Mete will be in Ottawa's lineup Monday night when the club takes on the Winnipeg Jets, head coach Pierre Dorion confirmed, according to Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas.
The 22-year-old has only appeared in 14 games with the Canadiens this season, spending the majority of the campaign on the team's taxi squad. He's accumulated three assists in 2020-21.
The Senators traded defensemen Mike Reilly and Braydon Coburn to the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders, respectively, on Sunday.
The Canadiens selected Mete with the 100th pick in 2016. He's amassed four goals and 30 assists in 185 career games.
Mantha and the Red Wings agreed to a four-year deal in November with an average annual value of $5.7 million. The 26-year-old is under contract through 2023-24.
The 6-foot-5 winger tallied 11 goals and 21 points through 42 games with Detroit this season.
Washington already averages the second-most goals per game this year (3.43), and Mantha gives the club another top-six scoring threat. The Quebec native drives offense at a high level at five-on-five. He also put together a solid body of work in the defensive end for a rebuilding Red Wings team, according to Hockey Viz's isolated impact tool.
Mantha netted a career-best 25 goals in 2018-19 and played at a 30-goal pace over 82 games last season.
Vrana is in the final year of his current deal, which carries a $3.35-million cap hit. He'll become a restricted free agent in July.
The 25-year-old recorded a career-high 25 goals and 52 points in 69 contests in 2019-20 and has amassed 11 tallies and 14 assists in 39 games this season.
Panik, 30, has two years remaining on his current deal after this season with an annual cap hit of $2.75 million. The veteran winger has contributed nine points through 36 games this campaign.
Hutton posted one goal and four assists over 34 games with the Ducks in 2021. The 27-year-old had spent his entire six-year career with teams on the Pacific coast, playing the 2019-20 campaign with the Los Angeles Kings after suiting up for the Vancouver Canucks in his first four seasons.
Barabanov collected one assist in 13 contests with the Maple Leafs this campaign. The 25-year-old inked a one-year deal with Toronto last April after playing parts of seven seasons in the KHL.
Suomela played four games with the Sharks in 2021. The 27-year-old notched one goal and five assists in 10 contests with their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, this year. Suomela played all three of his NHL seasons in the Sharks organization.
The Chicago Blackhawks traded Carl Soderberg to the Colorado Avalanche for forward prospects Josh Dickinson and Ryder Rolston, the teams announced ahead of Monday's trade deadline.
The Blackhawks aren't retaining any of Soderberg's $1-million salary, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.
Soderberg is an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 35-year-old forward played four seasons in Colorado from 2015-19 and has notched 15 points in 34 games this campaign while averaging just over 15 minutes per night.
The West-leading Avalanche made a few trades recently, adding netminder Devan Dubnyk and defenseman Patrik Nemeth in separate deals over the weekend.
Dickinson, an undrafted 23-year-old, has bounced between the AHL and ECHL since the 2017-18 season. He's notched three points in eight games for the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies in 2021.
The Avs drafted Rolston in the fifth round in 2020. He just completed his freshman year at Notre Dame, posting one goal and five assists across 28 contests.
General manager Kyle Dubas paid a steep price to land Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno and exercised some serious creativity to entice Columbus into moving one of its longtime talents.
Dubas used the San Jose Sharks to significantly circumvent Foligno's expiring $5.5-million cap hit, which cost him an additional fourth-round pick on top of the first and fourth-rounder he dealt to Columbus. The Leafs' Stanley Cup window is wide-open, and the gritty veteran brings invaluable attributes that could put the Leafs over the top in the playoffs.
Foligno checks all the boxes for Leafs
Foligno's days as a dangerous offensive player are behind him, but the 33-year-old is a unique two-way skater who can slot into the lineup virtually anywhere. He's capable of filling all three forward positions, can play on both special teams units, and is still skilled enough to play alongside the Maple Leafs' high-flying talent.
The 6-foot-1 grinder has put together a strong body of defensive work in recent years. Foligno's done a terrific job of nullifying his opponent's attack by limiting shot attempts at five-on-five, according to Hockey Viz's isolated impact. (Red or positive is good on offense, while blue or negative is good on defense).
Foligno also brings 51 games of postseason experience, and the Leafs witnessed firsthand how his feisty game translates come playoff time. During last season's five-game series loss to the Blue Jackets, Toronto was outscored 4-0 at five-on-five with Foligno patrolling the ice.
Potential line combinations
Foligno gives the Leafs plenty of different looks, but before we dive in, it's worth mentioning the club will need to make some difficult decisions deeper down the lineup with a pair of extra bodies in the mix.
Recently acquired Riley Nash will also become an option once he's healthy, but it would be tough to see Wayne Simmonds or Joe Thornton draw out of the lineup. Alex Galchenyuk has earned his spot thus far, and Pierre Engvall has also established himself as a reliable depth player.
Option 1: Top-six buzzsaw
The Leafs could experiment by using Foligno in a Hyman-like role. Foligno may lack the offensive upside Hyman possesses, but he's an impactful forechecker and could play puck retriever alongside players with high-end talent like Tavares and Nylander. Icing two top units with a similar makeup would make the Leafs a nightmare to match up against.
Galchenyuk has brought a ton of energy since joining the club, and the chippy winger would complete an extremely fast trio alongside Kerfoot and Mikheyev in a bottom-six role. Envgall's speed on the fourth line is welcome and rounds out a nice look for the club.
Option 2: Put him with the big boys
It's unlikely Foligno gets extended top-line minutes, but why not let him take a spin with two of the NHL's top-five scoring leaders. Foligno's ability to play in the dirty areas could complement Matthews and Marner in the offensive zone, though he's not quite the passer Hyman is.
Another benefit here is dropping Hyman to the third line. The trio of Hyman, Engvall, and Mikheyev have dominated opponents with a 62.11% share of expected goals for over 91:10 at five-on-five, and having that kind of depth following the club's dynamic top six would be a coach's dream.
Option 3: Foligno up the middle
Foligno has played 14% of his shifts at center this season, and although he's likely better off on the wing, his defensive acumen and experience at the faceoff dot make him an option as a bottom-six pivot.
Plugging Foligno in as a third-line pivot allows the Leafs to roll with a top-six unit with proven chemistry and gives Spezza some well-deserved ice time. It may not be ideal to slot Kerfoot on the fourth line, but his speed would be beneficial in that spot and he also provides some scoring punch.
Option 4: Ultimate shutdown unit
Keeping Foligno up the middle here gives the Leafs a third line that would be an absolute headache to play against. Foligno's recorded 109 hits this season, and Hyman and Mikheyev rank one and two among Leafs forwards in that department, respectively. The potential shutdown trio would give the top six more favorable matchups as well.
Option 5: Let's get crazy
If the Leafs were ever in need of a spark, there really are no creative boundaries with Foligno in the mix. He gives them the ability to load the top line with talent without sacrificing deeper down the lineup.
The Leafs haven't played Nylander at center at all this season, and his defensive limitations do give room for pause. Foligno's presence could help cover up for some of Nylander's lapses, and Toronto could move Tavares to the top line as a result. The Leafs could also move Nylander up with Matthews and Marner instead, but the Swedish winger doesn't typically play on the left side.
Carter has one more season remaining on his contract, which carries a cap hit of $5.27 million. As part of the trade agreement, the Kings will retain 50% of his salary.
The 36-year-old won two Stanley Cups with Los Angeles in 2012 and 2014. He has eight goals and 11 assists over 40 games this year.
Carter has spent the past 10 seasons with the Kings. He's amassed 390 goals and 361 assists in 1,080 career games.
