Hall is the biggest name on the market prior to Monday's deadline. The pending unrestricted free agent signed a one-year, $8-million pact with the Sabres this past offseason.
The Sabres held him out of a second straight game for injury protection Thursday night.
Hall has underachieved from a production standpoint, collecting only two goals and 17 assists over 37 contests in 2021.
However, part of his struggles can be attributed to playing for a punchless Buffalo club, and his underlying numbers show he's been a victim of some bad luck. He's posted a goals for percentage of only 36.96 at five-on-five, but his expected goals for percentage in those situations is a favorable 52.76, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Los Angeles Kings are starting to gauge whether or not there is interest for Alex Iafallo as the trade deadline approaches.
"We're told that Kings GM Rob Blake for the first time began taking calls on Alex Iafollo judging his availability on the market and it seems like one of those things that's going to go down to the wire," reported TSN's Frank Seravalli on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading." "These two sides are going to continue to try to hammer away at an extension."
Iafallo, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent. He's in the final season of a two-year pact that carries an average annual value of $2.45 million. He's spent his entire career with the Kings since signing with the club in 2017 after completing his time at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
The winger ranks third on the Kings this season in goals (9) and points (23). He's collected 50 goals and 74 assists in 264 career games.
The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Tanner Pearson to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.25 million, the team announced Thursday.
The contract will include a full no-trade clause in the first year, a modified seven-team no-trade clause in the second year, and no protection in the third year, reports The Athletic's Thomas Drance.
The two sides also agreed the club will protect Pearson in the upcoming expansion draft even though his contract doesn't formally require it, Drance added.
"Tanner is a veteran who's won a Stanley Cup and leads by example," general manager Jim Benning said. "He plays a complete game and provides invaluable leadership experience to our core young players. We are very pleased for Tanner and his family to continue his career as a member of the Vancouver Canucks."
The Canucks acquired Pearson from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2019 trade deadline. He's totaled 36 goals and 32 assists in 121 career games with the Canucks.
Originally selected with the 30th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, the winger has amassed 114 goals and 112 assists in 490 career games.
The NHL is hopeful the Vancouver Canucks will be cleared to return to the ice by the end of next week, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
Daly added that the league also hopes the Canucks will be able to play out their full 56-game regular-season schedule.
A total of 25 Vancouver team members (21 players and four staffers) have tested positive for COVID-19, and the Canucks recently confirmed a variant of the coronavirus was the source of the outbreak.
All of the affected players are in quarantine, and some are isolating from their families, according to Kaplan.
A large number of the infected players have shown symptoms. Those who tested positive and are symptomatic need to have two negative tests and wait 10 days since the onset of the symptoms.
The Canucks haven't played since March 24. They had a scheduled week off after that game, but their outbreak reportedly began at some point during the hiatus, as the NHL postponed their matchup against the Calgary Flames on March 31 before doing the same with Vancouver's next five contests.
With a month left in the NHL season, division races are heating up as teams look to secure top spot and home-ice advantage through to the semifinals.
Let's take a look at the division markets and see where the value is heading into the home stretch.
Central Division
TEAM
ODDS
PTS
GR
Hurricanes
+125
55
18
Lightning
+125
54
17
Panthers
+350
56
16
As someone who bet the Hurricanes to win the Central Division at +400 before the season, it's no secret how I want to see this play out. I'm approaching this final month with cautious optimism.
But before we get into the race between the Hurricanes and Lightning, let me tell you why the Panthers won't win the division: nine of their 16 remaining games are against Carolina, Tampa, and Dallas - a tough ask without star defenseman Aaron Ekblad. They don't play Detroit again, either, while their four remaining games against the Predators and Blackhawks are on the road. As good as Florida's been, I can't trust it to win the Central under these circumstances.
That leaves us with Carolina and Tampa jockeying for first place and the much friendlier first-round matchup that comes with it. The Hurricanes hold the edge based on current standings, and they also come out on top when you comb through the numbers: they've been better at five-on-five and are stronger on special teams. But the biggest advantage they have comes in net.
The Lightning have been really cautious not to overwork Andrei Vasilevskiy - he hasn't made more than three consecutive starts since the first week of February - and while that will help keep him fresh for playoffs, it'll hurt them in the division race. Tampa has received below replacement-level goaltending from the backup position and is just 3-5-1 without Vasilevskiy between the pipes - a problem the Hurricanes don't have given their embarrassment of riches in goal.
Carolina also has the added benefit of playing its two remaining head-to-head meetings with the Lightning on back-to-back nights, meaning it'll see Tampa's backup of choice in one of those games. It's part of a daunting stretch for the Lightning, who play the Hurricanes and Panthers four times in a six-day span. I'm fading the defending Cup champions in the Central Division race.
Best value: Hurricanes (+125)
East Division
TEAM
ODDS
PTS
GR
Islanders
+135
54
17
Capitals
+220
54
17
Bruins
+450
46
20
Penguins
+450
50
17
Arguably the most wide-open division race, there's a legitimate case to be made for all four of these teams to finish atop the East Division. Adding Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac has vaulted the Islanders into the role of favorites, and understandably so. They boast the division's best goal differential (plus-28) and rank third in the league in expected goal share at five-on-five, while none of the Capitals, Bruins, or Penguins crack the top 14.
However, special teams have been an issue for the Islanders. They rank 22nd on the power play and 11th on the penalty kill, both areas where the Capitals and Bruins excel. The Penguins aren't particularly great at five-on-five or special teams, but their remaining schedule is really enticing - hardly the case for Barry Trotz's team.
Of the Isles' 17 remaining games, 11 are against the Capitals, Bruins, and Rangers. They play three times at TD Garden, but it's the five games against the surging Rangers that have me most concerned - they're the division's next-best five-on-five team after the Isles and are playing excellent hockey right now as they push for a playoff spot. I think the Islanders are the division's best team, but the schedule is enough to scare me off, given the short price.
It's also enough to scare me off Washington, which plays 15 of its remaining 17 games against the division's top six, including seven versus the Islanders and Bruins. The Penguins have perhaps the easiest remaining schedule, with nine of 17 coming against the Devils and Sabres. That being said, the Devils are hardly pushovers - they've taken two of three against Pittsburgh this season - and the Pens just don't boast good enough underlying numbers to truly trust them down the stretch.
That leaves us with the Bruins. Tuukka Rask, who's been out since March 7, is back skating with the team, while they've found a strong insurance policy in prospect Jeremy Swayman. Boston is also expected to make a splash at the deadline, strengthening the roster ahead of a negotiable final stretch. Five of the Bruins' seven remaining games against the Isles and Caps are on home ice, while they still play six more times against the hapless Sabres. Things are setting up nicely for the Bruins, who are certainly worth a flier in this market at their current price.
Best value: Bruins (+450)
North Division
TEAM
ODDS
PTS
GR
Maple Leafs
-550
57
16
Oilers
+1000
50
16
Canadiens
+1000
43
20
Jets
+1000
49
17
Realistically speaking, no one is catching the Leafs in the North Division. Toronto has built a seven-point cushion at the summit and has been playing excellent hockey. I've also heard rumblings that Jack Campbell may never lose another game in his professional career, but I can neither confirm nor deny.
You're not going to lay -550 on the Leafs either, of course. It looks like free money, but there's still a little over a month of the season to play, and, as much as I hate to even say it, we've seen COVID-19 rip through a handful of teams already this season.
If you're looking for one club that can still possibly catch the Leafs, my money would be on Winnipeg. The Canadiens, despite a number of games in hand, have too much ground to make up amidst such a congested schedule, while the Oilers only have one game left against a Senators team they're 8-0-0 against this year - they're barely above .500 (16-14-2) versus the rest of the division.
The Jets, though, have a bit of a case here, assuming Blake Wheeler doesn't miss an extended period. They still play the Senators four times and Canucks twice - who knows what state they'll be in. They also somewhat control their own destiny because they have four games remaining against Toronto, with three of those coming in Winnipeg. If they can rattle off six points from those - a big if, of course - then this race would suddenly become very interesting.
Best value: Jets (+1000)
West Division
TEAM
ODDS
PTS
GR
Avalanche
-185
56
17
Golden Knights
+230
52
18
Wild
+650
50
18
Much like in the North, it's hard to look away from the chalk in the West. After dealing with a handful of injuries early in the year, the Avalanche are healthy and absolutely steamrolling teams right now. They rank first in the NHL in expected goal share (60.66%) and Corsi For percentage (59.32%), a full three percentage points higher than the next-best team. Scary, right? It's only the tip of the iceberg.
Over the last month - dating back to March 9 - the Avalanche have posted an outrageous 66.55 xGF%. They've outscored teams 70-38 over that span, with their actual goals percentage still lower than their expected goals percentage. To put it in simpler terms: this is an incredible hockey team.
Of Colorado's 17 games remaining, 14 are against the bottom four teams in the division, which poses an even bigger problem for Vegas and Minnesota. The Wild have the toughest remaining schedule of the three, with seven contests left against a Blues team that is too talented not to make a late-season push, leaving Vegas with the best chance to catch the Avalanche.
The Knights have four games remaining against the Avs and Wild and also play the Coyotes and Blues - two teams desperately fighting for a playoff spot - a combined six times. Even if the Avalanche lose both their remaining head-to-head meetings with Vegas, it's hard to see them dropping enough points elsewhere to be caught for the West Division crown. It's also worth noting just how important first place in the West is for Colorado, as it would mean avoiding the likes of Vegas and Minnesota in the first round.
Best value: Avalanche (-185)
Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, despises how the NHL handles starting goalie announcements, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
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Connolly, 28, has produced just two goals and two assists in 21 games this season. He's signed through 2022-23 with a cap hit of $3.5 million per season, per CapFriendly, which now gives Florida additional space ahead of the deadline.
In exchange for taking on the contract, Chicago receives Borgstrom, the 23rd overall pick in 2016; Stillman, a 23-year-old defenseman; and the draft pick.
Wallmark, 25, has served as a fourth-line center for most of his career. He spent a seven-game stint with the Panthers last season after coming over from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Vincent Trocheck trade.
Leave it to the 78-year-old general manager with more than three decades of experience to set the tone ahead of the NHL's mid-pandemic trade deadline.
On Wednesday night, the legendary Lou Lamoriello pounced on a golden opportunity to upgrade his Stanley Cup contending New York Islanders by acquiring New Jersey Devils forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac.
Headed the other way: the Islanders' first-round pick in the upcoming NHL draft, a conditional fourth-rounder in 2022, and minor-league forwards A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst. (The condition: the '22 pick becomes a third in '22 or '23 if the Isles make it to this year's Stanley Cup Final.) For the money to work, the Devils will retain 50% of Palmieri and Zajac's remaining salary.
Translated, Lamoriello picked up a proven goal scorer (Palmieri) and a two-way depth center (Zajac) - the latter of whom he knows well as a player and person from his lengthy tenure as Devils GM - in exchange for one of the final selections in the opening round of a weak 2021 draft, a third or fourth down the road, and two "prospects" who probably don't have an NHL future.
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Lamoriello deserves an "A" grade here. In Palmieri, he's replaced most, if not all, of the scoring punch the Isles lost when sniper Anders Lee sustained a season-ending knee injury last month. In Zajac, he's added insurance. And he's wrapped up business five days clear of the madness that is deadline day.
"We're pretty much content with what we have and who we have right now," Lamoriello told reporters on a post-trade call. "In fact, extremely comfortable."
Make no mistake, there will be a bidding war for 2018 MVP Taylor Hall, and an NHL team will have paid handsomely for his services by next Monday at 3 p.m. ET. Palmieri isn't Hall. He isn't a household name or quite as dynamic on the ice. Yet he checks off two key boxes for the Isles: He has a track record of lighting the lamp (24 goals or more in five straight seasons prior to this one) and is an honest, low-maintenance player. For the price, it's a fabulous get.
Palmieri is having a down year with only eight goals and nine assists in 34 games. However, keep in mind he was sidelined for two weeks in February due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Devils' organization; he was probably a little distracted by extension talks between his camp and New Jersey; and he may have run into a wall as the go-to finisher on a rebuilding team. None of this excuses Palmieri from the lackluster numbers; it's just context.
Gerry Thomas / Getty Images
Palmieri's a right-handed winger with a wicked shot who has a knack for finding soft areas on the ice, so he should complement center Mathew Barzal's puck-possession style well (assuming he starts on the Isles' No. 1 line). The 30-year-old will get his reps on the man advantage, too, seeing as New York, ranking 22nd in the NHL in power-play percentage, could use a deadly shooting option like him.
The Isles - winners of three straight and 15 of their past 19 heading into a Thursday home game against the Philadelphia Flyers - are legit contenders. They are currently tied with the Washington Capitals for the most points and highest points percentage in the East Division, and their underlying numbers are off the charts. Coach Barry Trotz's brand of structured, disciplined, and counterattacking hockey has produced a year over year well-oiled machine.
The club's run to the Eastern Conference Final during the bubbled postseason converted a lot of non-believers. Really, the Isles have done nothing but trend in the right direction since longtime captain John Tavares left Long Island on July 1, 2018. Zajac, for one, is clearly sold on the vision. The lifelong Devil and pending free agent elected to waive his no-trade clause.
"At this point in my career and where I'm at, I wanted a chance to win, and I just believe this is a team that has all the aspects of a winning hockey team," Zajac, 35, told reporters. "And to be able to try and be a part of that and help them in any way, I think it was, for me, it was the right time."
NHL Images / Getty Images
Meanwhile, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald went out of his way to pump Palmieri and Zajac's tires Wednesday, lauding the duo's leadership abilities and lasting impact on a core featuring Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Ty Smith.
"The future's really bright here in New Jersey, and I truly believe that. I say that with all sincerity," Fitzgerald told reporters. "But you've got to be able to walk before you run. We're walking right now, and I think the experience that these kids are getting, thanks to the veterans that we have, is invaluable."
The question now is, does Fitzgerald sell off more veterans to acquire even more draft capital? Blue-liners Ryan Murray, Sami Vatanen, and Dmitry Kulikov are all UFAs at the end of the season, and the 13-18-6 Devils don't need to overextend themselves to eke out wins down the stretch.
Netting a first-rounder in a deal involving Palmieri was nice. That's a valuable commodity, and the Devils now own two opening-round picks this summer, as well as seven others. That said, the rest of the trade package from the Isles was blah, so it's difficult to heap too much praise on Fitzgerald at the moment.
Whether this is an isolated trade or the first step in an intricate master plan remains to be seen. Either way, the Devils have plenty of options moving forward.
"With that pick, it gives us flexibility, whether you can move back (in the draft) or use it," said Fitzgerald, who has been New Jersey's GM since January 2020. "I said it last year with the (Devils' three first-round picks): It just gives you flexibility to potentially add to a position of need or a player that comes across the board. Maybe it helps us with teams with expansion (draft) issues."
What's less ambiguous is the market for premier forwards at this year's deadline. If Palmieri essentially fetched a first, Hall most certainly will command a first and then some. The wily vet Lamoriello made the first major move, setting the framework for further fireworks. Who's willing to follow?
John Matisz is theScore's senior hockey writer. You can follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) and contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com)
