Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari wasted no time making their Toronto Maple Leafs debuts, as the duo suited up in Saturday's win against the Montreal Canadiens less than 24 hours after being traded.

"Great to dive right in," O'Reilly said postgame, according to the Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby. "Pretty crazy (to start the game). I’m still in shock I’m here.”

O'Reilly and Acciari could've joined the Maple Leafs in Chicago on Sunday - an easier commute from St. Louis - but elected to make the longer trip to Toronto to be in the lineup for Saturday's contest.

"It's like going into cold water, I think it's better just to jump head first into it," O'Reilly described on Hockey Night in Canada. "I'm glad it worked out, big win for us. It's a very good team and I'm very excited to be a part of it."

O'Reilly won 12 of 14 faceoffs and tallied a secondary assist on Michael Bunting's second goal of the evening in his Maple Leafs debut. Rasmus Sandin awarded him the team's player of the game belt.

The 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner said it was "rejuvenating" to be joining a team going on a run, according to SI Media Group's David Alter.

Starting goaltender Joseph Woll was in for a pleasant surprise when he arrived at the rink in the morning. The 24-year-old doesn't have social media and was unaware of Toronto's blockbuster trade until he saw the new lineup chart.

O'Reilly and the Maple Leafs are back in action Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Ryan Reynolds has chosen his co-star in an effort to purchase the Ottawa Senators.

The Vancouver-born actor is teaming up with The Remington Group, which recruited the actor to join a consortium that's set to make a bid for the Sens, according to The Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch.

Landing Reynolds is a major development for the Toronto-based real estate development corporation in its efforts to buy the club. The NHL reportedly informed potential bidders in December that it wants the actor to be a minority partner.

Reynolds was apparently sold on the vision of The Remington Group - one of the largest builders in Ontario - to turn the team into a winning franchise and its determination to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats, according to Garrioch.

More than 20 groups had reportedly expressed interest in purchasing the franchise in November.

The Senators were valued at $655 million by Sportico this season. It's anticipated that the sale of the team will exceed $800 million after the Pittsburgh Penguins were sold to Fenway Sports Group in 2021 for $900 million.

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Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is in the final year of his contract but isn't prepared to move significant future pieces for short-term help at the upcoming trade deadline.

"There are some players and some draft pick capital that we have that are extremely valuable that we'd be hard-pressed to move on from," Dubas said Thursday.

"I think in regards to rentals, I can't see that happening," Dubas added. "But with regards to other options, I don't think you say no off the hop to anything, but those are very important pieces to us for now and in the future."

Dubas said he's interested in upgrading forward and defense ahead of the March 3 deadline.

"Up front and on D, if there's a way that we can improve the team and give ourselves a chance to make a run at it, then we'll do that," Dubas said.

However, the GM tempered expectations for who Toronto could acquire, with stars like Patrick Kane, Ryan O'Reilly, and Timo Meier rumored to be available.

"The larger focus is always on the bigger names, but we have to look at the people who may improve us overall and not just the big names, per se," Dubas said.

The Maple Leafs return from their All-Star break Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Toronto ranks second in the Atlantic Division with a 31-13-8 record.

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Cale Makar was none too pleased that a dangerous-looking collision with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jeff Carter went without a penalty in the Colorado Avalanche's overtime loss Tuesday.

"Pretty blindside," the defenseman said, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "The ref said apparently we ran into each other, but I don't know how that's possible. He was coming down the ice."

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was similarly upset with the non-call.

"(Carter) skated right through his head," Bednar said, via Baugh. "That's what I saw."

Carter's shoulder caught Makar high midway through the third period. The officials ruled the collision incidental contact, and Carter wasn't assessed a penalty on the play. Makar was forced to the locker room but returned prior to the end of regulation.

Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust tied the game with 3:38 remaining in the third period before Kris Letang won it in overtime.

Colorado is 27-18-4 on the campaign and ranks fourth in the Central Division. The Avalanche face the Lightning on Thursday in the first contest between the two teams since Colorado defeated Tampa Bay in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

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Bo Horvat has a long-term deal with his new team before even making his debut.

The New York Islanders signed the 27-year-old to an eight-year extension, the team announced Sunday. The financial terms weren't disclosed.

New York acquired Horvat six days ago in a blockbuster deal with the Vancouver Canucks. The Islanders sent Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a top-12 protected first-round pick to the Canucks in the trade.

Horvat is in the midst of a career season. His 31 goals are tied for eighth in the NHL and already match his output from 2021-22. He has 54 points through 49 contests and is set to blow past his previous career high of 61 points in the 2018-19 campaign.

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A pair of Chicago Blackhawk blue-liners are garnering quite a bit of interest.

Chicago, which is expected to be a big seller at the trade deadline, has received a number of calls on defensemen Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy in recent weeks, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

Both are 29-year-old defense-oriented blue-liners who have term remaining on their contracts. McCabe is signed through 2024-25 at a $4-million cap hit, while Murphy's deal runs through 2025-26 at $4.4 million per season, via CapFriendly.

The Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, and Toronto Maple Leafs are among the teams believed to be interested in the defensemen, according to Seravalli.

McCabe's in his second season with the Blackhawks. The left-shot is playing 19:20 per night and has tallied 14 points in 45 games, the highest scoring rate of his career. His 45.3% five-on-five Corsi-for leads Chicago defensemen, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Murphy has recorded five goals and seven points through 48 contests. At 19:28 per game, the right-shot is averaging under 20 minutes for the first time since 2018-19. He's been with the Blackhawks since the 2017-18 campaign.

McCabe has a seven-team no-trade clause, which reportedly includes each Canadian team except for the Maple Leafs. Murphy has a 10-team no-trade clause.

The Blackhawks are last in the Central Division with a 15-29-4 record.

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Ottawa Senators AHL head coach Troy Mann gave some of the team's pre-scouting material to another NHL club prior to his firing, sources told TSN's Claire Hanna.

The occurrence was the final straw in burgeoning trust issues between Mann and the Senators.

Mann was relieved of his duties as the Belleville Senators' head coach Thursday night following a 5-3 win over the Rochester Americans.

"While a change at the head coach position during the season is not an ideal scenario, we felt it was necessary to deliver improved team performance," Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion said in Thursday's release announcing Mann's firing.

Trent Mann, Troy's younger brother, has been in the Senators' front office since 2011. He was promoted to assistant general manager last summer.

The elder Mann had been the Senators' AHL head coach since the 2018-19 campaign. Players including Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, and Nick Paul developed into NHLers under Mann's tutelage in Belleville.

Paul credited Mann for helping turn his career around following his nomination for the Masterton Trophy in 2021.

"One of the biggest things that helped me turn around, is (Mann) came in when I was at a lower spot in my mental state," Paul said to The Athletic's Ian Mendes in May 2021. "I was very negative with myself with no confidence. And he kind of came in and gave me the confidence that I needed. He really had trust in me, put faith in me, and played me a lot. He taught me the game and how to be successful. So, Troy Mann coming in really helped me turn it around."

Belleville ranked sixth in the AHL's North Division with a 17-22-4 record and had allowed the second-most goals in the league at the time of Mann's firing. The 53-year-old had a 150-117-22 record at the helm of the AHL Senators across five seasons.

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While Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo will need to dust off his goalie equipment ahead of Friday's All-Star Skills Competition, his patented wit is in mid-season form.

"They asked me if I was interested and I don't know why I said yes," Luongo joked following Wednesday's All-Star alumni game, according to NHL.com's Corey Long. "I went on the ice yesterday for the first time and I still feel it in my legs, but it was fun to have the gear back on. After four years off I felt a lot better than I thought I would, so I'm really looking forward to Friday."

The 43-year-old participated in the alumni game as a forward, as he did in November for the HHOF Legends Classic. He will participate in the Breakaway Challenge at the skills competition as the "celebrity goaltender."

Luongo played in five All-Star Games during his 19-season NHL career (2004, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2016). He was also named to the 2008 All-Star Game but did not play in the contest.

Luongo holds multiple franchise records with the hosting Florida Panthers, including most games played by a goaltender (572), most wins (230), and most shutouts (38). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in November.

The skills competition gets underway Friday at 7 pm EST.

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Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will replace his injured teammate Tage Thompson at the 2023 All-Star Game, the NHL announced Thursday.

Thompson left Wednesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes early due to an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old was set to make his first appearance at an All-Star Game.

Dahlin represented the Sabres at last year's All-Star Game, the first of his career. Last week, he spoke about the lack of blue-liners at this year's event.

The 22-year-old has already set career-highs in goals (14), assists (41), and points (55) this season and ranks second league-wide in scoring among defensemen.

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray will be out of the lineup until after the All-Star break due to an ankle injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed Sunday, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

The Maple Leafs had scheduled Murray to start Friday's contest against the Ottawa Senators but moved him to the backup role after his injury flared up in warmups. The club plays two more games before entering the All-Star break.

Toronto doesn't expect Murray's ailment to be a long-term issue, Masters reports. An adductor injury sidelined the 28-year-old for 14 games earlier in the campaign.

The Leafs subsequently recalled goaltender Joseph Woll on an emergency basis from the AHL. The 24-year-old has posted a 12-1-0 record and a .928 save percentage with the Toronto Marlies this season.

Toronto faces the Washington Capitals on Sunday and the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.

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