Getting a tough puck sucks. Back in the 1990s, when heat-seeking missiles Scott Stevens and Darius Kasparaitis roamed NHL rinks, a tough puck usually preceded a thunderous body check in the unclaimed ice of the neutral zone.

One glance down to corral a poorly placed pass and ... boom! Clobbered.

Getting a tough puck in open ice remains dangerous, even in an offense-first era. But it's a rare occurrence. In today's game, there's another, more common scenario where a winger is tasked with taming a fast, wobbly pass along the boards before attempting to exit the defensive zone.

"The difficulty is in getting the puck off the wall," Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo said earlier this season, describing a nightly challenge for all wingers.

"Getting a tough puck off a rimmed pass - as a winger, when the opposing defenseman is coming down at you, and you have to separate yourself and make a play to the middle of the ice, that can be really hard," he said. "But it's also nearly impossible for the other team to defend. So, if you can do it consistently as a winger, that quick breakout off the wall can be very useful."

Okposo, a 15-year veteran, was talking about tough pucks inside the Sabres' KeyBank Center dressing room following a morning skate. I had asked him a simple yet loaded question: What's the hardest skill to master, the most difficult thing for you to do on the ice, as a professional hockey player?

"Geez ... there's a lot," Okposo started. "Every year there's something new."

That was a popular reply when I asked six of Okposo's peers the same question as a follow-up to a 2020 article about skill mastery. But, like Okposo, all six managed to identify at least one especially hard skill, move, or trick.

Here are their answers and explanations.

Ditching long-held defensive tick

Matt Grzelcyk is a 5-foot-10, 176-pound defenseman who simply can't outmuscle most opponents. So he's been hardwired to issue cross-checks. At least you'll slow him down, he reasons. At least he'll know you're there.

Grzelcyk's trying to change his habits, however. There's a more effective and efficient way for him to defend.

"If I have a bigger guy in the corner, I want to steer him out of danger," said Grzelcyk, who's in his sixth season with the Boston Bruins. "I can put my stick on the ice, in a specific spot, and encourage him to move away from the net."

He's right. Every time Grzelcyk raises his stick to deliver a cross-check - one that's barely disrupting the opponent's flow - he's leaving himself exposed. The opponent can easily scoot the puck through or around Grzelcyk's legs.

John Tavares is one rival Grzelcyk's seen plenty of this year. The Toronto Maple Leafs center is listed as three inches taller and 40 pounds heavier.

"It's a natural habit to want to be physical in the corners and around the net," Grzelcyck said. "But when the guy's throwing his weight around, if he has 40 pounds on me, he can spin one way or another and I lose control. Countering that with the stick angling is something I always talk about with the coaches."

Turning slap shot into weapon

It's been well-documented that slap-shot usage is on a steep decline.

Yet one-timers are still relied upon in one particular game situation: the power play, where extra time and space facilitate clappers. For this reason, Kevin Hayes is motivated to do whatever he can to turn his into a legitimate weapon.

Building muscle memory through practice reps are important, the Philadelphia Flyers forward said. Developing chemistry with the right passer is, too, with John Carlson's influence on Alex Ovechkin's goal total being a prime example. Expanding one's wheelhouse and learning how to fire equally lethal slap shots from one's front foot and back foot are other pillars. Hayes has thought about tinkering with his stick specs, but it's complicated.

"I've been using a 95 flex since late high school," Hayes said in February. "And I made it to the NHL with a 95, right? So why am I even trying to change it? I don't really see myself changing anytime soon, so I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to make it work with what I'm using now."

Could Hayes, who's used his slap shot to score 12 of 154 career goals, grab a 95-flex stick for even-strength shifts and a whippier stick - say, one with a 75 flex rating - for power-play time?

"You could," he replied. "But what if you have a grade-A chance that calls for a wrist shot? Know what I mean? So it's hard to figure that out. I haven't really asked too many players about it, but it is something I'm trying to dig into."

Keeping opponents guessing

Adam Fox knows exactly what kind of player he is - one of the smartest and most agile defensemen in the world - and exactly what kind of player he isn't.

"I'm not going to kill people with speed or strength," Fox said with a smile.

This self-awareness gives Fox the agency to double down on the attributes that powered him to the 2021 Norris Trophy. The New York Rangers blue-liner is focused on refining the subtleties in his game - which can be a difficult undertaking.

Example 1: Improving edge work in tight spaces to open up his hips and mess with the forechecker's timing and positioning. "If it works, you're turning your feet one way and the forward coming at you is turning the same way," Fox explained. "Then, when he sets into a track, you quickly go the other way."

Example 2: Improving his capacity to act casually when slipping a puck to a Rangers center after curling deep in the defensive zone. He's working on this because the last thing he wants to do is telegraph breakout passes. In this case, deception flows from Fox's elusiveness and quick hands.

Example 3: Improving his blue-line trickery by incorporating more jukes, shakes, and head fakes. "It's all about working on deceptive plays," Fox said.

Fox, once again a candidate for the Norris, knows he must pick his spots.

"Feeling everything out, being in the league for a few years to see what works, is super important," he said. "There's a lot of smart guys in the league that you're just not going to fake out. Some guys might outsmart you, so holding that puck an extra second works sometimes and other times it doesn't. It's about feeling things out. In the end, there's a time and place for everything."

Finding faceoff-circle groove

Tage Thompson has followed up last season's 38-goal outburst with 43 in 70 contests this season. A highlight-reel regular, he's a bonafide NHL superstar.

It can be easy to forget that Thompson's in the middle of just his second season at center. However, his faceoff win rate of 43.1% is a giveaway that he's still learning the position.

"Right now, I'm trying to find one thing that works, something I can fall back on," Thompson said of overcoming his woes in the faceoff circle.

He later added, "A lot of people from the outside, those watching, think it's meat and potatoes, hack and whack. But there is an art form to it. Certain guys have made a living off it. There are little nuances to the process, lots of detail."

Thompson is being proactive. In the offseason, he worked with former NHLer Marty Reasoner, a 52.9% faceoff guy in his day, and during the season he's been leaning on Sabres assistant coach and resident faceoff guru Jason Christie.

"If I can dial that in, get good at it, that gives our team such an advantage, starting with the puck," said Thompson, who usually shares the ice with Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. "We won't have to chase it around for half of the shift."

He's been picking his teammates' brains about technique, watching video of the best active faceoff men, and studying linesmen to tease out tendencies.

"Linesmen have a certain routine," he said. "Some of them are quicker on the drop. Some of them make you really square up. Some let you cheat a little. You've got to know who you're working with in that respect, too."

Outdueling while under pressure

Sean Durzi didn't know what to make of the question when it was posed. He's learning loads "every single day," so the list of skills to master is long. Durzi's only appeared in 126 NHL games, after all.

A beat later, though, an answer came to the Los Angeles Kings defenseman.

The most difficult thing for Durzi is to shoot the puck while under pressure and at full speed. No, wait, he continued, honing his thought - it's shooting the puck to a specific spot while under pressure and at full speed.

"I can pick a spot from the point, no problem," Durzi said of outdueling goalies. "But when it's one-on-one with the goalie, can you be deceptive enough to beat him? Whether you turn your blade over or do something else. That's what I'm learning and, from what I've seen, you gain with experience."

Durzi knows he's capable of carrying the puck down the wall in the offensive zone, then, with defenders swarming, cut to the middle of the ice and beat the goalie cleanly. He's done it in practice. But the stakes are significantly higher in games, the intensity ratcheted way up. Nothing truly matches game action.

"Especially with all of the defenders on you," he said. "It's just a lot different."

Developing better puck poise

Cole Sillinger, the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, turned heads last season as the league's youngest player. Conversely, Year 2 has been a bumpy ride. The 19-year-old has recorded just 11 points in 64 games.

Sillinger is still confident he can blossom into an impact, 200-foot center for the Columbus Blue Jackets. And one of the ways he'll come to earn that label, he insists, is by becoming fully comfortable operating below the hash marks in both end zones. Developing better poise with the puck is his top priority.

"Ultimately, you want to create more puck possession and O-zone time," Sillinger said. "It's the same mentality in the D-zone, as far as retrieving the puck and moving it out of the zone through possession and protection. You don't want to force anything."

He's trying to learn to be less predictable in those areas. Holding onto the puck a second or two longer can give him, as the puck carrier, more influence over the play. Defenders have no choice but to swarm, opening up teammates for a pass.

Right now, Sillinger's predictability makes him easier to shut down.

"If I can keep improving on the possession aspect, and then add it to my game permanently," Sillinger said, "I'll see myself have more opportunities and also whomever I play with will have more opportunities as well. Win-win."

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That said, if the topic is right, he may share a pearl of wisdom with the world.

Take his appearance on a national TV broadcast in late November. Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, then an analyst for TNT, asked Yzerman about the astounding number of blown leads during the 2022-23 season.

"Yeah," Yzerman replied. "I wouldn't say I have a real scientific answer. But I think our game - the league, in general - is in a real transition."

In today's NHL, Yzerman continued, the attacking team prioritizes puck possession and motion within the offensive zone. Defensemen activate often, which creates confusion for the defending team and leads to goals against.

"The offensive side of coaching has overtaken the defensive side," the GM added. "Now teams, coaches are going to have to adjust and come up with better defensive techniques or systems to defend a little bit."

Traditionally, hockey coaches have obsessed over defensive structure and habits: backchecking, blocking shots, clogging passing lanes, battling along the boards, closing gaps, and clearing the front of the net. It's ingrained in coaches' collective identity to care deeply about defensive details.

With the NHL plunging deeper into an era of offensive dominance, where league-wide scoring continues to hover well above six goals per game, how are coaches adapting? How much credit do coaches deserve for the uptick?

theScore recently asked eight coaches - four currently running NHL benches and four with loads of experience in lower leagues - those exact questions.

Here's what we learned.

The modern mindset

As of Tuesday morning, the average NHL game this season featured 6.38 goals. If that rate holds until the end of the regular season, 2022-23 will count as the highest-scoring campaign since 1993-94, according to Hockey Reference.

"We want to score 10. Every night," Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour told theScore over All-Star Weekend. "Now, we don't want to give up any, but we're trying to score 10. I think where the game's really improved in that regard is that (most NHL) coaches think the same way now."

This season's power plays have been converting on 21.4% of all opportunities - an absurd rate reached only in the wide-open 1970s and '80s. Moreover, multi-goal, third-period comebacks have suddenly become fairly common, with 2022-23 having already set the record for most in a single campaign (53).

This chaotic, offense-first product is a continuation of last season when goals per game rose to 6.28 from 5.88 in 2020-21 and 6.04 in 2019-20. Power-play success rate rose to 20.6% from 19.8% in '20-21 and 20.0% in '19-20.

"The one thing I know for certain is that no one fears a defensive team," Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato said when asked about his overarching philosophy. "Coaches and teams have to strategize to put people on their heels when they know you can score, and that commands respect."

Granato, whose team ranks third in goals for per contest this season, said he doesn't diminish or overlook the defensive side of the game. In his mind, Buffalo's defensive issues (27th in goals against per game) can be traced back to a youthful lineup making too many poor decisions with the puck.

"But yes," Granato said of aggressively pursuing goals, "it is and will be a deliberate focus. Always. It's always been like that with my coaching. Guys want to score, and it's a lot more fun to watch. Fans want to be entertained. So from the outset, yes, a couple of years ago we were dead last in scoring in the NHL. Now we're very close to first in the NHL in scoring, just tiny percentage points away. And that's by design and by effort by our guys."

The uptick in goal scoring can be attributed to all kinds of macro changes over the past decade. The NHL cracked down on slashing and cross-checking. Expansion created roughly 50 new jobs, which means players who previously competed in the minors are now in the NHL. Skaters everywhere gained access to better stick technology while goalie equipment has been slimmed down. Most elite youth players train with skills and skating coaches, raising the baseline of offensive ability at all ages and levels.

"We have better athletes all across the board," Brind'Amour said. "They've pushed the bar up, and now everyone's getting better and faster and stronger and more skilled because they've worked on it 24/7 since they were 10 years old."

Added Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer: "We've got so much young talent on rosters now that you didn't have before. You used to put out your third- and fourth-line checkers to lock down games as early as the second period if you've got a lead. Now you've got young, skilled players looking to score the entire game. That's why you see the swings. ... No lead is safe."

Coaches pull goalies earlier and more often, putting extra pucks in both nets. Power plays have been optimized by using four or five forwards, loading up the first unit with three or four deadly shooting threats, and disorienting the penalty kill with passes from the bumper spot and goal lines.

DeBoer, who's coached five different NHL clubs, noted that pro bench bosses are taking advantage of statistical and video analysis "more than they ever have in the history of the game" - especially during special-teams meetings.

"Players are a lot more inquisitive now. They do want to know the why and how things work," said Danton Cole, who's coached pro, junior, and college players for more than two decades, most recently at Michigan State. "The analytics of the game can help you offensively because you can show players how to attack through the middle of the ice or get off the wall in the offensive zone."

Teams have also altered how they operate at five-on-five - more carry-in zone entries, higher shot volume from the slot area, and a preference for east-west passing, just to name a few trends. The focus on maintaining possession and generating quality looks shows clearly in the five-on-five high-danger data:

James Richmond, GM and coach of the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads, said it's vitally important to frame defensive play in an incentive-rich way at the junior level. "The more we can pressure the player with the puck, the better chance we get it back and get it back soon," he tells his players.

"Every good junior player comes up through minor hockey having the puck a lot. That's not a new thing, but it's true," Richmond said. "As you go up levels, the puck is on your stick less and less. So, the goal is to get the puck back.

"How do we do that?" he continued. "We don't send five guys after the puck carrier, like a team of six-year-olds. There are certain areas you can occupy on the ice to make the puck carrier feel uncomfortable. You ideally want that player to pass or shoot it before they're really ready to pass or shoot. And if you can get somebody to do something out of their comfort zone, there's a good chance they're going to make a mistake, and you'll get the puck back."

Counterstriking - the act of turning defense into offense in the blink of an eye - is usually what follows a turnover in today's high-paced game. And you can't beat instant gratification in 2023.

It helps that modern defensemen are eager to start or join the attack to overwhelm the opposition. The stay-at-home archetype, which favors pucks off the glass and brute physicality over carry-out zone exits and effective stick checking, is essentially extinct. The job description for blue-liners has been rewritten for mobility, creativity, and problem-solving ability.

"Players now are interchangeable," said DeBoer, citing how frequently defensemen act like forwards and how often forwards must cover for them.

Ben Simon of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins maintains "the old adage of 'your best defense is a good offense' is so relevant" for today's players and coaches. Everybody's eager to push play in the right direction - with numbers.

"I have seen - probably in the last four or five years - defensemen being way more active in really all aspects offensively, whether that's off a faceoff or off the rush or off a breakout or off sustained O-zone play," Simon said. "They're coming through a hockey system now where they're being encouraged to be more involved with the puck. And there's a natural correlation with coaching."

The extreme approach

Creating offense is at the core of the Brooks Bandits' program. The Alberta-based junior A team that helped develop Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar scouts offensive dynamos almost exclusively, centers recruiting pitches and practice drills around scoring, and plays a high-risk brand of hockey.

It's all part of "flipping the script" inside teenage players' heads.

"There aren't really any players who get excited about defending," longtime Brooks GM and head coach Ryan Papaioannou said of the "No. 1 challenge" in junior. "Instead of trying to fight that battle head-on," he added, "we just start on the offensive side, get everybody to buy into that, then go from there."

The Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks teams of the 2010s inspired Papaioannou to go all-in on offense. He loved how Chicago's defensemen defied tradition by always being on the move and finding ways to get involved in the offensive zone. The Bandits covet defensemen with strong skating, high intelligence, and puck skills. Size and physicality are far down the priority list.

Brooks' emphasis on offense is partially based on the widely held belief that a team can achieve defensively sound hockey through old-fashioned hard work. "I think 85% of playing defense is just straight-up effort," Papaioannou said.

The program graduated Makar, arguably the world's best defenseman (and the best prototype for the playing style), and Columbus Blue Jackets first-rounder Corson Ceulemans to the NCAA. This year's Bandits, who won 53 of 60 regular-season games, are chasing a third consecutive junior A national title.

"To try and do this in the NHL - at the scale we are - might be a little extreme," Papaioannou said. "The players you turn the puck over to in the NHL are going to burn you. You'd get eaten up pretty good most nights. But you could find a balance and bring up the level of offense in many different ways."

The inevitable counterpunch

As Yzerman suggested during his TNT interview in November, a market correction will come at some point. Coaches will try to outsmart each other, and, perhaps within only a few years, NHL goal rates will stop trending up.

There are several factors out of coaches' control - such as changing officiating standards and the young player's mindset - but they still hold immense power. Look no further than three-on-three overtime, where the chaotic action from early seasons has slowly been replaced by a coaching chess match.

"There's always a counterpunch to these trends. Coaches will figure out a way to combat this latest jump in scoring, even if it's reined in just a little," said Cole, who started coaching in the middle of the so-called dead-puck era.

Richmond, who runs the OHL's Steelheads, likens hockey tactics to fashion.

"It goes out of style, and it comes back, it goes, and it comes back. Why does it leave? Well, people get tired of it," Richmond said, chuckling. "In hockey, when you're always doing something over and over to create scoring chances, the other team sees it and builds a defensive scheme against it. Then it becomes harder again. So, it'll slow down and then come back again."

Every spring provides a temporary shift. In the playoffs, games tighten up as players fight for every inch of ice, officials put their whistles away, and coaches can key in on the opposition during a series. While the offensive mindset doesn't vanish, defensive structure certainly takes over.

"I think it's in coaches' DNA. We'll try and coach the skill out of the game as much as we can," DeBoer said with a hearty laugh. "We'll try and defend. Come playoff time, you see everyone else buckle down."

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy recalled hearing Darryl Sutter of the Calgary Flames remark that the NHL has transitioned from being a 3-2 league to a 4-3 league. All things being equal, it's a nightly race to four goals.

That's fine with Cassidy. The NHL is in the entertainment business. Goals sell tickets. But he believes an all-offense approach would devalue the product.

"I just don't want it to become a 6-5 league," Cassidy said. "I don't think that's great for hockey. But I guess, until that happens, we'll see."

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Friday marks one week on the job for Daniel Briere, interim general manager for the Philadelphia Flyers. It's safe to say it's gotten progressively more stressful.

Philadelphia introduced Briere to the media and fans Sunday - normal and cool.

The former Flyers forward then traveled to Florida to mingle with his peers at the GM meetings. Normal and cool, too, though likely a whirlwind for the new guy.

By Wednesday, all of that normalcy and coolness vanished. Briere had to issue a statement condemning his second-oldest son's "inexcusable" actions at a bar after surveillance camera footage of Carson Briere shoving an unoccupied wheelchair down a flight of stairs went viral. (Carson, a 23-year-old junior forward at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania, apologized in his own statement.)

Carson's actions aren't directly related to the Flyers. But the entire situation reflects poorly on the Briere family and taints what ought to have been a heady first week at the helm. The proud Flyers fan base surely isn't pleased.

Mercyhurst suspended Carson Briere and two other athletes while continuing to investigate the incident. The matter is also in the hands of Erie police.

After dealing with that sideshow, Daniel Briere still has to figure out how to turn the Flyers around. He remarked during his press conference that a rebuild was on its way and warned it won't be a quick fix. He also said he didn't want to conduct a fire sale. Translation: The roster will be under heavy construction, but don't expect a Chicago Blackhawks-style strip down.

To be completely unambiguous, Briere has his work cut out for him.

On a recent episode of the Hockey PDOcast, host Dimitri Filipovic and I discussed which NHL franchises had the most depressing medium-term outlooks (roughly two to four years). We determined only the lowly Arizona Coyotes were in a worse spot than the Flyers.

Here's a high-level to-do list for Briere:

Acquire more 2023 draft capital

Failing to move pending unrestricted free agent James van Riemsdyk ahead of the trade deadline may have been the final nail in the coffin for Briere's predecessor, Chuck Fletcher. The Flyers, sitting 27th in points percentage, own their first-round pick in the upcoming draft. That's great. But they don't pick again until roughly halfway through the third round. That's unacceptable for a club in Philadelphia's position. Once the trade freeze lifts, Briere must find a way to acquire another 2023 first or, at the very least, an early second.

Define the long-term identity and core

Carter Hart, Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, Owen Tippett, Cam York, Ivan Provorov, and Travis Sanheim are all under 27 years old and under contract or team control through next season (far beyond, in some cases). If Briere is serious about rebuilding, only some of those core pieces should be around for the long haul. Moving on from Provorov is a no-brainer, Sanheim appears to have fallen out of favor within the organization, whereas the decisions for guys like Hart and Konecny are complicated and carry more potential downside.

Search for stars and/or future stars

The Flyers' outlook seems so bleak partly because, aside from Konecny, the roster is devoid of anybody an objective observer might consider an NHL star or superstar. Hart, 24, is fairly young for a goalie, so there's still a chance he really pops. Prospect Cutter Gauthier could be a stud. Otherwise, the lack of star/future star talent is concerning, especially with uncertainty surrounding Sean Couturier's health. Proper drafting and developing are vital here, though it wouldn't hurt if Briere got creative on the free agency and trade markets.

Offload Hayes and Ristolainen contracts

Briere gave head coach John Tortorella a vote of confidence during his press conference. What does that mean for Kevin Hayes' future in Philly? Not only is he not Tortorella's favorite player, but Hayes is also a salary-dump candidate given his age and contract. A rebuild just doesn't mesh with Hayes' timeline as an effective NHLer. Rasmus Ristolainen's deal, which runs through 2026-27 at $5.1 million per year, is an even bigger eyesore on the Flyers' cap sheet. Similar to "search for stars," this task is far easier said than done for Briere.

Rantanen's MVP-caliber run

The last time the incomparable Connor McDavid collected all 100 first-place votes to win the Hart Trophy, Mikko Rantanen snuck into the top 10. The 26-year-old Colorado Avalanche winger earned a respectable 15 voting points for 2020-21 MVP thanks to one selection each for second, third, and fourth.

McDavid is going to win the Hart again, probably unanimously - again. The rest of the ballot is up for debate, though it's hard to envision Rantanen - whom teammate Nathan MacKinnon labels a "beast" one second and "horse" the next - finishing outside the top 10. The Finn will make the cut if he hits 50 goals (he's five away with 15 games remaining) and continues to play more than any forward not named McDavid (Rantanen is two seconds ahead of MacKinnon).

"You talk about value to a team and what he brings? Mikko's top three, top four, top five in the league," Avs forward Andrew Cogliano told theScore.

Cogliano's rationale: In his 16 years in the NHL, he's never played on a team that's encountered as much regular-season adversity as the 2022-23 Avs, and Rantanen has led them through the storm. The defending champions have dealt with a laundry list of injuries on top of having that title target on their backs. Yet they own the fifth-best points percentage in the Western Conference.

Gabriel Landeskog has been sidelined the entire season, while Josh Manson's missed 40 games, Bowen Byram's missed 38, Valeri Nichushkin 29, Cale Makar 13, and MacKinnon 11. Earlier this week, Colorado ruled Artturi Lehkonen out for four-to-six weeks. Rantanen is one of four Avs to appear in all 67 games.

"There were moments when it was Rants and maybe one more guy from the top six healthy. He was carrying the team," goalie Alexandar Georgiev said.

Added MacKinnon, who's also been incredible with 85 points in only 56 games: "Rants probably doesn't get all of the recognition that he deserves. Me and Cale were hurt, other guys were hurt, and he was getting hat tricks. He was leading our team to wins. He's been playing huge minutes all season."

Old-man Anderson still contributing

Quirky fact: The NHL's oldest player is on the league's youngest team.

Goalie Craig Anderson, who's in his 20th campaign in the league and second with the Buffalo Sabres, turns 42 in May. He has more than two years on Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano, the NHL's second-oldest player.

To put Anderson's elder statesman status in perspective, rookie teammates Owen Power and JJ Peterka were eight days and 10 months old, respectively, when the netminder made his NHL debut on Nov. 30, 2002.

The Sabres have kept Anderson's workload light this year with their three-goalie rotation. Still, there's no denying he's stopped pucks at an admirable rate, rocking a .917 save percentage in 23 games during a season in which the league average has drooped to .905. He's 13th in Evolving Hockey's goals saved above expected metric.

Teammates gush over how well Anderson, a leader in the dressing room and on the ice, processes incoming offense and how calm he is in the crease.

"He's so good at reading guys' eyes, reading guys' sticks, and figuring out where they're going to shoot," forward and 40-goal man Tage Thompson said.

"He makes it look like something is open," added Dylan Cozens, another young center with scoring chops. "But he takes it away right when you go to shoot. A lot of times, he knows exactly where you're going with the puck."

Parting shots

Max Domi: The Central Division-leading Dallas Stars needed offensive punch prior to the trade deadline, so they sent injured goalie Anton Khudobin and a second-round pick to the Blackhawks for Domi (and prospect Dylan Wells). Through seven games, the bet's looking solid with one goal, two assists, 17 shots, and 10 takeaways. Domi's averaged 16 minutes a night alongside five different linemates due to Dallas' injury woes. Domi's dad, Tie, and Stars bench boss Pete DeBoer were both selected by the Maple Leafs in the 1988 draft. Max is infinitely more skilled than dad, but Tie passed down a degree of grittiness. Are their personalities similar? Different? "I don't know if anyone's got a personality like Tie. I think Max is the best of his mom and his dad. That's a (good) way to put it," DeBoer said with a hearty laugh.

Kirill Marchenko: The Columbus Blue Jackets have positioned themselves quite nicely for the draft lottery in May. Better odds at picking Connor Bedard is a prize worth chasing, but the season's been miserable for a squad that aspired to make the playoffs in Year 1 of the Johnny Gaudreau era. A rare bright spot has been Marchenko's emergence on the wing. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound rookie started his NHL career by recording exclusively goals, 13 of them, before earning his first assist (16 straight to start a career is the record, set in 1917-18). Now with 17 snipes and two helpers in 44 games, Marchenko easily has the highest ratio. He's the Cy Young leader, if you will. Victor Olofsson (24 goals and nine assists) and Cole Caufield (26-10) trail him.

Fighting ban: As early as next season, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is moving toward an outright ban on fighting, commissioner Mario Cecchini said Thursday. The league is still determining disciplinary standards. I reached out to a few QMJHL contacts for reactions. One GM who is against the change is mostly curious about the motivation behind the ban. "Is it to reduce injuries?" the GM texted. "If so, the data should support this action. But, in my experience of late, most fights do not produce injuries. Thus, I believe this stance is for optics and politics rather than improving our game."

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Quick-hit analysis of big-league trades completed Friday, March 3.

Penguins bring back Bonino

Pittsburgh acquires: F Nick Bonino
San Jose acquires: TBD

Bonino, a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Penguins of 2015-16 and 2016-17, is headed back to Pittsburgh after a six-year hiatus in a reported three-way trade. Now 34, Bonino's not the player he used to be, but he's not entirely washed up. He can fill a bottom-six role and block shots on the penalty kill for the Pens, who currently occupy a playoff spot. Bonino's been hot and cold this year, recording one point in his first 20 games, then 18 in his past 39 games. There's nothing wrong with this move in isolation; the player is useful and the price is fair. However, the Penguins' approach to the deadline has been puzzling. Instead of pulling the trigger on deals that include difference-makers, general manager Ron Hextall has only acquired Bonino and Mikael Granlund. Simply put, neither veteran will move the needle down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Blues take chance on Vrana

St. Louis acquires: F Jakub Vrana
Detroit acquires: F Dylan McLaughlin, 2025 7th-round pick
(Red Wings retain 50% of Vrana's salary)

This trade is about giving Vrana a fresh start. The 27-year-old winger spent several months earlier this season in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program dealing with an undisclosed issue. After returning to the Wings in December, Vrana played three NHL games (no points) and 17 AHL games (11 points). St. Louis is banking on the classic change-of-scenery bump while Detroit is offloading half of Vrana's $5.25-million cap hit this year and next. Vrana's shown flashes of 40-goal potential during previous stretches with Detroit and Washington. The Blues recently picked up Kasperi Kapanen, another project at forward, off waivers. Vrana and Kapanen are low-risk adds for a franchise trying to turn over most of its roster while remaining relatively competitive. It's worth a shot, though there's no guarantee either pans out.

Recapping weeks of activity

As we wait for trade activity Friday, below is a high-level recap of the past month - perhaps the wildest lead-up to a trade deadline in NHL history.

The first domino fell when Bo Horvat was shipped to the New York Islanders on Jan. 30. Between then and Thursday, 46 trades were registered with the league, according to the indispensable CapFriendly. The swaps involved 59 NHL players, as well as 38 minor leaguers and prospects. A whopping 62 draft picks were transferred, including 13 guaranteed first-rounders and three other potential firsts (if conditions are met). Four trades saw one team move "future considerations" to the other in lieu of a player or pick. Meanwhile, 15 of the 46 trades - or roughly 33% - featured salary retention of some kind.

The 48-8-5 Bruins, who became the fastest team in history to hit 100 points in a season on Thursday, bulked up with the acquisitions of defenseman Dmitry Orlov, and forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Garnet Hathway. (For good measure, Boston threw in a $90-million extension for David Pastrnak.)

In an attempt to keep pace with their division rivals, the Maple Leafs added six pieces - Ryan O'Reilly, Noel Acciari, and Sam Lafferty up front, and Jake McCabe, Erik Gustafsson, and Luke Schenn on the back end. Out the door: forwards Pierre Engvall and Joey Anderson, and blue-liner Rasmus Sandin.

The Eastern Conference has owned the West on the ice this season, and on the trade market. The Devils won the Timo Meier sweepstakes. The Senators landed highly sought after Jakob Chychrun. And the Rangers double dipped by reeling in two impact forwards, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane.

The Capitals and Predators have been the most compelling selling teams. Washington has been aggressive in unloading veterans as part of a retool, bidding farewell to Lars Eller, Marcus Johansson, Gustafsson, Orlov, and Hathaway. Nashville, a club cutting deep into its core, has flipped Mattias Ekholm, Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, and Tanner Jeannot.

That Jeannot trade - a middle-six winger moving from the Predators to the Lightning for defenseman Cal Foote and five draft picks, including a first-rounder - boggled minds across the league. Will anything top it Friday?

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That's it?

That's all Jakob Chychrun fetched after more than a year on the trade market?

Really?!

The Arizona Coyotes traded Chychrun, a top-four, cost-controlled defenseman, to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday in exchange for three draft picks - a 2023 first-rounder, a 2024 second-rounder, and a 2026 second-rounder. (The 2024 second-rounder becomes a first in 2024 or 2025 in the unlikely scenario that the Senators make the conference finals this season.)

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion emerges from this negotiation looking ingenious. Two firsts and a high-end prospect was the reported asking price from the Coyotes for several months, and Dorion cut that package roughly in half. By moving out Nikita Zaitsev's $4.5-million cap hit last week, Ottawa had the requisite cap space to absorb the entirety of Chychrun's $4.6-million hit.

Although slow-playing a negotiation for a player of Chychrun's caliber doesn't always pay off, it did this time. Dorion was incredibly patient. No matter how it's spun in Arizona, GM Bill Armstrong simply didn't get enough value back.

Chychrun, the best blue-liner available in the lead-up to the trade deadline, was such a desirable asset in part because he's under contract through the 2024-25 season. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has averaged 23 minutes a night the past three seasons for the Coyotes. He transitions the puck extremely well, boasts a booming shot, and squashes opposing attacks with physicality and stick work. In a nutshell, Chychrun is a modern two-way defenseman.

Sitting out the past eight Coyotes games for "trade-related reasons," Chychrun last played on Feb. 10. He's recorded seven goals and 21 assists in 36 games after starting the year on injured reserve. The shot-generation machine ranks fifth among all defensemen in shots on goal per 60 minutes.

On the season, Arizona outscored the opposition 35-25 at five-on-five when Chychrun was on the ice. Without him patrolling the blue line at five-on-five, the 21-30-9 Coyotes were outscored 105-71 for an ugly minus-34 rating.

Chychrun, who turns 25 later this month, will be a major boost to Ottawa's playoff push. The Sens were five points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference heading into Wednesday's slate of games. They're in a six-team battle with the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Islanders for the conference's two wild-card spots.

This trade injects yet another key contributor to the Sens' impressive 26-and-younger core. Chychrun joins Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson on the back end, while Brady Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, Tim Stutzle, and Josh Norris comprise a stellar six-pack up front.

Dorion deserves an "A" grade for his work on Wednesday. Well done, Pierre.

Capitals trying to thread needle

Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan didn't make a single trade for seven-plus months. Over the past week, with his club sputtering on the ice, MacLellan's flipped the script, trading away five NHL regulars in four swaps.

The Caps selling, while a rare sight, isn't shocking. The Eastern Conference is stacked, and Washington, lacking finish and crushed by injuries all season, is too far back in the playoff hunt. Standing pat or buying would have made zero sense.

MacLellan actually took concrete steps toward a retool, as none of his deals were half measures. He was aggressive. He focused his moves on nothing but the future, and he didn't get greedy. The Caps acquired four draft picks and two NHL players, and one of the players - forward Craig Smith - is a pending unrestricted free agent who'll likely walk this coming summer.

The GM's next steps will be extra intriguing.

Franchise owner Ted Leonsis has been on record saying the Caps won't be rebuilding during the tail end of Alex Ovechkin's illustrious career. Fair. With that in mind, MacLellan must continue reshaping the roster beyond this past week's activity, which has seen Lars Eller, Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway, Marcus Johansson, and Erik Gustafsson depart, and Rasmus Sandin arrive.

Washington has loads of cap space and term tied up in Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Tom Wilson, T.J. Oshie, Dylan Strome, John Carlson, Nick Jensen, and Darcy Kuemper. But the roster doesn't scream "imminent Stanley Cup contender!"

Perhaps Wilson and Oshie should be next to leave. Maybe top prospects and first-round picks can be flipped for more young NHLers like Sandin. These subsequent moves aren't necessarily urgent; they can wait until the summer. The main objective would be to enter 2023-24 with a younger, faster lineup.

It won't be easy, but MacLellan is trying to thread the needle with this retool.

Karlsson and the Norris

The description for the Norris Trophy is as follows: "An annual award given to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position."

The key phrase there, especially within the context of this season's Norris discussion, is "greatest all-round ability." Erik Karlsson, a two-time winner who has an eye-popping 77 points in 61 games, is firmly in the running for defenseman of the year, yet he falls way short of being a well-rounded player.

Karlsson is an offensive wizard - one of the best creators from the back end in NHL history, in fact - but his defensive play leaves something to be desired. Two stats help illustrate: The San Jose Sharks have scored 78 goals with Karlsson on the ice during five-on-five action - tops in the NHL. They've also surrendered 63 goals with No. 65 on at five-on-five - tops in the league, too.

Karlsson's extreme numbers raise a philosophical question, though: At what point is the offensive value so overwhelming that contributions on defense are more or less unimportant? Brian Leetch was the last defenseman to hit triple digits in points, way back in 1991-92, and Karlsson's on pace for a tidy 103.

Put another way, is Karlsson's "defense" actually his ability to generate offense for an 18-31-12 team? He's been everything to the Sharks, not only leading the club in ice time (25:34), assists (58), and points but also managing to pace every NHLer - even Connor McDavid - in even-strength points (53).

The Sharks have accounted for 53.7 of the expected goals during Karlsson's five-on-five minutes, which means he's more than offsetting his goals against with positive offensive impact. (That said, he's not exactly a world-beater in xGF%, ranking 47th among the 183 defensemen who've played at least 500 five-on-five minutes.)

Cale Makar, Rasmus Dahlin, Josh Morrissey, and Adam Fox are Karlsson's main competition, with roughly a quarter of the season remaining. If his production falls off, one of those other four could swoop in as the Norris favorite. If his production doesn't fall off, we've got a hot debate on our hands.

Parting shots

Ken Holland: I have no rooting interest in the NHL, but there are situations I feel passionately about. For example, the Oilers needing to do something significant ahead of the deadline. With McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at the peak of their powers and the Western Conference wide-open, general manager Holland most notably had to improve his blue line. On Tuesday, the famously conservative executive acquired Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators. Does this trade solve all of Edmonton's issues? No, but it's a start for the Oilers to add a 6-foot-4 defensive defenseman who isn't a liability with the puck on his stick and has term left on his contract. So I'm happy to give Holland a thumbs up. Anxious to see what he has in store in the final days.

Mike 'Suitcase' Sillinger: Every year around this time, Sillinger's name surfaces as a historical reference point. The former forward played for 12 teams over a 17-year NHL career, getting traded a record nine times (twice at the deadline). Yeah, there's no mystery surrounding the "Suitcase" nickname. Sillinger's son, Columbus Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger, says while he either wasn't born or doesn't remember any of his dad's trades because he was too young, he still gives it to Mike every now and then. "I always bug him," Cole said Tuesday in an interview. "It's like, 'Oh, no one wanted you!' And then he goes, 'Well, that's where you're wrong - everyone wanted me!'"

Jake Walman: What a glow-up 2022-23 has been for the 27-year-old Detroit Red Wings defenseman. Walman, who earlier this week signed a three-year contract extension carrying a $3.4-million annual cap hit, is flourishing in a top-pair role alongside Moritz Seider. An effortless skater with a bullet of a shot and good hockey sense, Walman's broken out in his sixth pro season. Most notably, the Wings have outscored the opposition 32-20 and own 54.7% of the expected goals in Walman's 653 five-on-five minutes this season. Walman, a 2014 third-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, was sent to Detroit in the Nick Leddy trade at last year's deadline. Nice find by GM Steve Yzerman.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Patrick Kane saga has reached its conclusion. Finally.

The New York Rangers acquired Kane and minor leaguer Cooper Zech on Tuesday in a three-team trade with the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes.

Chicago is receiving a conditional 2023 second-round draft pick, a 2025 fourth-rounder, and minor leaguers Vili Saarijarvi and Andy Welinski while retaining 50% of Kane's $10.5-million salary. Arizona, meanwhile, is getting a 2025 third-rounder from New York for 25% retention.

The trade, which closes a chapter in Blackhawks history, is complicated and indicative of a wild trade market, so let's unpack some winners and losers.

Winner: Patrick Kane

In the end, "Showtime" got his way.

Kane negotiated a no-move clause into his contract back in 2014, and over the past few months, he exercised it to its full potential. The pending unrestricted free agent waited and waited before finally making a decision. It was well within his rights to take his time and select a landing spot (score for player empowerment!), and now he's joining forces with old pal Artemi Panarin and the rest of the 34-17-9 Rangers, a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Kane, 34, won three Stanley Cups over a 16-year run with the Blackhawks. He's one of the best offensive players of his generation, with a trophy case full of individual awards to prove it. And while he's no longer in his prime, Kane's going to benefit greatly from being surrounded by more talent in New York.

For the first time in a long time, he can be "A Guy," not necessarily "The Guy."

Loser: Kyle Davidson

Let's face it, Chicago's general manager was dealt a pretty crappy hand.

Davidson began 2022-23 with two legacy stars to dangle as premier deadline rentals. Trading both Kane and Jonathan Toews, while not an easy task thanks to no-move clauses and expensive contracts, would expedite a deep rebuild.

Health issues eventually removed Toews from the trade block. And now Kane has been shipped out for a less-than-ideal package: two draft picks, one of which might turn into a first-rounder. (The 2023 second-rounder becomes a first in 2024 or 2025 if the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final this season.)

No guaranteed first, no A-level prospect, and no young NHLer; not exactly a haul.

Yes, Davidson had little control over the situation. But it doesn't erase the fact that he lost the trade with the Rangers - who had all the leverage due to Kane choosing New York as his only destination - and couldn't trade Toews, period.

Winner: Gerard Gallant

The Rangers head coach officially has an embarrassment of riches up front.

This month alone, Gallant's been gifted forwards Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Tyler Motte. Kane is having a down year by his lofty standards (45 points in 54 games) but has turned it on of late with eight points in his past three games. Despite his age, Kane remains a lethal setup man. He possesses silky hands and the requisite hockey IQ to execute extremely creative plays.

That revamped top six - Kane, Tarasenko, Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Vincent Trocheck - is as good as any in the NHL, and the usage and deployment possibilities are endless. The so-called "Kid Line" of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil, and Kaapo Kakko is an enviable third line. And a fourth line of Motte, Jimmy Vesey, and Barclay Goodrow is, well, laughably good.

Rangers GM Chris Drury also acquired defenseman Niko Mikkola for Gallant's third pair. Yeah, February has been very kind to the coach and his lineup card.

Loser: Jarmo Kekalainen

The Columbus Blue Jackets GM must be fuming right now.

Technically, the Kane trade didn't see a first-round pick change hands. But down the road, New York could fork over a first-rounder for Kane, so the deal represents yet another instance over the past month where a contending team included a first in a trade package. There are only so many.

In total, eight first-rounders over the next three drafts have been sacrificed (one of them twice in a matter of days) for the likes of Tarasenko, Ryan O'Reilly, Jake McCabe, Tanner Jeannot, Dmitry Orlov, Bo Horvat, Rasmus Sandin, Mattias Ekholm, and Timo Meier. (The Meier deal featured a guaranteed first and a conditional second that may turn into another first.)

Apparently, none of these clubs are overly intrigued by Vladislav Gavrikov, the rugged Columbus defenseman who on Tuesday sat out his eighth straight game for "trade-related reasons." A deal between the Blue Jackets and Bruins was reportedly very close, but Boston ultimately chose Orlov over Gavrikov.

Surely Gavrikov will be scooped up before the deadline. But for what?

Winner: Eastern Conference

The Kane deal added to the arms race well underway in the East.

The difference between the two conferences was striking prior to the first major move of this wacky trade period (Horvat to the New York Islanders on Jan. 30). A month later, the East occupies spots one through six on the points percentage leaderboard while dominating the West on the trade market.

Here's the list of notable NHLers who've been moved to or stayed within the East since that first domino fell with the Horvat swap: Kane, Tarasenko, O'Reilly, Orlov, Meier, Jeannot, McCabe, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Luke Schenn.

And the West: Ekholm, Nino Niederreiter, Ivan Barbashev, Evgenii Dadonov, and Tyson Barrie.

Keep in mind, too, the Carolina Hurricanes - who trail only the Bruins in points percentage - have only acquired Puljujarvi. There's no way Carolina's done.

Loser: 'Trade-related reasons'

The term "trade-related reasons" (and its cousin, "roster management reasons") is getting quite the workout this month. Kane, who missed his final two games in Chicago, became the first big name to actually get moved after being scratched out of fear of injury before a trade could be finalized.

Gavrikov (out eight games without a trade) and Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (eight games) are still waiting for news. Healthy and useful players sitting around doing nothing for weeks isn't a great look for the NHL, though the situation appeared worse when Jeannot, Schenn, Sam Lafferty, and Vitali Kravtsov had also watched at least one game from the press box.

The latest "trade-related" scratches? Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo and Coyotes forward Nick Bjugstad were both sidelined Tuesday night.

Winner: Third-party brokering

Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong has joined Wild GM Bill Guerin in the 2022-23 third-party brokers club - and membership may grow in the coming days.

Guerin has taken on salary in two different trades, first receiving a 2025 fourth-round pick from Toronto for retaining 50% of O'Reilly's salary and then netting a 2023 fifth-rounder from Boston for eating 50% of Orlov's salary.

This mini-trend is a byproduct of the salary cap's minimal increase during the pandemic. Last season saw one third-party broker deal (Max Domi), while 2020-21 had three such deals (Mattias Janmark, Nick Foligno, David Savard).

Of course, a third team isn't always needed to retain salary. Over the past few weeks, we've seen plenty of selling teams eat a portion of a contract to make the money work for the buyer. Teams can retain on a total of three players.

Loser: Trade deadline shows

Let's keep this last one short: While it's awesome to see so much trade activity, TV executives in Canada and the United States can't be too pleased.

Friday won't be dead - there's always movement on deadline day, and this season definitely feels abnormally busy, in general - but a lot of the marquee names have already changed teams. Time to prepare the gimmicky segments.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On Saturday, New Jersey Devils fans chanted "We Want Timo!" during a 7-0 trouncing of the Philadelphia Flyers. Their wish was granted 24 hours later.

In a mammoth, 13-piece deal, the Devils acquired forwards Timo Meier and Timur Ibragimov, defensemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, goalie Zachary Emond, and a 2024 fifth-round draft pick from the San Jose Sharks.

In exchange, the Sharks received forwards Andreas Johnsson and Fabian Zetterlund, defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-rounder, and a 2024 seventh-rounder.

To make the money work for New Jersey, San Jose is retaining 50% of Meier's $6-million salary and cap hit. (Meier is a pending restricted free agent.)

Two of the picks are conditional. The 2023 first-rounder going to San Jose transfers to a 2024 first-rounder in the extremely unlikely scenario that it becomes a first or second overall pick. The 2024 second-rounder transfers to a top-10-protected first-rounder if the Devils make the conference final this season or next and Meier appears in 50% of 2023 playoff games.

Got all of that?

Let's dig into the two perspectives of the deal and hand out some grades.

Devils' side of deal

Take a bow, Tom Fitzgerald.

The Devils general manager has reeled in the most desirable player on the trade market in 2022-23 while holding on to high-end youngsters Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, Alexander Holtz, and Dawson Mercer. The kicker: Meier's and New Jersey's playing styles are a match made in heaven.

Meier, 26, is a play-driving, shot-producing power forward who can kill the opposition in so many ways, most notably off the rush and forecheck. He's third among all NHLers in shots on goal and fourth in shot attempts. The Swiss winger is a top-10 player at generating scoring chances off the rush, unleashing his deadly wrist shot often. He's also very effective at using his 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame to sustain zone time on the forecheck or cycle.

The Devils excel at the same things: Smart and speedy, they're a top-five team at generating chances off the rush and a top-five team at generating chances off the forecheck, according to Sportlogiq. What makes the fit even better is that Meier adds a physical, net-front element to a smallish top six.

Meier, who recorded 31 goals and 21 assists in 57 games for the woeful Sharks, will be paired with an elite playmaking center in New Jersey - either Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier. Meanwhile, the overqualified third wheel on Meier's new line will likely be one of Jesper Bratt, Ondrej Palat, or Mercer.

(As an aside, don't be surprised if offensive blue-liner Dougie Hamilton benefits from this trade. Meier and Erik Karlsson, a similar player to Hamilton, were electric together in San Jose, working the give-and-go game super well.)

The Devils sit second in the Metropolitan Division with a 39-15-5 record and plus-51 goal differential. They're a superb five-on-five team, dominating both offensively and defensively, and Meier will help a 19th-ranked power play.

Acquiring Meier allows Fitzgerald and coach Lindy Ruff to keep pace in a conference that's gone bananas in the lead-up to the trade deadline. The Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning have already bulked up (and could add again in the coming days), while the Carolina Hurricanes are primed to make a big splash of their own.

As complicated as this transaction may look on paper, for New Jersey it begins and ends with Meier. And through the lens of the 2022-23 season, there's minimal downside. Meier is a true difference-maker, and the package going the other way, while not nothing, is palatable. The Devils want to win now, and this is the kind of home run swing contending GMs must take.

And if Meier - an RFA with a giant $10-million qualifying offer - ends up signing a long-term extension, well, Fitzgerald will look like an A+ genius.

Grade: A

Sharks' side of deal

The 2023 first-rounder and Mukhamadullin - a 21-year-old who could blossom into a top-four NHL defenseman soon - are the jewels of the Meier return.

Zetterlund is a middle-six sniper, Johnson is a fringe NHLer, Okhotiuk seems destined to be a third-pair defenseman one day, and the other picks are nice-to-haves. (Of course, if that 2024 second becomes a first, now we're talking.)

Mix all of that together and I don't love or despise this trade for San Jose. The package doesn't blow me away - again, no Hughes, Nemec, Holtz, or Mercer - or feel like a complete ripoff. With a middle-of-the-pack prospect base and an NHL roster lacking star power and depth, Sharks GM Mike Grier went for the quantity-over-quality play. And if the first and Mukhamadullin both hit in a few years, he could look smart in hindsight.

Hired last July, this is Grier's second major trade after sending Brent Burns to the Carolina Hurricanes in another rebuild-focused deal involving salary retention in the offseason. A third such transaction doesn't seem likely anytime soon, as Grier told reporters Sunday night that he anticipates Karlsson will stay in San Jose for the rest of the season. His contract is simply too difficult to move.

That news puts a damper on the last few days before the deadline for Sharks fans, who are probably viewing the Meier return with a shrug or a "we'll see."

Or maybe some disappointment.

Grade: C+

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Over the next week, pending unrestricted free agents - or "rentals" - will be swapped from Team A to Team B as buyers buy and sellers sell in advance of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline. There's a predictable progression to it all.

What's less predictable is the fate of non-rentals. Deals involving players under team control are often classified as "change of scenery" moves, as at least one player involved is being flipped after a period of diminished ice time or poor performance. Usually, this non-rental has failed to meet lofty expectations set by a high draft slot or strong start to a pro career.

The players discussed below could be traded within the next week, or in the offseason, or never. What connects all eight: It's time for a change and multiple teams should be trying to acquire the player.

(Note: We excluded Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana from this exercise because their respective situations have been well publicized.)

Brock Boeser, Canucks

2022-23 stats: 10 goals, 27 assists in 50 games (16:55 average)
Contract status: $6.65M cap hit, signed through 2024-25

Boeser, who turned 26 on Saturday, has been through the wringer in Vancouver.

Off the ice, Boeser could only watch from afar as his father's health worsened over multiple years, ultimately leading to his death in 2022. On the ice, he's endured plenty of scoring slumps and injury rehabs, while two playoff series wins in the 2020 playoff bubble count as the lone marker of team success.

Despite producing at a 30-goal pace three times, Boeser's never reached the 30-goal mark in six seasons because he's exceeded 70 games only once. The right winger can truly wire the puck and has utility as a secondary trigger man on the power play. The longstanding conundrum: if Boeser isn't scoring goals, what is he doing to add value?

In order to move Boeser - whose agent has been trying to broker a trade for several months - Vancouver likely needs to retain salary. His hometown team, the Minnesota Wild, is a possible landing spot. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Wednesday the Flames have "kicked tires" on Boeser and the Capitals also appear to be interested.

Kasperi Kapanen, Penguins

2022-23 stats: 7 goals, 13 assists in 43 games (12:02 average)
Contract status: $3.2M cap hit, signed through 2023-24

The Penguins tossed Kapanen a bone in the form of a two-year, $6.4-million extension this past offseason. It was a bad bet then and looks worse now. Kapanen was placed on waivers Friday. On Saturday afternoon, he'll either be claimed by another team or sent to AHL Wilkes Barre/Scranton.

Kapanen's been wildly inconsistent this season, tallying pointless streaks of nine games and four games (twice) over just 43 total contests. The 26-year-old Finn possesses blazing speed, but his hockey sense appears decidedly below average. He's now firmly in the Andreas Athanasiou/Michael Grabner tier of ultra-quick forwards whose top trait is far and away their skating ability.

When not scratched by frustrated coach Mike Sullivan, Kapanen has largely played with Jeff Carter and Brock McGinn. In 164 five-on-five minutes together, the third-line trio has been outscored 8-6 and crushed in the expected goals battle (a pitiful 39.3% xGF). While Kapanen could certainly use a fresh start, the former 20-goal scorer's stock has never been lower.

Yet there may be a fit in Vancouver. The front office is searching for NHLers in their early-to-mid 20s and Canucks president Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin, both formerly of the Penguins, know Kapanen well.

Filip Zadina, Red Wings

2022-23 stats: 2 goals, 2 assists in 14 games (12:51 average)
Contract status: $1.825M cap hit, signed through 2024-25

Zadina, 23, is a classic change-of-scenery candidate.

The Czechia native ticks all the boxes: He's a former high pick (sixth overall in 2018) who's failed to live up to expectations; his current GM isn't the GM who called his name on draft day; the AHL and NHL coaching staffs, as well as the Red Wings' development department, have invested a lot of time and energy into improving his game with limited results; he's battled injuries; his contract isn't prohibitive (money or term).

Surely, at least one team - maybe retooling franchises like the Blues, Capitals, or Islanders - is willing to take a flier on Zadina and his potential. Out of junior, the left winger profiled as a future NHL sniper after potting 44 goals in 57 games in his draft year. He's far from it right now, though still fairly young.

Jesse Puljujarvi, Oilers

2022-23 stats: 5 goals, 9 assists in 56 games (12:26 average)
Contract status: $3M cap hit, pending RFA

Puljujarvi remains a polarizing figure more than 300 games into his career.

He's a north-south winger with tremendous size (6-foot-4, 201 pounds), and he's hard on the forecheck and posts excellent underlying numbers. However, Puljujarvi has struggled to produce offense this year while playing 364 of his 648 five-on-five minutes with Connor McDavid or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Overall, Puljujarvi's ice time is down four minutes from last season, and Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft hasn't been afraid to remove him from the lineup. Would the hockey world - from Woodcroft to the average fan - look at him differently if he was a fourth-round pick instead of the No. 4 pick in 2016? Probably.

There's a template for redemption. Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin, a somewhat similar player, has flourished after a change of scenery. Perhaps Puljujarvi, 24, blossoms into Nichushkin lite one day.

The Hurricanes are reportedly interested in Puljujarvi. Meanwhile, the Canucks (searching for NHLers in their early-to-mid 20s), Coyotes (looking to fill the lineup with NHLers, period), and Lightning (strong development track record) come to mind as other potential suitors.

Denis Gurianov, Stars

2022-23 stats: 2 goals, 7 assists in 42 games (12:12 average)
Contract status: $2.9M cap hit, pending RFA

Stars fans have asked themselves the same question for at least two seasons: Is this the year Gurianov breaks out as an impact top-six winger?

Spoiler alert: Gurianov, goalless in his past 21 games, has yet to break out despite now playing under three different head coaches.

The 25-year-old, who checks in at 6-foot-3, has world-class speed and a heavy shot and has unleashed these weapons several times since breaking into the league in 2018. At his best, he's an intoxicating talent. At his worst, he's frustratingly inconsistent - so much potential, not enough execution.

For the contending Stars, Gurianov could be a nice trade chip. Dallas could package him with a second-round pick for a rental. In that scenario: the Stars remove Gurianov's cap hit, Gurianov gets a fresh start, and the other team receives an NHL player (albeit a flawed one) and a relatively high pick for its trouble.

Cal Foote, Lightning

2022-23 stats: 1 goal, 2 assists in 25 games (14:12 average)
Contract status: $850,000 cap hit, pending RFA

It's never a good sign when a late-round pick signed out of college immediately leapfrogs you on the depth chart.

That's what happened to Foote, the No. 14 pick in 2017, who was replaced in the lineup by Nick Perbix early in the season and no longer appears to be part of the long-term Lightning core.

Foote's a physical blue-liner with 129 games of NHL experience (116 regular season, 13 playoffs). He's right handed, so always in demand. His salary is low on his expiring deal and will stay that way given how little he's played in 2022-23. So, yes, there are a few things to like about the son of longtime NHLer Adam Foote.

The older Foote, by the way, is an assistant coach for the Canucks. Perhaps Vancouver is the right landing spot. Really, any rebuilding or retooling club - from the Flyers and Blackhawks to the Panthers and Blues - should be considering Foote. He's worth a shot.

Dante Fabbro, Predators

2022-23 stats: 1 goal, 7 assists in 53 games (16:03 average)
Contract status: $2.4M cap hit, pending RFA

Fabbro, a righty with puck skills, hasn't developed into the difference-maker Nashville envisioned when the Boston University defenseman turned pro in 2019. This season, coach John Hynes has slashed Fabbro's ice time by three minutes, and he's producing at only a 12-point pace over 82 games.

Fabbro, 24, could be on the move any day now, especially with the Predators currently on the outside of the Western Conference playoff race. Fabbro will be one of the easier players to flip since the club's cap sheet is filled with undesirable contracts.

Similar to Foote, Fabbro's young enough to persuade teams into thinking there's untapped potential. Sportsnet's Jeff Marek linked Fabbro to the Sharks, partly because David Quinn coached Fabbro in college.

John Gibson, Ducks

2022-23 stats: .900 save percentage, .513 quality-start rate in 40 games
Contract status: $6.4M cap hit, signed through 2026-27

Gibson's the outlier of this group - and not just because he's a goalie. He's also the oldest by three years, his contract runs longest by two years, he wasn't a first-round pick, and at one point he was considered a legitimate star.

Still, Gibson, a career Duck, might need a change of scenery more than anybody in the entire league. He's been peppered with rubber the past few years, and he leads all goalies in 2022-23 in total shots faced, slot shots faced, and inner slot shots faced. The 29-year-old must be at his wit's end.

Further, Gibson's prime (which arguably has already passed) doesn't align with the Ducks' timeline to contend. Flipping him now would give the promising tandem of Anthony Stolarz and Lukas Dostal extra runway. It's not like Anaheim's primed to challenge for a playoff spot next year, either.

Gibson's contract is pricey and long - not ideal for trade purposes. But, whether it's the Kings or Sabres, there are teams that need stability between the pipes and could easily stomach the drawbacks.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

K'Andre Miller spent his junior and college hockey years studying clips of NHL defensemen like Seth Jones and Roman Josi while trying to emulate aspects of their playing styles.

Now 23 years old and established, Miller doesn't view himself as Jones 2.0 or Josi 2.0.

"I'm my own player," Miller, the third-year New York Rangers blue-liner, told theScore last month. "I don't really believe anybody has the type of skill set that I do. I feel like I can bring a little bit of anything that you need to a team."

While it may be a slight exaggeration for Miller to suggest he's wholly unique, he does have a wide skill set to offer. His combination of skating, shooting, playmaking, strength, length, athleticism, and smarts is undoubtedly in short supply across the NHL. He's the full package for a modern defenseman.

Miller has tallied six goals and 24 assists in 54 games this season. He skates for 22 minutes a night while lining up alongside Jacob Trouba on the Rangers' second pair and top penalty-killing unit. The scary part is that Miller's still relatively raw, having switched from forward to defense in 2016.

"There's still a lot more we're going to see as far as his development goes because of the path he's taken," said Tony Granato, Miller's coach at the University of Wisconsin. "He's done it the right way, so he's got the base of being a guy who's reliable defensively and can get the puck to the forwards simply. Recently, he's added so many different aspects of the offensive part (of being a top-four defenseman) to that base and taken off."

"What's amazing to me," Granato added, "is the recoverability. If he finishes a check, or he's caught on the outside, he can get back in quickly because he's so athletic, such a strong skater, and he has great range with that wingspan."

Miller, who also caught the attention of Division I programs for his football-playing abilities, consistently wields his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame to eliminate the other team's offensive momentum both in-zone and off the rush. He's physical and also excels at subtler stick-on-puck methods.

On a per-game basis, Miller ranks first among Rangers defensemen in stick checks, second in blocked passes, puck-battle wins, and defensive-zone loose-puck recoveries, and third in zone-entry denials, according to Sportlogiq. He's eighth among all NHL D-men in takeaways per 60 minutes.

"That was one part of my game that I tried to master before getting here," said Miller, who spent two years each at the US National Team Development Program and Wisconsin before turning pro in 2020. "I did a lot of stick-checking drills and angling drills and learned how to use my feet to defend. I essentially learned how to use my stick as a weapon, learned how to catch people off guard, and to just be that annoying defenseman to play against."

Miller is a little overlooked on New York's back end. Adam Fox is a full-fledged superstar, and Trouba is a hit-machine captain. But whether it's the pending restricted free agent's next contract or his play down the stretch and into the playoffs, it's a safe bet Miller will soon fully emerge from the shadows.

His skill set is too tantalizing and his impact on the game is too large to ignore.

5 GMs who'll shape trade market

Sure, Bo Horvat and Vladimir Tarasenko have already changed addresses. But there's still plenty of business to get done before the March 3 trade deadline.

Here are five general managers who ought to be key buyers or sellers:

Bill Armstrong - The Arizona Coyotes executive is reportedly asking for two first-round picks and a prospect for Jakob Chychrun, the top defenseman in the rumor mill. Pending unrestricted free-agent forward Nick Bjugstad can fetch a mid-round pick, and goalie Karel Vejmelka could be in play as well. Arizona can also act as a third-party trade broker by taking on salary.

Don Waddell - The Carolina Hurricanes are highly motivated to wheel and deal - they are firmly in win-now mode, have holes to fill and assets to trade, and recently watched division rivals stock up. Waddell is tasked with deepening the blue line and finding a top-six forward to replace the injured Max Pacioretty. Unlike some contenders, Carolina is open to trading its 2023 first-round selection.

Tom Fitzgerald - The 35-14-5 New Jersey Devils are primed to make a big splash. Fitzgerald is reportedly hot after San Jose's Timo Meier, the top forward available. If Fitzgerald strikes out there, he'll likely be aggressive in executing Plan B, whatever that may be. He quickly pivoted to Ondrej Palat this past offseason after losing the Johnny Gaudreau sweepstakes.

Kyle Davidson - The Blackhawks executive is currently in seller's limbo as he waits for Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to decide whether to waive their no-trade clauses. If those Chicago legends end up on the market, and buying teams deem them healthy enough to acquire, Davidson's phone will be buzzing. Even if they don't, Max Domi, Andreas Athanasiou, Sam Lafferty, Jake McCabe, Connor Murphy, and Jarred Tinordi count as other trade chips.

Rob Blake - The 30-18-7 Kings have stockpiled a ton of picks and prospects in recent years. Offseason acquisition Kevin Fiala has been a tremendous fit. Veterans Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar are still contributing. The Western Conference is wide-open. The time is now for Blake to make another trajectory-altering trade, whether it's acquiring Chychrun, an established goalie, or both. No team is better equipped to pull off a true blockbuster.

Bruins' doubly special tandem

The relationship between an NHL team's goalies can go one of three ways.

It can be rooted in brotherly support and healthy competition. It can be less amicable, with resentment and pettiness infiltrating the dressing room. And it can be pleasant, where the partners are on good terms but not best buddies.

Former Dallas Stars netminder Marty Turco once said he and the eclectic Ed Belfour were "partners only pretty much by title." Ouch. Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, meanwhile, are at the other end of the spectrum. The Boston Bruins goalies seemingly can't get enough of each other.

"When I met him," Ullmark said in an interview, "it was just hand in a glove."

Ullmark, a 29-year-old from northern Sweden, is in the running for the Vezina Trophy thanks to a .937 save percentage in 34 games. Swayman, a 24-year-old Alaskan, has posted a .918 in 23 games. Outside of stopping pucks, they continue to garner attention for a cute victory-hug ritual that reflects their bromance.

"There's no need to be sour with him," Ullmark said of vibing with Swayman. "I'm not the one telling him that I'm starting. I'm not making the decisions. That's someone else's decision, and whenever we hear about the decision, we're all down for whatever it is. If I'm starting or not starting, it doesn't matter. I'm going to do whatever needs to be done to help us win the game."

The duo plays golf together, will occasionally have a fika (the Swedish tradition of socializing over coffee and sweets), and aren't shy to contact each other if something happens away from the rink. For the affable Ullmark, the connection is "always genuine."

"I'm very thankful for how he is and how he embraced me for who I am," Ullmark said. "That made it a lot easier to open up toward him and really show him, OK, this is me and this is what you're going to get."

Contextualizing Huberdeau's year

Let's take a look at the offensive production from three forwards.

Player A - 52 games played, averaging 16:55 a night; 10 goals, 26 assists, 36 points (0.19, 0.50, 0.69 per game).

Player B - 54 games, 17:11; 14 goals, 25 assists, 39 points (0.26, 0.46, 0.72).

Player C - 49 games, 16:58, 15 goals, 19 assists, 34 points (0.31, 0.39, 0.69).

The stat lines almost mirror each other. Player A is Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau. Player B is Tampa Bay Lightning winger Alex Killorn. And Player C is Vegas Golden Knights veteran winger Jonathan Marchessault.

To put it bluntly, this is not the kind of company Huberdeau would like to keep, especially with an eight-year, $84-million extension kicking in next season.

Killorn is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, but he's part of Tampa Bay's supporting cast. Marchessault is a perfectly competent NHLer - a top-six winger all 32 teams would love to employ - yet he's no star or needle-mover.

Huberdeau was supposed to be a needle-mover in Calgary. He was the main reason why the Flames felt comfortable trading cornerstone winger Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers this past summer. Points aren't everything for every player, yet they're close to everything with Huberdeau, who'll never be mistaken for Selke Trophy king Patrice Bergeron.

It was unrealistic to expect Huberdeau to repeat last season's 115-point output, which he achieved by setting an NHL record for assists by a left winger. There's an adjustment period with a new team, and his percentages were bound to regress. But this level of production - the equivalent of 57 points over 82 games - falls woefully short of expectations.

The good news is that Huberdeau's contract offers ample time for redemption. The bad news is that Calgary needs him to produce ASAP (and for goalie Jacob Markstrom to make more saves) to secure a playoff spot.

Parting shots

Zach Hyman: Michael Bunting's been praised in Toronto for being a cheap and effective replacement for Hyman, who left the Maple Leafs for the Edmonton Oilers in July 2021. But let's appreciate for a moment what Hyman has accomplished in Edmonton on a $5.5-million annual cap hit. A model of consistency as a smart, responsible, puck-retrieving winger, Hyman has recorded 27 goals and 37 assists for 64 points in 54 games this season. He leads all NHLers with 31.87 expected goals, according to Sportlogiq's Feb. 16 leaderboard. Rounding out the top five: David Pastrnak (31.30), linemate Connor McDavid (29.45), Meier (27.15), and Matthew Tkachuk (26.75).

Henry Thrun: The OC Register reported Wednesday that the Harvard University captain and two-way defenseman has opted not to sign with the Anaheim Ducks and will become an unrestricted free agent Aug. 15. (NHL teams lose contractual rights to college draftees after four years.) The Ducks drafted Thrun, who's averaging a point per game this season, in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. This is obviously a bummer to Ducks GM Pat Verbeek - though, as per usual, the organization is flush with blue-line prospects, led by Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov, who both shoot left like Thrun. Trading the 21-year-old's rights sooner than later would soften the blow a bit.

Saddest teams: The advanced stats website HockeyViz keeps a "sadness" ranking. Teams with a high percentage of "sadness" are most likely to both miss the playoffs and not pick in the top five in the upcoming draft. Failing to make the postseason without fully tanking for Connor Bedard? Suboptimal! The Philadelphia Flyers (86%), Ottawa Senators (85%), St. Louis Blues (84%), Detroit Red Wings (84%), Buffalo Sabres (82%), and Panthers (79%) were the clubhouse leaders in sadness heading into Thursday's slate of games.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vladi's off to the Big Apple.

On Thursday afternoon, the New York Rangers acquired pending unrestricted free-agent forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a conditional 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder, forward Sammy Blais, and defenseman Hunter Skinner.

The conditions: The first-rounder will be the later pick of New York's two 2023 firsts (their own and Dallas'), while the fourth-rounder becomes a third if the Rangers make the playoffs. Also of note: the Blues are retaining 50% of Tarasenko's remaining salary and cap hit. The Russian makes $7.5 million.

Let's dig into the two perspectives of the deal and some league-wide takeaways.

Rangers' side of the deal

New York just landed its missing puzzle piece up front.

Before the trade, the Rangers' top six featured a world-class playmaker in Artemi Panarin, a proven sniper in Mika Zibanejad, two net-front menaces with scoring touch in Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider, and a reliable puck hound in Barclay Goodrow. The sixth guy? The replaceable Jimmy Vesey.

After the trade, the top six now includes a second high-end finisher in Tarasenko. His arrival takes the pressure off the so-called Kid Line - Filip Chytil between Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko - and opens the door for improvement both at five-on-five, where the Rangers rank 15th in the NHL in goals for per 60 minutes, and on the power play, where they rank 24th.

More specifically, the Rangers' top players hammer the slot area with passes. (Panarin is fourth among NHLers in passes to the slot per game, while defenseman Adam Fox ranks 15th.) And guess who loves to tee off on slot passes? Tarasenko, who's scored 30 goals six times and has a lightning-quick release.

Tarasenko scored 182 times in 395 games from 2014-15 through the 2018-19 season. Over that stretch, only Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares racked up more goals. Having undergone multiple shoulder surgeries over the past few years, Tarasenko, 31, is no longer that caliber of game-breaker. Yet the left-shooting right winger did establish a new career high in points last season (82 in 75 games) and pitched in 29 points in 38 contests this season for the Blues.

Mikkola, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-4 depth defenseman who'll join Braden Schneider on the Rangers' bottom pairing, bumping Ben Harpur to the press box. Teams tend to need eight or nine capable defensemen over long playoff runs, so Mikkola essentially kills two birds with one stone for New York.

The package going to St. Louis is fine. It sucks to depart with a 2023 first, but the Rangers had two. General manager Chris Drury certainly didn't overpay for Tarasenko, a Stanley Cup winner, and Mikkola. And acting this early helped Drury avoid an escalating bidding war in the final days before the deadline.

Grade: A-

Blues' side of the deal

As a seller, you want to hang your hat on something in the return package.

In this instance, assuming nothing weird happens down the stretch and both the Rangers and Stars make the playoffs, Blues GM Doug Armstrong's crown jewel will be a mid-to-late first-rounder. That's a nice asset to hang your hat on if the rest of the package is juicy. That's unfortunately not the case here.

In other words, the Blues didn't hit a home run with this deal. It's at best a sliding double, and a single at worst.

I get that the market might not have been robust for Tarasenko, given the veteran's injury history and the no-trade protection baked into his contract. But a mid-to-late first, a mid-rounder, a fringe NHL forward (Blais), and a mediocre defense prospect (Skinner) for Tarasenko and the useful Mikkola doesn't deserve heaps of praise. And St. Louis lent a hand by retaining salary.

From afar, there are a few reasons why this move, at this time, makes sense for Armstrong. Tarasenko, who wasn't re-signing with the Blues this coming offseason, was exposed in the Seattle expansion draft in 2021 and had seemingly been in the rumor mill for years. Everybody knew he was available; few wanted him. So, it was time to rip the Band-Aid off and wave the white flag for this dreadful season - St. Louis is nine points out of the playoffs - and the 2019 Cup-winning core. Ryan O'Reilly and Ivan Barbashev could be next.

Armstrong knows Blais, a former Blue. Familiarity helps. I'm sure the scouting staff sees something in Skinner. Overall, though, the return was nothing special.

Grade: C+

League-wide takeaways

The deadline is three weeks away, and already Tarasenko and center Bo Horvat have changed addresses. The premium forward market is thinning.

There's no guarantee Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews waive their no-trade clauses, but they very well could hit the trade block at some point before March 3. The Rangers had been linked to Kane, in particular, and opted to pounce on Tarasenko instead. They got ahead of it. How do their rivals react?

Do GMs panic and overpay for one of the Chicago Blackhawk forwards? Chase after O'Reilly on the Blues? End up with a second-tier rental forward?

Another trickle-down from the Tarasenko deal (and, to a lesser extent, the Horvat move) is that it provides a roadmap for a Timo Meier trade. It's not quite apples to apples: The San Jose Sharks star winger is a pending restricted free agent, not a UFA; he's also five years younger and more productive than Tarasenko. Still, there are enough similarities to compare the two transactions.

The Sharks should be able to reel in an equivalent package to what the Blues received for Tarasenko and Mikkola, plus another significant asset, whether it be a second first-rounder or blue-chip prospect. Yep, Meier won't be cheap.

Buckle up.

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

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.