Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes just wrapped up his first NHL trade deadline, and now his focus will be on signing defenseman Jordan Harris.
The Canadiens selected Harris with the 71st pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He's spent the last four seasons at Northeastern University and will become a free agent this summer if he opts not to sign his entry-level deal with Montreal.
"We've talked about what the opportunity would be in Montreal for him if he chooses to (sign). He's an impending free agent if he doesn't sign with us," Hughes said. "Our hope is that he does. We kind of laid out what we're trying to do with the organization, what our plan is, and how we see him fitting in."
Hughes added that he's known Harris for a long time, coached him in the past, and his oldest son has played with and against him since childhood.
"Hopeful that there's a little bit of familiarity that works in our favor," Hughes said.
The 21-year-old blue-liner has been one of the NCAA's premier defensemen over the past few seasons and was named Northeastern's captain this year. He's shown immense promise in his two-way game as a skater who can get things done both offensively and defensively.
Despite being left-handed, Harris has played most of his college career on the right side. Harris won't be eligible to sign a contract until his team's season is over. The NCAA playoffs could last until April 9.
Harris has collected 73 points in 129 games over the past four seasons at Northeastern.
Justin Bieber and the Toronto Maple Leafs are officially in business together.
The pop superstar and the NHL club collaborated to make the first-ever reversible jersey in North American sports history. The Maple Leafs will wear the black and blue side of the jersey on March 23 for its annual Next Gen game against the New Jersey Devils.
The Maple Leafs introduced the Next Gen game in 2017 to "mark a celebration of youth in the community and to unite fans of all ages through the team and the game of hockey."
Bieber, who grew up near Toronto and is a lifelong fan of the Maple Leafs, explained the importance of the collaboration to him.
"My love for the Maple Leafs has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the team, and the passion of millions of fans, is stitched into this Next Gen sweater," Bieber said. "I'm grateful to the Leafs for the chance to team up again to create something so authentic for the team and its fans."
Motte, 27, has seven goals and eight assists in 49 games this season. The rugged center also has 90 hits and 51 blocked shots.
The Rangers made another splash in the trade market before the deadline, bringing in Andrew Copp from the Winnipeg Jets. The pair of additions figure to bolster the team's bottom-six, but Copp is versatile enough that he can plug in anywhere in the lineup.
Vejmelka, 25, is in the midst of a solid rookie campaign with the Coyotes. He owns a 10-23-1 record alongside a .905 save percentage and 3.35 goals against average. He has 2.68 goals saved above average and 6.87 high-danger goals saved above average.
Prior to joining the Coyotes, Vejmelka spent seven seasons playing in his native Czech Republic. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators.
The Coyotes traded goaltender Scott Wedgewood to the Dallas Stars on Sunday. The duo had been splitting starts evenly since Wedgewood was claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils earlier this season.
"Yeah, if Hags is the guy to get traded, if he’s not a guy that’s a part of a rebuild, then I don’t know," Toews said, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus.
"I don’t know if anyone feels safe at this point, with the way he’s been playing and what he’s meant to our team. I had a hard time thinking in my mind that he would be one of the guys to get shipped off, considering what he brought in. Yeah, that was a tough one to see. I’m pretty shocked, for sure."
The Blackhawks acquired Boris Katchouk, Taylor Raddysh, and a pair of first-round picks for Hagel. The 23-year-old, who was enjoying a great season in Chicago, is signed for two more years at a $1.5-million annual cap hit.
General manager Kyle Davidson released a statement Friday citing how the move is a part of the team's rebuild.
"I said a few weeks ago that we are rebuilding, and this is clearly the start of that. Getting two first-round draft picks as well as two young NHL players helps us kickstart that process in a major way," the statement reads.
After winning three Stanley Cups between 2010-2015, the Blackhawks have struggled to get back to being a contender. The club has missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons.
Toews and Patrick Kane each have just one more year remaining on their contracts. The Blackhawks have floated the pair around in trade rumors as they look to usher in a new era, and Toews acknowledged the reality that the franchise could end up trading him and all his teammates.
"Now, all of a sudden, you realize no one on our team is safe, and we could all be going in different directions in the near future - it’s pretty discouraging," Toews said. "I’ll leave it at that for now."
Eichel blocked a shot with his arm late in the second period and briefly went to the locker room. He returned to the ice shortly after but didn't come out for the third period.
Eichel has been one of Vegas' most productive forwards since making his debut with the club last month. Including Thursday's brief outing, he has five goals and four assists in 15 games.
"We know that Mark Giordano is one of the targets that the Maple Leafs have on their list at this point in time," Johnston said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."
He added: "The Seattle Kraken would like to get a first-round pick back in any trade for Mark Giordano; that's expressly what Kyle Dubas has told other teams he doesn't want to do. He's not going to trade his first-rounder, he's told teams, in a deal for a rental player."
The veteran defenseman carries a $6.75-million cap hit and is set for unrestricted free agency after the season. The Kraken selected him from the Calgary Flames in the expansion draft and quickly named him the first captain in franchise history.
Giordano, 38, has inevitably lost a step in his game as he's gotten older, but he can still bring value on the left side of the blue line. He has six goals and 17 assists in 55 games this season and has averaged 21:29 minutes of ice time per game.
If the Maple Leafs were to add Giordano, their blue line combinations could look something like this if and when Jake Muzzin returns to the lineup from LTIR:
LD
RD
Jake Muzzin
Morgan Rielly
Mark Giordano
TJ Brodie
Rasmus Sandin
Ilya Lyubushkin
The Montreal Canadiens landed a significant package for Ben Chiarot that included a solid prospect, plus first- and fourth-round picks. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche gave up a second-round pick and one of their top prospects to acquire Josh Manson. The Kraken will surely be looking for a similar package for Giordano.
Goalies aren't typically hot commodities approaching the trade deadline, but the 2021-22 campaign may be a different story. Teams sitting in playoff spots at this time of the year usually have their crease figured out, but there are a handful of postseason hopefuls this season that could surely use an upgrade in net.
The Toronto Maple Leafs previously indicated they planned on riding it out with Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek, but the two have struggled mightily over the last couple of months. With Campbell now sidelined with an injury, it's possible the club opts to address its troubling crease in order to avoid another playoff disaster. We dove into the team's options earlier this week.
Finding an upgrade at this point is no easy task, but let's take a look at three other clubs that could do with one ahead of Monday's deadline.
Minnesota Wild
Steven Ryan / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Wild were one of the league's best teams in the first half of the season but have sputtered in recent weeks. Inconsistent goaltending is one of the main reasons for their downward spiral.
Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen are both capable options but have been wildly inconsistent. Since Feb. 1, the club has lost 11 of 19 games and allowed 75 goals in the process. On the season, the Wild have allowed four or more goals 23 times.
It appears right now that Minnesota will struggle to make a deep playoff run with one of Talbot or Kahkonen in net. Talbot is signed for another season with a $3.6-million cap hit, while Kahkonen is set for restricted free agency. Many have viewed Kahkonen as the goalie of the future, but this season may have derailed that idea.
The Wild have all of their draft picks at their disposal as well as an adequate amount of cap space. General manager Bill Guerin hasn't been afraid to shake things up, so it wouldn't be surprising if he attempts to right the ship before the deadline.
Edmonton Oilers
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
It's no secret that the Oilers need an upgrade in goal. Even reaching the postseason isn't guaranteed, but if they want to get there and make any noise, it's highly unlikely they can do it with one of Mike Smith, Mikko Koskinen, or Stuart Skinner leading the way. The Oilers have the NHL's 11th-worst save percentage (.899) and have allowed four or more goals in 24 contests.
Marc-Andre Fleury would be the obvious leading candidate if he gives the OK for the Chicago Blackhawks to trade him. So far, he's indicated he doesn't want to move, so that may not even be a possibility. Another viable option could be Semyon Varlamov, who's having a decent season but has been dominant the last few years. With Ilya Sorokin being the future of the New York Islanders' crease, they would be wise to move Varlamov, who has one more year on his contract with a $5-million cap hit. If available, he could be just what the Oilers need.
However, with limited cap space and not a ton of attractive options, the Oilers might decide to waste yet another season and address the issue during the summer.
Vegas Golden Knights
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
The Golden Knights are in the midst of a staggering free fall, and their chances of making the playoffs are dwindling every day. They've been decimated by injuries throughout the lineup, so it's hard to point out one particular area to blame for their struggles.
Robin Lehner has appeared in just four games since Feb. 10, and his health moving forward is a big question mark. If Vegas wants to have a shot at making the postseason, bringing in a goalie is as good a desperation move as any.
Since Lehner could return at any point, the club doesn't have to chase a high-end starter. Lehner's having a down year by his standards, but if he can get healthy down the stretch, the Golden Knights won't hesitate to hand the crease back to him. They simply need someone who can man the crease in the meantime, as Laurent Brossoit has struggled to fill in.
There are plenty of options out there, including Jaroslav Halak, Jake Allen, James Reimer, Alexandar Georgiev, and Joonas Korpisalo. These goalies are solid stopgap options and are good enough to be leaned on if Lehner misses an extended period. Bringing in one of these guys could keep the Golden Knights in the playoff picture, and if they can get back to full health in the next few weeks, they could be a nightmare to face come playoff time.
