The 2021 Memorial Cup has been canceled, the CHL announced Tuesday.
"With the WHL and QMJHL in the midst of shortened seasons and the OHL continuing return-to-play discussions with the Ontario government, unfortunately, we have once again had to make the difficult decision to cancel the Memorial Cup," the CHL's statement said. "As a league, we waited as long as we could in hopes that this was not the decision that we were going to have to make.
"Regrettably, we do not see a path in which we will be able to produce champions in our three member leagues due to border restrictions and quarantining requirements."
This marks the second consecutive year that the Memorial Cup won't be awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the WHL and QMJHL both resumed play to some degree this season, the OHL has yet to hit the ice. The three champions of the individual leagues and the Memorial Cup host team typically play a round-robin tournament for the championship.
"Further decisions regarding the timing and location of the 2022 Memorial Cup will be announced at a later date," the CHL said.
Taylor Hall won't have to wait long to face his former team.
The star winger will be in the Boston Bruins' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Buffalo Sabres, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy confirmed after his team's morning skate.
"To get a guy of Taylor's magnitude, knowing we could use that extra layer of secondary scoring, was big for our guys," Cassidy said.
The Sabres traded Hall and forward Curtis Lazar to the Bruins on Sunday in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick and forward Anders Bjork. Boston also acquired defenseman Mike Reilly from the Ottawa Senators before Monday's trade deadline.
Hall said Monday he'd "love to be a Bruin for a few years," adding that he nearly signed with Boston in the offseason and that the club was his desired destination in a trade. He approved Sunday's deal by waiving his full no-movement clause.
The 29-year-old collected only two goals and 17 assists in 37 games with the Sabres after signing a one-year, $8-million pact with Buffalo, but bad luck and poor team play contributed to his diminished production. Hall posted an expected goals for percentage of 52.76 at five-on-five, and his shooting percentage of 2.3 was down significantly from his career average of 10.4 over his previous 10 NHL seasons.
Another trade deadline has come and gone, and it wasn't nearly as quiet as expected given quarantine restrictions and the flat cap.
The playoff field feels strangely set, with a couple of exceptions. With rosters essentially finalized, let's see which teams offer value in the futures market.
Team
Odds (4/13)
Odds (3/23)
Colorado Avalanche
+350
+550
Vegas Golden Knights
+400
+400
Tampa Bay Lightning
+450
+450
Toronto Maple Leafs
+500
+700
New York Islanders
+800
+1200
Carolina Hurricanes
+1000
+1000
Boston Bruins
+1300
+1100
Minnesota Wild
+1500
+1500
Pittsburgh Penguins
+1700
+2400
Florida Panthers
+1800
+1600
St. Louis Blues
+1800
+1800
Washington Capitals
+1800
+1800
Philadelphia Flyers
+2000
+1800
Montreal Canadiens
+2200
+2200
Winnipeg Jets
+2200
+2200
Edmonton Oilers
+2500
+2500
Dallas Stars
+3200
+3200
*Only displaying teams with odds 35-1 or shorter
Buy
Tampa Bay Lightning (+450)
The Lightning announced the biggest pre-deadline acquisition a few weeks ago when they confirmed Nikita Kucherov is still on track to return for the playoffs. Little else was expected of the defending champions given their cap restraints. So, naturally, they solidified their blue line by adding a defense partner for Victor Hedman in David Savard. It's bordering on unfair at this point.
Tampa Bay has traded away three first-round picks since the beginning of last season and I don't believe the team is drafting again until 2027. But the Lightning already have one Cup to show for it and appear well on their way to another. Flags fly forever.
Boston Bruins (+1300)
We all know the Taylor Hall story so I won't beat it to death. He's sucked this year and wasn't a desired commodity as a result, but Boston feels like a perfect fit. The Bruins need scoring in a bad way, and a motivated Hall could do some serious damage on the second line.
This is something of a last chance for Hall. The impending unrestricted free agent has no excuse if he doesn't perform given he requested a trade to Boston. Additionally, this was a low-risk move by the Bruins given how little they gave up, with Hall using his no-trade clause to essentially back the Sabres into a corner. It's nice to see a team from Boston finally catch a break.
Few people seem to care that the Penguins acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion Jeff Carter. This was low-key one of my favorite deadline deals. Carter's arrival makes it 16 Stanley Cups won collectively by this roster. If there's one thing Pittsburgh needed, it's more playoff experience.
Carter also came at a relative bargain despite posting better numbers than Hall, Nick Foligno, and Kyle Palmieri. The 36-year-old can play up and down the lineup at center or on the wing. He's still a strong skater and the offense hasn't dried up yet. Playing to the right of Evgeni Malkin wouldn't hurt, either. Carter's a good, smart hockey player, and the fit in Pittsburgh feels perfect. The Penguins will be a nightmare to deal with once they start getting their injured forwards back.
Sell
Vegas Golden Knights (+400)
Nothing against Mattias Janmark, but the Golden Knights paid more for him than Boston and Pittsburgh did for Hall and Carter, respectively. Janmark can provide some secondary scoring, but I'm not sure how much he moves the needle. This felt like a time for Vegas - which has come so close in each of the last three seasons - to add an impact player ahead of a likely showdown with the Avalanche, a team stacked with them. To me, it looks like Vegas overpaid for a depth guy.
I also would have loved to see the Golden Knights pay up for Ryan Getzlaf. He's having a down year but he would've been a great addition for Vegas' power play and its locker room.
Minnesota Wild (+1500)
The Wild have really tailed off after being analytical darlings throughout the first half of the season. Since March 17, they rank dead last in the NHL in xGF% and CF% at five-on-five. They're also second-last in GF%. With Minnesota's road to the Cup likely going through Vegas and Colorado, that's just not going to cut it.
There aren't any glaring holes on this roster, but some depth down the middle or secondary scoring on the wing would've been nice. Don't use cap space as an excuse, either - we saw plenty of teams get creative to make the numbers work. It's been a fun season in Minnesota, but the team picked the wrong day to become boring again.
Winnipeg Jets (+2200)
The Jets cleared nearly $4.8 million in cap space by moving Nathan Beaulieu to long-term injured reserve, paving the way for Kevin Cheveldayoff to swing for the fences. The general manager is no stranger to a deadline splash, acquiring Paul Stastny in 2018 and Kevin Hayes in 2019, so it's a real head-scratcher as to why he elected to let the newfound cap space go unused.
Maybe it's just me, but if I have a top-three goalie and one of the league's elite forward groups, I'm going all-in. The Jets can score with anyone and Connor Hellebuyck is capable of stealing a game on his own on any given night. Winnipeg needs help on the blue line, but instead of acquiring a Josh Manson, Jamie Oleksiak, or Vince Dunn, Chevy settled for Jordie Benn. Yeah, that ain't it.
Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, strongly believes in the power of the jinx, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
Hischier missed the last 24 games with a concussion and broken nose after being struck in the visor by a puck Feb. 27. He underwent surgery in early March to repair a frontal sinus fracture.
The 22-year-old captain also missed time earlier this season due to a leg injury he suffered during the offseason. Hischier has two goals and one assist in five games this campaign.
With the NHL trade deadline behind us, it's time to award winners and losers. Given that Monday was the quietest deadline day since 2000, we're considering every deal made from Friday and onward for this exercise.
Winners
Red Wings and Capitals
Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals are both winners for adding some much-needed excitement to a rather stale deadline day after pulling off a blockbuster deal right at the buzzer. The full trade: Detroit sent forward Anthony Mantha to Washington for forwards Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2022 second-round pick.
Vrana, 25, has been a more efficient offensive player than Mantha, 26, since the 2018-19 campaign:
Stat
Vrana
Mantha
GP
190
152
PTS
124
107
P/PG
0.65
0.70
P/60 (5v5)
2.49
1.94
TOI/G
14:25
18:14
The key here is points per 60 minutes at five-on-five, since Mantha has averaged nearly four more minutes per game than Vrana. By gleaning Vrana's production over first-line minutes, he has the potential to become a 70-plus point player. It's not always that simple, as first-line minutes generally come with tougher matchups. Whether he can handle that remains to be seen.
Points are obviously not everything, though. Both players have posted exceptional underlying numbers over the past three seasons as well.
Evolving-Hockey.com
The biggest difference is Mantha's superior defensive metrics on the far right of the graph. The 6-foot-5, 234-pounder also passes the eye test as the better defensive player, considering how well he skates for his size.
However, the Red Wings are clear winners in this trade. GM Steve Yzerman gets a winger who's proven he can produce at a similar rate than Mantha, while also netting first- and second-round picks to help the rebuild.
The deal could end up being a win for Washington as well - it's just not as much of a sure thing. Mantha is already a defensive upgrade from Vrana, and it's possible he could reach his full offensive potential as a 30-40 goal power forward while playing on a second line with Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie.
The Caps are getting cost-certainty with Mantha, too. He's signed through 2023-24 at $5.7-million per year. Vrana makes $3.35 million this year but is an RFA at season's end. His AAV probably won't approach Mantha's (likely in the $4-million to $5-million range), but Panik's deal is the difference-maker here. He's on the books for $2.75-million through 2022-23, which is far too much for a fourth-line player on a team up against the cap. For the next two seasons, Mantha is likely $1-million to $2-million cheaper than Vrana plus Panik combined. It may seem marginal, but that's huge for a contending team.
Washington is clearly in win-now mode given most of its core is on the wrong side of 30. If the Caps believe Mantha is a big enough upgrade over Vrana to help them win another Cup, it's worth sacrificing the draft picks.
A second-round pick for Hall is a flat-out steal for Boston. Other top rentals such as Nick Foligno, David Savard, and Kyle Palmieri all costed first-round picks. Hall came at a cheaper acquisition cost than Sam Bennett and Mattias Janmark. Yes, you read that correctly. That's some savvy work by Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. It also seems like poor market evaluation by Sabres GM Kevyn Adams, but it's possible he was left handcuffed due to Hall's no-movement clause.
Yes, Hall is having a miserable season, notching just two goals and 17 assists in 37 contests with Buffalo, but this is well worth the gamble for Boston. The former MVP has been severely unlucky this year, converting on just 2.3% of his shots. That's nearly 8% lower than his career average and the NHL league average of 10%.
It's not difficult to envision Hall breaking out of his slump on a far superior Bruins team while playing on a second line with David Krejci and either Craig Smith or David Pastrnak.
Bjork doesn't move the needle all that much. The 24-year-old has notched just five points in 30 games this season and his ceiling is likely capped as a third-liner, at best.
Meanwhile, Boston also shored up it's blue line by netting Mike Reilly from the Ottawa Senators for a third-round pick. The 27-year-old has recorded 19 assists in 40 games this season while posting extremely strong underlying numbers on a poor Sens team. He doesn't play difficult minutes, but his 51.3% expected goals share led all Ottawa blue-liners despite an offensive zone start percentage of just 35.6.
Reilly isn't the sexiest addition, but he fills a big need on a beleaguered Bruins blue line.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Patrick McDermott / National Hockey League / Getty
The Blue Jackets netted strong returns for their two biggest assets - Nick Foligno and David Savard. In exchange for both rentals, they landed two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a fourth-round pick. During a trade-deadline period where only four first-round picks were moved, getting half of them is nice work by GM Jarmo Kekalainen.
Yes, those first-round picks will likely be near the bottom of the opening round in an unpredictable draft, but Columbus is undergoing a reset and did well to get the best returns possible. Remember in 2019 when the Jackets went all-in and didn't pick until the fourth round? With three picks in the first round this season, the Jackets will get a chance to replenish their prospect pipeline.
Losers
Winnipeg Jets
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
The Jets only made one move in the lead-up to the deadline, bringing in Jordie Benn from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2021 sixth-round pick. Benn is nothing more than a depth blue-liner and will have a hard time cracking a weak Winnipeg top six.
The Jets sorely needed a defenseman who can play in their top four, but failed to address it. If they weren't comfortable with surrendering first- and third-round picks for David Savard, there were far better options than Benn to help the blue line. Mike Reilly, Brandon Montour, Dmitry Kulikov, and Jon Merrill all would've been better additions, and none of them costed more than a third-round pick.
The Toronto Maple Leafs further separated themselves from the rest of the North Division by adding Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, Ben Hutton, and David Rittich. Winnipeg, likely Toronto's biggest competition in the division, could've closed the gap on the Leafs with upgrades on the blue line, but instead, the lack of aggressiveness from GM Kevin Cheveldayoff widened it.
Nashville Predators
Chase Agnello-Dean / National Hockey League / Getty
The Predators were widely expected to be sellers for over a month leading up to the deadline, but a six-game winning streak at the end of March vaulted Nashville back into playoff contention and changed GM David Poile's plans.
But should those plans have changed?
The Chicago Blackhawks entered Monday four points back of Nashville with a game in hand, while the Dallas Stars - who should get Tyler Seguin back soon - are six points back with three games in hand. Nashville will likely make the playoffs, but it isn't guaranteed.
Even if the Predators secure the 4-seed in the Central Division, a first-round upset over the Tampa Bay Lightning or Carolina Hurricanes seems highly improbable.
Now the Preds could lose pending UFA Mikael Granlund for nothing, and they likely missed their best chance at maximizing a return for Mattias Ekholm, a 2022 UFA.
The Predators did add rearguard Erik Gudbranson for a seventh-round pick, but his presence in the lineup arguably makes them a worse team.
New York was reportedly willing to terminate the 25-year-old's contract to allow him to sign with another team as a free agent. It's believed the Montreal Canadiens were interested, but DeAngelo did not accept, according to Dreger.
DeAngelo and the Rangers agreed to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $4.8 million in October.
The club placed DeAngelo on waivers in January and general manager Jeff Gorton later said the blue-liner played his final game with the club.
DeAngelo, who has a history of poor behavior, was sour when scratched for a pair of games earlier this season. He was reportedly later involved in an incident with teammate Alexandar Georgiev, which appeared to be the final straw.
The New Jersey native finished fourth in scoring among defensemen in 2019-20 with 53 points through 68 games.
Benn, 33, is a pending unrestricted free agent and carries a $2-million cap hit. He has nine points in 31 games while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time per contest this season and has 126 points in 548 career games.
The Jets were widely expected to shore up their blue line ahead of Monday's trade deadline. Winnipeg currently sits second in the North Division with 53 points.
