Jordan Kyrou is and has drawn interest from several teams around the NHL. Up to this point, no trade has come to fruition due to either the St. Louis Blues’ hesitance to move him or the price being too high.
But now, it feels different, as the Blues sit in 31st place in the NHL standings and appear to be sellers at the upcoming March 6 trade deadline.
Kyrou’s name has been littered all over trade boards. Known interest in Kyrou previously has come from the Seattle Kraken and the Montreal Canadiens, but a new team has emerged with possible interest in the three-time 30-goal scorer.
According to The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner, New York Islanders GM Mathieu Darche has checked in on both Kyrou and Robert Thomas. He also revealed what Blues GM Doug Armstrong could be looking to acquire from the Islanders in a potential deal involving Kyrou.
The first name Rosner said Armstrong is interested in is 19-year-old defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson. Aitcheson was selected with the 17th overall pick by the Islanders in the 2025 NHL draft, and the 6-foot-2 defender has lit up the OHL this season, scoring 26 goals and 63 points in 48 games.
Aitcheson is an offensive defenseman who loves to throw his weight around physically. There are some holes in his defensive game, but at 19, there is plenty of time for him to correct them.
Rosner mentioned that the Islanders aren’t necessarily looking to move Aitcheson, but he believes that Aitcheson, plus draft picks, is likely the ask for Kyrou.
Center and Islanders prospect Danny Nelson is believed to be drawing interest from the Blues as well. The 20-year-old is skating in his third season with Notre Dame in the NCAA, posting 13 goals and 27 points in 33 games this season.
Listed at 6-foot-3, Nelson has all the traits of a potential two-way NHL center. The level his offensive game can reach in the NHL is unknown, but the former 2023 second-round pick of the Islanders has an intriguing skill set.
Kyrou is only in the third year of an eight-year contract, so Armstrong is in no rush to move him. There is belief that Kyrou could be moved in the off-season, rather than in-season, but if the right package comes along, a deal could be made.
At 27 years old and an established 30-goal scoring winger, the price is deservedly high for Kyrou.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly kicked tires on St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger on TSN 1050's First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving checked in with the Blues on Thomas last week.
"Lots of Robert Thomas speculation over the course of the weekend, and frankly — I wouldn't say over the course of the weekend, this is more last week — Treliving and the Maple Leafs kicked tires on Robert Thomas," Dreger reported.
"And why wouldn't you, right? Again, there's a player who's got term. If you can somehow figure it out, now what's it going to cost? A significant amount. It's not Easton Cowan. Are you willing to have the Matthew Knies conversation? But that seemed to cool over the course of the weekend."
The 26-year-old has played 43 games this season with the Blues, totalling 12 goals and 35 points. Despite working through several injuries this year, Thomas has averaged 18:55 of ice time, the most among St. Louis forwards.
He's in the third year of an eight-year contract, which pays him $8.125 million annually.
From a quick glance, Thomas joining the Maple Leafs makes sense. There's history with Craig Berube, with whom the forward won the Stanley Cup in 2019 on the Blues. Thomas would also be the perfect player to take over the second-line center position for John Tavares, who's battling Father Time.
However, the deeper you look at the trade, the less it makes sense for Toronto.
As Dreger points out, Toronto would have to give up Cowan, Knies, and likely even more to acquire Thomas from the Blues. That alone should turn the Maple Leafs away almost immediately.
Toronto needs players like them for its future.
Cowan has yet to show his true potential with the Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, Knies has demonstrated he can be one of the NHL's top power forwards when he's at the top of his game.
Trading for Thomas feels like a short-term band-aid for a team with several problems. They need to figure out what they're going to do with pending unrestricted free agents like Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton before doing any of the heavy swinging.
The 18-year-old recorded four goals, becoming the first rookie this season to score 20 after a two-goal night in the Islanders' 4-3 win against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.
He added one assist to go along with those four goals, for five points in three games, helping his team to a 3-0-0 week. The Islanders trailed 2-0 in each of those three games.
Against the Montreal Canadiens, Schaefer scored two goals in 55 seconds to tie the score at 2-2 in a 4-3 overtime win.
Schaefer has 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 61 games played this season, averagin 24:07 minnutes per game. x.com
The NHL’s trade deadline is scheduled for March 6 at 12 PM PST, and this season has a unique landscape as that anticipated date on the calendar approaches.
Typically, around the 60-game mark, the list of “buyers” and “sellers” has been all but solidified, but with the deadline just a week away, all but four teams (New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks) are either in a playoff spot or within ten points of the final wild card spot in their respective conference.
The list of true Stanley Cup contenders (judging solely by the standings) is relatively short as well, with just five teams with a points percentage over .650 (Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars).
The rest of the teams in the NHL will likely conduct themselves as “soft buyers” or “soft sellers,” meaning franchise-altering pieces will likely remain in place unless said piece is seen as a substantial player for whichever acquiring organization beyond the 2025-26 season.
The Anaheim Ducks are currently in line to achieve the mandate set forth nine months ago by owner Henry Samueli and general manager Pat Verbeek: to take the next step in their build and make the playoffs.
As of Monday morning, the Ducks currently sit in second place in the Pacific Division standings and are just one point behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights.
A fully healthy Ducks lineup (based on their most recent games) roughly resembles something like this:
Kreider-Carlsson-Gauthier
Killorn-McTavish-Sennecke
Granlund-Poehling-Terry
Johnston-Washe-Viel
Vatrano-Harkins-Strome
LaCombe-Trouba
Zellweger-Gudas
Mintyukov-Moore
Helleson
Dostal
Husso
With the Ducks’ playoff contention window seemingly just opening and their potential cup-contending window still at least a couple of years in the future, it’s safe to assume they won’t be in the market to add significant rental pieces that the front office doesn’t project to be part of the roster beyond this season.
A glance at the roster won’t uncover any glaring holes, just an underdeveloped young core surrounded by mostly post-prime veterans. Again, unless a young or prime-age impact player can be had, minor upgrades here and there may be the focus heading into this trade deadline for Verbeek and the front office.
With just 23 games remaining on their 2025-26 schedule, the Ducks remain one of the poorer defensive teams in the NHL, both in traditional numbers and 5v5 underlying numbers. They rank 31st in goals against per game (3.49) and 21st in shots on goal allowed per game (29). At 5v5, they’re 25th in shot attempts allowed per 60 minutes (59.66), 23rd in shots on goal allowed per 60 (27.85), and 29th in expected goals against per 60 (2.86).
Three areas to focus on heading into Friday’s deadline for Anaheim could be a top-line forward, a depth defensive-oriented forward, and a top-four right-shot defenseman. Let’s take a look at some of the more consistent impact names currently available on various outlets’ trade boards that could fit the bill, to give an idea of what the Ducks could look to add should the opportunities present themselves.
Top Line Forward
The Ducks deploy four dynamic young forwards in their top-six on a nightly basis: Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, Cutter Gauthier, and Mason McTavish. Filling in the gaps are Troy Terry, a prime-age complementary scorer, and a trio of savvy veterans with varying skillsets: Chris Kreider, Alex Killorn, and Mikael Granlund. Another high-end talent who can become or remain a core piece when the Ducks’ contending window is truly open could round out the top of their roster, especially so if that player provides a positive defensive impact.
Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks)
27, $11.6 Million Cap Hit, Full NMC, Expires 2032
Pettersson is in year two of a massive contract extension, but three years removed from his most productive season in 2022-23, where he notched 102 points (39-63=102) in 80 games. His last three seasons have been full of both on and off-ice turmoil and injury concerns. He can play wing or center, and he can kill penalties, but the question remains if Pettersson can recapture his production from a few years ago. If an acquiring team isn’t 100% certain, that contract becomes the riskiest of risky gambles.
Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues)
26, $8.125 Million Cap Hit, Full NTC, Expires 2031
Over the past four seasons, Thomas has been one of the most consistent and healthy 75-90-point centers in the NHL, who controls the game in all three zones. He’s run into a bit of injury trouble this season, and the Blues seem to be heading in the opposite direction for the talented playmaker. The ask is reportedly high, justifiably and predictably so, but a player of his caliber could round out an up-and-coming forward group. These kinds of players aren’t available often, so if a deal can be made, GMs in Verbeek’s situation would be wise not to hesitate.
Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis Blues)
27, $8.125 Million Cap Hit, Full NTC, Expires 2031
With an identical contract to Thomas’, every point made above can be echoed for Kyrou. He attacks dynamically with pace, and though he doesn’t kill penalties, he produces quality defensive metrics likely due to his team’s possession time when he’s on the ice. His potential fit with Anaheim isn’t quite as obvious as Pettersson’s or Thomas’ due to Terry and Sennecke’s presences, but that would be a good problem to have, and shouldn’t be seen as a deterrent, again, if a deal can be had.
Other Notable Candidates: Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers), Nazem Kadri (Calgary Flames), Steven Stamkos (Nashville Predators)
Depth Defensive Forward
Having a true 200-foot forward that the coaching staff can deploy on the penalty kill, against opposing top lines, and provide offense from the bottom six would relieve some pressure from the LaCombe-Trouba pair, as well as some of the Ducks’ top offensive players who haven’t developed on that side of the puck quite yet.
Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville Predators)
35, $4.5 Million Cap Hit, NO trade protection, Expires 2027
The Preds are suddenly in the playoff mix, but if they decide to sell, O’Reilly is a suitable candidate for several middle-sixes across the league. He doesn’t have an NTC, but Nashville has stated they’re treating him as if he does, indicating he will dictate where he’ll land if he moves. He’s been one of the NHL’s top defensive forwards for most of his long career, and he’s on pace to set a career high in points, as he’s scored 57 points (21-36=57) through 59 games this season.
Blake Coleman (Calgary Flames)
34, $4.9 Million Cap Hit, 21-Team NTC, Expires 2027
For a player who plays as physically taxing a brand as Coleman does, he’s been surprisingly durable through the course of his career, is good for 35-50 points a season, and is a proven playoff performer. Coleman is the type of player who will likely command a sizable return, but his trade protection could mute that somewhat. However, one wouldn’t be surprised if a first-round pick is exchanged in a potential deal.
Warren Foegele (Los Angeles Kings)
29, $3.5 Million Cap Hit, 5-Team NTC, Expires 2027
After back-to-back 40-plus point seasons, Foegle hasn’t been able to find that same level of production in his second season in LA. He had even served as a healthy scratch earlier in the year. The Kings just made a change at head coach, bringing in DJ Smith, and they seem to be interested in making a playoff run in Kopitar’s final year. If Foegele is available, he can provide a versatile middle-six role, blending speed and tenacity, and is one of the first forwards over the boards on the PK.
Other Notable Candidates: Scott Laughton (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jason Dickinson (Chicago Blackhawks), Erik Haula (Nashville Predators)
Top Four Defensemen
Jacob Trouba has elevated his game and has been an impactful defenseman opposite the club’s #1 defenseman in LaCombe. However, he’s unlikely to assume that role, even if re-signed, too far into the future. Similarly, the same could be said for Radko Gudas, who’s in the last year of his deal. Gudas would likely be most effective in bottom-pair minutes at this stage in his career and into the playoffs should the Ducks make it that far.
Tyler Myers (Vancouver Canucks)
36, $3 Million Cap Hit, Full NMC, Expires 2027
The towering 6-foot-8 defenseman is being held out of Vancouver’s nightly lineup in anticipation of a trade ahead of Friday’s deadline. Seemingly a product of environment, Myers has had a rollercoaster career for the Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks. His best years were alongside Quinn Hughes with the Canucks as the defensive-oriented half of a dynamic pair. The Ducks have three young, dynamic defensemen on their current blueline (LaCombe, Mintyukov, Zellweger), and if paired next to one, Myers has a chance to recapture some of that magic in the later stages of his career.
Justin Faulk (St. Louis Blues)
33, $6.5 Million Cap Hit, 15-Team NTC, Expires 2027
Faulk has been the Blues’ most consistent all-situations defenseman for the better part of a decade. He moves pucks, kills penalties, and has performed well in his five career trips to the playoffs. The underlying metrics haven’t been kind to Faulk since arriving in St. Louis from Carolina in 2019, but perhaps a slightly lesser role on a contender would iron some of that out. Again, St. Louis probably has phones ringing off the hook due to their volume of tradable assets, as they will hope for a quick reset with plenty of young talent either on the roster or in the way.
Rasmus Ristolainen (Philadelphia Flyers)
31, $5.1 Million Cap Hit, NO trade protection, Expires 2027
Another towering right-shot defenseman on trade boards, Ristolainen is coming off an impressive Olympic performance, earning a bronze medal with his native Finland. Injury concerns are real, as he’s barely played more than 100 games (116) over the past three seasons for the Flyers, and a saturated right-shot defense market may drive the price down. However, his lack of trade protection could recoup some of that lost value. He still skates well, he’s still physical in the small areas, and he is still prone to some unfortunate, costly mistakes. It will be interesting to see how his market plays out over the next few days.
Other Notable Candidates: Dougie Hamilton (New Jersey Devils), Luke Schenn (Winnipeg Jets), McKenzie Weegar (Calgary Flames)
Clearing Space
When healthy, the Ducks will have 15 current NHL forwards on their roster and seven NHL defensemen. Frank Vatrano has yet to be activated from IR, and when he is, some type of move will have to be made, one way or another.
The Ducks also have young players in the AHL, with the San Diego Gulls, pushing for NHL ice time at every position: Nathan Gaucher, Sam Colangelo, Nikita Nesterenko, Tyson Hinds, and Tristan Luneau.
For whatever reason, this season has been unkind to Verbeek’s first two UFA signings from when he first took the Ducks’ GM job in 2022: Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. With the emergence of young players, they’ve had a difficult time carving out depth roles for themselves, leaving them as fourth-line or healthy-scratch players. Combined, they make $9.6 million against the Ducks’ cap, so something will have to give at some point, especially with projected expensive contract extensions likely due to young core pieces in the summer.
Verbeek will have his work cut out for him shaping the Ducks’ roster, especially over the summer. However, it’s unclear how much business he’ll get done, if any, before Friday’s deadline.
The Philadelphia Flyers are set to face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 2. They have now made a roster move ahead of the contest.
The Flyers have announced that they have recalled defenseman Adam Ginning from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Ginning has appeared in five games this season with the Flyers, where he has recorded zero points, four hits, five blocks, and an even plus/minus rating. However, he has primarily played in the AHL with Lehigh Valley this season. The 6-foot-3 defenseman has one goal, four points, and a minus-7 rating in 31 games this season with the Phantoms.
Ginning was selected by the Flyers with the 50th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In 16 games over four seasons with the Flyers, he has recorded one goal, 17 blocks, 25 hits, and a minus-1 rating.
Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland has been a busy man in the second half of this regular season. He acquired Artemi Panarin and has handled multiple key roster injuries such as Joel Armia, Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko.
But most recently, he and the rest of the Kings' brass decided it was time to let go of coach Jim Hiller, making the coaching change official on Sunday morning. D.J. Smith, who was the associate coach to Hiller, is now the interim head coach.
Holland held a press conference at Sunday's practice, explaining his thinking behind his decision, but also his plans for Friday's NHL trade deadline. By the sounds of it, he won't be extremely active with the phones.
"If on Thursday I added Panarin, it'd be a big deadline deal," Holland told reporters. "I happened to do it three weeks ago because we wanted him.
With that, Holland believes he doesn't need to make any grand roster changes following his trade for Panarin from the New York Rangers.
"We made a big deadline deal," he explained. "It's just not on the deadline, it's in advance of the deadline."
Further, the Kings' GM described the team's injury situation, with Fiala out for the year, as well as Armia and Kuzmenko out. He said when those players return, Armia is likely the soonest, and they would provide a boost like a deadline deal would.
Kevin Fiala, Andrei Kuzmenko and Quinton Byfield (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
Eventually, Holland addressed what may happen with the team's draft capital. Los Angeles has all its first-round picks for the next three drafts, and two second-rounders in 2026.
However, at least concerning this year's first-round pick, Holland doesn't want to take any chances.
"Given where we are in the standings, I don't anticipate our first-round pick being in play," Holland said.
Following Sunday's NHL fixtures, the Kings are seven spots off the bottom of the league's standings. Meaning, if the regular season ended today, not only would they miss the playoffs for the first time in four years, but they'd also have the seventh-best draft lottery odds.
Last year, the Buffalo Sabres had the seventh spot going into the draft lottery and dropped two places, earning the ninth overall pick. The Boston Bruins ended up with the seventh pick, taking center James Hagens.
Nonetheless, while Holland won't be looking to move his first-round pick of the 2026 draft, he said he'll "work the phones" to see what could be available going into Friday's deadline.
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The price of the two top Leafs point producers is priced well, but the value lies with McMann, who’s getting +115 to get a point.
Toronto is averaging 4.3 goals per game against Philly, which should give McMann ample opportunity to find the scoresheet.
Flyers vs Maple Leafs same-game parlay
I’ll continue to bet on McMann’s shot market, too, as long as he’s saddled up on the top line next to Matthews. The Leafs winger has gone Over his SOG total in eight of his last nine, averaging 2.7 shots per game over that stretch.
The Leafs rank dead last in shots allowed per game this season, allowing 30+ shots in 15 of their last 16 games. I’ll bet on that volume continuing tonight and take the Over on Anthony Stolarz’s saves market.
Flyers vs Maple Leafs SGP
Bobby McMann Over 0.5 points
Bobby McMann Over 2.5 shots on goal
Anthony Stolarz Over 24.5 saves
Flyers vs Maple Leafs odds
Moneyline: Flyers +115| Maple Leafs -135
Puck Line: Flyers +1.5 (-220) | Maple Leafs -1.5 (+180)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+105) | Under 6.5 (-125)
Flyers vs Maple Leafs trend
The Maple Leafs are 9-1 on the money line in the last 10 contests between the two teams. Find more NHL betting trends for Flyers vs. Maple Leafs.
How to watch Flyers vs Maple Leafs
Location
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Date
Monday, March 2, 2026
Puck drop
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
NBC Sports Philadelphia, Amazon Prime Video
Flyers vs Maple Leafs latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
As of March 1, 2026, NHL teams can start signing players currently in junior hockey to Entry-Level Contracts that start in 2026-27. The Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights have already jumped on this opportunity, as each signed a player currently playing in the WHL. While Vegas signed a drafted prospect in Alex Weiermair, Seattle brought in 20-year-old Ryden Evers, who was an undrafted free agent.
The WHL free agent market is the perfect opportunity for the Vancouver Canucks to add young, Canadian talent from the WHL. Vancouver has signed undrafted free agents from the CHL before, with the most notable being Arshdeep Bains back in 2022. With the signing window now open, here are three 20-year-old Canadians currently playing in the WHL that the Canucks could sign.
Defenceman Carter Sotheran, Edmonton Oil Kings
Carter Sotherans name may sound familiar as he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023. The Flyers elected to let his rights expiry, which is why he is avaliable for any team that wants to add a 6'4", right-shot defenceman to their organization. Sotheran has thrived this season with 63 points in 60 games and is currently on a loaded Edmonton Oil Kings' team that is one of the favourites to win the WHL this season.
Forward Shane Smith, Kelowna Rockets
As for a player already scheduled to play in the Memorial Cup, that would be Shane Smith of the Kelowna Rockets. The 20-year-old has done nothing but score since arriving in Kelowna, as he has 15 goals and 38 points in 32 games. Listed at 6'2", 205 lbs, Smith is a versitile forward who can impact the game both physically and on the scoresheet.
Shane Smith of the Kelowna Rockets (Photo Credit: Steve Dunsmoor/Kelowna Rockets/WHL)
Forward Kooper Gizowski, Prince George Couagrs
Kooper Gizowski is having a strong final season in the WHL. The 20-year-old is up to 67 points in 59 games and has already surpassed the 30 goal mark for the year. Listed at 5'10", 168 lbs, Gizowski is expected to play a signifcant role for the Prince George Cougars in the upcoming 2026 WHL Playoffs.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Valeri Nichushkin is having a strong season for the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche, on pace to clear 50 points for the third time in his career.
He has done his best work on the road, and my Avalanche vs. Kings predictions expect that to continue in Los Angeles.
Let’s dive deeper into my NHL picks for Monday, March 2.
Avalanche vs Kings prediction
Avalanche vs Kings best bet: Valeri Nichushkin Over 0.5 points (-105)
Valeri Nichushkin has hit the scoresheet in 16 of 25 away games, good for a 64% clip.
The caliber of opponent hasn’t affected his production. He has recorded a point in the same percentage of road games against Top-16 defenses as Bottom-16 defenses.
Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar recently moved Artturi Lehkonen to the second line, alongside Nichushkin and Brock Nelson. That’s a positive, as he’s seen an uptick in points per game and shots per game (2.1 to 2.9) with Lehkonen by his side.
The Kings have allowed 22 goals over the last five games, making this a favorable spot for Nichushkin to produce.
Avalanche vs Kings same-game parlay
Cale Makar has generated just six shots on goal over his last four games against Los Angeles. The Kings are excellent at closing on the points and taking away shooting lanes, forcing Makar to rely on his playmaking. He has five assists spanning the past four meetings with the Kings.
Nathan MacKinnon leads the league in goals and has exited the Olympic break firing at will, generating 14 shots on 19 attempts. He should find the net sooner rather than later with that kind of volume.
Valeri Nichushkin has points in five consecutive road games. Find more NHL betting trends for Avalanche vs. Kings.
How to watch Avalanche vs Kings
Location
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Monday, March 2, 2026
Puck drop
10:30 p.m. ET
TV
ALT2, FDSN West
Avalanche vs Kings latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Pittsburgh Penguins currently have a 31-15-13 record and are second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points. With this, it would not be surprising if they continued to look to add to their roster ahead of the deadline.
Yet, with the Penguins retooling, the possibility of them trading more of their players should not be ruled out. Because of this, one of their goaltenders is continuing to create chatter as a trade candidate.
"Skinner is a positionally sound goaltender who excels at remaining square to the shooter. He’s also got plenty of big-game experience from consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final with the Oilers," Johnston wrote.
With Skinner being a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), it would not be surprising if the Penguins at least listened to offers on the 27-year-old goalie. They also already showed that they are not afraid to move pending UFAs, as they recently dealt defenseman Brett Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche.
With the Penguins having two young goalies in Sergei Murashov and Arturs Silovs, it is fair to wonder if Skinner could be made available. This is especially so if the Penguins do not have plans to re-sign him.
Teams looking for more depth between the pipes could take a chance on Skinner. In 37 games this season split between the Edmonton Oilers and Penguins, he has a 19-12-6 record, a 2.76 goals-against average. a .891 save percentage, and two shutouts.
Mike and Dan are relaxed and excited as the Islanders win three in a row and put themselves in good position for both the playoffs and the NHL Trade Deadline.
We were worried that going into two places they never win in – Montreal and Columbus – and coming back to face the rabid Panthers at home could be a significant hill for the Islanders to climb immediately after the Olympic break. But behind the Disney Dads, Anders Lee and J-G Pageau, and the literally unbelievable Matthew Schaefer, they won all three in uncharacteristically exciting fashion and have us thinking that something special is going on here. Going down 0-2 in each of them isn’t ideal, but coming back to get points and create separation between them and the teams chasing them means everything right now as teams enter their final 24 game stretch.
The wins also mean that the games this week in California against the Ducks, Kings and Sharks have just a little less weight on them. If they can keep the streak going, they have a real chance to lock things up long before the season’s final week, which is huge departure from the last few seasons.
Later, we look ahead to Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline and how the Islanders have positioned themselves to do something big. Adding around the edges might be okay in most seasons, but if they can find some bigger fish to relieve the pressure on their current leaders, they might really scare the rest of the field.
Finally, we pay our respects to two great NHL voices that we have lost recently.
REFERENCES
The Islanders already made a huge trade (for Bridgeport). Goodbye, Julien Gauthier.
RIP Jim Robson, who’s call of Bob Nystrom’s goal in 1980 will remain in Islanders and NHL lore forever.
RIP Boomer Gordon, a great radio host, good person and a friend who will be missed.
This picture really is incredible:
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Former Senator Mark Stone was injured on Sunday in curious circumstances.
The Vegas Golden Knights captain was skating through the neutral zone against the Pittsburgh Penguins and took the lightest of cross-checks from defenseman Kris Letang. Stone immediately skated off in pain, left the game and did not return.
"I barely touched him," Letang told rinkside analyst Darren Pang right after the play.
Mark Stone left the game injured after this play with Kris Letang and he will NOT return 🤕 pic.twitter.com/si55E8Oi24
In fact, it was barely a standard cross check, almost more of cross check shove. Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy, the former Ottawa 67s great, wasn't sure about Stone's status after the game.
"I assume he'll be on the plane with us to Buffalo and then probably have a better update (on Monday)," Cassidy told the media. "Upper body is all I was told and we'll see where it lands."
When asked about the impact of losing Stone in the game, Cassidy had a thoughtful reply. He said the club has been used to pushing through with players out of the lineup this season, but because of his past, an injury to Stone lands a little differently.
"I just think it's the timing of it, maybe. Mark's had some injuries before, so guys are concerned for him, rightfully so. So I think that would be the biggest effect (on the team today), you know, is he OK? Or did he re injure something he has in the past? I think everybody's kind of worried about that. So that probably plays in your mind a little bit. But we're certainly not going to use that as an excuse for how we played. We just weren't good enough."
It added injury to the insult of a 5-0 Sunday loss for the Knights.
Meanwhile, seeing Stone injured while taking such light contact on the week of the NHL trade deadline is sure to raise eyebrows with some of the more suspicious fans around the league.
While Stone has had injuries in the past, it's also true that seeing him on the injury list before the deadline, which hasn't happened yet in this case, has happened more than once before.
The silver lining in Stone (or anyone else) going on LTIR was the creation of cap space so that the Knights could make trades at the deadline. Then, when the playoffs arrived and there is no cap, the Knights were often fortunate that Stone was ready to rejoin the bolstered roster.
That led to complaints of cap circumvention, and whether the Knights were truly doing that or not, it cannot be argued they were playing by the NHL's rules.
But no one can make that claim with Stone's latest injury. The loophole is now closed.
"Playoff Cap Counting" was announced back in September as an add-on to the new CBA which officially begins next season. The 2026 trade deadline is set for this Friday at 3 pm.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published by The Hockey News. More headlines here:
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Our best NHL player props for Monday, March 2
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Adam Fantilli Over 2.5 shots
-120 at BET99
Columbus Blue Jackets go-to center Adam Fantilli has only picked up 10 shots across his past 26 games despite recording a healthy 26 attempts. That 38.5% conversion rate is well below the 47.7% mark he posted through the first 52 games of the season, and there’s nothing scary about this matchup.
The New York Rangers rank below average in both shots allowed per game and Corsi For percentage at 5-on-5, and Fantilli is also one of the primary shooters on Columbus' No. 1 power-play unit.
Landeskog has been on the ice with MacKinnon for a healthy 265:15 of ice time this season, and the Avs have scored 6.79 goals per 60 minutes while also running wild at 5-on-5 with 58.0 Corsi For percentage and 56.6 expected goals percentage.
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Prop #3: Marco Kasper Over 0.5 points
+160 at BET99
Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper is projected to skate on the No. 1 line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Raymond paces the team in points, with Larkin ranking third, so this is an excellent opportunity for the 2022 eighth-overall pick.
Kasper is also finding his footing with seven points and 29 shots across his past 12 games. Plus, the Nashville Predators have surrendered the fifth-most goals per game.
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The Buffalo Sabres are in a position to add to their roster. At the time of this writing, the Sabres have a 35-19-6 record and are second in the Atlantic Division standings. With this and the Sabres looking to avoid extending their playoff drought to 15 years, they should not be afraid to make some moves.
One trade need that the Sabres could look to address is bringing in another forward to their middle six. Due to this, they are now being connected to an interesting forward from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Matthew Fairburn named Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann as an "ideal target" for the Sabres.
"McMann is the type of fast, forechecking winger who would fit on any of Buffalo’s lines. He’s also got some goal-scoring pop to his game and only makes $1.35 million per year," Fairburn wrote.
There is no question that McMann would be a nice addition to the Sabres' roster. The 6-foot-2 forward is currently in the middle of a strong season for the Maple Leafs. In 59 games this campaign with the Original Six club, McMann has recorded 19 goals, 13 assists, 32 points, and 133 hits. This was after he set career highs with 20 goals, 14 assists, 34 points, and 136 hits in 74 games this past season with the Maple Leafs.
When looking at how McMann has performed over the last two seasons with the Maple Leafs, it is clear that he would give the Sabres a nice mixture of secondary scoring and grit if acquired. This would be beneficial for the Sabres, but especially when the games get tougher during the playoffs.
Due to his ability to play both wings, the Sabres would be able to slot McMann in multiple spots in their lineup. Yet, the idea of a line with him, Josh Norris, and Josh Doan is an appealing one. Furthermore, he would give the Sabres another clear option for their power play because of his offensive skill.
Nevertheless, with the Sabres looking to get into the playoffs, it would make sense for them to bring in a forward like McMann. It will be interesting to see if they do just that.
Overall you have to be happy with the way the Pittsburgh Penguins played their first week back out of the 2026 Winter Olympic break. Despite not having captain Sidney Crosby in the lineup, they still earned five out of a possible six points to help maintain their place in the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. While Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers produced a frustrating result, letting a 2-0 lead slip away against a bad team and losing yet another shootout, the way they responded on Sunday made it all pretty easy to let go. The important thing at this point is to just keep collecting points. They are.
Now they enter an important week for their season: Trade deadline week.
Yes, there are games to be played as well, and they really start to get into the meat of their tough March schedule, but it is also going to be fascinating to see how Kyle Dubas handles this week from a roster move perspective.
He has already been busy this season, having traded Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a 2029 second-round draft pick, acquiring Egor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for second-and third-round picks, and then most recently trading defenseman Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Samuel Girard and another 2028 second-round draft pick.
That is a lot.
There might still be more ahead.
The big questions to watch this week:
Does he make a move for another depth defenseman?
Does he try to acquire a center for the short-term with Crosby sidelined, or is he confident enough in the Penguins ability to win games and stay competitive until the captain returns?
Does he risk trading Anthony Mantha for what could be a big return, even though he has turned out to be a big part of this roster?
Does he trade Skinner to further add to the Jarry trade tree, while also creating an opportunity for Sergei Murashov to get a more permanent look and role in the NHL?
Does he find another impact player with term-remaining on their contract that fits in with the current young core?
We know he has a ton of draft pick capital to trade from, he has opportunities to acquire more if he trades from that, and we know the Penguins have an enormous amount of salary cap space to work with both this season and in future seasons.
There are a lot of possibilities here. My guess is there is at least one more trade of some importance before Friday. It is just a matter of what that looks like.
In between all of that there are games to deal with.
The week begins on Tuesday with a road game at the Boston Bruins. The Bruins have been wildly inconsistent all season and remain a tough team to get a read on. Their record is fine. Their underlying numbers are terrible and suggest a team that has overachieved.
David Pastrnak is one of the best players in hockey and the main guy they have to be concerned with, while Morgan Geekie has turned into a top goal-scorer (nobody saw that happening) and gives them a strong 1-2 punch offensively. But they have limited depth beyond those two and a defense that gets really thin as soon you get beyond Charlie McAvoy.
The Penguins always seem to struggle in Boston, and already lost there once this season having lost a 1-0 game back on January 11. They have just one regulation defeat since then, going 10-1-4 in the 15 games since, earning 24 out of a 30 possible points. That is an .800 points percentage.
The Penguins then return home for a three-game homestand that begins on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo has been the NHL’s best team record-wise since mid-December, and is coming off an impressive 6-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. They look for real and are going to be a very formidable opponent. The Penguins, however, have won the first two games of the season against Buffalo, outscoring them by a 9-4 margin. The first game was probably a little misleading with its 4-2 final score (the Sabres were arguably the better team in that game), but the Penguins response before the Olympic break was a thoroughly convincing win.
They then have another weekend back-to-back. The first of those games will be on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers kind of sunk out of the playoff race before the Olympic break and are now going into the NHL Trade Deadline as likely sellers. It remains to be seen what their roster will look like on Saturday, but I would not anticipate any major changes. This will be the fourth meeting of the season, with the Penguins have won two of the first three and collecting five out of a possible six points in those games. The past two games have been completely one-sided with the Penguins outscoring them by an 11-4 margin.
The Penguins then conclude the week on Sunday, book-ending it with another game against the Bruins, this time at home. Both teams will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, while the Penguins will have the advantage of not having to travel and already being at home.
On paper, this is a tough schedule. They have three games against likely playoff teams, but the Penguins have done extremely well in those matchups this season. Against teams currently in a playoff position, they are 12-5-7, good enough for a .645 points percentage. That would be a 105.7 points pace over an 82-game season. Against teams with a top-10 points percentage they are even better with a 9-3-3 record this season. They have been able to consistently raise their game and level of play against playoff teams and the top teams in the league.
Still, these are going to be some tough games. Given where the Penguins are in the standings, the cushion they have created for themselves and the fact they are still without Crosby for the time being, they pretty much need to just play .500 hockey to maintain things until Crosby returns. Anything that results in four or more points this week should be considered a win.
NHL Insider Believes There Is A 'Decent Chance' Blues Robert Thomas Is Moved Before The DeadlineSportsnet's Elliotte Friedman stated that there is a "decent chance" that the St. Louis Blues move Robert Thomas prior to the March 6 NHL trade deadline. 
Four Blues Players Feature On The Hockey News' NHL Trade Deadline BoardFour St. Louis Blues players appeared on The Hockey News' first edition of their NHL Trade Deadline Board. 
Fantilli Over 2.5 shots
Landeskog Over 0.5 assists
Kasper Over 0.5 points