From one-sided deals to moves that worked out for both teams, there have been plenty of massive trades throughout sports history. But how much do you know about some of these blockbusters? Take our quiz below to find out.
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The Calgary Flames have inked Swedish defenseman Johannes Kinnvall to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Wednesday.
Kinnvall, 22, will remain in Sweden next season and come to North America ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
The right-handed-shooting blue-liner recorded career highs in assists (29) and points (40) while also netting 11 goals through 51 games for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League this season. Kinnvall has totaled 23 goals and 62 points in 121 games through three campaigns overseas.
The Flames also signed 2018 sixth-round pick Emilio Pettersen to a three-year, entry-level deal Monday.
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Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm isn't high on the idea of playing without spectators if the NHL season resumes.
"That's going to be tough," Lindholm told Sportsnet 960's "Boomer in The Morning" on Tuesday. "The fans is pretty much the whole game. Without the fans, there wouldn’t be any games."
The NHL reportedly discussed finishing the season in up to four different hub cities that are not considered coronavirus hotspots. However, fans would not be permitted to attend games due to public health and safety concerns.
Lindholm is used to a packed house at the Scotiabank Saddledome, as Calgary ranks sixth in attendance this season, drawing 18,751 spectators per game, according to ESPN. The 25-year-old believes it would be difficult to replicate the same level of energy and intensity on the ice in a much quieter environment.
"I think every time you go and play in front of a full building, you're pumped up and fired up, and when you're playing in front of just a couple thousand, you kind of have to motivate yourself for that," Lindholm said. "Now without fans, I don't know. … It's tough to imagine playing without fans. It's going to be a tough thing to do for sure."
Other figures around the league have shared similar sentiments. Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon said games without fans would "be called the YMCA." Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand said playing in an empty arena would "be like a practice," per CLNS Media's Mike Petraglia.
On the flip side, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper thinks players wouldn't even notice the lack of spectators in the heat of the game.
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If you were to play a word association game using prominent Columbus Blue Jackets players as subjects, it would probably go down something like this:
Zach Werenski: rover. Nick Foligno: leadership. Josh Anderson: fierce. Cam Atkinson: goals. Seth Jones: elite. Pierre-Luc Dubois: bull. Ryan Murray: injuries.
Being hurt is baked so deeply into the arc of Murray's NHL career that when you call up the 6-foot-1 defenseman's HockeyDB profile, your eyes are immediately yanked to the games-played column, where the number 82 in 2015-16 jumps off the screen. Over seven years, Murray has appeared in just 358 of a possible 589 regular-season and playoff games due to various ailments.
This run of misfortune - which includes Murray's return from a back injury on March 1, only for the NHL to indefinitely suspend operations three games and 11 days later because of the coronavirus - grants him a free pass to be a tad pessimistic ... right?
Well, Murray doesn't take a pessimistic view, maintaining that the pain and frustration from knee, ankle, leg, foot, hand, groin, and back injuries helped him grow as a human being.
"You can't really ask anything of the game of hockey. You have to take whatever it gives you," Murray said last week while doing some yard work in Saskatchewan. "Sometimes it gives you negative experiences, sometimes they're great. I've had a bit of both. I think that you take it and learn from it."
Indeed, Murray's had his moments since being selected second overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Draft. An effortless skater with tremendous vision, he's established himself as a smart, two-way blue-liner. Coach John Tortorella has consistently slotted him in Columbus' top four, and Murray has flirted with or surpassed 20 minutes of ice time in four of his seven seasons.
In 2018-19, he looked like a legitimate All-Star, recording a career-high 29 points in only 56 games. He's also represented Canada with distinction in five international tournaments, most notably winning a gold medal at the 2016 world championships.
Despite these gains, the injury narrative has followed Murray around like a pair of forechecking forwards. It's always been present in some form and, on numerous occasions, has led to social media backlash and trade rumors.
"People will say whatever they want. There's critics of all types of athletes and at all different levels. You see the (New England) Patriots, they have critics every single year. You take criticism pretty lightly when it comes from outside sources," Murray said.
"It's about who you are as a person and a human being first. If you're a good person, and you treat people well and they treat you well, and you've got plenty of friends, you're going to have a good life, regardless of if you're playing in the NHL.
"I know that sounds kind of cheesy," the 26-year-old conceded, "but I guess when you want this long, successful career and you've hit all of these speed bumps, you can't really sit there saying, 'Oh, I'm behind, I'm behind, I'm behind.' You've just got to live your life one day at a time and live in the present as much as you can. I think I've learned how to do that pretty well."
Murray is currently self-isolating in his offseason house in Regina Beach, a resort town about 40 minutes northwest of his hometown of Regina. He's spending time with his Australian shepherd, Jake; reading "11 Rings" by NBA coach Phil Jackson; watching Netflix; and doing whatever he can to stay in shape without access to weights, such as stair runs, pushups, and core workouts.
He's in a pretty good place mentally, all things considered. Parts of his past, though, haven't been so kind. There have been pronounced low points behind the scenes, including shedding tears with Blue Jackets head athletic trainer Mike Vogt and confiding in mental coaches. "I've definitely had my fair share of negative emotions," Murray said.
With his latest back injury, Murray credits renowned back specialist Dr. Stuart McGill for helping him tackle a list of physical and mental challenges. He's learned how to approach everyday movement - such as getting out of bed - with proper technique, while also being mindful of the pros and cons of every predicament. If Murray hadn't been shelved for two months earlier this season, for instance, he probably wouldn't have adopted Jake, who kept him company.
Murray, who's perhaps more philosophical than the average NHLer, brings up a soundbite from billionaire Elon Musk - "Happiness equals reality minus expectations" - as a mantra he follows on and off the ice.
"If you can manage your expectations, you can feel a little happier about things," Murray said. "The mind stuff and the brain stuff is going to be a major study of this era of hockey, and life in general. … Our generation and the past generation have gotten our bodies into peak physical condition. And moving forward, tuning the mind to be just as ready to go and as sharp as it can be (will be) a pretty important tool, too."
When 28-year-old NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly hung up his cleats in January, adding to the growing number of high-profile athletes who've retired before 30, Murray wondered if he might be next. Would it be in his best long-term interests to keep competing? Halfway through a two-year, $9.2-million deal, he'll be an unrestricted free agent for the first time next summer.
"From all of the information that we've gathered, there's been no reason so far to call it," Murray said. "We've definitely had those conversations with the doctors, those tough conversations that you have to have."
He added, "Guys get beat up, and you make your choices, and once you make them, you have to live with them. I'm only 26 years old, so I'm sitting here thinking you've got to do what you've got to do but you also have to take care of yourself. Right now, I'm still looking at a positive future."
John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.
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The Detroit Red Wings have inked Mathias Brome to a one-year, two-way contract, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.
It's an entry-level deal, according to MLive's Ansar Khan.
Multiple NHL clubs, including the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals, were reportedly interested in the undrafted forward, who'll turn 26 in July.
Brome produced 17 goals and 43 points in 52 games with Orebro in the Swedish Hockey League this season.
His is the second deal for a European player since the NHL extended its transfer agreements with IIHF member leagues and federations Tuesday. The Arizona Coyotes signed 2019 fourth-round pick Matias Maccelli to an ELC in the afternoon.
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The NHL is exploring the idea of pushing the beginning of next season by two months.
It has discussed with teams starting the 2020-21 campaign in December, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
The league reportedly still hopes to hold an 82-game season even if the schedule begins later than what is traditional.
LeBrun previously reported the NHL believed it could play a full campaign starting in November. As was the case with that scenario, the December start would involve scrapping All-Star weekend, getting rid of bye weeks, shortening the holiday break, and tightening the entire schedule wherever possible.
There are two main reasons a December start has been discussed, according to LeBrun: The time it will take to finish 2019-20 if it's ultimately resumed and the fact many teams want to play in front of fans next season.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in March the league wants to avoid any plans that would prevent it from holding a full season following this one.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will have their full blue line intact if the NHL is able to return this season. Jake Muzzin, who missed the last six games before the pause due to a broken hand, is ready to play.
"The hand is feeling great, the body is feeling good. I'd say pretty much 100 percent ready to go," Muzzin told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger on Tuesday. "Been getting treatment and staying ready like everyone else."
The Leafs were also without Morgan Rielly for 23 games, but he returned to the lineup for the final game before the league went on pause. Since Muzzin missed nearly a month earlier in the season due to a broken foot, the Leafs haven't played a game with both Rielly and Muzzin - their top two defensemen - in the lineup since Dec. 27.
Muzzin has 23 points in 53 games this season, playing primarily shutdown minutes against other teams' top lines alongside Justin Holl. Despite the tough competition, the pairing posted impressive underlying numbers, garnering 56.3% of the expected goals while the two were on the ice together at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.
In February, the Leafs inked Muzzin to a four-year extension carrying an average annual value of $5.625 million.
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The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Gaetan Haas to a one-year extension, the team announced Tuesday.
Haas will earn $915,000 in 2020-21, reports TSN's Ryan Rishaug.
After a lengthy career overseas in the Swiss league, Haas joined the Oilers for the 2019-20 campaign on a one-year deal. The 28-year-old rookie tallied five goals and five assists in 58 games before the NHL suspended its season.
The right-handed-shooting center spent the majority of the season on Edmonton's fourth line, averaging less than 10 minutes per game while seeing little time on special teams.
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