The NHL's trade deadline is officially complete, and while the Los Angeles Kings didn't have a loud day on Friday, they made some moves. 

Though these trades aren't franchise-altering by any means, Kings GM Ken Holland deserves some credit for what he's done, and here's why.

For starters, back on Feb. 4, he made a grand addition, bringing in superstar left winger Artemi Panarin. While it wasn't technically a deal that was made at the trade deadline, the Kings only lost prospect Liam Greentree and a couple of conditional draft picks, none of which were first-rounders.

Fast-forward to Thursday, when Holland sent left winger Warren Foegele to the Ottawa Senators for a 2026 second-round pick that belongs to the Buffalo Sabres, and swapped third-round picks filtered with several conditions.

On Friday's deadline day, the Kings made a pair of moves. The first trade was sending right winger Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. 

"When Tampa called, it was (Perry's) decision," Holland told reporters in a press conference. "He wanted to go there, so we got a second-round pick."

With the Foegele and Perry trades, as well as the Phillip Danault deal with the Montreal Canadiens back in December, Los Angeles has six second-round picks for the next three drafts, including three for 2026.

'I Had No Purpose': Danault Speaks For The First Time Since Trade From The KingsPhillip Danault has spoken for the first time since the Los Angeles Kings traded him to the Montreal Canadiens. It's clear he wasn't pleased with the way he was handled ahead of his return to Montreal.

"Coming into the deadline… I wanted to try and get another pick or two for our scouts," Holland said. " I think it's important that we got to continue to draft, try to get some young players in the organization."

Later in the day, not long before the 12 p.m. PST cutoff, Los Angeles acquired center Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs. That trade costs the team a 2026 third-round pick, which becomes a second-rounder if the Kings make the playoffs. 

"Laughton's a veteran guy," the Kings GM mentioned. "He's a center iceman, he can kill penalties, wins draws, competitive, and just gives us more depth."

Los Angeles Kings Acquire Center Scott Laughton From Toronto Maple LeafsThe Los Angeles Kings have acquired center Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional second-round pick.

Trades weren't the only moves that Holland made on Friday. The Kings signed right winger Mathieu Joseph to a one-year contract through the remainder of this season at a $900,000 cap hit.

On Thursday, Joseph was placed on waivers by the St. Louis Blues for the purpose of contract termination and became a UFA on Friday.

Los Angeles' GM said that head coach D.J. Smith is familiar with Joseph from their time with the Senators' organization. Joseph's best seasons were under Smith, including in 2023-24 when he recorded a career-high 35 points, registering 11 goals and 24 assists.

While it may seem like a boring and bleak addition, it's a more sensible move than some may think. 

The Kings departed from Foegele and Perry just before the deadline, meaning there were two holes in the bottom-six forward group.

One was filled with the acquisition of Laughton, and the other with Joseph. But there's more of an explanation behind this decision, specifically between Foegele and Joseph.

Joseph, 29, and one year younger than Foegele, has scored more points than the former King this season.

Joseph has two goals and 11 points in 39 appearances, while Foegele has seven goals and nine points in 47 games.

Furthermore, Joseph comes at a much lower cap hit than Foegele's $3.5 million. Not to mention, Foegele fetched the Kings a second-round pick for the upcoming draft, while Joseph was brought in for no exchange of assets and a low cap hit.

Essentially, Holland grabbed a second-rounder for an underachieving Foegele while acquiring another player of a similar position with no assets, and is outperforming Foegele in terms of offensive production.

In summary, the Kings' GM was crafty and looked to bring in the most value that he could with the assets he had. The team brings in a handful of draft picks for the future, while slightly upgrading their personnel up front with Laughton and Joseph over and underperforming Foegele and an aging pending UFA in Perry.

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The Florida Panthers opened the post-NHL Trade Deadline portion of their schedule on Friday night.

Florida is facing an incredibly difficult task in terms of trying to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but took a step in the right direction by picking up a solid 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

It was the Panthers who picked up the game’s opening goal, and it came off the stick of Matthew Tkachuk.

With Florida controlling the puck deep in Detroit’s zone, Carter Verhaeghe hustled to pick up the puck behind John Gibson’s net and sent a quick backhand pass to the slot, where Tkachuk had made himself at home between the circles.

Tkachuk’s quick one-timer gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead at the 11:06 mark of the opening frame.

A pair of penalties on Anton Lundell and Gus Forsling midway through the second period led to the game-tying goal for Detroit.

While enjoying a two-man advantage, Alex DeBrincat picked up his 33rd goal of the season on a primary assist from Patrick Kane, knotting the score at one with 9:04 remaining until the final intermission.

Florida began the third period on the power play and quickly took advantage.

Once again it was Tkachuk, this time deflecting a shot by Sam Reinhart past Gibson to give Florida a 2-1 lead at the :35 second mark.

Tkachuk completed the hat trick late in the third, cashing in on an empty-net goal while giving the Panthers that all-important insurance tally.

Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 27 saves, including an impressive eight high-danger stops, to earn his 23rd win of the season.

The victory was Florida’s first in five games, sending the Cats back to Sunrise feeling good.

The home and home continues Tuesday in Sunrise.

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Photo caption: Mar 6, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

Nazem Kadri won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 and wasn't re-signed, starting the team's search for a No. 2 center.

They finally found one at the 2025 NHL trade deadline with Brock Nelson. But now they also have found a Kadri-style player.

Nazem Kadri.

The Avalanche and Calgary Flamesworked out a deal to bring back Kadri, giving up only Victor Olofsson off their roster, plus draft picks and an unsigned draft pick. Colorado now has enviable center depth and can trot out Nathan MacKinnon, Nelson, Kadri and fellow 2026 trade deadline acquisition Nicolas Roy.

Here are the winners and losers of the 2026 NHL trade deadline:

WINNERS

Nick Foligno joins brother

Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin, who made the big move for Quinn Hughes earlier in the season, was busy during deadline week. He added penalty killing forward Michael McCarron and winger Bobby Brink, plus depth defenseman Jeff Petry. But his acquisition of Nick Foligno had an added benefit for the former Blackhawks captain. He'll get to play alongside his brother Marcus for the first time in their professional careers.

Sabres go all-in

The Sabres have been on a roll since Jarmo Kekalainen replaced fired Kevyn Adams as general manager. And the GM took steps to try to help the team end a record 14-season playoff drought. An attempted trade for Colton Parayko didn't materialize when the defenseman declined to waive his no-trade clause. Kekalainen responded with a trade for the Jets' Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn, giving Buffalo a rugged third defensive pairing behind an impressive top four that includes Rasmus Dahlin. Sam Carrick was added to improve the team's league-worst faceoff winning percentage, and depth forward Tanner Pearson also joined. Schenn and Pearson have won Stanley Cup titles, important if the Sabres make a rare foray into the postseason.

Panthers hang on to free agents

The Panthers' run of back-to-back championships (and three trips to the Final) is heading toward an end because of a string of injuries that include captain Aleksander Barkov tearing his ACL on the first day of fall practice. GM Bill Zito traded pending free agent Petry but held on to free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and A.J. Greer and will try to re-sign them. The Panthers' core, when healthy, is still championship caliber. If they can't overcome their deficit, they can heal up and try again next season.

LOSERS

Capitals players devastated

They took it hard when Nic Dowd was dealt to the Golden Knights after being in Washington since 2018-19. Then they woke up Friday morning to find out that 17-year veteran John Carlson was heading to Anaheim after a late-night trade.

"Today sucks, it's brutal," forward Tom Wilson told reporters. "I’m sure there are some guys that want to cry. That’s the reality of it. Today you can cry and tomorrow you got to wake up and be a big boy and go out and play hockey."

Awkward position for Colton Parayko

Parayko had every right to veto a trade to Buffalo. That's why agents negotiate no-trade clauses with teams. But the fact that news of the trade leaked made things awkward for the defenseman as he took the time to make a decision on his future.

"We did some due diligence as soon as that happened," general manager Doug Armstrong told reporters, according to the Post-Dispatch. "We checked the phone records of all of our staff, texts and emails, and everybody passed the test, not surprisingly. I was disappointed it got out. I know it didn't come from us."

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs gave up a first-round pick and a prospect last season to land Scott Laughton and two mid-round picks from the Flyers. Leafs general manager Brad Treliving traded the pending free agent to the Kings on Friday and received a conditional third-round pick. It can become a second-rounder if Los Angeles makes the playoffs.

New CBA rules

The new collective bargaining agreement included a playoff salary cap and rules making it harder for teams to use a second team to retain some salary in a trade. The result: Deadline day was fairly dull until the Kadri trade surfaced.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL trade deadline winners and losers include Avalanche, Maple Leafs

The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is offically in the books. While the Vancouver Canucks were not the busiest team, Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin were able to pull off five trades and a waiver claim over the past week. Here is a look at what the Canucks trade deadline looked like. 

Tyler Myers To Dallas:

Vancouver's first move of trade deadline week involved sending defenceman Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars. In exchange, the Canucks recieved a 2027 second-round pick and a 2029 fourth-round pick. Vancouver also retained 50% of Myers' contract, which expires after the 2026-27 season and carries an AAV of $3 million. 

Overall, this was a decent trade for both the Canucks and player. The organization recieved two draft picks that will help with the rebuild while Myers gets a shot at a Stanley Cup. While parting with Myers was no doubt a difficult decision, it was one that should help the organizaiton in the future. 

Jett Woo To San Jose For Jack Thompson:

A day after the Myers move, Vancouver traded defenceman Jett Woo to the San Jose Sharks for defenceman Jack Thompson. Both players are currently in the AHL, but do have NHL contracts. Woo and Thompson have already reported to their new AHL teams. 

Woo played 293 games for the organization in the AHL. He was part of the 2025 Calder Cup Championship and ranks second all-time in games played for the Abbotsford Canucks. As for Thompson, he is a 23-year-old right-shot defender who has played 203 AHL games along with 34 at the NHL level. 

Conor Garland To Columbus:

The biggest trade deadline move for the Canucks was trading forward Conor Garland to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In exchange for Garland, Vancouver recieved a 2028 second-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick. Like the Myers trade, the Canucks were able to trade a player with term as Garand has a six-year extension that is set to kick in after the season. 

Moving Garland before July 1 was cruical as his new deal had a no-movement clause for the first three years of the contract. The 29-year-old played a signifcant role for the organiaztion over the past five seasons as he recorded 221 points in 371 games. Vancouver also did not retain on his current or future contract, which opens up $6 million per season for the next six years. 

Curtis Douglas Waiver Claim:

The Canucks did acquire one player on deadline day as they claimed forward Curtis Douglas off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 26-year-old is listed at 6'9", 243 lbs, and is not afraid to play a physical game. Douglas has already dropped the gloves eight times this season and is up to 26 regular-season fights over the last three years. 

Bringing in Douglas is a low-risk, high-reward move. He adds some toughness to the lineup and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The hope is that Douglas can be an enforcer, which is something Vancouver has not had in their lineup all season.

Lukas Reichel To Boston:

On deadline day, the Canucks were able to find a buyer for forward Lukas Reichel. The 2026 Olympian was traded to the Boston Bruins in exhange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Reichel was acquired earlier this season from the Chicago Blackhawks, where he was traded for a fourth-round pick in 2027. 

Reichel's tenure with Vancouver was difficult to watch. He played 14 games with the Canucks before being assigned to the AHL. Reichel's best moments with the organization argubaly came during the 2026 Winter Olympics as he scored two goals and recorded three points in five games for Germany. 

David Kämpf To Washington:

The final move of the deadline involved trading center David Kämpf to the Washington Captials. In return, Vancouver acquired a sixth-round pick in 2026. Kämpf was signed  by the Canucks in November after he was bought out by the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Getting an asset back for Kämpf should be seen as a win for Vancouver. He was an unrestricted free agent and brought back some form of value that may help the organization in the future. Yes, it was a sixth-round pick, but if scouted properly, that prospect could turn into an NHL player one day. 

Overall Grade:

Ultimatley, Vancouver had an average deadline. While they added draft captial to the organization, they also failed to move two unrestricted free agents in Teddy Blueger and Evander Kane. As for a letter grade, the Canucks recieve a C+ for their work at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. 

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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For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

In the wake of the Pittsburgh Penguins being without both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for what will likely be at least a few games - and with their lack of movement at the NHL's trade deadline on Friday - the team made a roster move to address some of their scoring depth.

After the deadline on Friday, the Penguins recalled winger Ville Koivunen from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins. The recall comes ahead of their weekend back-to-back home games against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins and after it was announced that Malkin was suspended five games for his slash to the head of Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin on Thursday. 

Koivunen, 22, was just named the AHL Player of the Month for February after recording six goals and 16 points in 11 games with WBS.

Evgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games By NHL's Department Of Player SafetyEvgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin.

The 6-foot, 184-pound forward prospect was brought to Pittsburgh via the Jake Guentzel trade in the spring of 2024, and he has been up and down between the AHL and NHL levels this season. He began the season in Pittsburgh for the first two games of the season and was sent back for most of October, then he returned for a longer stint until the end of December.

In 27 NHL games this season, he has two goals and seven points, and he has 12 points in 35 career NHL games split between this season and last season. He figures to slot either in Malkin's spot alongside Egor Chinakhov and Tommy Novak or on the third line with Ben Kindel. 

Koivunen is the only WBS Penguins' player above point-per-game this season with 11 goals and 33 points in 28 AHL games. 

Penguins' Prospect Named AHL Player Of The MonthPittsburgh Penguins' prospect Ville Koivunen was given the AHL's top honors for the month of February and continues to impress at that level.

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Like Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars just bring the best out of one another.

On a night that began with blockbuster news, the Colorado Avalanche followed it up with an unforgettable comeback.

Hours after pulling off a stunning last-second trade to bring back Nazem Kadri just before the deadline, Colorado erased a four-goal deficit to defeat the Dallas Stars 5–4 in a shootout Friday night at American Airlines Center.

Dallas came out flying, scoring four times in the opening 22 minutes to seize full control early. But the Avalanche gradually clawed their way back, chipping away at the deficit before forcing extra time in dramatic fashion.

VALERI NICHUSHKIN TIES IT WITH 15 SECONDS LEFT IN THE THIRD!!!

We're heading into overtime 🤩 pic.twitter.com/yKMt3XXeNO

— NHL (@NHL) March 7, 2026

With Colorado’s net empty and the extra attacker on the ice, Valeri Nichushkin buried the equalizer with just 13.2 seconds remaining in regulation, tying the game 4–4 and stunning the home crowd. The goal was Nichushkin’s 13th of the season and only his second since recording a hat trick on New Year’s Eve.

From there, the Avalanche completed the comeback in the shootout to secure the victory.

Martin Nečas led the charge offensively with a dominant four-point performance, while Nathan MacKinnon added a goal and two assists. The win pushes Colorado seven points ahead of Dallas atop the NHL standings, with the Avalanche also holding a game in hand.

Mackenzie Blackwood gave up four goals on 11 shots and was replaced by Scott Wedgewood, who shut out the Stars the rest of the way with 10 saves.

Dallas saw goals from Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn, Miro Heiskanen, and Justin Hrycokowian. Jake Oettinger made 25 saves.

First Period

The Avalanche earned an early power play when Oskar Back was called for holding Zakhar Bardakov. Dallas nearly flipped the momentum with a dangerous shorthanded rush, but Colorado managed to break it up before it developed into a real scoring chance.

For the third straight game, Colorado’s power play delivered. Nathan MacKinnon threaded a perfect cross-ice pass to Cale Makar, who ripped a laser top shelf past Jake Oettinger to give the Avalanche a 1–0 lead.

CALE MAKAR!!!

1-0

Third straight game with a power play goal for the Avs. Getting hot when it matters. Top shelf cheese#goavsgo@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) March 7, 2026

Cale Makar gets the @Avalanche on the board with a powerplay goal! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/QBTY56j5jr

— NHL (@NHL) March 7, 2026

Nearly six minutes into the period, the Avalanche found themselves shorthanded when Jack Drury was called for holding Dallas forward Nathan Bastian. The Stars took advantage of the opportunity as Miro Heiskanen fired a shot from the point that deflected off Devon Toews and past Mackenzie Blackwood, tying the game at 1–1.

Just over three minutes later, Dallas struck again. Wyatt Johnston took a pass from Heiskanen behind the net, circled into the slot, stickhandled through traffic, and snapped a wrist shot past Blackwood’s glove side to give the Stars a 2–1 lead.

The mistakes continued to pile up for Colorado soon after. A miscommunication between Blackwood and Toews proved costly when Blackwood left his crease to play the puck, lost his stick, and was caught out of position. Mavrik Bourque quickly found Hryckowian in the slot, who buried the puck into a wide-open net to extend Dallas’ lead to 3–1.

Hryckowian was sent to the penalty box moments later for high-sticking Makar, but the Avalanche were unable to capitalize despite generating several quality chances. Devon Toews nearly cut the deficit with a booming one-timer, but Oettinger came up with a strong stop to keep the Stars ahead.

Dallas took another penalty late in the period when Bourque delivered a late hit on Nic Roy, who was acquired in a trade on Thursday, along the boards with just 13.7 seconds remaining. The play was ruled interference, giving Colorado one more power-play opportunity before the intermission.

The Avalanche made it count.

With 1.9 seconds to go in the period, MacKinnon hammered a one-timer from the top of the left circle off a slick feed from Martin Necas, beating Oettinger cleanly to pull Colorado back within one. The goal marked Colorado’s second power-play tally of the period, as the Avalanche finished the frame 2-for-3 with the man advantage.

A walk in the park for the Dogg. pic.twitter.com/gkGegRwQtE

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 7, 2026

After 20 minutes, the Avalanche trailed 3–2 despite holding a slight 11–9 edge in shots on goal.

Second Period

It took less than two minutes for Dallas to score in the following period. After Josh Manson was checked into the boards by Hryckowian and lost the puck behind the net, Hryckowian found Jamie Benn in the slot and Benn toe-dragged and slid the puck by Blackwood to make it a 4-2 game. After giving up four goals on 11 shots, Blackwood was replaced in net by former Star Scott Wedgewood. 

Wedgewood was met immediately with fire, and he responded with fire as he went post to post making highlight-reel saves.

But the Avs would get one back when Gabe Landeskog shook off a pair of Stars defenders to get the puck to Nathan MacKinnon, who found Nečas. He snapped a top shelf shot past Oettinger, who thought Nečas was going far side blocker but was completely fooled, making it a 4–3 game.

Stars forward Roope Hintz suffered what appeared to be a lower-body injury late in the period after getting tied up with MacKinnon and the latter chucked him down to the ice. No penalty was called on the play, but Colorado would get penalized late in the period when Manson was called for cross-checking.

Third Period

Colorado spent the first portion of the third killing off Manson's penalty, but the PK unit got the job done. 

Just over five minutes into the period, the Stars were awarded another man advantage when Brett Kulak high-sticked Matt Duchene while battling for a puck behind the net.

With the Avs’ net empty, Nichushkin delivered in the clutch. Stationed in the right circle, Nichushkin snapped a wrist shot past Oettinger to even the score and send the game to overtime.

Yeah really glad we kept Nichushkin. #goavsgo@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) March 7, 2026

It continued a trend for the Avalanche winger, as six of his 13 goals this season have now come in the third period.

Shootout

Overtime couldn’t produce a winner, sending the contest to a shootout, where Valeri Nichushkin showed that his late third-period heroics were no accident. He scored in the shootout, joined by Martin Nečas, helping the Avalanche edge closer to victory. The shootout extended into the second round, but Jonas Wedgewood stood tall, stopping attempts from Jason Robertson and Matt Duchene to clinch the win.

What a comeback!!! Avs win it!!#goavsgo@TheHockeyNews

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) March 7, 2026

Next Game

The Avalanche (42–10–9) earned a key Central Division win and will return to Ball Arena on Sunday to take on the Minnesota Wild (36–16–10) led by star forward Kirill Kaprizov. Puck drop is scheduled for 12 p.m. local time.

The NHL has ruled, Evgeni Malkin will be out for the next five games on suspension due to his slash against Rasmus Dahlin.

Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games for slashing Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin. https://t.co/CJFhMVuZ9k

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) March 7, 2026

From the league:

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games, without pay, for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during NHL Game No. 977 in Pittsburgh on Thursday, March 5, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 0:35 of the second period. Malkin was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking, a major penalty for slashing and a game misconduct.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Malkin will forfeit $158,854.15. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Malkin will be eligible to return on the March 16th game against Colorado. He will miss games against four teams in currently in a playoff position (Boston, Carolina, Vegas and Utah) as well as tomorrow’s game against Philadelphia.

In response, the Penguins have recalled forward Ville Koivunen from the AHL on an emergency basis. The Pens also acquired forward Elmer Soderblom at the NHL trading deadline. The team will miss the impact of Malkin, their second-leading scorer this season with 47 points in 46 games, especially while their leading scorer Sidney Crosby continues to rehab an injury suffered at the Olympics. Crosby practiced today and the team has been hopeful he is moving in the direction of a return, though he still figures to be a ways away from the initial four week timeline on an injury suffered just over two weeks ago.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is set to miss some very important games. 

Malkin has been suspended for five games by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the head on Thursday. 

The slash came after Malkin took a couple of cross-checks from Dahlin. 

BREAKING: Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin suspended 5 games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin. #LetsGoPenspic.twitter.com/Ph9VB664FU

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) March 7, 2026

This is the third time that Malkin has been suspended. He received a one-game suspension in 2019 and a four-game suspension in 2022. 

Malkin will miss games against the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins,Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Utah Mammoth. He won't be eligible to come back until Mar. 16 against the Colorado Avalanche. 

This suspension comes at a brutal time for the Penguins, who are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and are also without captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby returned to practice on Friday, but he won't play this weekend. 

Malkin has been having an outstanding season, compiling 13 goals and 47 points in 46 games. 

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Despite their best efforts, the Senators were quiet on NHL Trade Deadline Day, but shortly after the deadline passed, the Sens did announce an interesting minor-league deal.

The Senators swapped forwards with the Washington Capitals, acquiring Graeme Clarke, a player with strong local ties. Clarke grew up in Ottawa and spent three seasons in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s before turning pro.

In return, the Senators are sending the Capitals Wyatt Bongiovanni, Belleville's leading goal scorer last season. 

Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round (80th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Clarke appeared in three NHL games with the Devils, and his AHL career has taken him to Hershey, Binghamton, Utica, and Iowa.

He was part of those outstanding 67s teams whose Memorial Cup potential was derailed by the COVID shutdown, and represented Canada at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring three points in five games en route to a gold medal.

Clarke's younger brother, Brandt, is a defenseman with the LA Kings, and it was Brandt's emergence last season that made Jordan Spence expendable in LA. Clarke's sister, MacKenzie, plays defense for the St. Lawrence University women’s team.

According to his new team, he may make his Belleville debut on Saturday night, when the Sens host the Comets at CAA Arena. 

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

With the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline officially passed, and two trades made today, the Vancouver Canucks have made a handful of roster moves for logistical purposes. This includes sending Cole Clayton back down to the AHL and assigning Nikita Tolopilo to the Abbotsford Canucks and recalling him on an emergency basis immediately after. 

Clayton was called-up by the Canucks yesterday, with this taking place only a day after the team traded Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars. The same day as Clayton’s call-up, Vancouver also traded Jett Woo to the San Jose Sharks for defenceman Jack Thompson. A depth defenceman acquired in the Kiefer Sherwood trade back in January, Clayton has put up two assists in 16 games with Abbotsford. 

Since Vancouver traded both Conor Garland and David Kämpf within the past couple of days, the Canucks will only have access to 12 forwards and six defencemen for tonight’s game. 

The roster move involving Tolopilo was done in order to ensure he can play in Abbotsford through the remainder of the season if situations call for it, as after the deadline, AHL teams are not allowed to put NHL players on their roster if they are not already on there. This means today’s move counts solely as a paper transaction, as Tolopilo is expected to start for Vancouver tonight when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at 5:30 pm PT today. 

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.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin Discusses 2026 Trade Deadline Moves

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Canucks Trade Lukas Reichel To Boston For A Sixth-Round Pick 

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Colton Parayko will remain a member of the St. Louis Blues, now and for the foreseeable future.

But two days ago, things weren't as clear, when news broke that the Blues and Buffalo Sabres had agreed to the framework that would have sent Parayko to the Sabres, for a reported package of 2025 first-round pick, defenseman Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick, as first reported by TSN's Darren Dreger:

Sounds like Radim Mrtka and a 1st will be part of it. https://t.co/SHTSjJdcZH

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 4, 2026

But the problem was, is the deal wasn't actually done. Parayko, who has four more years remaining on his contract at a $6.5 million cap hit, has a full no-trade clause this season and for the next two before it fell off to a modified 15-team NTC.

The player had to sign off on the deal first. The information got out first of a done deal before the player signed off, ultimately which Parayko never did when he invoked his clause and chose not to waive:

Tough decision for Parayko. But, his decision was made after a trade agreement between the Sabres and Blues. Players have the right to do this. https://t.co/GPqgQBGuq3

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 5, 2026

Needless to say, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, who has always kept this type of information close to his vest, was not thrilled.

"Any time there's a trade leak, I find it very disappointing," Armstrong said after talking about the trades of Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk on Friday. "For the people that know me, we run a pretty tight ship as far as communication coming in and out. We did some due diligence as soon as that happened. We checked the phone records of all of our staff, texts and emails and everybody passed the test, not surprisingly. So I was disappointed it got out. I know it didn't come from us."

And just like the Torey Krug situation of 2023 when he invoked his NTC ad vetoed a potential trade to the Philadelphia Flyers, there could be some awkwardness now between the organization and Parayko. But as Armstrong said, this is all business, and since Parayko exercised his right to remain in a city he loves, there's no ill will.

"I don't spend a lot of time on trades that didn't happen. Players negotiate their trade right based on their status on the team and in the league and some players have full no-trade clauses, some players have partial no-trade clauses," Armstrong said. "The Blues are at the lower end at the full no-trade clauses and right about the middle of the no-trade partials combined. We're an average team to sign those players to provide those types of guarantees. I respect when players ... if they decide to invoke the right that they've earned, that's great and that means they want to be here and that's exciting. We've asked players to waive, like Brayden Schenn. With the direction that we were going and the way we explained it to him, he was excited for a new opportunity to go to an upstart Islander team with the most exciting young player with Schaefer and Celebrini, these are the next generation of stars and he has an opportunity to play with him."

And now Parayko will get to usher in the next generation of Blues. 

It's a topic that can always be broached again, but at least for now, Parayko's 11-year career in St. Louis continues, and rightfully so.

In Trading Schenn To Islanders, Faulk To Red Wings, Blues Have Turned over Leaf To Younger CoreDoug Armstrong, who's turning over GM duties to Alexander Steen after this season, leaving behind a younger cast ready to be next generation of Blues players

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Currently in third place in the Atlantic Division, the Detroit Red Wings have put themselves in a position to be buyers at the NHL Trade Deadline for the first time in a decade. 

Friday afternoon marked the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, and after the dust had completely settled, the Red Wings made a series of moves that they feel put them in an ideal position to move closer to clinching a postseason berth. 

Filling a need on the blue line, the Red Wings acquired veteran defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues. In return, they sent prospect forward Dmitri Buchelnikov, depth defenseman Justin Holl, a first-round selection, and the San Jose Sharks’ third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Earlier in the day, the Red Wings acquired that Sharks draft pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Elmer Soderblom, whose tenure with Detroit is now over. 

Hours earlier on Trade Deadline eve, the Red Wings added depth to their forward group by reacquiring veteran David Perron, who played two seasons in Detroit from 2022 through 2024, from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional 2026 fourth-round draft pick.

While Faulk is expected to join the Red Wings in time to face the New Jersey Devils on Sunday evening in New Jersey, Perron, who underwent sports hernia surgery in January, isn't ready to make his Detroit debut for what will be the second time in his NHL career. 

Speaking with media members on Friday afternoon, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said the club is fully aware of David Perron’s injury and expected recovery timeline, indicating he should be ready to return in approximately two weeks.

"We know exactly what David's injury is, we know exactly where he is in his rehab, and we anticipate him (being) 14 days away, roughly, from playing," Yzerman said of Perron. "Obviously, we're comfortable doing that and making this trade with him."

Perron instantly became one of the veteran leaders in the dressing room when he first arrived in Detroit during the 2022 offseason, and those traits will only benefit Detroit as they look to return to the playoffs. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

“He brings a lot to the table," Yzerman said. "We had him before, and he brought a lot to our team on and off the ice. And in 14 days, we think we'll be back. Setbacks can happen; there is some risk to acquiring a player that is on IR, even a healthy guy could step on the ice tonight and get hurt.

But we know exactly where he's at in his rehab, we know the procedure, and we expect him to be at 100 percent in approximately two weeks. We're okay with it.”

Trade: Red Wings Re-Acquire David Perron From Senators Former Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron has returned to the Motor City, having been re-acquired by GM Steve Yzerman from the Ottawa Senators.

While the Red Wings were rumored for weeks to be in the mix for other NHL forwards, including Vincent Trocheck (New York Rangers), Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks), and Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues), the asking price and need for his club didn't match Yzerman's vision. 

“I can't comment on other teams' players, but I would say for what we felt our needs were, we talked to every team that had players with our needs, and talked about the possibility of a deal, explored trades, what the fits were, what we were willing to do," Yzerman explained of his interest level in additional forward help. "Sometimes, there's just no fit in what the other team was looking for; we didn't have that." 

Others, the deal just wouldn't work," he continued. "So, safe to say, all of our needs, we talk to every team that has those types of players, and were willing to move them.”

Ultimately, Thomas, Pettersson, and Trocheck were not moved by their respective teams and remain in place. 

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Call it the changing of the guard, if you will, again.

Having gone through a similar experience in 2023 when the St. Louis Blues traded away their core assets from winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, they shed a pair of veteran players on Friday into assets they may use for the future or as trade assets.

One of them is a leftover from the Stanley Cup days when the Blues first traded their captain, forward Brayden Schenn, to the New York Islanders, then not long after, flipped defenseman Justin Faulk to the Detroit Red Wings on trade deadline day.

In trading the 34-year-old Schenn, the Blues acquired a 2026 first-round pick (which belongs to the Colorado Avalanche), a 2026 third-round pick (the New Jersey Devils pick), winger Jonathan Drouin and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof, and right before the deadline time of 2 p.m. (CT), they moved the 33-year-old Faulk for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick (belonging to the San Jose Sharks), veteran minor league defenseman Justin Holl and 2022 second-round pick Dmitri Buchelnikov.

It turns out to be quite the haul for the Blues, who know the situation they're in at 23-29-9 heading into a Friday night game against the San Jose Sharks, 30th in the NHL standings and virtually no chance of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"I'd like to start off by thanking Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn for their services with the St. Louis Blues," Armstrong said. "Obviously 'Schenner' and myself go way back, prior to our Stanley Cup and then our Stanley Cup and him being a captain. A great St. Louis Blue and good friend. And Justin Faulk is someone we had gotten in and had some success with. I wished them nothing but the best in the new areas. It seems to be a turning of the page to move forward with some younger players and acquired some draft picks and move forward."

The Blues, who didn't make rumored deals for Jordan Binnington, Robert Thomas (which I still found odd) and Jordan Kyrou, among other players who could have been made available due to a floundering season, are ready to turn over a new leaf after not being able to double down off the hope of building off last year's finish.

"We're excited where we're at," Armstrong said. "Obviously we now have [Philip] Broberg and [Dyllan] Holloway with [Joel] Hofer and [Jake] Neighbours. We have some younger players that we're going to start to continue to build around. We've added a lot of draft picks over the last three seasons, first round picks. So we're in a good spot. We've moved our veteran players obviously to create space to create opportunity. We were functioning on a retool. I wouldn't say this is a rebuild in a sense that we don't have quality players that are going to compete, but we no longer have that veteran presence that maybe we had five hours ago.

"We have some good, young players that are taking big roles. [Logan] Mailloux coming in, I've seen his growth. I've seen growth from Broberg from last year to this year moving forward. Holloway has had an up-and-down season due to injury. Jake Neighbours has taken a big role, Hofer's taken a bigger role. We have [Otto] Stenberg and [Theo] Lindstein, first-round picks from a couple years ago that are in the American Hockey League having good years t hat will get some opportunities. Are are putting younger players into our group. We have veteran players around here still. Obviously Jordan Binnington is a rock solid goaltender that has been here a long time with Kyrou and [Pavel] Buchnevich and Thomas, still relatively young in NHL standards, they're now more of the veteran players on our team. This is a great opportunity for people who expand their leadership roles, expand their playing roles. It's a good time."

As for the capital acquired on Friday, it certainly gives the Blues options, and really, if they want to expedite where they're at now, they have the ability to either flip these picks for NHL-ready capital at the upcoming draft or perhaps even package picks to move up, if they're able to.

"We've added Detroit's first-round pick in 2026, Colorado's first-round pick in 2026, New Jersey's third-round pick in 2026, San Jose's third-round pick in 2026, a player that we had 20th on our list a few years ago in Buchelnikov, a second-round pick from the Red Wings and a goaltender that we liked from a couple years ago too," Armstrong said. "We've added depth to our group. Those picks can he used as selections, they can be used for trades and then we've added experienced players in Drouin and Holl to help with that transition moving forward. When you look at the three first-round picks we had a few years ago, since then we've taken [Adam] Jiricek and [Justin] Carbonneau and three more this year, we're hoping to build a solid stable that can grow together."

I don't spend a lot of time on trades that didn't happen. Players negotiate their trade right based on their status on the team and in the league and some players have full no-trade clauses, some players have partial no-trade clauses. The Blues are at the lower end at the full no-trade clauses and right about the middle of the no-trade partials combined. We're an average average team to sign those players to provide those types guarantees. I respect when players ... if they decide to invoke the right that they've earned, that's great and that means they want to be here and that's exciting. We've asked players to waive, like Brayden Schenn. With the direction that we were going and the way we explained it to him, he was excited for a new opportunity to go to an upstart Islander team with the most exciting young player with Schaefer and Celebrini, these are the next generation of stars and he has an opportunity to play with him.

Any time there's a trade leak, I find it very disappointing. For the people that know me, we run a pretty tight ship as far as communication coming in and out. We did some due diligence as soon as that happened. We checked the phone records of all of our staff, texts and emails and everybody passed the test not surprisingly. So I was disappointed it got out. I know it didn't come from us.

I probably won't share much. One of the things is when you're in the situation that we're in the league as a team, you have to explore everything. That's part and parcel of the position that the St. Louis Blues organization was in. It's an unfortunate time because there's more non-truth out there than there is truth. I think ... I would say a lot of that stuff was fictional, but I guess it makes for good clickbait for the people.

When we brought in Broberg and Holloway, we thought we were going to navigate through it quicker. This year we couldn't do that and I wouldn't say change direction. We haven't moved young players to make this work and try to expedite it. We've stayed consistent and now we've taken another step today by bringing in first-round picks, third round picks, young drafted players that are going to fit into the age bracket. Obviously going into the season, I was hoping this was going to be a very smooth sail for my last year as a manager. We'd be competing in a playoff spot and jockeying and adding players. It didn't work that way so we reacted to the reality of where we are as an organization.

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The Ducks proved they are all-in for a push to their first playoff berth in eight years by acquiring defenseman John Carlson ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline. The Kings, meanwhile, started building for the future, making acquisitions and trades to address their depth and bolster their number of draft picks.

The Ducks (34-24-3), who entered Friday second in the Pacific Division, just a point behind Vegas, haven’t had a winning record since 2018. But general manager Pat Verbeek signaled the team’s long rebuild is over, trading first- and third-round draft picks — the kind of picks he has long hoarded — to Washington late Thursday for Carlson, 36, an offense-minded blue liner who led the Caps with 36 assists and is the franchise's all-time leading defenseman scorer.

“What we've been doing the last three years is adding assets,” Verbeek said. “I looked at giving this group another extra push and helping us make this push to where we want to go. And so ultimately if we get into the playoffs and we can have a nice run, it's worth it. It's worth it to give this group experience, give them a chance to make the playoffs and to do well in the playoffs.

Read more:Artemi Panarin scores his first goal with Kings in victory over Islanders

“I think we have enough draft picks. We have enough prospects coming. Is it worth it to give up a conditional first-rounder? Yes it is to get the quality of player [like] John Carlson, it made sense.”

The move could prove to be a gamble, though, since Carlson, in the final year of his contract, may be nothing more than a short-term rental. Verbeek said he didn’t start talking to Washington about a deal until this week but the negotiations progressed quickly. Carlson said he was asleep when he was traded but a cousin heard about it and called to tell him he was headed to Anaheim.

“The middle of the night is not the best way to find out some very altering news like that,” said Carlson, who is expected to join the team Saturday. “It’s been a crazy day packing, getting ready, saying good-byes. It’s getting more and more exciting.”

In addition to adding Carlson, the Ducks also sent center Ryan Strome to Calgary. Strome, 32, had three goals and six assists in 33 games with the Ducks this season. The Ducks will get a seventh-round pick in 2027 in return.

The Kings didn't make any moves to substantially improve their roster. Although they signed forward Mathieu Joseph, a Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and acquired center Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs, they also unloaded forwards Corey Perry and Warren Foegele in exchange for draft picks.

Joseph, 29, comes to L.A. after recording two goals and 11 points in 39 games with the St. Louis Blues before agreeing to have his contract terminated Thursday. He had been assigned to Springfield of the AHL, where he appeared in two games.

Laughton, 31, had eight goals and four assists for Toronto and joins the Kings as a depth piece following the losses of Perry and Foegele. In return, the Maple Leafs will get a third-round pick, which will become a second-round pick if the Kings make the playoffs.

For the Kings, the trade deadline came down to asset management: The contracts of Joseph and Laughton expire at the end of the season while the Foegele deal clears $3.5 million from the payroll next season. The team also protected its young talent while adding two draft picks.

Perry, 40, the former Ducks winger who signed with the Kings as a free agent last summer, went to Tampa Bay on Friday in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2028 draft while Foegele, 29, the third King to request a trade this season, was shipped to Ottawa on Thursday for a second-round pick in this summer’s draft and a conditional swap of third-round picks.

Read more:Ryan Poehling agrees to four-year contract extension with Ducks

The Kings (25-22-14), who lost to Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, started Friday sixth in the eight-team Pacific Division but just three points behind Seattle for a wild-card berth.

General manager Ken Holland made a splash just ahead of the 18-day Olympic break by acquiring forward Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers and signing him to a two-year $22-million extension. But then the team lost Kevin Fiala for the rest of the season to a fractured leg in the Olympic tournament and saw winger Andrei Kuzmenko undergo surgery last week to repair torn meniscus in his right knee, hampering an offense that ranks 28th in the 32-team league in goals.

Holland followed those two events by firing coach Jim Hiller last Sunday and replacing him on an interim basis with assistant D.J. Smith. The Kings have gone through five coaches and three general managers since the end of the 2016-17 season and haven’t won a postseason series since 2014, the last time they won the Stanley Cup.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Philadelphia Flyers have spent the past several seasons methodically reshaping their roster, trying to build a sustainable core rather than chasing quick fixes. That long-term approach often requires difficult decisions—especially when the player involved is someone the organization helped develop from the ground up.

The trade sending Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman David Jiricek represents exactly that kind of decision. It was not a move rooted in dissatisfaction with Brink but in the reality of roster construction. For the Flyers, the deal reflects the intersection of two organizational priorities: managing a growing surplus of wingers and investing in young defensemen with high ceilings.

---

The Difficult Part: Parting With a Homegrown Player

From the Flyers'—and specifically Danny Briere's—perspective, this was not a transaction made lightly. Brink’s development has been closely watched within the organization, and his growth over the past two seasons made him an increasingly reliable contributor.

Briere made that clear when discussing the move.

“It was not an easy [decision]," he said on Friday. "I was part of the development staff when Bobby came along. We had some long discussions about his future and his career, so to have been a part of that and then to see him blossom into the play he has become—there’s, selfishly, a lot of pride in that.”

Danny Briere said that the decision to trade Bobby Brink was “not an easy one” and said he “selfishly” had a lot of pride in Brink’s development since he was part of the development staff that helped Brink blossom. Ultimately it came down to managing the Flyers winger logjam.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) March 6, 2026

Brink’s progression had been evident on the ice. After entering the NHL with questions about how his size and skating would translate, he worked to carve out a role through intelligence, puck movement, and creativity.

His playmaking instincts became particularly effective on a line with Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, where Brink’s vision complemented Cates’ two-way reliability and Foerster’s shooting ability.

That trio often functioned as one of the Flyers’ most analytically sound lines, capable of maintaining offensive-zone pressure and creating scoring chances through controlled puck movement rather than pure speed.

In short, Brink had proven he belonged on an NHL roster.

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The Roster Reality: A Crowded Wing

The challenge for the Flyers was not Brink’s performance, but the organizational depth chart for Brink's position. 

Philadelphia has steadily accumulated a significant number of wingers, both on the current roster and in the prospect pipeline. According to Briere, the organization felt the need to start managing the logjam. 

“When you look at the way our team is coming along and you look at the depth we’re building on the wing—Konecny, Michkov, Tippett, Zegras, and then you have Tyson [Foerster], who’s going to come back next season," he said. "You have Martone that’s getting close, you have Barkey who surprised us this year with how well he’s played, you have Alex Bump and other young guys that are also pushing.”

At some point, depth becomes redundancy, and teams rarely have the luxury of holding excess talent at a single position while other areas of the roster require reinforcement.

For the Flyers, the imbalance was becoming clear. The wing position featured a growing list of established players and extremely promising prospects, while the organization continued searching for long-term solutions on the blue line.

Those circumstances forced a difficult question: which winger could be moved to address another need without disrupting the core of the forward group?

Brink, despite his clear development, ultimately became the logical candidate.

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Why David Jiricek Fits the Flyers’ Vision

In acquiring Jiricek, the Flyers are taking a calculated swing. 

The 22-year-old defenseman has long been viewed as a player with considerable upside—size, strength, and the kind of physical profile teams covet on the blue line. Philadelphia had previously shown interest in Jiricek but believed he was unlikely to become available.

Briere said that the Flyers had previously been interested in David Jiricek when he first got traded to Minnesota but didn’t think he’d be available, so the interest is not out of the blue. Said they’re going to dedicate a lot of effort to help Jiricek grow his game here.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) March 6, 2026

When the opportunity emerged, the Flyers recognized the potential value.

“When that came in yesterday, we started thinking about the chance to add a big, young, strong defenseman like [Jiricek], we felt that was a good opportunity for us to look towards the future," Briere said. "We felt it was a good swing to take on a promising young defenseman.”

With his size (6-foot-4, 204 lbs.) and right-hand shot, Jiricek is not dissimilar to current Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, but Briere made it clear that they're in no rush to get him into the NHL lineup, choosing instead to work with him to develop his game and ensure he's fully prepared to take that step into becoming a regular NHL defenseman. 

"I can't say David or Oliver Bonk are ready today," Briere admitted. "To come in, especially in the top four position—it's one thing to come in a play in a bottom pairing at the start, but they haven't even done that yet. I think they need a little bit more time and we need to protect them a little bit. 

"[Ristolainen] is playing on that top pairing with Sanheim right now. I don't think it would be fair to ask David or Oliver to play those minutes yet. We hope that at one point it comes to that, but I don't think they're ready for that role yet... We hope they get there, but we want to protect them as well along the way."

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A Trade That Reflects Organizational Strategy

Viewed in isolation, trading a young forward who has shown steady improvement might seem counterintuitive to what the Flyers are building. But roster construction rarely exists in isolation.

The Flyers’ decision ultimately reflects a broader strategy. With such a crowded group of talented wingers, opportunities for ice time were likely to become increasingly limited, which ultimately doesn't benefit anyone. 

Meanwhile, acquiring a young defenseman with upside addresses an area where the organization still seeks long-term answers.

So, in that context, the Brink-for-Jiricek trade becomes less about losing a productive player and more about reallocating assets in pursuit of balance.

Brink leaves Philadelphia as a player who successfully proved his NHL ability and contributed meaningfully to the Flyers’ progress. Jiricek arrives as a project with potential—a player the Flyers believe could grow into an important piece of their future.

(And the Flyers won't have to wait long to see Brink again, as they travel to Minnesota for a game on March 12.)