The Washington Capitals reportedly checked in on one of the top defensemen believed to be available in advance of Monday's trade deadline.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Capitals took a look at Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers, but they seem to have moved on.

Washington, however, continues to explore adding to the blue line even after acquiring Michal Kempny and Jakub Jerabek.

McDonagh is an intriguing trade candidate as he's not considered a rental player. He has one full season remaining on a contract that carries a cap hit of $4.7 million.

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One of Artem Anisimov's former teams appears to have explored a reunion.

The Columbus Blue Jackets inquired about the Chicago Blackhawks forward's availability, and he was approached about waiving his no-movement clause, but the Blue Jackets only offered a third-round pick and wanted the Blackhawks to retain half of Anisimov's salary, so talks went nowhere, reports Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Anisimov has three more years left after this season at a cap hit of $4.55 million.

He continues to center Patrick Kane's line and has 17 goals and 24 points in 53 games in 2017-18.

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The Winnipeg Jets are among the teams interested in defenseman Ian Cole, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

Cole was sent to the Ottawa Senators as part of the package that landed the Pittsburgh Penguins center Derick Brassard, but his new club reportedly plans to flip him to another team.

The 29-year-old blue-liner has 13 points in 47 games this season, and played a key role in helping the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are seeking a big haul for forward Ryan Hartman.

The team is reportedly asking for a first-round pick plus something else, a source told The Athletic's Scott Powers.

Hartman is in his second full season with the Blackhawks in which he's scored eight goals and 25 points in 57 games, including a five-point game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first game of the season.

He's six points back of his career high of 31 set last season over 76 games.

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Eric Staal notched his 30th goal of the season Sunday against the San Jose Sharks, becoming the fifth player in Minnesota Wild history to reach the mark, per The Athletic's Michael Russo.

For Staal, it is the sixth 30-goal season of his career, but his first in seven years.

Staal has built off a bounce-back year in 2016-17 with an even better showing this season. The 33-year-old is now on pace to finish with 40 goals and 38 assists, cementing the three-year, $10.5-million contract he signed prior to last season as one of the most team-friendly deals in the league.

More importantly, the Wild came out victorious on Sunday, padding their lead for the third spot in the Central Division standings.

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One Karlsson in Vegas may not be enough.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Golden Knights are making a serious pitch for Senators blue-liner Erik Karlsson.

With Ottawa mired at the bottom of the standings, the Senators captain is a top target to be moved ahead of Monday's trade deadline. Karlsson, 27, carries a $6.5-million cap hit that extends through the 2018-19 campaign.

As Garrioch alludes, the Golden Knights could be a preferred destination for Karlsson given the club's available cap space, meaning it could accommodate costly forward Bobby Ryan to facilitate a deal for Karlsson.

Related - Report: Sens could discount Karlsson if team is willing to take Bobby Ryan

Ryan is signed through the next four seasons at a $7.25-million cap hit. As for the Golden Knights, the team has about $33 million available this summer, so adding both Karlsson and Ryan shouldn't be too tricky for general manager George McPhee.

In the preseason, few expected the expansion Golden Knights to be buyers this spring, but as the deadline nears, Vegas sits one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place.

Meanwhile, Karlsson, who is having a "down" year by his standards, has tallied 42 points through 56 games this season. The two-time Norris Trophy winner was a top player in last year's playoffs, registering 18 points in 19 games as he led the Senators to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.

For the Senators, the sell-off has already begun with the team having dealt forward Derick Brassard to the Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Dion Phaneuf to the Los Angeles Kings in the lead up to the deadline.

Garrioch also indicates it could take as many as five or six assets to complete a deal and that the Lightning, San Jose Sharks, and Nashville Predators are also believed to be interested in Karlsson.

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The Edmonton Oilers are playing it safe ahead of Monday's NHL trade deadline.

Forward Patrick Maroon, who's been rumored to be on the move, will be a healthy scratch Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks, the team announced.

The impending unrestricted free agent has 14 goals and 30 points in 57 games for the Oilers this season. Last year he scored a career-high 27 goals while playing predominantly alongside Connor McDavid.

Given his knack for scoring and playing with grit, Maroon is one of the top rental wingers available on the trade market.

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