Despite rumors of a potential move that would have sent Linus Ullmark to the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said he "wasn't that aggressive" about trading the netminder, per the Boston Globe's Matt Porter.
"I really like the tandem we have now," he told reporters on Friday, including NBC Sports Boston. "I'm very happy that we've (stood) pat there. Rumors are rumors in terms of what happens in private conversations. You guys know me well enough. It's not coming from here in terms of what we're trying to explore, what other teams are asking about.
"If I had to rob from a real strength of this hockey club, that was something we may have had to do if it made our team ultimately better, and we didn't move in that direction. That's not an indictment on the two great goaltenders we have."
ESPN's Kevin Weekes first reported that the Bruins had a deal in place to send Ullmark to an unnamed team at the deadline, but the netminder nixed it "based on geography." Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli later added that the trade would have been made with the Kings.
Ullmark is signed for one more season after 2023-24 with a $5-million cap hit. His deal includes a 16-team no-trade list this campaign. Sweeney declined to answer whether Ullmark opted not to waive that protection.
"I acknowledge we've explored different situations," the executive said. "We had opportunities to move different players, but I'm not getting into the intricacies of what's in somebody's contract at this point in time."
The reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Ullmark has put up a 16-7-7 record to go along with a .910 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average this season. His running mate, Jeremy Swayman, has put up better numbers with 21 wins, a .922 save percentage, and a 2.45 goals against average. Swayman, a pending restricted free agent, is arbitration-eligible and due a raise over his current $3.475-million cap hit.
With several teams in need of a goalie - including the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, and New Jersey Devils - Ullmark's name had been generating some interest in the lead-up to deadline day.
Swayman made it clear on Thursday that he wanted his tandem partner to stay put.
"I mean, that guy is my brother for life," he said, per the Boston Globe's Conor Ryan. "He's a huge reason why we've had success every year. I have no doubt that there's not going to be any surprises, hopefully. I love that guy to death. ... Whatever happens, happens.
"We've dealt with it over the years. I mean, I don't even want to think about that."
The Bruins have a team save percentage of .932 at five-on-five this season - good for second in the league, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Boston currently sits in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 37-13-15 record. Largely hampered by cap constraints, the Bruins added veteran forward Pat Maroon and defenseman Andrew Peeke at the deadline.
The New York Rangers are acquiring forward Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a conditional fourth-round selection in 2026, the teams announced.
The pick becomes a third-rounder if the Rangers make the Stanley Cup Final and if Roslovic plays in 50% of the team's playoff games, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
A pending unrestricted free agent, Roslovic carries a cap hit of $4 million, but the Jackets are retaining 50% of his salary.
The 27-year-old has chipped in with six goals and 23 points in 40 games this season.
The Winnipeg Jets selected Roslovic 25th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. They traded him to Columbus in January 2021 as part of the blockbuster Patrik Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois swap.
Roslovic can slot in at center or right wing. The Rangers are in need of another right-winger to replace the injured Blake Wheeler. New York also added Alex Wennberg on Wednesday to mitigate the loss of Filip Chytil, who's out for the season with a concussion.
In 426 career NHL games, Roslovic has amassed 77 goals and 213 points.
The New Jersey Devils are acquiring goaltender Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a conditional third-round pick, reports Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.
Montreal is retaining 50% of Allen's $3.85-million cap hit, knocking his price tag down to $1.9 million. He's under contract for one more season after this one.
The pick can upgrade to a second-rounder if Allen plays 40 or more games in 2024-25, per Seravalli.
The 33-year-old veteran owns an .892 save percentage and 3.65 goals against average to go along with a 6-12-3 record this season for the rebuilding Canadiens.
Though the official trade call has yet to be made, Allen spoke about joining the Devils during an appearance on TSN.
"I've known New Jersey has had interest for a while," he said, according to Eyewitness News' Rob Taub. "To make this happen today, I'm really looking forward to the new opportunity and fresh start - to get back into the net and try to get a rhythm again."
Goaltending has been the Devils' biggest weakness this campaign. They rank 30th in the league with a team save percentage of .901 at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.
None of the three netminders New Jersey has relied on this season - Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid, and Nico Daws - have a positive value in goals saved above expected or goals saved above average, according to Evolving-Hockey.
Allen has registered a career .908 save percentage across 416 appearances. He won the Stanley Cup as a member of the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
The Maple Leafs' 4-1 defeat to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night stung in more ways than one, as Toronto also lost rookie forward Matthew Knies to injury.
Knies departed the contest following a collision with Bruins captain Brad Marchand in Boston's zone late in the opening frame. There was no penalty called on the play, and Knies was unable to return to the game.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe had no update on Knies' status postgame, according to The Hockey News' David Alter.
The 21-year-old logged just over three minutes of ice time and took a minor penalty for roughing before exiting.
A key cog on the Maple Leafs' top line, Knies has amassed 11 goals and 26 points in 61 outings this season.
Toronto selected Knies in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
The Arizona native made his big-league debut at the tail end of the 2022-23 regular season and went on to add four points in seven playoff games before suffering an injury in Game 2 of the second round against the Florida Panthers.
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired winger Anthony Duclair and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Jack Thompson and a 2024 third-rounder, the teams announced Thursday.
Duclair can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He carries a cap hit of $3 million.
The 28-year-old has totaled 27 points in 56 games this season, while his 16 goals were tied with Fabian Zetterlund for the most on the struggling Sharks.
Duclair missed the majority of the 2022-23 campaign with anAchilles injury but was able to aid the Florida Panthers during their run to the Stanley Cup Final, chipping in with 11 points in 20 playoff games.
He enjoyed his best statistical season in 2021-22 with the Panthers when he totaled 31 tallies and 58 points in 74 outings.
With Florida up against the cap, the team traded Duclair to San Jose in July for forward Steven Lorentz and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Thompson, meanwhile, made his NHL debut earlier this season. The Bolts selected him in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and the 21-year-old has racked up five goals and 32 points in 46 games in the AHL this campaign.
Duclair has amassed 288 points in 546 NHL contests. The Lightning will be his eighth team.
With only two sleeps until the NHL trade deadline, we hope the fun is just beginning.
Unlike last year, when all the biggest moves came weeks before the deadline, there's still a lot to be decided by March 8 at 3 p.m. ET.
Here are five X-factors that could define this season's action.
Jacob Markstrom's future π₯
David Berding / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Will he stay or will he go?
No, seriously. Does anyone know what the future holds for Markstrom at this point? It's been a lot. Let's recap all of the rumblings surrounding his status so far.
First, the New Jersey Devils apparently tried to acquire him from the Calgary Flames in February, but it didn't pan out because of some combination of retention and package disagreements. Markstrom has two years remaining on his current deal with a $6-million cap hit and will have some say over what ends up happening thanks to his full no-move clause (at this point, it is unclear if Markstrom has been asked to waive it).
Next, Markstrom took aim at the Flames' front office, expressing frustration with how it's handling his situation. Then, a rumor cropped up from Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli that Calgary president of hockey operations Don Maloney nixed a trade that would have sent Markstrom to New Jersey.
Got all that? Good. There's more.
The Devils reportedly took another run at acquiring the veteran netminder last week. And we can see why. Markstrom owns a .912 save percentage on the season while ranking 11th among all goalies in goals saved above average (9.09) and second in goals saved above expected (33.76). New Jersey is hunting for a goaltender like that. None of the three goalies the team has used this season - Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid, and Nico Daws - own a positive value in either goals saved above average or goals saved above expected.
The Flames may package out Markstrom by the deadline, or they may wait until the offseason. If they do it sooner rather than later, though, they'd be gifting us with a juicy blockbuster of an in-season trade with playoff implications for both conferences. Markstrom would boost the Devils' chances of making the postseason in a crowded East, while his departure would be detrimental to the Flames' pursuit of a wild-card spot in the West.
GMs of (most) Canadian teams π¨π¦
Steve Russell / Toronto Star / Getty
This deadline may just belong to teams north of the border.
Canadian squads have pulled off two of the biggest trades of the season so far. The Canucks brought in Elias Lindholm from the Flames - not to mention Nikita Zadorov in November, Patrik Allvin has been a busy bee - while Kevin Cheveldayoff added Sean Monahan to his Winnipeg Jets to kick off the Western Conference arms race. Allvin and Cheveldayoff probably aren't done adding, either, as both teams have performed far above expectations this season and have given their GMs a reason to go all-in.
Next, there's the Edmonton Oilers. After a catastrophic start to the season, they're back to looking like the Stanley Cup contenders we all believed they would be. Now, it's up to GM Ken Holland to reward his team's turnaround. Word is he's sniffing around for a forward and a defenseman, and with a little over $2 million in cap space at his disposal, it'll be interesting to see if he sticks to depth players or takes a big swing by moving some money out (we lean option No. 2).
We previously wrote that the Toronto Maple Leafs shouldn't be a major player on March 8 thanks to their middling play, but their recent winning run mayhave changed how they'll approach the deadline. Toronto is getting consistent goaltending, depth scoring, and improved defending, which must be grabbing the attention of GM Brad Treliving. The executive already scooped up Ilya Lyubushkin, and he cryptically said he'd have to be "as creative as possible" to address his team's other needs. How much is he willing to give up to aid the Leafs' winning ways? Ex-GM Kyle Dubas went all-in at the deadline last season, limiting the assets Treliving has to work with.
Finally, it seems like every opposing GM is licking his chops at the chance to strip the Flames for parts. GM Craig Conroy has already moved out Zadorov, Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Hanifin, but he owns another top deadline target in Markstrom. Admirably, Calgary still has a fighting chance to make the playoffs, even if it's a long shot at best. As a result, all eyes will be on Conroy. Is he going to trade away all his assets in the name of the future, or will he strike a balance to try and keep the Flames competitive for the rest of the season? Food for thought: When he was promoted to GM in May, Conroy was asked about letting Johnny Gaudreau walk as a UFA in 2022. His answer? "I don't think I would let that happen again."
Mark Stone's health π€
Jeff Bottari / National Hockey League / Getty
The bad news: The Vegas Golden Knights may be without injured captain Stone for the rest of the regular season - and maybe the playoffs as well.
The good news: With Stone on long-term injured reserve, GM Kelly McCrimmon now has an extra $9.5 million to bolster his squad at the deadline. He's already brought in Anthony Mantha (along with Noah Hanifin on defense), but is that all he's got up his sleeve? We highly doubt it.
Let's flash back to last season, shall we? Stone missed the second half of the campaign because of a back injury, allowing Vegas to scoop up Ivan Barbashev at the deadline. He proved an incredible fit on the Golden Knights' top line and was a key performer in the playoffs, earning himself a five-year extension in the process. Stone returned for Game 1 of the postseason and in no way seemed hampered by his injury, chipping in with 11 goals and 24 points to help Vegas win the Stanley Cup.
Whew, we're getting a sense of deja vu already.
Fully replacing Stone won't be an easy feat, but luckily for McCrimmon, there are some big names out there. Jake Guentzel ($6-million cap hit) is definitely the flashiest forward on the table. He won't come cheap (more on that later), but adding someone of his ilk would go a long way toward helping Vegas earn home-ice advantage in the playoffs. There are other options, though, like Devils winger Tyler Toffoli ($4.25-million cap hit) or St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich ($5.8-million cap hit).
Go on, McCrimmon, throw that money around. This is Sin City, after all.
Jake Guentzel's price tag (and Kyle Dubas' patience) π°
Joe Sargent / National Hockey League / Getty
"Price tag" means a couple different things in this instance.
First, there's the cost of acquiring Guentzel. GM Dubas expressed a desire for the Pittsburgh Penguins to get younger during his midseason address, and moving out Guentzel would likely be his best chance at accomplishing that goal in short order. The 29-year-old pending UFA is an attractive option for contenders looking to bolster their top-six forward group and will thus come at a cost. A big cost. As in multiple first-rounders or a first-round pick plus top prospects or roster players, though apparently Dubas prefers prospects over picks. Dubas gave up quite a bit to acquire stud defenseman Erik Karlsson last offseason - including his first-round pick in this summer's draft - so this could be a way to recoup some assets.
Next, there's what it'd cost to extend Guentzel and if teams will be allowed to discuss an extension before giving up a boatload of goodies to acquire him. That'd change the kinds of squads that could realistically add him. The Oilers, for example, have upcoming extensions for Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to think about, not to mention Connor Brown's $3.225-million performance bonus eating into next season's cap. What Guentzel is looking for in his next deal isn't exactly clear, but he's surely due for a raise over his current $6-million cap hit, and there are rumblings that his camp turned down the Penguins' offer of a six-year extension worth around $50 million. Further complicating things is Guentzel's 12-team no-trade list. Any squad willing to pay up, though, will be getting a proven winger who has twice cracked the 40-goal mark.
Dubas has preached a certain level of patience with the Penguins in the past given their pedigree, but as he said, Pittsburgh is "running out of time" to prove itself this season. If the executive allows his patience to run out, he just might be able to give his team a brighter future at the deadline.
Julien BriseBois' aggression (and wallet) β‘
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
The Tampa Bay Lightning are missing an $8.5-million man on their blue line because of Mikhail Sergachev's truly devastating leg injury.
Wait ... do you hear that?
By god, that's BriseBois' music.
The Bolts GM is no stranger to being aggressive at this time of the year. He's moved out a grand total of six first-round picks over the last four trade deadlines. As a result, the Lightning's next selection in the first round won't come until 2026: They sent their 2024 first-rounder to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the Brandon Hagel trade, while their 2025 first-rounder went to the Nashville Predators in the Tanner Jeannot swap.
That Jeannot deal, in particular, was downright hefty, seeing as BriseBois also sent out his 2024 second-round pick (not to mention THREE picks in 2023) to scoop up the forward. Because of the executive's recent in-your-face deadline strategy, the Lightning ranked 29th during The Athletic's most recent prospect pool rankings. Simply speaking, Tampa Bay doesn't have a wealth of attractive future assets to spend this deadline, meaning it'll be difficult for BriseBois to add an impactful piece to his aging squad despite his new-found cap space.
However, we've learned never to doubt BriseBois' ability to be active at the trade deadline. We can't see a realistic path for him to add an impact blue-liner, especially after missing out on Hanifin (whose preferred destination was reportedly Tampa Bay). But we don't know what sort of tricks the GM has up his sleeve. BriseBois may need to plan his greatest trick yet to make the Bolts more relevant come playoff time.
Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for his hit on Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn during Monday's contest.
The incident occurred late in the third period. Pospisil caught Dunn from behind deep in Seattle's zone, knocking the rearguard into the boards head-first.
Martin Pospisil gets a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for hitting from behind on Vince Dunn π€ pic.twitter.com/bQDYoroUou
A handful of Stanley Cup hopefuls are inquiring about Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko.
The Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Edmonton Oilers have kicked tires on the pending unrestricted free agent, reports the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch.
Ottawa is reportedly seeking a second-round pick and a prospect in return for Tarasenko's services.
The Russian has control over his situation due to his no-trade clause. He carries a cap hit of $5 million. The Panthers, in particular, are high up on Tarasenko's list of preferred destinations, a source told Garrioch.
The 32-year-old ranks fourth on the Senators with 17 goals this season and fifth with 41 points in 57 games. Tarasenko said in mid-February that he was enjoying his time in Ottawa and was looking "at all options."
The Senators are currently in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 25-31-3 record and own a ghastly 0.2% odds of making the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck.
Tarasenko was traded for the first time in his career last season when the St. Louis Blues sent him to the Rangers a month before the deadline. New York is in need of a top-six right winger following a leg injury to Blake Wheeler. Tarasenko put up eight goals and 21 points in 31 regular-season contests in the Big Apple.
The Golden Knights similarly have a hole in their forward group due to the absence of captain Mark Stone.
Tarasenko won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Blues in 2019. He's racked up 287 goals and 615 points in 732 career NHL games, as well as 64 points in 97 playoff contests.
The Vegas Golden Knights will have star center Jack Eichel back in the lineup for Monday's clash against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Eichel missed the last 19 games with a lower-body injury, for which he underwent surgery. The Golden Knights went 9-8-2 in his absence.
Vegas activated him from long-term injured reserve earlier on Monday.
Eichel, 27, last played Jan. 11 against the Boston Bruins. He departed the contest but was ultimately able to finish the game, capping off his night with one goal and one assist in just under 17 minutes of ice time.
Despite missing time, Eichel still ranks third on the Golden Knights in both goals (19) and points (44).
Vegas ranks third in the Pacific Division with a 33-21-7 record heading into Monday's action.
The rumor mill keeps on churning for the Calgary Flames.
The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning are among teams showing interest in pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Noah Hanifin, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Hanifin is currently No. 1 on theScore's list of players who could be shipped out by the March 8 deadline.
The puck-moving rearguard has racked up 34 points and a career-high 11 goals in 59 games this season while averaging almost 24 minutes of ice time per contest. He carries a cap hit of $4.95 million and has some control over his situation thanks to his eight-team no-trade list.
A left-handed shot, Hanifin would address an area of need for both the Bruins and Lightning. Boston is currently without Hampus Lindholm, who's week-to-week with an undisclosed issue, while Mikhail Sergachev is out indefinitely for Tampa Bay with a leg injury.
However, the two Atlantic Division squads are each missing their first-round pick in this summer's draft. The Lightning, in particular, don't own a first-rounder until 2026.
The Flames have been the league's busiest team leading up to the deadline. They shipped out Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks in separate trades earlier this season, and they just sentChris Tanev to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night.
Hanifin has been traded once before in his career. The Carolina Hurricanes packaged him and Elias Lindholm to the Flames in June 2018 in exchange for Dougie Hamilton, Adam Fox, and Micheal Ferland.
The 27-year-old has totaled 60 goals and 273 points in 657 career NHL games.
