Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes isn't happy with how teammate Tanner Pearson's season ended.

The Canucks announced Thursday that Pearson's campaign is over after undergoing a third hand surgery in a three-month span. Vancouver expected Pearson to miss four-to-six weeks after the initial procedure on Nov. 10. However, he underwent another surgery a month later when his hand didn't heal as hoped.

"I feel bad for him. I mean, it wasn't handled properly, and you know, it's not really a good situation he's got there, and hopefully, he's going to be alright," Hughes said following Vancouver's 5-4 loss Thursday to the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to The Province's Patrick Johnston.

When asked if the team wished it handled the decision for Pearson to have surgery differently, head coach Bruce Boudreau responded, "I have no idea, that's not my call."

He added: "I really like Tanner a lot, and so it really is sad news. Here's a guy, he's over 30, and you lose a year? It's really tough, and I feel for him. But I know he'll come back stronger than ever."

Pearson recorded a goal and four assists in 14 games this season. The 30-year-old is signed for one more year with a $3.25-million cap hit.

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The Boston Bruins were blanked 3-0 by the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, marking their first regulation loss at TD Garden since April 14, 2022.

Boston began the season 19-0-3 at home before Thursday night. It was on a 26-0-3 run at TD Garden dating back to last season, including in the playoffs.

The Bruins still hold a comfortable lead atop the NHL standings with a 32-5-4 record.

Seattle has now won seven games in a row.

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Vancouver Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a healthy scratch Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 31-year-old is the third-highest paid player on the team this season with a $7.26-million cap hit and is signed through 2026-27, per CapFriendly.

Vancouver dressed the following blue line instead:

Ekman-Larsson has recorded a goal and 18 assists in 40 games this campaign with a minus-14 rating - second worst on the team. Despite being an asset on the penalty kill, his underlying numbers have been poor this season.

The Canucks acquired Ekman-Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes during the 2021 offseason in a trade that also netted Vancouver winger Conor Garland in exchange for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, a seventh-rounder, Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, and Antoine Roussel. Arizona also retained 12% of Ekman-Larsson's $8.25-million cap hit.

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As of 3:12 p.m. PST on Tuesday, or 72 minutes after the Western Hockey League's annual trade deadline, Everett Silvertips general manager and head coach Dennis Williams hadn't fully collected his thoughts following a whirlwind week.

"I've barely taken a breath," Williams said over the phone from the team bus.

Last Thursday, Williams guided Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championship in Halifax. He flew across the continent Friday, then spent four sleep-deprived days negotiating trades, eventually finalizing four.

One of Williams' deals looked like something drummed up by a fanatical NHL 23 gamer. Everett sent NHL prospects Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer to the Kamloops Blazers in exchange for a brain-breaking 14 assets - four players, Kamloops' first-round pick in each of the next four drafts, and six other picks (one conditional).

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the picks," Williams said of either using or flipping them. "But we'll have options and options are good to have."

He's far from the only executive with "options" after a rush of trade activity in Canada's major-junior leagues. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League approved 34 trades involving 32 players and 61 draft picks in the week leading up to its Jan. 6 trade deadline. The Ontario Hockey League registered 29 trades involving 47 players and a whopping 94 picks in its final week. The WHL greenlit 23 deals involving 44 players and 56 picks.

In 11 of the 86 total trades, the scope of the deal stretched to seven or more pieces. These super blockbusters aren't new to junior hockey. However, as Jim Hulton, GM of the QMJHL's Charlottetown Islanders, put it, trade packages have "escalated rapidly" over the past five years. Super blockbusters have become normalized, expected.

theScore spoke with eight GMs about the forces driving these trade markets. Here's what we learned.

'Bit of a high-wire act'

The most publicized trade of the past week is a fitting place to start.

Shane Wright, the 19-year-old captain of Canada's gold medal-winning squad and a veteran of 13 games at the NHL and AHL levels, was traded with a conditional 14th-round pick to the Windsor Spitfires for two players and a host of draft picks: a second, a third, two fourths, a sixth, and conditional fifth- and sixth-rounders.

Wright, who was granted exceptional player status to join the OHL as an underager in 2019, is purely a rental. He'll be a full-time NHLer next year.

Still, the Spitfires were willing to fork over valuable assets to the Kingston Frontenacs, including young building block Ethan Miedema, in part because a star player in junior tends to have a greater impact on wins and losses than a star in the pros. Windsor's ceiling rose significantly with the Wright addition.

"You just don't see players who are at their peak at a certain level - who can really, truly dominate - being traded in pro leagues," Soo Greyhounds GM Kyle Raftis said. "You rarely see an NHLer at his absolute peak being traded."

While teams in the WHL and QMJHL are allowed to swap first-round picks, OHL teams are not. Years ago, the league introduced the restriction to disincentivize long, winding rebuilds, Barrie Colts GM Marty Williamson said. Theoretically, it "protects" GMs from going all-in at every deadline.

Taking first-rounders off the table upgraded second-round picks to top trade chips. Yet when it comes time to actually draft players, a second is still a second. This dynamic leads to larger packages. For instance, instead of pairing a first with a second and a prospect - three pieces - a buying team might offer three seconds with three thirds and a prospect, or seven pieces.

"It looks like a lot, but it's the standard," Frontenacs GM Kory Cooper said of the Wright haul. Spitfires GM Bill Bowler, who's "ecstatic" Wright's a Spitfire, added: "It may look steep, but in my opinion it was a fair deal."

Cooper didn't know if Wright would be sent back to junior until after the gold-medal game last Thursday. Armed with a no-trade clause in his contract, Wright held the power, so he and his agent narrowed down the market for Cooper. The list of interested parties started at around seven and dwindled to four, then two, before the "exhausting" process concluded Monday.

Cooper characterized attempting to align the interests of the Frontenacs with the interests of Wright's camp, his NHL team in Seattle, and the Spitfires as "a bit of a high-wire act."

"It's like buying a house," Bowler said. "One person thinks it's worth this and the other person has another opinion. You look at history, you look at comparables, and you try to come up with what you think makes the most sense. You have to find a partner who can get on the same page."

Draft picks rule the day

Another reason why draft picks dominate these super blockbusters: Buying teams are often desperate to add a star talent but unwilling to part with a sought-after 16- or 17-year-old player.

"If you can't move a young player, we're going to have to compensate with more draft picks," Saginaw Spirit GM Dave Drinkill said. "That's where it blew up to the deal we decided on involving Pavel."

Drinkill is referring to Pavel Mintyukov, the NHL first-round defenseman who's having a fabulous sophomore season in the OHL, amassing 55 points in 38 games. The Ottawa 67's, who sit atop the overall standings, sent Saginaw nine picks, three of them seconds, for Mintyukov.

The Spirit are 24-11-2, tying them for second place in the Western Conference. Drinkill believes the club can make a run in the postseason. Why trade Mintyukov?

"There's a breaking point as a GM where the offer's too good and you have to look at the future as well," Drinkill said. "It stings a little bit now, but the draft capital allows us to have some flexibility moving forward, whether it's in the summertime or next year at the deadline."

The market for Mintyukov began with around seven teams "kicking tires," Drinkill said, and "by the end maybe four or five" were serious suitors. The group of deadline buyers, or tire kickers, is usually five teams deep, not seven, according to Raftis, who's been running the Greyhounds since 2014.

This year's seller's market, coupled with the fact that Saginaw is one of four OHL teams bidding to host the 2024 Memorial Cup (Raftis' Soo is another), dulls the initial shock of the Mintyukov deal. Only highly competitive teams are chosen to host, so Drinkill must keep next season top of mind.

Leagues also restrict which picks can be swapped. In the QMJHL, teams can trade picks a maximum of three years into the future, while OHL and WHL teams can trade picks a maximum of four years out. This, like the prohibition on trading firsts in the OHL, limits the number of tradable assets at any given time and, to use Williamson's word, "protects" GMs from themselves.

"It handcuffs us from being too out of control," Drinkill said of the four-year timeline. "That's a weird thing to say because you look at some of the deals and you go, 'That's a little out of control.' But I like the rule."

"These picks," Cooper said, "are our currency at the end of the day."

Some offers can't be refused

The consensus among the GMs interviewed is that historically, deadlines have played out something like this: One contender goes full-tilt in the QMJHL, stacking its roster with multiple marquee names. Several teams split the stars in the OHL. And trade activity in the WHL is relatively tame.

This year, the WHL's wow factor intensified as competition for trade targets grew fierce. In the final week of trading, the Blazers, Seattle Thunderbirds, and Winnipeg Ice all pulled off super blockbusters, while the Portland Winterhawks and Red Deer Rebels reeled in impact players via smaller packages.

The Vancouver Giants were one team that never intended to sell but ultimately did. GM Barclay Parneta told rival executives all year that captain Zack Ostapchuk wasn't available. Shortly after winning gold, though, Ostapchuk became a hot commodity. Even so, only a "crazy" offer would satisfy Parneta.

Three teams submitted unsolicited mega offers over the final few days, and Parneta felt compelled to share them with the Giants' majority owner and their head of business operations. "'Guys, this is insane,'" Parneta told them. "'This is something we might have to consider.' Then it just grew from there."

The eventual deal with Winnipeg - four players, three first-round picks, and a fifth-round pick for Ostapchuk - brought both new players and picks to Vancouver. It wasn't exclusively a short-term or long-term move, which was ideal for Parneta. "I'd love to say I'm a genius GM …" he said of his good luck.

"People might think this will be something normal," Parneta cautioned of this year's WHL deadline. "I think it's very unique with the circumstances of the Memorial Cup being held in Kamloops, other teams feeling like they can do something special, and there not being many sellers."

GMs across Canada brought up an overlooked factor affecting teams' deadline choices: Owners in all three leagues are anxious for playoff revenue after taking massive financial hits during the pandemic. That eighth-place team, for example, is buying or staying put - not selling - because the priority is securing home playoff games.

Today's GMs can also draw on better data to support extreme decisions.

"Years ago, there was enormous value put on your first-round pick. Then you start running the numbers, the analytics on draft picks, and how many of these are hits?" Hulton, the QMJHL GM, said. "You start doing the math on firsts, seconds, thirds, whatever, and they go to their owner and say, 'I'm confident that we can recover from this, and here's our recovery plan.'"

Hulton said some folks in the QMJHL believe the league's recent success at the Memorial Cup - champion at three straight tournaments - can at least in part be traced back to the top team's aggressive approach at the deadline.

At the same time, like many of his peers and those of us on the outside, Hulton is prone to raise an eyebrow when a super blockbuster comes across his feed.

"We've had conversations behind closed doors about where the prices are going," he said. "Where does it stop?"

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane said there isn't much to report on his conversations with general manager Kyle Davidson about his uncertain future, but his impending unrestricted free-agent status is weighing on his mind.

"It's a different year, obviously, going into the last year of your contract and different variables about what's going to happen or where you're going to be the rest of your career, different things like that," he said in a recent interview with NBC Sports Chicago's Charlie Roumeliotis. "You think about that stuff, especially when it gets into January here and got a couple months to the trade deadline, so we'll see how it all shakes out."

The 34-year-old is set to miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. The winger is expected to return Saturday against the Seattle Kraken, and he doesn't anticipate the ailment to cause any lingering issues that could impact him long term.

Kane added that he's spoken to his agent, Pat Brisson, "pretty much every week," and he expects to meet with Davidson again soon.

"Just to kind of hear from where each side is at. I think whether it's about my play now or just about the team, about things that I see with the team that could maybe help, and, obviously, about maybe what's coming up.

"I don't think we've got to that point yet, but I'm sure we both know it's right around the corner here."

It's been a rough season for Kane and the Blackhawks. Chicago currently sits in last place in the Central Division with a record of 10-25-4, while Kane has seven tallies and 20 assists in 37 games. His 0.19 goals-per-game rate this season is a career low, and he's in danger of failing to hit the 20-goal mark for the second time in his career - the first time was during the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

"Yeah, it's tough," Kane said. "I think we kind of, I don't want to say we knew we were going to be in this position. I think there was a little hope at the beginning of the year of the start we got off to. There's still a lot of season left."

Both Kane and captain Jonathan Toews are playing out the final seasons of matching eight-year, $84-million pacts. Kane said he and Toews check in every now and then about their futures, but he doesn't think their decisions will influence each other.

The ball is largely in the players' courts, as their deals each feature a no-movement clause.

Selected by the Blackhawks with the first overall pick in 2007, Kane ranks second in franchise history with 1,207 points in 1,144 games. The Buffalo native is a three-time Stanley Cup champion (2010, 2013, 2015) and has taken home the Conn Smythe Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, and Hart Trophy during his 16-year career in Chicago.

The trade deadline is March 3 at 3 p.m. ET.

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Vancouver Canucks forward Tanner Pearson will miss the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign after undergoing a second hand surgery, general manager Patrik Allvin announced Thursday.

Pearson, who has been out since Nov. 9, was initially expected to miss four-to-six weeks following his first procedure before experiencing a setback.

The 30-year-old put up one goal and four assists in 14 contests this season.

Pearson joined the Canucks at the 2019 trade deadline in a swap that sent defenseman Erik Gudbranson to the Pittsburgh Penguins. His 114 points in 221 games since heading north are the sixth most on the Canucks in that span.

Last season, he logged 14 goals and 20 assists in 68 games.

The Canucks currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 17-20-3 record.

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Wednesday was a winning night for our best bets, as we won two of three plays. We lost our lone side, though, as the Washington Capitals couldn't grind out a result against the Philadelphia Flyers.

We'll look to get back on track with a side, and a total, for Thursday's busy slate.

Hurricanes (-320) @ Blue Jackets (+260)

The Carolina Hurricanes have dropped four consecutive games and have been unusually leaky in that time, conceding 18 goals.

As talented as the Hurricanes are, they have always taken pride in being a hard-working and stout defensive club under head coach Rod Brind'Amour. They'll be looking to get back to those ways in a wonderful get-right opportunity against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

The Blue Jackets have some star power - most notably wingers Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine - but that hasn't been enough for them to create offense with any consistency this season. They rank 30th in goals per game and also slot bottom five in terms of shot generation.

This is a spot where the Hurricanes, the NHL's No. 1-ranked side in shot and chance prevention at five-on-five, should be able to flex their muscles and suck the life out of the Blue Jackets' offense.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are so bruised and battered defensively that they should be on their heels for much of the game. I think the Hurricanes will be able to forecheck them into the ground and spend a lot of time working defenders over down low, keeping the puck far, far, away from their own cage.

The Hurricanes will generate their fair share of chances - and then some. But Joonas Korpisalo has held up extremely well in dire circumstances this season and will offer up real resistance in goal.

Of the 66 netminders to appear in at least 10 games thus far, Korpisalo ranks 10th in goals saved above expected per start. His running mate, Elvis Merzlikins, is last, to offer more perspective on how well Korpisalo has handled himself behind this porous Blue Jackets team.

With the Hurricanes looking to tighten the screws at one end and Korpisalo playing very well at the other, I expect this game to go under the number.

Bet: Under 6.5 (-120)

Flames (-160) @ Blues (+140)

The Calgary Flames let us down last time out against the St. Louis Blues, but I thought the process was strong.

Calgary led 3-1 through 40 minutes of play and controlled nearly 62% of the expected goals share in that time.

The Andrew Mangiapane, Mikael Backlund, and Blake Coleman line in particular feasted on the Blues' depth and seemed to cause problems every shift.

Jacob Markstrom fell apart down the stretch, allowing three goals on nine shots over approximately 21 minutes of play, and that was the difference.

While Markstrom - and the Flames' goaltending as a whole - has been up and down this season, the same can be said of St. Louis' tandem. The Blues rank 26th in total save percentage this season, putting them five slots below the Flames.

Even if the difference is negligible, I'd prefer to back the side doing a better job of both generating and limiting chances, and that is definitely Calgary.

At five-on-five, the Flames rank second in the NHL in expected goals share over the last 10 games. They sit well above 57%, whereas the Blues come in at 45.5%. That's a huge swing.

If the Flames can do a better job of staying out of the box and the goaltending can be respectable for a full 60, they should be able to rebound with a much-needed victory.

Bet: Flames in regulation (+100)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov is aware that his name is cropping up in trade rumors, but the 25-year-old is doing his best to block the noise.

"Their job is to talk, my job is to play," Provorov said after practice Wednesday, according to Philly Hockey Now's Sam Carchidi. "I'm not changing anything about my preparation or my thinking. I'm here to play and compete every game."

He added, "I've been here for seven years. It's the team I got drafted by. I'm a loyal player. I want to do my best every game and help the team win any way I can."

The Flyers are reportedly fielding calls from other teams about Provorov, who still has two years remaining on his pact after this season with a $6.75-million cap hit.

The Russian has two goals and 13 assists in 42 games this campaign while ranking second on the team in average ice time (23:10). Provorov has skated alongside a variety of partners in 2022-23, including Tony DeAngelo, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Cam York.

Last season, Provorov spent the majority of his time on a struggling pair with Justin Braun until the latter was shipped to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline. Then, he played alongside York and Ronnie Attard, who were both rookies.

The Flyers traded for Ryan Ellis two offseasons ago, and it looked like Provorov had found a stable partner for the first time since Matt Niskanen retired following the 2019-20 campaign. However, Ellis has only been able to suit up for four games due to injuries.

Philadelphia drafted Provorov seventh overall in 2015. Since he entered the league in 2016-17, the Flyers have amassed a 226-204-65 record, good for a .522 points percentage. But, the team has failed to make the playoffs four times in the last six campaigns and looks primed to miss the dance for a third straight season.

"We've had a couple good years and a couple not-so-good years," Provorov said. "I've been here for pretty much everything, so it would be good to see another time when the team is playing great."

The Flyers aren't in a position where they necessarily have to move him, but there are plenty of teams who could benefit from adding Provorov's skill set.

Philadelphia currently sits seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 17-18-7 record.

The NHL's trade deadline is March 3 at 3 p.m. ET.

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