The Lightning are retaining 50% of Namestnikov's $2.5-million cap hit.
Namestnikov is a pending unrestricted free agent. He's now been traded five times since February 2018. The 30-year-old is in his ninth full season. He made his NHL debut with the Lightning in 2014 but played only three more games at the highest level that season. Namestnikov rejoined Tampa as a free agent in 2022 after stints with the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, and Dallas Stars.
Eyssimont is a pending RFA. The Sharks claimed the 26-year-old off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets in early January. He's in the final season of a two-year pact he inked with the Jets in July 2021. It carries a cap hit of $750,000.
Ottawa acquired the defenseman from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a top-five protected pick this year, a 2024 conditional second-rounder, and a 2026 second-round selection, the Sens announced Wednesday.
If the Coyotes land in the top five of this year's draft, that pick will slide to next year and become an unprotected first-rounder. If the Senators reach the Eastern Conference Final this spring, the 2024 second-round choice becomes a top-10 protected first-rounder in the same year; if Arizona is in the top 10, the pick becomes an unprotected 2025 first-round selection.
Chychrun was - and has long been - one of the most tantalizing trade targets on the market. The 24-year-old is signed through 2024-25 at a $4.6-million cap hit.
Quick has struggled in recent years but is a Kings franchise icon. He led Los Angeles to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014 and is the club's all-time leader in wins, saves, and shutouts - though he also tops the team in all-time losses and goals against by virtue of having played more games for L.A. than any other puck-stopper.
The pending unrestricted free agent is in the final season of the 10-year extension he inked with the Kings in 2012. It carries a $5.8-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly. Quick is 11-13-4 with a .876 save percentage over 31 contests in 2022-23.
Gavrikov was one of the NHL's top remaining trade targets ahead of the March 3 deadline. The steady rearguard is a pending UFA on a $2.8-million cap hit. He has only three goals and seven assists in 52 games this campaign, but he's also produced 89 blocked shots, 56 hits, 19 takeaways, and only 14 giveaways in 2022-23.
Much like the Russian blue-liner, Korpisalo had spent his entire NHL career with the Blue Jackets. The Finnish goalie, who's also a pending UFA, went 11-11-3 with a .911 save percentage in 28 games with Columbus this season. His cap hit is $1.3 million.
We've already witnessed trades for numerous big-name NHL players in the weeks leading up to this season's NHL trade deadline, and there are still seven days to go.
Despite Bo Horvat, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ryan O'Reilly already having been dealt, there are still a handful of potential moves that would elicit excitement. Not all of them are realistic, but that won't stop us from dreaming up our ideal scenarios.
Here are five swaps we'd love to see before the clock strikes 3 p.m. ET on March 3.
Sharks ship Erik Karlsson to Oilers
Brian Babineau / National Hockey League / Getty
This is the move everybody wants - well, presumably everybody except NHL teams not named the Edmonton Oilers. Hopefully the San Jose Sharks eventually come around and put themselves in the "want to see it" category as well, because this absolutely needs to happen.
We got a taste of what it would look like earlier in February at the All-Star Game, when Pacific Division head coach Bruce Cassidy slotted Karlsson in alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to form a tantalizing three-on-three trio. No one who watched those three play together came away thinking that should be the only time it takes place.
There is of course the rather gargantuan obstacle of Karlsson's contract, which carries an $11.5-million cap hit through 2026-27. It obviously makes a deal difficult, but not impossible. The Oilers could throw together a package of future assets and current NHL players. Tyson Barrie and Jesse Puljujarvi would pretty much have to be involved because of their cap hits, as would at least a first-round pick and a youngster like Dylan Holloway or Philip Broberg. San Jose would need to retain a chunk of Karlsson's salary.
A third team might be required to make sure the Oilers are cap-compliant, but like the Minnesota Wild in the O'Reilly trade, the broker club could receive a prospect or a draft pick in exchange for easing the financial burden. Karlsson will turn 33 on May 31, and the Norris Trophy favorite's offense generally comes at the expense of his defensive responsibilities. He has a history of injuries, too, so that contract could bite whoever's paying it down the road. But the Oilers could use a shot in the arm, and with a little cap creativity, this would be the most entertaining move they could make.
Devils ensnare Meier
Andy Marlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Chances are wherever Timo Meier ends up, it'll be a fun scenario, but we'd love to see the New Jersey Devils land the talented Sharks forward for a few reasons.
First, Meier would make an already aesthetically pleasing club even more fun to watch. The Devils rank near the top of the NHL in goals per game and trail only the Carolina Hurricanes in five-on-five expected goals percentage and scoring chances for percentage this season. New Jersey boasts three of the top 14 NHL forwards in terms of five-on-five xGF% among those with at least 500 minutes played in those situations, and Meier ranks 21st. The Devils have five of the top 35 forwards in SCF% using that criteria, and Meier slots in at 37th. So he'd fit right in.
The Canes would be another intriguing destination for Meier, but this brings us to the second reason we'd prefer to see New Jersey nab him. Carolina is already blessed with more established stars and has more experience as a team. Simply put, the Devils need Meier more than their Metropolitan Division counterparts.
Third, he'd be joining a club that already boasts a pair of players from Switzerland with a third one knocking on the door. Meier's countrymen, Devils captain Nico Hischier and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, have played key roles this season, and goaltender Akira Schmid has excelled in his limited NHL opportunities.
Meier's a pending restricted free agent, so the team that acquires him is more likely to sign him to an extension than let him walk in the summer. Since he probably won't be a rental, the Devils would have to pony up. But they could offer their top forward prospect, Alexander Holtz, along with a 2023 first-rounder and additional picks, plus a player like Miles Wood to balance the money.
'HurriKane' warning in effect
Chase Agnello-Dean / National Hockey League / Getty
Carolina would certainly be better off adding Meier. But if the Canes miss out on the league's top deadline target, acquiring Patrick Kane would be a prudent maneuver - and not just because of all the wordplay possibilities.
The obstacles and the reasons for concern are well-known by now. Kane has a full no-trade clause and therefore must consent to the Blackhawks moving him. His cap hit is nearly on par with Karlsson's at $10.5 million. He's a liability on the defensive end, sitting near the bottom of the entire league in both wins above replacement and goals above replacement. He also supposedly has a bad hip, but based on his vintage play of late, that doesn't appear to be a major issue.
The 34-year-old - who has the Hart, Art Ross, Conn Smythe, and Calder trophies on his mantle - has proven this season that he can still contribute offensively. Also, some of the blame for his poor underlying numbers can be placed on his team, which has nosedived this season while shamelessly tanking.
To make a deal like this happen, the Blackhawks would need to retain a sizable portion of Kane's contract, but they have plenty of room to do that and wouldn't be burdened beyond this season because he's a pending UFA. If they keep 50% of it, the Hurricanes could absorb the $5.25-million hit because they're projected to have just over $10 million in deadline cap space. Carolina doesn't have many blue-chip prospects, but the Canes do have "the largest group of relevant prospects in the NHL," according to The Athletic's Corey Pronman. So they could offer Chicago a collection of prospects, picks, and NHLers to get it done.
Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is likely off limits considering the uncertain futures of Carolina's top two netminders, but either defenseman Alexander Nikishin - an emerging KHL star - or forward Jack Drury would be a good get for Chicago. The Hurricanes have first-round picks in each of the next three drafts and two second-rounders in 2024, so they could comfortably part with a first and a second. Throw in a young NHLer like Seth Jarvis, and the Blackhawks would be hard-pressed to say no if Kane is open to playing elsewhere.
Maple Leafs reunite with Schenn
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Much like the Karlsson-to-Oilers dream, this one might not have a great chance of happening. But it would be pretty neat to see the Toronto Maple Leafs turn back the clock and reacquire Luke Schenn, who played his first four seasons with the Leafs after they drafted him fifth overall in 2008.
Toronto already addressed two other needs, reeling in new second-line center Ryan O'Reilly and fourth-liner Noel Acciari up front. But the team still has a bit of wiggle room to address its defense corps. Schenn is one of many blue-liners on the market and the Vancouver Canucks are now holding him out of games to protect their trade asset.
The 33-year-old appears to be fairly highly coveted. That's not surprising considering his status as a pending UFA, an affordable $850,000 cap hit, 15 years of experience, a championship pedigree (two rings with the Tampa Bay Lightning), and the value of right-shot rearguards. There are more talented options available, but they'll cost more in terms of what a team like the Leafs would have to part with in a swap.
Toronto likely wouldn't want to give up a first-rounder for a player of Schenn's ilk, and the club has no second-round picks through 2025. So again, this wouldn't be the most likely pairing of trade partners, but it's not completely far-fetched. The Leafs still have other assets - be it prospects or relatively young players with some value - they could package with a third-round selection. No matter how unlikely it is, there's no denying it would be a good story to see Schenn's career come full circle.
Boeser goes home to the Wild
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty
Another compelling narrative would be a homecoming of a different sort. Canucks forward Brock Boeser is also on the market, and he's one of the best players available. The Wild have a dynamic top line led by Kirill Kaprizov, but they could use another playmaker.
While Boeser's goal-scoring has tapered off this season, he's playing for a lackluster Vancouver squad and has been in and out of the lineup, including as a healthy scratch. The Burnsville, Minnesota-born winger would surely welcome a deal that sends him to his home state, and the Wild could accommodate his contract's $6.65-million average annual value by sending Josh Greenway and his $3-million cap hit the other way along with a draft pick while getting a third "broker" team involved to help balance the books.
Boeser could benefit from a change of scenery, especially one that brings him closer to where he grew up. The Athletic's Michael Russo and Joe Smith reported that Boeser's agent, Ben Hankinson, has been "all over" Wild general manager Bill Guerin trying to make it happen, and for good reason. It would be the perfect fit from both a hockey perspective and for the heartwarming narrative.
The Vegas Golden Knights appear to be positioning themselves for additional moves ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.
Vegas traded Shea Weber's contract and a fifth-round pick in this year's draft to the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Dysin Mayo, the clubs announced Wednesday.
Weber hasn't hasn't played since 2021 due to injury. The 37-year-old is under contract through 2025-26 at a cap hit of approximately $7.86 million, according to CapFriendly. The Montreal Canadiens dealt his pact to the Golden Knights for forward Evgenii Dadonov in June 2022.
Vegas assigned Mayo to its AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, upon making Wednesday's trade. The 26-year-old played for both the Coyotes and their farm club, the Tucson Roadrunners, this season. He was held without a point over 15 games with Arizona in 2022-23.
The Golden Knights will now have around $8.75 million in cap flexibility at the deadline.
The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman won't play again in 2022-23 as he continues to recover from a cervical spine injury, the club announced Wednesday.
Muzzin, who turned 34 on Tuesday, has been out indefinitely since November. At the time, he was expected to be re-evaluated in February. The team will provide another update on his status during training camp in the fall.
The blue-liner was limited to four games this season, last suiting up for a loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 17. He left that contest following an awkward collision with opposing forward Clayton Keller.
Muzzin has been on long-term injured reserve, which allows the Leafs to exceed the salary cap by $5.625 million - his cap hit through 2023-24 - while he's out of the lineup.
The veteran has a history of head and neck ailments. He was stretchered off during the playoffs in 2020, and he played only 47 games last season.
Toronto acquired Muzzin in a 2019 trade with the Los Angeles Kings.
Talbot has been out since leaving Ottawa's victory over the New York Islanders on Jan. 25 due to what his club called a lower-body injury.
The Sens went 6-2-1 in Talbot's absence with Anton Forsberg, Mads Sogaard, and Kevin Mandolese filling the void. Forsberg went 3-1-0 after Talbot got hurt but then sustained significant injuries of his own. The 30-year-old Swede was ruled out for two-to-three months on Feb. 13 due to MCL tears in both knees.
Sogaard and Mandolese, both 22, performed admirably with the veterans on the shelf. Sogaard went 2-0-1 with a .913 save percentage in four games, while Mandolese went 1-1-0 while stopping 75 of 80 shots for a .938 save percentage.
Talbot is 12-13-1 with a .905 save percentage over 28 contests this season. The 35-year-old is in his first campaign with the Senators, who acquired him in a trade with the Minnesota Wild for netminder Filip Gustavsson in July.
Cale Makar won't be back in action until next week at the earliest.
The Colorado Avalanche superstar is back in concussion protocol and won't play in Colorado's next two games, head coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday.
"He had a delayed response again on his symptoms, so he's back under the protocol now, and that timetable automatically puts him out for this weekend," Bednar told Altitude Sports Radio.
"We'll be cautious with this and just trust the player again. He understands it because he's been through it before ... but we'll keep an eye on him and see how it goes."
The Avalanche were off Monday and next play Friday in a road contest against the Winnipeg Jets. Colorado will then host the Calgary Flames on Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, and the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jeff Carter hit Makar in the head during a win over Colorado on Feb. 7. Makar returned to that game after clearing protocol but experienced delayed symptoms and missed the Avalanche's next four contests.
The reigning Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner was back in the lineup for Saturday's win over the St. Louis Blues but exited after colliding with Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko. Though Makar returned to the game, he sat out Sunday's victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
The independent concussion spotter in Pittsburgh pulled Makar from the Feb. 7 contest before allowing him back in, but the one in St. Louis didn't remove him despite Makar grabbing his face after the collision, an Avalanche spokesman told The Athletic's Peter Baugh on Sunday.
The blue-liner said after the game against the Blues that his nose was bruised, but he attributed it to being struck by his visor.
Bednar said Sunday that Makar wasn't dealing with a head injury; he noted that - as far as he was aware - the dynamic defenseman sustained a bloody nose but "no real problems" because of the collision with Toropchenko.
Makar, 24, has been his typically electric self when healthy this season. He leads the NHL with 26:57 of average ice time, and he ranks among the league leaders at his position with 13 goals and 32 assists in 46 games.
The Canadian goaltender missed the previous nine games with what the club called a lower-body injury. He originally got hurt in the Winter Classic against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 2, missed the next seven contests, then returned to play two before going on the shelf again.
Jarry has played well when healthy in 2022-23, going 16-5-5 with a .921 save percentage over 27 games. He entered Monday's action ranking 10th in the NHL in goals saved above average at five-on-five and 21st in goals saved above expected in those situations, according to Evolving Hockey.
The Penguins starter is in his seventh campaign with Pittsburgh, which drafted him 44th overall in 2013.
Mathew Barzal will miss at least a week due to what the New York Islanders are calling a lower-body injury, the club announced Monday.
The Islanders initially said Barzal would be out indefinitely before clarifying the recovery timeline is week-to-week and the plan is for him to return by the end of the season, according to the New York Post's Ethan Sears.
The 25-year-old was hurt Saturday when Bruins forward Craig Smith drove him into the boards with what appeared to be a knee-on-knee hit in the first period of Boston's 6-2 win. Barzal left the game and didn't return.
Barzal entered Monday leading New York with 37 assists and ranking second on the squad with 51 points in 58 games this season.
He's in his seventh campaign with the Islanders, who drafted him 16th overall in 2015.
New York pushed its chips in for a playoff push by acquiring Bo Horvat in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 30. The Isles then signed the ultra-productive center to an eight-year contract extension Feb. 5. However, New York has won only one of its last five games, going 1-2-2 in that span. While the Isles do occupy the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, the Washington Capitals sit one point back with a game in hand.
