The Buffalo Sabres made a handful of additions leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. It is not difficult to understand why the Sabres added to their depth, as they are in a prime position to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
The Sabres tried to make a blockbuster trade for Colton Parayko, but the St. Louis Blues star defenseman blocked the move. After that, the Sabres made some solid depth additions that have the potential to give them a boost.
One specific trade addition who has the potential to be a good pickup for the Sabres is forward Sam Carrick. The Sabres acquired him from the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick. While this is not a major move, it was a sneaky good one for Buffalo.
With this trade, the Sabres have added a solid bottom-six center who throws the body, kills penalties, and has success at the faceoff dot. With this, he is the kind of hard-nosed player that a team prepping for the playoffs should be looking to add.
Carrick will also be more than a rental for the Sabres, too, as he is signed until the end of next season with a $1 million cap hit. This is not a bad thing in the slightest.
In 60 games this season with the Rangers before being acquired by Buffalo, Carrick had four goals, 10 points, 86 hits, and a 53.9 winning faceoff percentage.
One of the more surprising moments from the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline was that the Vancouver Canucks did not trade Teddy Blueger. Leading up to the deadline, reports indicated that there was interest in the 31-year-old center, but at the end of the day, he was not moved. With the trade deadline now complete and Blueger still on the roster, the Canucks should shift their focus to ensure he stays with the organization past this season.
Blueger is at the end of a two-year contract which carries a cap hit of $1.8 million. While he has missed significant time with injury this season, the 2026 Olympian has found ways to step up when he is in the lineup. Over his 15 games, Blueger has collected nine points while throwing 34 hits.
While Blueger is a bottom-six center, he brings plenty of experience and leadership to the organization. He won a Stanley Cup in 2023 with the Vegas Golden Knights and has 433 games of NHL experience under his belt. As mentioned, Blueger also represented his country at the 2026 Winter Olympics and has extensive international experience playing for Latvia throughout his career.
Blueger has also shared publicy that he enjoys playing in Vancouver. Prior to the trade deadline, he told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre, "We'd love to stay. We love the city." Considering where the organization is in the standings and everything that has happened over the past few years, Blueger's desire to stay shows a level of commitement that the Canuck should take seriously.
The question now is, what would a contract extension look like for Blueger? Based on recent contracts signed and the cap continuing to climb, a possible extension could be three years with a cap hit of $2.5 million. This would give Blueger a well-deserved raise while also keeping him around the organization for the first few years of the rebuild.
Mar 6, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Teddy Blueger (53) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
If Blueger still expresses a desire to stay in Vancouver, the organization needs to ensure they re-sign him before July 1. He leads by example on and off the ice, which is what the Canucks need as they begin this multi-year rebuild. With no need to focus on trades for the next few months, Vancouver's attention should shift to ensuring that Blueger remains in a Canucks jersey for the foreaeeable future.
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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The Calgary Flames were busy ahead of this week’s NHL deadline, shipping away several key players like Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar.
That opens the door for players to step up into bigger roles, and I’ll break down why Matt Coronato will do just that for Calgary.
Find out more in my Hurricanes vs. Flames predictions and NHL picks for Saturday, March 7.
Hurricanes vs Flames prediction
Hurricanes vs Flames best bet:Matt Coronato Over 2.5 shots (+100)
The Calgary Flames lineup is looking pretty barren after the trade deadline, but Matt Coronato is one of the few bright spots remaining.
Coronato leads the team with 14 goals and 151 shots, and he’ll be relied upon even more heavily with Kadri shipped off to Colorado.
Coronato has logged Over 2.5 shots in three of his last four games, as well as eight of his last 10 outings.
The Flames don’t have many natural scorers left, so expect Coronato to lean into his shoot-first mentality.
Hurricanes vs Flames same-game parlay
The Carolina Hurricanes have won 12 of their last 15 games, winning seven of those contests by at least two goals. Meanwhile, the Flames have lost 10 of their last 13 and are 10-3 ATS over that span.
Nikolaj Ehlers is red hot for Carolina with points in three straight and six of his last seven outings.
The Under is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings. Find more NHL betting trends for Hurricanes vs. Flames. Find more NHL betting trends for Hurricanes vs. Flames.
How to watch Hurricanes vs Flames
Location
Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Date
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-South, Sportsnet
Hurricanes vs Flames 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 Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings face off in a crucial game on Saturday night as both clubs fight for playoff spots.
Cole Caufield has been the NHL’s hottest goal scorer for nearly two months, and I’ll break down how he fits into my Canadiens vs. Kings predictions and NHL picks for Saturday, March 7.
Canadiens vs Kings prediction
Canadiens vs Kings best bet:Cole Caufield anytime goal (+130)
The Montreal Canadiens fell in a shootout to the Anaheim Ducks last night, but Cole Caufield was all over the score sheet once again.
The Habs winger scored two goals and added an assist to boost his impressive totals over the past couple of months. Since January 17, Caufield has led the NHL with 16 goals in just 14 games.
The Canadiens star has been incredibly consistent, finding the back of the net in 10 of his last 14 contests.
The Los Angeles Kings have won just two of their last eight, allowing 4 gpg over that span – third-worst in the league.
Canadiens vs Kings same-game parlay
Not only are the Canadiens the better team tonight, but they’ve also been road warriors this season. Montreal owns a .645 points percentage as the visitor – good for sixth-best in the NHL.
The Kings are also 3-8 in their last 11 games on home ice.
The Over is 10-5 in Los Angeles’ last 15 home games and 5-1 in Montreal’s last six games overall. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Kings.
How to watch Canadiens vs Kings
Location
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-West, Sportsnet East
Canadiens 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.
Senators vs Kraken best bet:Senators moneyline (-140)
The Ottawa Senatorshave picked up points in five straight, winning three, to move within four points of Boston for the second and final Wild Card spot in the East.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Kraken hold down the final Wild Card spot out West, but they've lost three of their last five, scoring two or fewer goals in four of those contests.
Ottawa has taken five of the last six against Seattle, and they've shut them out in three of those games.
A Top 10 scoring team, I like Ottawa to keep the trend going in its playoff push.
Senators vs Kraken same-game parlay
Tim Stutzle has been on a tear for the Senators. His empty net goal last game in a win over Calgary gave him at least a point in 11 straight games, and he's tallied seven goals over that stretch.
And we'll take Brady Tkachuk to pick up an assist. He's been more set up man than trigger man of late, picking up at least one assist in four of his last five games.
Five of Seattle's last six home games against Atlantic Division opponents have gone Over the total. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Kraken.
How to watch Senators vs Kraken
Location
Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Date
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
KHN, Sportsnet
Senators vs Kraken 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 Penguins have won two of the first three meetings and will try to win the season series when the Flyers visit PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins enter this game on a two-game losing streak, while the Flyers have won three of their last four.
Travis Konecny leads the Flyers in scoring with 23 goals and 57 points in 58 games, but has missed the last two games with an injury. It would be a big loss for the team if he can't go in this one.
Trevor Zegras is also having a great season, racking up 21 goals and 50 points in 61 games. He's a pending restricted free agent and is making a very strong case for the Flyers to bring him back.
Matvei Michkov has been having an up-and-down season with 15 goals and 31 points in 60 games, but when he's on, he's a ton of fun to watch. The Flyers also still have Owen Tippett, who is one goal away from his fourth 20-goal season.
The Flyers come into this game eight points behind the Penguins and six points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Penguins will be without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for this game. Crosby is still recovering from the injury that he suffered at the Olympics, while Malkin is serving a five-game suspension after slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the head on Thursday.
This means that Ben Kindel will likely move into the top six for a little bit.
Stuart Skinner will likely get the start in goal after Arturs Silovs started on Thursday.
Puck drop is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
EDMONTON, CANADA - MARCH 6: Sebastian Aho #20 of the Carolina Hurricanes shields the puck from Jack Roslovic #28 of the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of the game at Rogers Place on March 6, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
After defeating Edmonton 6-3 last night, the Carolina Hurricanes travel three hours south to take on Calgary tonight at 10:00 PM ET.
Saturday night’s matchup is a tale of two opposites. The Flames are the second-worst team in the league, while the Hurricanes are tied for the second-best record in the NHL.
Calgary General Manager Craig Conroy has fully committed to a rebuild, offloading veterans and big contracts to stockpile draft capital and prospects.
In January, the Flames sent defenseman Rasmus Andersson to Vegas for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and two defensemen.
Defenseman Mackenzie Weegar was sent to Utah earlier this week for three second-round picks, Olli Maatta, and Jonathan Castagna.
The big trade on Friday was center and leading scorer Nazem Kadri, who rejoined Colorado in exchange for a conditional first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick, Victor Olofsson, and Max Curran.
The two youngsters to keep an eye on are Castagna and Curran. Both are big, left-shot centers who will be critical in Calgary’s rebuild.
Castagna is a two-way center at Cornell and is expected to sign an entry-level contract once the NCAA season is over. This 200-foot player could make his NHL debut near the end of the season and will certainly compete for a roster spot next year.
Curran is a playmaker in the WHL, tallying 14 goals and 27 assists in 31 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings. The young Czech will likely be in juniors for another season.
The Flames have added a stockpile of solid draft picks, which will help build the prospect pool and enable trades for players who can help in the near term.
With these departures, Mikael Backlund is now the Flames’ leading scorer with 13 goals and 22 assists. Matt Coronato leads the team with 14 goals.
Another sore spot for Calgary fans is the injury to Jonathan Huberdeau. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve in late February and is undergoing hip resurfacing surgery to alleviate lingering issues.
In net, 24-year-old Dustin Wolf is taking the bulk of the starter’s workload. Wolf has played 44 games and has a 17-23-3 record. He is backed up by Devin Cooley, who has played 22 games and has a solid 2.27 goals against average and .923 save percentage.
Third-year coach Ryan Huska must completely shift his focus to developing players and executing his system. Huska’s philosophy relies heavily on structural defensive play, aggressive penalty killing, and quick transitions.
But the execution has not completely matched the blueprint.
Despite having the seventh-best penalty kill in the league, the Flames have a -35 goal differential, tied for 30th in the NHL.
The power play is abysmal, ranking second-to-last in the league. The units have been completely revamped, so expect some young forwards to get a shot on the man advantage.
Since the NHL returned from the 2026 Winter Olympics break in late February, the Flames have posted a 1-3-1 record. In these five games, the Flames have managed only eight goals while allowing 16. The lack of an offensive finish over the last four games is part of a larger problem for this team.
Calgary is the lowest-scoring team in the league, tallying 150 goals this season. The team has scored just 98 goals during five-on-five while allowing 125 goals.
When you look at the advanced statistics, the Flames’ season becomes both a little more encouraging and a lot more frustrating.
The Flames had 127 expected goals during five-on-five. That massive gap between their expected and actual goals shows that, while the Flames are generating some decent offensive chances, they severely lack the finishing touch needed to actually put the puck in the net.
The team has a Corsi percentage just over 50 percent, meaning they control the puck a bit more than the opponent during five-on-five.
Looking at expected goals against, it is 132 during five-on-five. Calgary has allowed 125 goals, and when looking at the number of high-danger chances, credit is due to Wolf.
The Flames are a young, retooled team. There is not much for them to gain this season, but putting up a solid effort against one of the best squads in the NHL can help them look to the future with confidence.
There are no nights off in the NHL, and the Hurricanes need to finish off this Canadian tour strong.
Brandon Bussi earned his first career shutout against the Flames back in November. With Frederik Andersen earning the win last night, and getting an assist on Jordan Staal’s goal, Bussi is expected to make the start.
Nikolaj Ehlers is the hot Hurricane right now. After his hat trick against Vancouver, Ehlers netted his 20th goal of the season last night.
Jackson Blake netted two third period goals to set a new career high in his sophomore season, and put him one marker away from the 20-goal threshold.
K’Andre Miller had three assists last night, his first three-assist night since February 8, 2023.
Sebastian Aho assisted on Shayne Gostisbehere’s first-period goal last night, putting him one away from 40 assists on the season. With his next apple, Aho will reach the 40-assist plateau for the fourth time in his 10 NHL seasons.
The most concerning news from last night was a lower-body injury to Gostisbehere. He left the game and did not return. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour did not have an update after the game.
Stay tuned for lineup changes, notably Gostisbehere and the fourth-line center.
Here’s how to check out the action:
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Location: Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, AB
TV: FanDuel Sports Network with Mike Maniscalco, play-by-play; Tripp Tracy, color analyst; Shane Willis, analyst; Hannah Yates, rinkside.
Just hours after the NHL’s annual trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks had a game to play, once again, with first place in the Pacific Division standings on the line, as they hosted the Montreal Canadiens on Friday evening.
Anaheim had just split back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, and they entered play having won six of their last seven games.
The Habs entered play in the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and were coming off an entertaining 7-5 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
The Ducks added defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, but he was unavailable for Friday’s game. The Ducks also traded forward Ryan Strome to the Calgary Flames, rendering him unavailable for the Ducks as well. Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund remained out of the lineup with upper-body injuries, so the Ducks lined up like this to start the game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Gauthier
Killorn-McTavish-Sennecke
Vatrano-Poehling-Harkins
Johnston-Washe-Viel
LaCombe-Trouba
Zellweger-Gudas
Mintyukov-Moore
Lukas Dostal got the start in net for the Ducks after watching backup Ville Husso face 43 shots on Wednesday. Dostal saved 23 of the 28 shots he faced in this one. He was opposed by Samuel Montembeault in Montreal’s crease, who stopped 28 of 33.
“We find a way to compete, right to the end, and we have some guys that could put the puck in the net, and we have some goalies that make big saves at big times,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said of his team’s chaotic performance in this game.
Game Notes
Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba called this game “high event,” and he’d be accurate with his assessment. This is the kind of style that the Ducks seem to be embracing, and they know they have the firepower to compete offensively in a track meet, and when games go past regulation, they can win the “skills competitions” in overtime and in the shootout.
The Ducks haven’t been making as many “shoot themselves in the foot” gargantuan mistakes in open ice that lead to endless chances heading Dostal’s way as they had at the early points in the season. The defensive mistakes they’re making now are coming in the smaller areas of the ice and in the minutiae. Mistakes are coming from recovering from failed breakouts, switching assignments when pucks move across the top of the defensive zone, and eliminating potentially dangerous lanes.
Puck Retrievals: Jackson LaCombe was the only Ducks defenseman who was able to consistently absorb the aggressive Montreal forecheck and leverage it against them to manufacture clean exits. Radko Gudas played firmly within his skillset, making simple, safe rims and chips to safety.
The remaining four blueliners had a difficult time spinning off or moving pucks around the Habs’ F1s. When they were able to advance pucks, Montreal’s F2 eliminated D-to-D lanes, and pinching defensemen, more often than not, sealed off winger outlets before pucks arrived, elongating time spent in the Ducks’ defensive zone.
Mason McTavish: Breakouts weren’t just an issue for defensemen in this game. McTavish was often late to read progressions and late to arrive for support in his end. Pucks were jumping off his stick, and he was rarely able to pick pucks up at full speed in the defensive or neutral zones.
Chris Kreider: Kreider seems to have found a home on his line alongside Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson. Never a puck transporter, he’s always scanning for his linemates before pucks arrive at his stick as an outlet in transition, throwing little slip passes to Carlsson, longer area passes to Gauthier, hitting both in speed, then properly filling lanes in support to make himself an option after entry.
Gauthier and Carlsson have utilized their speed well to forecheck and pounce on loose pucks, again, with Kreider reading their cuts and putting himself in optimal positions for connecting give-and-go sequences.
Olen Zellweger: Zellweger has been forced to evolve his game and is anything but an offensive specialist at this point in his career. However, he’s finding ways to remain impactful in the o-zone without dictating play with the puck on his stick. He acts as a fourth forward on the forecheck, timing pressures on outlets perfectly, and he’s selectively choosing optimal opportunities to activate from the blueline without the puck, often driving through the middle of the zone when forwards move up the wall to disrupt the opponent’s defensive zone coverage.
The Ducks will wrap up their run of nine consecutive home games on Sunday with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Thereafter, they’ll head out on a four-game road trip to face the four eastern-most Canadian teams.
There is a lot to scrutinize with the Toronto Maple Leafs given the situation they currently find themselves in. While the team once expected to be contending for a Stanley Cup in 2026, that clearly doesn’t appear to be on their radar; instead, the focus has quickly shifted to the club's future regarding the NHL Draft.
This year, the Leafs only get to keep their first-round draft pick if they manage to fall into one of the top-five selections. This follows a trade where the Leafs sent prospect Fraser Minten and their 2026 first-round pick to the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Brandon Carlo, with only top-five protection included in the deal.
The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are in a similar situation, but they took a different approach to risk management. When they dealt their first-round pick to acquire defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks, they ensured the pick was top-10 protected, making it increasingly likely they would retain it.
When Leafs GM Brad Treliving was pressed on why he didn’t ensure his pick had top-10 protection like Florida’s, he was blunt.
Currently, the best chance for Toronto to keep the pick is to slide further down the standings. They could also hope to win the lottery to move up 10 spots from their current position.
Interestingly, Treliving did manage to pick up a first-round pick for 2027 in a separate deal that sent Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche. Ironically, that deal with Colorado is top-10 protected; otherwise, it pushes into an unconditional 2028 first-rounder.
It’s hard to know exactly what forced Treliving to make the 2026 pick so easy to attain. When it was all said and done, he likely assumed the Leafs would be back in the playoffs, meaning the difference between top-5 and top-10 protection wouldn’t have been enough to stall the trade he wanted to make. However, that assumption could prove to be very costly now.
The Leafs are 27-25-11 this season and enter Saturday's action with the seventh-worst record as far as points percentage goes.
The Philadelphia Flyers were fairly active ahead of the 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline Friday, but many of their old friends, too, ended up being attractive trade pieces for contending teams.
To round up the Flyers' business on the day, they made a few moves that shook up the roster, but nothing too major.
Notably, Rasmus Ristolainen stayed put, while Bobby Brink and Nick Deslauriers made way for David Jiricek and a 2027 seventh-round pick,
Other Flyers, who have long been away from the organization, made waves around the NHL.
One of the biggest deals involving a former Flyers forward came from the West, where the St. Louis Blues shipped captain Brayden Schenn off to the New York Islanders for a whopping package of Jonathan Drouin, goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick.
Schenn's older brother, former Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn, was dealt to Buffalo by Winnipeg, alongside Logan Stanley, in exchange for former first-round pick Isak Rosen (drafted using the Flyers' first-round pick in the original Ristolainen trade), defenseman Jacob Bryson, a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
Those two are a pretty valuable pair of brothers!
Then, to round out the trade deadline, ex-Flyers forward Scott Laughton, who was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs this time last year for Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick, moved to the Los Angeles Kings for a measly conditional 2026 third-round pick.
Overall, that's a tidy piece of business for the Flyers, and an absolutely astonishing management of assets by the Maple Leafs.
With the trades of Bobby Brink and Nicolas Deslauriers, the Flyers called up one of their top prospects on AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Alex Bump joined the Flyers for the team’s game Saturday against the Penguins in Pittsburgh (5:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP). The 22-year-old winger is expected to make his NHL debut.
Bump has put up 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 36 games with the Phantoms. An injury had him miss extended time, including almost all of January, as outlined here by Madeline Campbell of Broad Street Hockey.
They’ve also been without Travis Konecny, who has missed the last two games because of an upper-body injury. Konecny practiced Friday in a non-contact jersey and his status is uncertain for Pittsburgh.
Needing some help down the middle, the Flyers claimed Luke Glendening off waivers Friday. The 36-year-old veteran has played 916 career NHL games and the Flyers are hoping he can give them a lift in the faceoff circle.
David Pastrnak is one of the best shot-generators in the NHL. He’s performed most efficiently at home soil following a day off, which is the situation he finds himself in this afternoon.
My Capitals vs. Bruins predictions expect Pastrnak to pile up the shots in an advantageous matchup against Washington.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Saturday, March 7.
Capitals vs Bruins prediction
Capitals vs Bruins best bet: David Pastrnak Over 3.5 shots on goal (-105)
Death, taxes, and David Pastrnak at home after a day of rest. He has thrived under these circumstances, averaging 3.9 shots on 7.8 attempts over 14 games. Pastrnak went Over 3.5 shots in 10 of them (71%).
Eight of the 14 games were played against Bottom-16 shot suppression teams. The Boston Bruins star averaged 4.4 shots while clearing his 3.5 total in seven.
The Washington Capitals rank 17th in shot suppression and allow well over 29 shots per game on the road. Plenty of shooting opportunities should be coming Pastrnak’s way.
Capitals vs Bruins same-game parlay
Pastrnak hasn’t scored in seven consecutive games, tying his longest drought over the last two seasons. He had three prior seven-game droughts and scored in the eighth game each time. That trend should continue against a Capitals squad that has averaged 3.8 goals allowed over their last 10 on the road.
Alex Ovechkin has played four games against Bottom-20 shot suppression teams without John Carlson in the lineup. He recorded 4+ shots in each, averaging a whopping 8.8 attempts per game. That’s well above his season average of 6.5.
Capitals vs Bruins SGP
David Pastrnak Over 3.5 shots on goal
David Pastrnak anytime goal
Alex Ovechkin Over 3.5 shots on goal
Capitals vs Bruins odds
Moneyline: Washington +105 | Boston -125
Puck line: Washington +1.5 (-230) | Boston -1.5 (+190)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-135) | Under 5.5 (+115)
Capitals vs Bruins trend
David Pastrnak has recorded 4+ shots in seven of his last 10 home games after one day of rest. Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Bruins.
How to watch Capitals vs Bruins
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Puck drop
12:30 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Capitals vs Bruins 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 Toronto Maple Leafs won't admit to using every avenue to fall further down the standings, but that's what's going to happen in their final 19 games of the season.
There's nothing left for Toronto and general manager Brad Treliving to learn about the players who've been around all season. It's time to see what their players with the AHL's Toronto Marlies have.
"I would anticipate that, yeah," Treliving said on Friday about using Marlies later in the year to see what they could do.
Jacob Quillan and Easton Cowan (even though he's been a Maple Leaf for the entire year, he deserves to be in this conversation) will get more looks in unique situations in the final stretch of the season — that's already been confirmed by Berube.
Do the Maple Leafs, though, stick their hand further down the prospect pot and bring other players up?
Luke Haymes, who Toronto signed to an NHL contract out of Dartmouth College last spring, might deserve a look. He's up to 14 goals and 24 points in 52 games — plus nine goals and 10 points in his last 12 games — at the time of writing on Friday night.
Maybe with Quillan up with the Maple Leafs, they move Haymes into a larger role with the Marlies as they battle for playoff seeding in the AHL's North Division, and call up someone like Bo Groulx?
He leads the Marlies with 50 points (27 goals and 23 assists) in 53 games this season. Groulx isn't a prospect per se, but he's deserving of a look at the NHL with his play in the AHL this year.
Because Haymes won't be as far along as someone like Quillan, it might just make sense to keep him with the Marlies.
It feels like most Maple Leafs fans want to see what the organization has in William Villeneuve, and maybe now is the right time. Drafted by Toronto in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the 23-year-old has spent all of his pro career in the AHL.
He's gotten just about every opportunity with the Marlies, whether it's playing in the dying minutes of a close game or consistently being the quarterback of the team's number-one power play unit.
Villeneuve has tallied 12 goals and 110 points over four seasons (212 AHL games) at the time of writing. And while offense has never been the problem with Villeneuve, his defensive game has been a different story.
He's struggled with defensive reads at times. He could be more physical in front of his net. He could also be making better decisions under pressure.
"I think it's the thing we've been talking about for a couple of years now," said Villeneuve in December, about how he can improve. "I think there's a lot of ups and downs, and I just want to find a way to have a game, like a stable game, where I can be relied on every single night and ride with the good (games) and not let the bad ones get too bad."
There's a reason he hasn't been called up to the Maple Leafs yet, especially earlier this season when Toronto was dealing with several injuries to its defense.
Sometimes, though, players come up to the NHL and play better than they did in the AHL. The Maple Leafs need to see if they have that with Villeneuve, or if he's better off being in the AHL with the Marlies for the remainder of the year.
And being 22 points off last place (held by the Vancouver Canucks), it's the right thing to do, not only with Villeneuve, but several other players in the AHL.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 08: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on October 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to Saturday, folks!
After a relatively quiet trade deadline, the Bruins are back in action today — and it’s a pretty important game in the playoff race.
As always, treat that 12:30 start time with an asterisk, as this is an ABC game.
We could place bets on what time puck drop actually happens. I’m going with 12:39 PM.
Anyways, the Capitals come into today’s game four points behind the Bruins in the race for the second wild card spot, though the Bruins do have two games in hand.
The Caps made one of the deadline’s bigger moves earlier this week, dealing longtime defenseman (and Massachusetts native) John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks.
They also sent forward Nic Dowd out to Vegas.
The Caps also made a couple of acquisitions, bringing in David Kampf and Timothy Liljegren.
These moves aren’t necessarily a waving of the white flag, but they certainly weren’t a team loading up for a playoff run (though to be fair, the Caps weren’t really positioning themselves as contenders anyways).
The Caps are led by familiar faces: Alex Ovechkin (50PTS), Tom Wilson (49PTS), and Jakob Chychrun (49PTS).
They’ve also gotten good production out of Aliaksei Protas (20 goals) and Dylan Strome (49PTS).
On the Bruins side of things, I wouldn’t expect anything majorly different today.
David Pastrnak needs to get going, as his goal drought extends toward the “is there a bigger problem here?” territory.
Columbus is now just a point behind the Bruins, and the Blue Jackets play later on tonight, so there’s a little extra pressure in the standings now as well.
Hey, that’s what makes this a fun time of year, right?
Utah Mammoth - 33-25-4 - 70 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 4th in the Central.
Columbus Blue Jackets - 32-21-8 - 72 Points - 8-1-1 in the last 10 - Won 3 - 4th in the Metro.
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus has won three-straight and earned points in four consecutive games (3-0-1) after earning a 4-2 victory over Florida on Thursday. The club has earned points in 15 of its last 17 contests (14-2-1) since a Jan. 11 win at Utah.
CBJ, who are in the middle of a four-game homestand, have recorded points in seven-straight home contests (6-0-1) and 11-of-12 games played at Nationwide Arena in 2026 (9-1-2).
Since Dec. 22, the Blue Jackets have gone 18-6-2 (386 pts, .731 points pct.) and rank third in the NHL in points and points percentage, fourth in save pct. (.908), fifth in goals-against/game (2.65), sixth-T in penalty kill pct. (82.4), as well as 11th in goals for/game (3.46).
The club has scored the opening goal in 15 of the past 17 games and leads the league in scoring first in 2025-26 (39, 27-7-5).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle has points in four-straight games (1-4-5) and has posted 6-11-17 and five multi-point efforts in the last 11 contests since Jan. 24.
Adam Fantilli, who had his four-game goal streak (4-2-6) and five-game points streak (4-3-7) snapped on Thursday, has totaled 5-7-12 in the past 11 contests.
Conor Garland was acquired in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. In five seasons in which he has played 68 or more games, he has averaged 19 goals and 47 points with Arizona and Vancouver.
Kirill Marchenko has collected assists in three consecutive games (2-3-5) and has registered points in eight of his past nine contests since Jan. 24 (4-7-11).
Mathieu Olivier notched his third multi-goal game effort of the season in the win over Florida and has totaled 7-2-9 and 30 hits in the last 10 contests.
Zach Werenski, who has missed the past three games due to illness, has collected points in 22 of his past 24 games played since Dec. 11 (11-24-35, 11 multi-point efforts).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.9% - 16th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 77.1% - 25th in the NHL
Goals For - 191- 17th in the NHL
Goals Against - 192 - 22nd in the NHL
MammothStats
Power Play - 117.2% - 25th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 78.0% - 21st in the NHL
Goals For - 196 - 16th in the NHL
Goals Against - 169 - 4th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheMammoth
Columbus is 2-0-1 all-time, and 2-0-0 at home vs. Utah.
Columbus has lost 7 straight games to the Panthers overall, and three straight at home.
The visiting team has come back to earn 3-2 overtime victories in all three games of the series.
CBJ scored two power play goals, including the overtime winner, in the first meeting of the season series on Jan. 11.
The Jackets have killed off all five Utah power play attempts over the past two contests.
The teams have combined to average 58 shots on goal in the first three matchups.
Both teams are looking for their first shutout, hat trick and penalty shot attempt in the all-time series.
Charlie Coyle, LW Mikael Pyyhtia and LW Dmitri Voronkov (GWG) all scored goals in the win at Utah on Jan. 11.
Zach Werenski has collected assists in all three games of the series against Utah (1-3-4), including setting up the winner in the most recent meeting and notching the OT winner in the very first game on Jan. 31, 2025.
Who To Watch For TheMammoth
Dylan Guenther leads the Mammoth with 28 goals.
Clayton Keller leads Utah with 42 assists and 61 points.
Goalie Karel Vejmelka is 29-16-2 with a SV% of .901 and a shutout.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Mammoth
Charlie Coyle has 1 point in 3 career games against Utah.
Boone Jenner has yet to register a point against the Mammoth.
Mason Marchment has 2 goals in 3 games vs. Utah.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 23 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
Zach Werenski missed the last 3 games due to illness.
Dante Fabbro missed the last game due to a lower-body injury.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 165
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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