In what may be a preview of a postseason series, Corey Perry is having a historic night for the Anaheim Ducks as they face the Pacific-leading Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
After scoring goals in the first and second period to keep the game tied, Perry capped off his ninth career hat trick to give his team a 3-2 lead - and passed Paul Kariya for the second-most three-goal games in Ducks history.
It's raining hats for Corey Perry @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/vOkQyY6PaR
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) February 29, 2016
Perry's night wasn't finished there - he would pick up an assist on a David Perron goal under five minutes later that increased the Ducks' lead to two. The 31-year-old's outburst comes after a four-game pointless drought, with all four of those games against non-playoff teams.
He needs four more tricks to catch arguably the greatest Ducks player of all time.
Most Regular-Season Hat Tricks, @AnaheimDucks History:
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 29, 2016
13 – Teemu Selanne
9 – Corey Perry
8 – Paul Kariya
(via @EliasSports)
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Lou Lamoriello just keeps selling players and adding draft picks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded forward Daniel Winnik and a fifth-round pick in 2016 to the Washington Capitals on Sunday in exchange for forward Brooks Laich, defenseman Connor Carrick, and a second-round pick in this year's draft, the teams announced.
This is the second consecutive season the Maple Leafs have dealt Winnik at the trade deadline: They traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins last year before he re-signed in Toronto as a free agent. The 30-year-old will now have an opportunity to win the Cup with the league-best Capitals.
There was no salary retained in the deal, meaning the Leafs will pay Laich's full $4.5-million deal for the rest of this season and next.
Toronto's ability to take his full salary is believed to have earned the Leafs the second-rounder - which gives them eight picks in the first four rounds of June's draft.
By shedding Laich's salary, the Capitals now have around $2.2 million in cap space heading into Monday's trade deadline, and gives them more room to use this coming offseason.
For the Caps, shedding Laich's contract from next season helps in re-signing other players (Johansson, Wilson, Orlov among RFAs...)
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) February 29, 2016
The 32-year-old, who was waived Saturday in an attempt to clear cap space, has a goal and six assists in 60 games this season.
Carrick, 21, was a fifth-round selection by the Capitals in 2013. The right-handed blue-liner has a goal and five assists in 37 career NHL games. He's spent the majority of this season with the AHL's Hershey Bears.
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