NHL Metropolitan

After 15-plus years with the Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Kane is bringing Showtime to Broadway, but the star winger said his decision to waive his no-movement clause to join the New York Rangers was a difficult decision.

"You definitely go back and forth in your head a bunch of times on what was right," Kane told reporters Thursday. "It wasn't the easiest decision, but I'm just really excited to be here. With the amount of skill and good players they have here, it's another chance to make a run."

Considering Kane had spent his entire career in Chicago, it's no surprise it took him so long to waive his no-movement clause. He won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and notched 1,225 points (446 goals, 779 assists) in 1,161 games with the franchise.

The Rangers acquired Kane earlier this week in a three-team deal that included the Arizona Coyotes. New York sent defenseman Andy Welinski, a conditional 2023 second-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick to Chicago in the deal.

Arizona retained a portion of Kane's $10.5 million 2022-23 salary in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick from the Rangers. The Coyotes also sent defenseman Vili Saarijarvi to the Blackhawks in the deal.

Kane is set to make his debut with the Rangers on Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden. He will skate on a line with Vincent Trocheck and former Blackhawks teammate Artemi Panarin.

"Today's the first time I've seen him in a long time," Kane said of Panarin. "He's a fun guy to be around. I definitely missed that for the last six years. We picked up right where we left off. Hopefully it's the same on the ice.

"It might not be as smooth as everyone thinks it's going to go. There might be some bumps in the road, but hopefully in due time we can figure it out."

Kane has notched 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points in 54 games this season. He's going from a Chicago franchise entering a full-scale rebuild to a New York squad that's hoping to bring home a Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994.

The Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 35-17-9 record and 79 points, just seven points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes. With Kane on board, they'll be able to compete with any team in the division, and the league, for that matter.

Jonathan Quick's 16-year run with the Los Angeles Kings has come to an end.

The Kings have sent the two-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie and two draft picks to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff and Bally Sports noted it would be an "understatement" to say Quick is unhappy with the trade and that the entire team was "a bit down" with the move coming off a win over the Winnipeg Jets.

The Kings have been in pursuit of a defenseman, but it was assumed their top target was Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes.

The Coyotes announced on Feb. 11 Chychrun was a healthy scratch for their game against the St. Louis Blues "due to trade related reasons."

SportsNet's Jeff Marek reported the same day that several teams, including the Kings, were not in the mix at that point. Los Angeles comes out of the deal with the Blue Jackets with Gavrikov added to their defensive line.

Korpisalo will also give the Kings a younger backup goalie than Quick, who can spell Pheonix Copley. An eight-year veteran, Korpisalo is 11-11-3 with a 3.17 goals-against average in 28 appearances this season.

The Kings added Copley as a free agent during the offseason. He supplanted Quick and Calvin Peterson as the No. 1 goaltender after being called up from the AHL in December.

Quick is having the worst full season of his career. He ranks 46th out of 52 qualified goalies in goals-against average (3.50) and 51st in save percentage (87.6). The Finland native is in the final season of a 10-year, $58 million contract that was signed in June 2012.

Los Angeles selected Quick in the third round of the 2005 NHL draft. He is the franchise's all-time leader among goaltenders in games played (743), games started (729) and wins (370).

Quick won the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2013-14 and 2017-18. He's the only player in Kings history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy after posting a 94.6 save percentage in 20 playoff starts to lead the team to its first Stanley Cup title during the 2011-12 season.

The Kings won a second Stanley Cup during the 2013-14 season. Quick was terrific in that postseason run, allowing 69 goals in 29 games.

It's Showtime on Broadway.

The New York Rangers are acquiring Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane in exchange for a 2023 conditional second-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round selection, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

If the Rangers make the Eastern Conference Finals, that second-round selection will become a first-round pick in either 2024 or 2025.

The Arizona Coyotes will receive a third-round pick in 2025 for facilitating the trade, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Kane's move to New York was inevitable as the star winger said this month that he was keeping tabs on the Blueshirts as a possible destination should he decide to leave Chicago.

The 34-year-old, who has notched 16 goals and 29 assists in 54 games this season, could make his Rangers' debut as soon as Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

With Kane set to join the Rangers, there have been questions about where he'll slot into the lineup. Let's take a look at New York's updated roster and depth chart following the move.

New York Rangers Projected Lines, Pairings

Keep in mind that New York's offensive lines, particularly within the top six, could look different depending on how head coach Gerard Gallant wants to split up the star power he has received over the last few weeks.

For now, here's how the lines and pairings are projected:

Chris Kreider—Mika Zibanejad—Patrick Kane

Artemi Panarin—Vincent Trocheck—Vladimir Tarasenko

Alexis Lafrenière—Filip Chytil—Kaapo Kakko

Jimmy Vesey—Barclay Goodrow—Tyler Motte

Niko Mikkola—Adam Fox

K'Andre Miller—Jacob Trouba

Ben Harpur—Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Jaroslav Halak

Injury: Ryan Lindgren (defenseman, upper-body injury)

The Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 34-17-9 record and 77 points. While they're nine points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes, they're within striking distance of the second-place New Jersey Devils (39-15-5, 83 points).

New York owns the NHL's 11th-best offense, averaging 3.30 goals per game. In addition, the franchise has been 22.7 percent effective on the power play.

The addition of Kane should help the offense improve drastically, but it's worth noting that the Rangers could use some more depth on defense. Whether general manager Chris Drury is interested in acquiring a defense before the deadline ends at 3 p.m. ET Friday remains unclear.

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to make moves ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.

Toronto has traded defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals in exchange for defenseman Erik Gustafsson and a 2023 first-round pick, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Washington initially acquired the 2023 first-round selection in the deal that sent defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins.

Gustafsson is on a one-year, $800,000 deal. The Capitals are not retaining any of his salary, per TSN's Chris Johnston.

In addition to Gustafsson, the Maple Leafs have also acquired Ryan O'Reilly, Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty this winter as they load up for a deep playoff run in an increasingly difficult Eastern Conference.

Toronto acquired O'Reilly and Acciari from the St. Louis Blues earlier this month in exchange for prospect Mikhail Abramov, forward Adam Gaudette, a 2023 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.

The franchise also added McCabe, Lafferty and a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2024 and 2025 from the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday in exchange for forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev.

Sandin, 22, was selected by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2018 draft. Through 52 games this season, he has posted four goals and 16 assists for 20 points and is a plus-10.

The Swede signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract with Toronto in September 2022 and will become a free agent following the 2023-24 campaign.

Gustafsson, meanwhile, will become a free agent following the 2022-23 season. The 30-year-old veteran has notched seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 61 games and is a plus-nine.

The 2012 fourth-round pick's experience will be much better for Toronto in the postseason. He is also averaging 20:22 of time on ice this season, compared to Sandin's 17:59 TOI, though fans should expect him to be used in a depth role.

In addition to playing for the Capitals, Gustafsson has played for the Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers.

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane is on his way to the New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional second-round pick and a fourth-rounder in 2023 ahead of the NHL's March 3 deadline, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported on the details of the conditional selection:

Kaplan also reported the Arizona Coyotes are helping to facilitate the trade with New York and Chicago. The Coyotes are receiving a 2025 third-round pick as part of the transaction, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

It was a tough decision for Kane to part ways with the Blackhawks. TSN's Darren Dreger reported July 20 that the forward was undecided on whether he wanted to request a trade from the franchise, and he didn't decide on a move until Tuesday.

Kane has spent his entire 15-year career with the Blackhawks, winning three Stanley Cups and being named to the All-Star Game four times. The 33-year-old recorded 1,225 points (446 goals, 779 assists) in 1,161 games in Chicago.

During the 2021-22 season, Kane notched 92 points (26 goals, 66 assists) in 78 games. This season, he has tallied 16 goals and 29 assists in 54 games, so it's not surprising that he generated a lot of interest.

In addition, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told reporters March 1 that the team would be entering a rebuild, meaning that veteran players like Kane and Jonathan Toews, both of whom will be unrestricted free agents after the season, would be available.

Davidson said:

"We’re going to look at more of a rebuild here. There are some things that we really need to fix that are going to take time. We're not going to put a timeline on it, whether it's three, five [years], I don't have that answer right now. That will be determined as we proceed.

"But we really need to do this the right way and we're going to stick to the plan and take our time with it and make sure that when we get to where we want to go, then it was the result of a plan that was stuck to and not deviated from."

The Blackhawks began executing their rebuild over the summer by trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for three draft picks, including the 2022 No. 7 pick that was used to select defenseman Kevin Korchinski.

Chicago also traded Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens for two draft picks, including the 2022 No. 13 pick that was used to select center Frank Nazar. In addition, the team drafted defenseman Sam Rinzel with the 25th pick after trading one of the picks from the DeBrincat deal.

Moving Kane was just the next step in the process for Davidson and the Blackhawks, who sit eighth in the Central Division with a 21-33-5 record.

The Rangers had long been linked to Kane, and the Buffalo native even admitted on Feb. 10 that he had his eyes on New York as a possible destination if he decided to leave Chicago.

However, Kane landing with the Rangers seemed like a long shot after the franchise acquired winger Vladimir Tarasenko in a deal with the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9. Kaplan also reported at the time that New York had expressed concerns over Kane's hip injury.

Luckily, the Rangers were able to work out a deal for the right wing, who reportedly was only willing to accept a move to New York, Scott Powers of The Athletic reported Feb. 25.

Kane will significantly elevate New York's offensive potential for the remainder of the season alongside Tarasenko, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 34-17-9 record.

Friday's NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun remains available.

The talented 24-year-old has been the topic of trade buzz dating back to last season and would seem like a terrific target for playoff contenders looking to buy.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, however, Chychrun could also be a target for the Washington Capitals—a team not at all in the postseason mix:

On Monday night, The Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta reported that the Capitals were still in the mix for Chychrun:

At first blush, Washington's reported interest might seem odd. This is, after all, a franchise that is sitting on 29 wins and just dealt Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins.

When looking at the long-term picture, though, Chychrun would also make a ton of sense for the Capitals.

As Dreger pointed out, general manager Brian MacLellan is looking to rebuild quickly with young high-upside players who can, ideally, return the team to contention as early as next season.

As The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir noted, Chychrun is just the sort of player MacLellan is seeking.

"It's unclear if MacLellan is willing to meet the Coyotes' asking price, but Chychrun is exactly the type of player MacLellan hopes to add in the coming days, I'm told by a league source," he wrote.

Chychrun won't turn 25 until March 31, but he's already an experienced veteran who can contribute immediately. He's a quality defender with offensive skill (28 points in 36 games this season) and a strong all-around game who can log notable minutes with the first or second unit.

Additionally, he is under contract through the 2024-25 season with moderate cap hits of only $4.6 million each year.

Chychrun would also be a logical replacement for the departed Orlov, also a left-handed defenseman. He could also serve as an insurance policy for defensemen Nick Jensen and Erik Gustafsson (another lefty), whose futures aren't quite certain:

According to El-Bashir, MacLellan is listening to offers for players such as Jensen, Gustafsson, Conor Sheary and Trevor van Riemsdyk, though he's open to re-signing all of them for the right price and if he cannot get a quality return in a trade.

The cost of acquiring Chychrun, of course, will be a major factor. Washington should be hesitant to overpay, especially considering his injury history—he has never played a full season. For a team that was heavily hampered by injuries this year, that's a real concern.

According to The Athletic's Eric Duhatschek, Arizona is seeking "the equivalent of three first-rounders" in a Chychrun trade—a sizeable package of picks, prospects and/or players.

However, that isn't an unreasonable price point, given his combination of age, talent and contract status.

With several solid defensemen on the trading block, including Vladislav Gavrikov and Mattias Ekholm, the Coyotes may be willing to settle for less than they would in a less-saturated market.

MacLellan can get part way to the asking price by including Boston's first-round selection, though, per El-Bashir, he's unwilling to trade Washington's own first-rounder.

"It's believed MacLellan is willing to include Boston's pick in a deal to land a player like Chychrun since the selection is likely to be late in the first round," he wrote. "MacLellan does not, however, want to move his own."

Washington could include a second-round pick, a future draft pick or two and/or a prospect like Connor McMichael or Hendrix Lapierre. If the Capitals can hang onto their own first-round selection, which could be very high, this seems like a very reasonable trade.

MacLellan would essentially be trading a couple of picks/prospects to swap out the 31-year-old Orlov—who will be a free agent this summer—for a much younger defenseman with upside, a lower cap hit and two full years of team control.

For a franchise that is looking to rebuild quickly, that's a deal that should be viewed as a big win and one that warrants heavy consideration over the next few days.

New York Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller apologized on Monday for spitting on the Los Angeles Kings' Drew Doughty during their game Sunday, saying it was an accident and completely unintentional.

Miller was ejected from the game and is facing a hearing for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Multiple reports after Sunday's 5-2 Rangers win also noted that Miller and Doughty spoke.

Regardless, Doughty unsurprisingly wasn't thrilled about getting spit on during the game.

"I was just shocked, obviously," he told reporters. "I don't even know if I said anything to him after. You don't want to see things like that in this game. I don't know if I've ever seen that. I'm sure it has happened, not that I've seen. It's unfortunate. Whether or not he meant to do it, I have no idea. It's pretty big loogie on my face, so I was pretty [miffed]."

The incident came after an offside in the first period, with Miller and Kevin Fiala pushing one another following the whistle. As Doughty approached Miller he was hit by the spit.

Based on past precedence, Miller could be facing a three-game suspension. Garnet Hathaway received such a suspension for spitting on Erik Gudbranson in 2019.

Miller, 23, is in his third season with the Rangers. In 60 games this season he's posted six goals and 24 assists, going plus-one on the year with an average ice time of 21 minutes and 56 seconds.

He played in all 82 games for the team last year. As the Rangers continue to reshuffle the roster ahead of the trade deadline, potentially being without Miller for three games would leave the team's depth chart even thinner.

New York Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller is known for the attitude he brings to the ice, but he took things too far Sunday.

Per ESPN's Kristen Shilton, Miller was rejected from New York's game against the Los Angeles Kings for spitting on veteran defenseman Drew Doughty during a dust-up late in the first period.

According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Miller reached out to Doughty to explain the situation, which the Rangers defenseman reportedly says was an accident:

Spitting on another player is an automatic match penalty, and all match penalties are also automatically reviewed by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. There's a chance Miller faces further discipline from the league.

Shilton noted that former Washington Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway received a three-game suspension three years ago for a spitting incident against then-Anaheim Ducks defenseman Erik Gudbranson.

The Rangers had a 1-0 lead at the time of Miller's ejection and then quickly scored two more goals at the beginning of the second period to send Los Angeles starting goaltender Jonathan Quick to the bench.

Miller's ejection left New York thin at defenseman, as only six players at the position were dressed for Sunday's game. Per Shilton, Braden Schneider and Ryan Carpenter dressed and participated in warm-ups, but neither of them were expected to skate in the game for "roster management" reasons as the March 3 trade deadline approaches.

The Rangers are notably pursuing Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, who is also interested in landing in New York and was sent home from Chicago's road trip Saturday. Kane has a no-movement clause in his contract, leaving him in control of his own destiny.

New York will next take the ice Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The New Jersey Devils acquired right wing Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, giving the team a boost ahead of the March 3 trade deadline.

Here are the full details of the deal:

Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff reported details on the conditional first-round pick San Jose received in the trade:

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic initially reported the trade.

LeBrun also reported that a contract extension between Meier and the Devils was not included in the deal, but the organization still felt comfortable in moving forward with the trade.

Meier, 26, has been the topic of trade rumors for several weeks in the lead-up to the NHL trade deadline on March 3. He'll now move to New Jersey and bring another dynamic to an already potent Devils offense.

An All-Star for the first time in 2022, Meier is again in the midst of another solid campaign in his seventh year in the league. Meier is tied for 14th in the NHL with 31 goals, the top scorer for the Sharks this season.

Meiers' 31 goals is already second-best on New Jersey's roster, trailing only Jack Hughes' 36. He also has 52 points this year, ranked just outside the top 50.

San Jose selected Meier with the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft. He made his debut with the team during the 2016-17 season.

He played the majority of his junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Hockey League, scoring 160 points over three years with the club.

The Devils currently sit in second in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points, just three points behind the leading Carolina Hurricanes. They have the third-most points in the entire Eastern Conference and will hope that Meier is the piece that puts them over the top.