Kendall Coyne Schofield will join NBC's broadcast of Wednesday's matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins as an analyst, the company announced.
Coyne Schofield will contribute to pregame and intermission coverage and will also join longtime broadcaster Pierre McGuire between the benches for additional analysis.
The 26-year-old Olympic gold medalist stole the show at the All-Star Skills Competition this past weekend in San Jose, Calif., opening the eyes of the hockey world with a blazing 14.346-second lap time in the Fastest Skater event.
It took a couple of weeks of trade talk, according to general managers Rob Blake and Kyle Dubas, but on Monday, the Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs finally agreed on the first big trade of 2019.
Impact defenseman Jake Muzzin is off to Toronto in exchange for AHL forward Carl Grundstrom, the rights to prospect Sean Durzi, and the Leafs' first-round pick in the 2019 draft.
"When he joined Los Angeles coming out of junior, they were at the same stage that we’re at now," Dubas said of Muzzin and the Leafs during a conference call. "He had that experience of seeing a team mature from being a team that wanted to contend, to contending, and then ultimately winning."
Sitting at opposite ends of the standings, Dubas and Blake made a straightforward deal that - as anti-climactic as it sounds - could be a win-win for both franchises.
What this means for the Leafs
The Leafs' top pairing of Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey, locked in all season long, appears to be toast.
Dubas wouldn't confirm it, saying head coach Mike Babcock would need to speak with the affected players first. However, it's safe to assume the left-handed Muzzin, who'll turn 30 on Feb. 22, will slide into Hainsey's spot on Rielly's right side Friday when the Leafs come off their bye week for a road game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Muzzin, an all-around defender who won the 2014 Stanley Cup alongside Drew Doughty, is a gigantic upgrade on the 37-year-old Hainsey, whose rapid decline in 2018-19 frustrated Leafs fans to no end.
Here's an educated guess at Toronto's revamped defense pairings, assuming everybody is healthy - Jake Gardiner is out with back spasms at the moment. Hainsey would slide down the depth chart but not out of the lineup:
LD (shoots)
RD (shoots)
Morgan Rielly (L)
Jake Muzzin (L)
Jake Gardiner (L)
Nikita Zaitsev (R)
Travis Dermott (L)
Ron Hainsey (L)
Martin Marincin (L)
Igor Ozhiganov (R)
A penalty killer, minute muncher, and puck mover with strong possession numbers, Muzzin is exactly the type of defenseman the Leafs - who own the league's fourth-best offense, but can sometimes leak scoring chances - needed.
Goalie Frederik Andersen may be the greatest beneficiary of this trade, given Muzzin's defensive ability. On second thought, perhaps this is Rielly's big break. It's amazing, really, that he's having a Norris Trophy-caliber season and is about to start skating with a legitimate running mate.
"I think he's an elite defenseman," Blake said of Muzzin moving to the Eastern Conference. "He's going to bring the physical aspect, but he has poise and patience to make plays. I think the adjustment will come naturally for him because he's a top defenseman."
Rene Johnston / Getty Images
The cost for Muzzin isn't negligible, so Dubas doesn't look like a thief by any means. Still, considering his track record and contract - Muzzin's signed through next season at $4 million per year - and the fact that the draft pick will most likely be in the mid-to-late 20s, it's a smart, cap-friendly bet.
Muzzin, a 2007 fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has 51 goals and 162 assists for 213 points in 496 career games, all in a Kings uniform. He was born two hours west of Toronto in Woodstock, Ontario.
What this means for the Kings
Speaking of term, Blake wouldn't budge when a reporter asked if the Kings are shopping or taking calls on players under contract past this year.
Los Angeles' record through 50 games (20-26-4, rivaling only the woeful Ottawa Senators), and Blake's willingness to ship out useful players months ago, suggests most - if not all - the names on the roster may be on the table.
But neither of the players acquired from the Leafs will join the NHL club immediately. "We’re at the bottom of the league," Blake said. "We made this deal for the future of the organization."
Graig Abel / Getty Images Sport / Getty
In Grundstrom, the Kings are receiving a first-year Marlies winger with top-nine NHL potential. "His compete, his effort, and work have been mainstays," Blake said of the 21-year-old Swede. "His sense and his poise is above average and (he’s) a strong skater."
Meanwhile, Durzi is an unsigned late bloomer still playing in the OHL for the Guelph Storm. The 6-foot, 196-pound defenseman was drafted in the second round by the Leafs in 2018, his second year of eligibility. Blake likes the 20-year-old's hockey IQ and skating ability.
The Kings, who won two titles in three years to start the decade, have fallen on tough times after failing to adapt to a faster style of play. Blake has been able to get his team nine selections in the 2019 draft - one pick per round, plus the Leafs' first and a fifth-rounder from the Arizona Coyotes.
The main takeaway
By pulling the trigger on a deal of this magnitude four weeks away from the trade deadline, Dubas made life difficult for rival GMs looking to bolster their blue lines in the leadup to Feb. 25.
All of a sudden, Dougie Hamilton, the other prized defenseman said to be available, is a white-hot commodity. Some would argue the Carolina Hurricanes should command a hefty return regardless. But now, with Muzzin off the market, the price for Hamilton will be steeper.
In the same breath, the pressure is completely off Dubas and the Leafs. Barring a major injury or a last-minute desire to go all-in on the 2018-19 season, the Muzzin trade may be the only significant move necessary. Expect improvements around the edges of the roster, not more fireworks.
On Monday, Dubas alluded to the organization's multi-year contention plan, reiterating what he's noted in the past about the type of players his club desires. "Our preference was to acquire players who did have some term on their deals," he said.
Muzzin certainly accomplishes that. And, based on Blake's tone during his conference with the media, the rebuilding Kings will miss his play and presence - and potentially other key pieces of their Cup-winning core as they move to restock the cupboard.
"Terrific player, terrific person," Blake said. "(Muzzin) took a huge step in leadership over the last few years here. Very difficult day here for us to move players that have brought so much to this organization."
John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Derick Brassard was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct after delivering a dangerous hit on New Jersey Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen during Monday's contest.
The play occurred at the midway mark of the third period. Vatanen immediately went into the tunnel with blood dripping from his head and didn't return, but is reportedly fine after receiving several stitches above his eye, according to Devils reporter Amanda Stein.
Twitter is abuzz following the Toronto Maple Leafs' big splash nearly a month out from the Feb. 25 trade deadline.
After the club landed defenseman Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Carl Grundstrom, recent draft pick Sean Durzi, and the team's first-round pick in this year's draft, the NHL community took to the social media platform, chiming in with relatively kind words towards the Maple Leafs. However, some questioned the haul Toronto gave up to acquire Muzzin.
Edmonton finding out you don’t need to trade elite players to get defensemen: pic.twitter.com/fM2XyL3X6m
Quick reaction - Kings were able to move early because the price was right. All along, we'd been saying a Muzzin trade was expected to get a first rounder and a solid second asset (RD 2 pick or prospect).... They got both and the first. Very nicely done. https://t.co/9dl73WryLf
All seriousness: This is a good trade. The Leafs get the piece they desperately needed and they get to keep Sandin and Liljegren. It’s the right move. I’m not a big Grundstrom fan. Durzi is fantastic. Just don’t expect the prospect pool to be anything but thin moving forward.
Don’t underestimate the importance of getting Muzzin a whole extra month before the deadline to adjust to new surroundings. That’s a big factor here. So little practice time in March. Told that things picked up “last few weeks” between Leafs and Kings on Muzzin
Also worth noting, the Leafs add $4-mill to their 2019-20 cap in a year they have to hand out big raises to Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. This will make keeping Jake Gardiner VERY difficult.
If the #Leafs do not acquire another 1st RD pick between now & the draft, it will mark the first time the club finds itself without a selection in the opening round since 2010 when their pick went to Boston in the deal that brought Phil Kessel to Toronto.https://t.co/8pTsnpwJek
Always interested to see which GMs get ahead of the deadline trading game to bolster roster (Kyle Dubas, Leafs and Jim Nill, Stars), make room for others (Jim Rutherford, Penguins) or start what could be a rebuild (Rob Blake, Kings). Acting early sets the market and can pay off.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenseman Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Carl Grundstrom, the rights to defenseman Sean Durzi, and Toronto's first-round pick in the 2019 draft, the team announced Monday.
"We feel this trade was necessary for the future of the organization," Kings general manager Rob Blake said in a statement. "Moving Jake was not easy as he has been a key player for us and a significant part of our most historic and memorable achievements. We are grateful for his contributions to the Kings and we wish him the best of luck in the future."
Muzzin gives the Maple Leafs an immediate boost to their back end, something the team has desperately been lacking for some time.
Muzzin will partner with Morgan Rielly and allows Babcock to move Hainsey down to 3rd pairing. Will be an excellent resource for Dermott.
The 29-year-old has one year remaining on his current contract after this season with a cap hit of $4 million. He registered four goals and 17 assists in 50 games for the Kings this season after putting up a career-high 42 points last season.
Grundstrom was a second-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2016 and has posted 29 points in 42 games with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL this season.
Durzi, meanwhile, was taken 52nd overall in last June's draft. This season, he's put up a combined eight goals and 28 points in 26 games with the Owen Sound Attack and Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.
After meeting over the weekend in Miami, Milstein called a second meeting with his client before informing the team on Panarin's willingness to negotiate a new contract, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.
The decision puts Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen in a difficult spot, as he must now decide whether to deal the star forward before the Feb. 25 deadline. If he chooses to try and sign Panarin in the offseason, he risks losing him for nothing.
The 27-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and will draw immense interest around the league.
With the Feb. 25 trade deadline looming, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher is making it clear that he will not be moving team captain Claude Giroux.
"We have a lot of good players here, but I would never say never to almost anybody besides Giroux," Fletcher said, according to Philly.com's Sam Carchidi. "He's probably one of the best players in the history of the franchise."
Although the GM discussed Philadelphia's potential to shake things up at deadline day, Fletcher doesn't appear interested in trading assets for a rental.
"I don't expect us to trade our first-round pick for a rental, but we could both buy and sell," he said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman.
The Flyers sit 14 points out of a wild-card seed in the Eastern Conference heading into Monday night's action. Although Fletcher acknowledged Philadelphia was a long shot to make the playoffs, he remains hopeful the team can earn a postseason berth.
"We're at a stage where we need a big run here," he said, according to Carchidi. "We finished well before the break and we have an opportunity here - six of the next eight are at home - and clearly we need to get a lot of points."
Fletcher has said longtime Flyer Wayne Simmonds - who's a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the year - could be moved before the deadline if the two sides can't come to terms on a new contract.
