the ones that could still come down and assess what it all means for the Stanley Cup race.
Patrick Kane leaves Chicago
This is the biggest news of the day. After 16 years and three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, Chicago traded Kane to the Rangers yesterday. The return was underwhelming. The Rangers gave up a conditional second-round pick that could become a first-rounder if the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference finals this season, a fourth-round pick and Andy Welinski, a 29-year-old defenseman with 46 career NHL games who had been playing for their AHL affiliate. The Coyotes were involved as a third team in the deal for salary cap reasons and got a third-round pick from the Rangers. Arizona also sent the rights to Finnish defenseman Vili Saarijärvi to the Blackhawks.
Chicago might have gotten more for Kane if they had traded him before guys like Horvat, Tarasenko and O’Reilly were taken off the board, but Kane’s contract has a no-movement clause, and so he had to give Chicago permission to deal him. He had long been connected to the Rangers and openly expressed disappointment when New York acquired Tarasenko, seemingly closing the door to a trade there. But when the Tarasenko trade was made, Kane had not yet informed the Blackhawks whether he would consent to a trade. As a result, Chicago had to settle for a lesser trade package.
The trade gives the Rangers another offensive weapon as they try to keep pace in a loaded Eastern Conference. They’re currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 77 points, seven points ahead of the Islanders, which hold the top wild-card spot. By comparison, no team in the West has more than 76 points, so the Eastern Conference playoffs are going to be a gantlet.
Watch NHL games live with fuboTV: Start a free trial today!
Devils land Timo Meier
Given how competitive the conference is, it isn’t a surprise that one of the biggest trades made thus far involved another team from the East. On Sunday, the Devils got winger Timo Meier from the Sharks in a deal that involved other NHL players, prospects and draft compensation. Meier had been one of the top players available on the trade market and will give the Devils a boost as they look to overtake the Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
Other notable moves
The Oilers, one of the best offensive teams in the league, upgraded their mediocre defense yesterday by acquiring veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm from the Predators. The Kings made a significant move this morning, acquiring goalie Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov from the Blue Jackets in exchange for goalie Jonathan Quick and a first-round pick. Quick, 37, won two Stanley Cups with Los Angeles but is having the worst season of his career.
Potential moves to watch
Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun has had his name thrown out in all sorts of trade rumors for about a year, but Arizona has yet to find a landing spot for the 24-year-old. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Capitals, Sabres and Penguins remain involved in talks about Chychrun. With many top players having already been dealt, Chychrun is the biggest prize left out there.
