The Sabres aren't retaining any of Montour's $3.85 million salary, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.
Montour, a pending unrestricted free agent, joined the Sabres from the Anaheim Ducks during the 2018-19 campaign. He has 14 points in 38 games this season while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per contest.
The 26-year-old's advanced stats took a major hit after joining Buffalo:
Brandon Montour, reportedly acquired by FLA, has been one of the league's worst defencemen in the past three seasons. His production has been decent but his underlying numbers have been brutal at both ends since before the Sabres traded for him. #FlaPantherspic.twitter.com/hZRGNOHWbY
The Panthers are in the thick of the race for top spot in the Central Division and entered Saturday one point back of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes. Florida was widely expected to be in the market for a defenseman after top-pairing stalwart Aaron Ekblad recently suffered a season-ending injury.
The Sharks aren't retaining any salary in the trade, but the Minnesota Wild are already paying 50% of Dubnyk's earnings thanks to the offseason trade that sent the veteran netminder to San Jose, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.
Dubnyk's posted a .898 save percentage in 17 games this season and struggled last year as well. The West-leading Avalanche were known to be hunting for a backup goalie behind starter Philipp Grubauer ahead of the April 12 trade deadline as Colorado had their championship hopes dashed in the bubble last summer due to a slew of injuries in goal.
The Avs still have nearly $2 million in cap space after the trade, according to Cap Friendly. By dealing their fifth-rounder, the club only has picks in the first, third, and seventh rounds of the upcoming draft.
Pateryn is an unrestricted free agent at season's end. The 30-year-old has appeared in 11 games this campaign, registering two assists.
Vancouver Canucks physician Dr. Jim Brovard confirmed Friday that no one player is responsible for the team's severe COVID-19 outbreak.
"We know the individual had gone to a place within the guidelines," he said, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. "That place was subsequently found to have cases of COVID. ... We've made it clear within our group there's no culprit here aside from the (virus) itself."
Brovard and general manager Jim Benning held a press conference to update the team's situation. On Wednesday, the club announced 21 players and four staff members have tested positive, and the source of the infection was confirmed to be a variant.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Emily Kaplan on Thursday that the league hopes the Canucks can resume team activities by the end of next week. Benning confirmed Friday that the plan is still for the club to play a full 56-game schedule.
The Canucks have been out of action since March 24, and they were originally scheduled to miss a week's worth of games.
Vancouver sits fifth in the North Division with a 16-18-3 record through 37 games.
Toronto held Nylander out of Wednesday's clash with the Montreal Canadiens after he came in close contact with an individual outside the team who potentially tested positive.
The game went on as scheduled despite Nylander participating in Wednesday's morning skate, as the period between his potential exposure and Maple Leafs practice wasn't deemed long enough to consider him contagious.
The Maple Leafs take on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, then have back-to-back games against the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames on Monday and Tuesday.
Nylander, 24, has 30 points in 39 games this season.
Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan is expected to miss the remainder of the 2021 season due to an upper-body injury, head coach Jeff Blashill announced Friday.
Ryan has been sidelined for Detroit's last six contests. The 34-year-old recorded 14 points in 33 games this season. He was previously rumored to be available ahead of the April 12 trade deadline.
Bobby Ryan, out for the season, is still a decent low-event bottom six winger and would've been a solid depth pickup. Sucks. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/DoNyfs49ox
Ryan joined the Red Wings on a one-year, $1-million contract this past offseason. He won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2020 while with the Ottawa Senators for his perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game.
This year's trade deadline presents some significant roadblocks for teams looking to add. The flat salary cap, cross-border quarantine rules, and impending Seattle expansion draft are all major hurdles that could mitigate the yearly frenzy excitement.
But no number of limitations can prevent the wandering minds of fans and pundits alike from cooking up hypothetical trade scenarios that would make this year's deadline one for the ages.
With that in mind, let's identify dream deadline fits for each 2021 Cup contender.
Carolina Hurricanes 27-9-3, 1st place, $9.326 million in deadline cap space
Carolina is deep at each position, so it may not be all that desperate to add. However, with this much cap space, it would be wise for the Hurricanes to weaponize and gear up for what promises to be a difficult postseason path through the Central. General manager Don Waddell said he'd like to add a right-shot blue-liner to shore up the bottom portion of his defense corps, and David Savard would give Carolina arguably the best right side in the NHL if he slotted in behind Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce.
Savard isn't a flashy player but is dependable in his own zone and provides the physicality coaches crave come playoff time. He can kill penalties as well, and the Canes could likely reel him in from the Blue Jackets without surrendering significant assets.
Tampa Bay Lightning 27-11-2, 2nd place, $0 in deadline cap space
It's next to impossible for the Lightning to make a trade due to cap constraints, and general manager Julien BriseBois knows that. However, we'd be remiss not to at least mention the defending champs on a list of contenders, so let's get them out of the way first.
While it's doubtful the Bolts acquire anyone, technically speaking, Tampa is making the biggest addition of any team, as Nikita Kucherov is set to return to the lineup for his season debut in time for the playoffs.
Florida Panthers 26-11-4, 3rd place, $16.407 million in deadline cap space
Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Panthers have the funds to add in multiple areas, but Florida has to address its blue line first with No. 1 defenseman Aaron Ekblad out for the season with an injury. This club will have a difficult time trying to make a playoff run if it has to shut down the Lightning or Hurricanes with its backend as is. Enter Alex Goligoski.
The veteran rearguard is a pending unrestricted free agent and shouldn't cost much more than a prospect and a pick. He has a positive impact in shot creation and suppression and is one of the league's premier shot-blockers. The Cats would be wise to pry Goligoski from the desert before adding anywhere else.
West Division
Colorado Avalanche 26-9-4, 1st place, $3.178 million in deadline cap space
Philipp Grubauer has been sensational this season, but Colorado learned the hard way last season what happens when goalies get injured in the playoffs. It would be prudent for the Avalanche to bring in some reinforcements between the pipes just in case, and Jonathan Bernier makes a ton of sense to fill the backup role. He's posted a .918 save percentage for a miserable Red Wings outfit this season, and adding him could also ease Grubauer's workload down the stretch as Colorado cruises to a playoff spot.
Vegas Golden Knights 25-11-2, 2nd place, $184,614 in deadline cap space
You never know what to expect from the Golden Knights this time of year. Vegas has been ultra-aggressive at the deadline in each season of its brief existence, but this year the club faces significant cap constraints. That said, general manager Kelly McCrimmon and president of hockey operations George McPhee have proven they aren't afraid to think outside the box to land the players they want, and it'd be foolish to believe they're willing to stand pat in the top-heavy West.
Conor Garland would be an excellent fit in the Golden Knights' up-tempo offense, and he only carries a $775,000 cap hit before hitting restricted free agent status at season's end. It's unlikely Arizona is willing to extend the 25-year-old - who's having a breakout year with 28 points in 37 games - and Vegas could move a player with a low salary along with some futures to secure Garland and make its attack even scarier.
East Division
Note: The New York Islanders were left out after acquiring Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac.
Washington Capitals 25-11-4, 2nd place, $0 in deadline cap space
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
You'll quickly realize a lack of cap space is a common theme for contenders in the East. Alas, where there's a will, there's a way. The Capitals have a surplus of defenders they could move to clear salary and plenty of draft stock over the next couple of years to facilitate a trade. We think Washington would be best served acquiring a forward, and Mikael Granlund makes sense.
The Predators have surged back into playoff contention, so their previously said-to-be available players may be more difficult to pry away. Still, Nashville shouldn't balk at recouping assets for Granlund - a pending UFA. Washington would likely need to throw in a sweetener for the Predators to retain some of his $3.75 million salary, but Granlund would be a significant addition for the Caps. He can play wing or center, provides high-end speed, and is defensively responsible.
Pittsburgh Penguins 25-13-2, 3rd place, $1.144 million in deadline cap space
A trade between the Flyers and Penguins is likely limited to imagination, but Scott Laughton would be a perfect fit in Pittsburgh. The veteran pivot's name has been brought up in rumors recently, and he would bring immense value down the middle of the ice behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. General manager Ron Hextall has familiarity with him from his time in Philly's front office, and Laughton's hard-nosed style of play is certain to attract Brian Burke's attention.
Boston Bruins 21-10-6, 4th place, $6.04 million in deadline cap space
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
It feels like the Bruins are perpetually looking for scoring depth behind the perfection line, and we're thinking big for Boston this year. Calgary is a mess right now, and it feels like the Flames are on the verge of a major offseason overhaul. Could the B's manage to snag Johnny Gaudreau?
If Calgary's bound to blow things up in a couple of months, Johnny Hockey could already be an expendable piece to close out a lost season. He's a UFA in 2022, and the dynamic winger is struggling to find his footing under head coach Darryl Sutter. Gaudreau has only four points in 13 games since Sutter's debut behind the bench, and he's averaging two fewer minutes per contest. It would require some salary cap maneuvering to make it work, but perhaps Boston could buy low and fill a glaring hole in its attack for this season and next with a blockbuster deal.
North Division
Note: The Montreal Canadiens were left out after acquiring Eric Staal in March.
Toronto Maple Leafs 23-10-3, 1st place, $1.728 million in deadline cap space
The Maple Leafs have made it known they'd like to bolster their top six, so why not go after Taylor Hall? There's a real chance for Toronto to make a run this postseason, and Hall's criminally low shooting percentage on a miserable Sabres outfit this campaign shouldn't scare them off. His presence on the Leafs' second line alongside William Nylander and John Tavares would take the club's top six from dangerous to borderline unstoppable.
Edmonton Oilers 25-14-2, 2nd place, $0 in deadline cap space
John Russell / National Hockey League / Getty
The Oilers may be better off waiting until the summer to make any big moves, as they're projected to have $25 million in cap space. Still, adding Luke Glendening for the stretch run and playoffs checks a lot of boxes for Edmonton. The versatile veteran is an upgrade over both of the Oilers' current bottom-six centers, and he's won a whopping 63.8% of his draws this season. Glendening is by no means the most glamorous name on this list but is a sensible addition for a financially limited team like Edmonton.
Winnipeg Jets 24-13-3, 3rd place, $0 in deadline cap space
Winnipeg boasts an electric forward corps and a Vezina caliber goalie, but the Jets' blue line needs help. Like Granlund, the Predators might not be as keen as they once were to deal Mattias Ekholm, but he'd fill a huge hole for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and coach Paul Maurice. At only $3.75 million for another season, Ekholm's contract is a bargain, and his presence would stabilize a Jets back end severely lacking experience. He won't come cheap, but there's no better option if Winnipeg wants to solve a major roster problem this year and next.
The city of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, has announced plans to open a $25-million tribute center to permanently commemorate the lives lost in a fatal bus crash in 2018, according to The Canadian Press.
The building will feature a gallery honoring the victims of the crash, as well as an arena and a fitness and physiotherapy area. The city said construction will not begin for at least a couple of years.
A semitruck hit the bus transporting the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey on April 6, 2018, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others.
The recently acquired pivot served his mandatory seven-day quarantine and joined the club's top-six forward group at practice. Here's a look at Montreal's projected lines with Staal in the mix:
"Obviously, the first thing that jumped out is the talent level and the skill level," Staal said of his new teammates. "I think it's hard to gauge a lot else in a morning skate, but watching the guys for a few games, it was real competitive, quick, and aggressive, and I think all things you like to see from a good hockey team.
"So I'm excited to get involved tonight and hopefully play a good game and be another part to the group that's already here."
Montreal acquired Staal from the Buffalo Sabres on March 27 for a third- and fifth-round pick in 2021. The 36-year-old has 10 points in 32 games this season.
Halak started Saturday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the Bruins have recently dealt with a false positive as they held out forward Brad Marchand for two games even though he didn't contract the virus.
Halak is 9-5-3 this season with a .910 save percentage.
Hinostroza was a Blackhawks draft pick in 2012, suiting up for three seasons with the club from 2015 to 2018. He played in Arizona for two years afterward, and Hinostroza hasn't produced any points over nine games with Florida in 2021.
Morrison, 24, hasn't played an NHL game yet. He's notched five points over six contests for the AHL's Rockford IceHogs this season. Chicago acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings during the offseason for defenseman Olli Maatta.
