The Anaheim Ducks are trading defenseman Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins, reports Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli. The details of the return are not yet known.

Lindholm, 28, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the season.

More to come.

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Nino Niederreiter will sit out one game for slashing Washington Capitals winger Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Saturday.

Niederreiter struck Jonsson-Fjallby in the face with his stick while the Capitals rookie was sitting on the bench during the Capitals' shootout win over the Hurricanes on Friday night. The officials handed Niederreiter a minor penalty.

The league cited Niederreiter's lack of significant disciplinary history in its decision, adding that the suspension is not more severe because of the lack of force Niederreiter exerted.

Niederreiter, who's in his 10th full NHL season, has been fined once. This is the 29-year-old's first suspension.

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Two key members of the Montreal Canadiens took a step forward Saturday.

Carey Price was back at practice with his teammates for the first time in 2021-22 after spending months recovering from offseason knee surgery. There's still no timeline for the goaltender's return to the lineup, which has been the case since he restarted the process in January.

Price had been occasionally skating on his own and did so for two consecutive days earlier in March. He spent one month in the NHL's player assistance program at the start of the season before beginning to work his way back from the knee procedure.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Drouin will play against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The forward missed 22 games after sustaining an upper-body ailment in January. Drouin, who'll turn 27 on March 28, has 20 points over 32 games in 2021-22.

Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher will not play against the Senators due to a lower-body ailment.

Montreal enters Saturday's action sitting last in the NHL in both points and points percentage.

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There's no shortage of star power in the rumor mill leading up to this NHL trade deadline, but there are also plenty of less-heralded players that could be more affordable than their big-ticket counterparts.

Montreal Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen would have been included in this list, but now that the club has traded away Ben Chiarot, Lehkonen is reportedly garnering "high interest" as the club decides whether to move him. Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg qualifies as relatively unheralded, too, but the team reportedly prefers to keep him through the deadline.

Here's a handful of under-the-radar players who contenders should target as we draw closer to Monday's 3 p.m. ET deadline:

Pavel Zacha

Zacha was once considered a foundational piece of the New Jersey Devils' future, but with Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer all proving more than capable of playing center, Zacha has become expendable. The Czechia-born pivot hasn't played since sustaining an injury earlier this week, but there haven't been any indications that it'll keep him out for an extended period of time.

The Devils drafted Zacha sixth overall in 2015, and he hasn't developed at the rate they undoubtedly hoped he would. However, Zacha is still relatively young, turning 25 on April 6. He's also posted favorable underlying numbers this season while playing for a subpar team, boasting expected goals for and scoring chances for percentages over 50%. Zacha's mostly been on the wing rather than at his preferred position down the middle, too.

Zacha likely wouldn't require a hefty return and wouldn't be a financial burden, either. His contract carries a measly $2.25-million cap hit. As a pending restricted free agent who's arbitration-eligible, he's due for a raise, but it likely won't be astronomical considering his pedestrian production. Zacha could make strides on the ice with a change of scenery and the right opportunity to carve out a larger role playing center - where he's more comfortable.

Mackenzie Blackwood

While much of the focus has been on Marc-Andre Fleury, Braden Holtby, and Alexandar Georgiev, there are several other netminders that teams with postseason aspirations could consider. Another member of the Devils, Blackwood, is one of them.

Much like Zacha, Blackwood was once thought to be part of New Jersey's core, but times have changed. Nico Daws has suddenly snatched the team's starting job as Blackwood continues to work his way back from a heel injury that's bothered him since October. Blackwood's timetable is unclear, but he should be back before the end of the regular season. He's also signed through 2022-23.

Injury aside, Blackwood has more going for him than some of the other bargain-bin options in the crease. The 25-year-old is much younger than the likes of Jaroslav Halak (37 in May), Thomas Greiss (36), and Martin Jones (32), and he's two years younger than Joonas Korpisalo.

Blackwood posted save percentages of .918 and .915 in his first two NHL seasons, respectively, before declining over the last two campaigns. But goalies take longer to develop than skaters, and Blackwood still has his prime years ahead of him, not to mention a digestible $2.8-million cap hit when he comes off injured reserve.

Filip Zadina

It would seem a tad premature for the Detroit Red Wings to give up on a 22-year-old who they drafted sixth overall in 2018, but that appears to be a possibility ahead of the deadline. Zadina hasn't produced consistently in his second full season at the NHL level, and if he truly isn't a part of the Red Wings' long-term plans, Zacha's countryman would be a worthwhile target.

Zadina has something else in common with Zacha in that he's also a pending RFA due for a raise from his current cap hit of around $900,000. But his bump in pay likely won't be too cap-constraining, either, despite his upside.

That potential is exactly why other teams should be looking at landing Zadina if the Red Wings are open to trading him. He scored twice during a six-game showcase on Detroit's top line in February and has frequently logged second-line minutes, proving he can contribute when given a solid opportunity. He may not be capable of sticking on another club's top forward unit right now, but he's worth pursuing given his age and affordability.

Dominik Kubalik

Kubalik has flown under the radar the past two seasons because he hasn't kept up the torrid goal-scoring pace of his NHL arrival in 2019-20. The Chicago Blackhawks forward isn't going to match the 30 markers he netted that campaign this time around, but he's still a serviceable player.

Kubalik, who was named a Calder Trophy finalist after his standout season, collected 17 goals and 21 assists while playing all 56 games in the last campaign. That works out to 25 markers and 31 helpers over an 82-game span, which would've been comparable to his rookie numbers. His goal and point rates are down in 2021-22, but he's still on a 15-goal pace for a lackluster Blackhawks club.

The 26-year-old is still about three-and-a-half years away from when most players start to decline. Kubalik is a pending RFA with a $3.7-million cap hit. That may be a bit high considering his modest contributions this season, and he's arbitration-eligible as well, but Kubalik has proven in the past that he can produce. He could come close to replicating that rookie output on a better squad.

Brenden Dillon

Dillon has been one of the NHL's most underrated defensemen for quite a while. He's also no stranger to the trade deadline, having been dealt six days beforehand in 2020. The Winnipeg Jets are underachieving this season, and their playoff chances are dwindling by the day.

If the club is looking to retool, it may want to consider cutting Dillon's $3.9-million cap hit through 2023-24. It's not a particularly hefty amount, but, coupled with the term, it's not the most ideal contract for a team that'll certainly look to make offseason changes.

Dillion is the oldest player on this list, but at 31, he should be able to provide true stability on the back end for at least another season and certainly can bolster a contender's blue line for this year's stretch run. Moreover, he could probably be had for a more buyer-friendly price than a similar rearguard in Chiarot, or certainly the biggest fish on the defenseman market, like Jakob Chychrun and Hampus Lindholm.

(Salary source: CapFriendly)

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)

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The Carolina Hurricanes aren't going to part with a significant asset to acquire a player they might lose in the offseason.

The club has told other teams it will not trade its 2023 first-round pick for a rental player - in other words, a pending unrestricted free agent - before the March 21 trade deadline, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Carolina sent its 2022 first-round and third-round selections to the Montreal Canadiens after Montreal chose not to match the Hurricanes' offer sheet for forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi in September.

The Hurricanes secured a separate 2022 third-rounder from the Chicago Blackhawks in July for a third-round pick in the 2021 draft, which took place later than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carolina currently has selections in each round of the 2023 and 2024 drafts.

The Hurricanes entered Saturday atop the Metropolitan Division and rank third in the NHL in points percentage.

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The NHL trade deadline is just two days away, and there are a lot of deals teams could still make. Below, we look at five people whose deadline-related decisions could cause a giant ripple effect around the league.

Jim Rutherford

Rutherford is always capable of having tricks up his sleeve. The veteran executive is now the president of hockey operations with the Vancouver Canucks, and while he's done plenty of work filling out his front office - most notably, hiring Patrik Allvin as his general manager - he's yet to shake up the roster.

Minor moves, such as dealing away pending free agent Tyler Motte, are expected, but there's potential for a whole lot more.

The Canucks would shake up the entire deadline if they traded away one of the three key forwards reportedly available - J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, and Conor Garland - especially since Vancouver likely wants a young defenseman with some upside as part of a package for any of the three. Will any team be bold enough to meet Rutherford's demands?

Such a deal may be easier to make in the offseason, but nothing's ruled out when a gunslinger like Rutherford is at the helm.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Fleury is the best and most established netminder available ahead of the deadline, and there are more goalie-needy playoff teams than usual - most notably the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, and Washington Capitals.

However, Fleury controls his own destiny. His contract only contains a 10-team no-trade list, but the Chicago Blackhawks apparently won't trade him anywhere he doesn't want to play.

Fleury may be 37 now, but he's only one year removed from winning the Vezina Trophy, and joining a club with Stanley Cup aspirations could conceivably energize him. Fleury holds all the cards, and his decision on where he wants to finish this season - and possibly his career - could have a drastic impact on the league's Stanley Cup odds.

David Poile

The longtime Nashville Predators GM has been quiet so far during this deadline season. Too quiet.

We know he wants to sign Filip Forsberg to an extension, and it would be a shock if that didn't get done at some point. Otherwise, there isn't much noise surrounding Nashville right now - odd for The Music City.

The Preds are in a strange spot. They prepared to be sellers at last year's trade deadline before getting hot, changing course, and eventually making the playoffs. Then they seemed to start re-tooling this offseason, trading away Ryan Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson, but Nashville's strong play of late has the team on track for its eighth straight postseason berth.

Could the Predators be sneaky buyers? The corps of Roman Josi (31), Mattias Ekholm (31), Matt Duchene (31), and Ryan Johansen (29) isn't getting any younger. Neither is the 72-year-old Poile - the only GM in club history. They have $10 million in cap space, a full draft pick cupboard, and a stud goalie in Juuse Saros that could steal any playoff series. Why not go all in?

The postseason isn't a guarantee, so chasing players with term over rentals would be more sensible. But if this isn't the time to be aggressive, when is? When the core is all past their primes? The time to strike is now.

More likely than not, Nashville will extend Forsberg and stand pat, but if there's one team that could shock everyone and make a big splash, it could be Poile's Preds.

Claude Giroux

Giroux's 1,000th career game will almost certainly turn out to be his last with the Philadelphia Flyers. Like Fleury, Giroux controls his own destiny, but his contract actually contains a full no-movement clause. Multiple reports suggest it'll be either the Florida Panthers or Colorado Avalanche who'll land the pending free-agent forward.

Florida already bolstered its blue line with the addition of Ben Chiarot, so signing Giroux would signal the Panthers are going all in. It makes sense, too, considering first-liners Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe are set to receive a combined $7.26 million in raises next year. After last year's six-game series loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida knows it needs some extra juice if it's going to take down the two-time defending champs.

If the Panthers don't land Giroux, who will they pivot to? The organization has already dealt away this year's first- and second-round picks, as well as 2023's first-rounder. Would they stand pat? Or would they try to acquire a different forward?

The Avalanche are currently Stanley Cup favorites, and like the Panthers, they already shored up their back end with Josh Manson. Giroux would be an excellent fit for them, considering captain Gabriel Landeskog's absence. With Andre Burakovsky, Nazem Kadri, and Darcy Kuemper set to become free agents, this is Colorado's year to go for it.

If the Avs miss out on Giroux, don't be surprised if GM Joe Sakic aggressively pursues the next best available forward, especially since he already cleared some cap space with the Tyson Jost-for-Nico Sturm swap.

Of course, there could always be a mystery team in the running for Giroux. Nonetheless, whoever is willing to pony up for the Flyers captain - or wherever he decides he wants to play - will have a major impact on the league's Stanley Cup picture.

Ron Francis

We know the Seattle Kraken are sellers, but how much are they willing to sell? Francis, the GM helming the NHL's new kids on the block, has already traded away Calle Jarnkrok, and fellow pending UFA Mark Giordano won't be far behind.

Seattle was likely expecting to contend for a playoff spot in its inaugural season, but it's instead closer to the league's basement. Would Francis be willing to pivot off his original plan, given the rough campaign? That move would mean entering a full-on rebuild and dangling his valuable veterans with term as trade bait - a list that could include Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, and Jordan Eberle, to name a few. As D-men, Larsson and Oleksiak would be in high demand.

Francis' conservative history as a GM suggests this path is unlikely, but given how poor the Kraken's first season has gone, he may want to shake things up.

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