NHL Central

Patrick Kane getting traded to the New York Rangers may be a long shot at this point, but it reportedly isn't completely out of the question.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan wrote: "I believe he has asked to explore whether going to the Rangers is still an option. It's not impossible, but it would require serious maneuvering."

Kaplan also noted that Kane had been eager to join the Rangers if he was ultimately traded by the Chicago Blackhawks:

Based on conversations I've had with sources around the league, the behind-the-scenes talks with the Rangers were more advanced than have been reported. There was a path for Kane going to New York, his preferred destination should he leave Chicago, and then suddenly it felt as if it was taken away—which is why you saw him react so vulnerably to the Vladimir Tarasenko trade.

The Rangers traded Sammy Blais, Hunter Skinner, a 2023 conditional first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-rounder to the St. Louis Blues for Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola. And Kane publicly spoke about his disappointment in learning of that trade.

"It's not like the happiest I've been to hear about a trade," he told reporters on Feb. 10. "I think the Rangers are a team that you definitely pay attention to and definitely are intrigued by, for obvious reasons."

"If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at," he added. "It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal, so it is what it is."

Both Kane and Tarasenko play on the right wing, with Kane posting 42 points in 53 games this season and Tarasenko scoring 33 points in 44 total games.

Any change of address for Kane, even if it isn't the Rangers, would be a first. The 34-year-old has spent his entire 16-year career in Chicago, winning three Stanley Cup titles with the team. He's become a fixture of the franchise alongside the likes of Jonathan Toews, though with the team at the bottom of the standings, a move elsewhere this season would make sense.

Whether that's to New York remains to be seen.

While it seemed like the St. Louis Blues would be full sellers at the trade deadline after moving on from Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O'Reilly this winter, it appears the franchise hasn't ruled out becoming a buyer.

The Blues inquired with the San Jose Sharks about a deal for Timo Meier, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. This comes amid rumors linking him to the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.

The Blues traded Tarasenko to the New York Rangers on Feb. 9 in exchange for Sammy Blais, defense prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft.

The franchise followed that up by trading Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 17 in a three-team trade that also included the Minnesota Wild. St. Louis received Adam Gaudette, prospect Mikhail Abramov, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick in the deal.

The Blues now have three first-round picks in this year's draft. Seravalli believes the franchise will "leverage" those first-round picks to bring in Meier and sign him to a long-term extension to make him part of their core alongside Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn.

Meier is in the final year of a four-year, $24 million contract he signed with the Shark in July 2019.

With San Jose well out of a playoff spot at 18-29-11 and headed for a rebuild, Meier is one of the team's biggest trade chips alongside two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson.

The 26-year-old has molded himself into a consistent 30-plus goal scorer. In 77 games last season, he tallied 35 goals and 41 assists for 76 points. Through 57 games this season, he's notched 31 goals and 21 assists for 52 points.

While Meier would certainly help St. Louis improve, the Blues currently sit well out of a playoff spot with a 26-27-3 record, so his acquisition would be more important for the future of the franchise.

While the Hurricanes and Devils are interested in Meier, the Blues might be better positioned to land the star forward as San Jose is asking for a first-round pick and a high-end prospect or a first-round pick and two Grade B prospects, per SJ Hockey Now's Sheng Peng.

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson confirmed Sunday that the team wouldn't be trading Jonathan Toews ahead of the Friday, March 3, trade deadline as he deals with symptoms of both long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.

It was a joint decision between the player and organization, with Toews releasing the following statement Sunday:

Toews, 34, hasn't played since Jan. 28. Before his illness sidelined him he had posted 14 goals and 14 assists in 46 games.

He also missed the 2020-21 season with chronic immune response syndrome.

"I think there are a lot of things that I piled up and my body fell apart," Towes said in 2021. "... I couldn't quite recover, and my immune system was reacting to everything I did—any kind of stress. Anything I would do throughout the day, it was just always kind of a stress response. So it took some time, and that was the frustrating part, not knowing when or how we were going to get over the hump."

The likely future Hall of Famer has been a mainstay for the Blackhawks and is one of the most legendary figures in the history of the franchise and Chicago sports in general, winning three Stanley Cup titles with the organization.

Toews has accumulated 371 goals and 509 assists in his career. He'll face a fascinating decision in the offseason, however, when he's eligible to become a free agent. If chasing another title is a priority, he'll likely move on, as the cellar-dwelling Blackhawks have an NHL-worst 39 points this season and don't seem likely to return to contention anytime soon.

So it's possible that Toews has played his last game in Chicago for the Blackhawks. If that's the case, it was a memorable ride for the team's longtime captain.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a splash ahead of the March 3 trade deadline.

The team announced on Friday that it has acquired centres Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Minnesota Wild:

O'Reilly is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and he counts for a $7.5 million cap hit this season. The 32-year-old's production has dipped significantly this year, making him expendable as St. Louis turns its eye toward building for the future.

Through 40 games this season, O'Reilly has 12 goals and seven assists. He still likely would've been considered one of the top available centres at the trade deadline.

O'Reilly was acquired by the Blues from the Buffalo Sabres prior to the 2018-19 season and immediately proved himself to be one of the best players in the league, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy and leading St. Louis to its first Stanley Cup in franchise history that year.

O'Reilly now joins a Maple Leafs team that ranks second in the Atlantic Division with a 33-14-8 record. Perhaps he will get back to producing at the level that earned him three career All-Star selections.

Friday's trade continues a firesale for the Blues, who also traded right winger Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola to the New York Rangers last week. This deal coupled with the transaction with the Maple Leafs gives St. Louis three first-round picks in the 2023 NHL draft.

As the March 3 trade deadline draws nearer, Chicago Blackhawks veteran Patrick Kane is likely nearing the end of his tenure with the franchise, but many are wondering where exactly he'll end up.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that there are multiple teams that would be interested in acquiring the 34-year-old right winger.

"I think Edmonton's interested, and has reached out. I think Dallas has considered it," Friedman stated. "I've wondered about Vegas, and my belief is Toronto wants to know whether or not it's actually in the mix before considering anything."

Kane has spent his entire career in Chicago after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2007 and he's helped lead the team to three Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He's set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, as he's in the final year of an eight-year deal that carries a salary cap hit of $10.5 million.

Kane has a no-movement clause in his contract and would need to waive it to facilitate a trade, leaving him in control of his next landing spot. Friedman noted that people who know Kane "are convinced he's still got plenty to offer and badly desires to show it somewhere else."

Unfortunately, Kane's top desired destination was the New York Rangers, but the team opted to acquire right winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues last week. Friedman reported that the deal by the Rangers left Kane "stunned," and he openly admitted that he wasn't pleased with the outcome.

"If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at," Kane said after practice last Friday. "It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal. It is what it is"

At this point, it's up to Kane to identify an alternative landing spot. He is one of the best players of his generation, and he can have as many suitors as he desires.

"If Patrick Kane is interested in you, you have to think about it," a general manager told Friedman.

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane has yet to make a decision about his future with the franchise, but that doesn't mean he's not eyeing potential trade destinations.

If Kane decides he wants to move on from Chicago, he is willing to accept a trade to either the New York Rangers or Toronto Maple Leafs, according to TSN's Carlo Colaiacovo.

Kane admitted to reporters last week that he had his eyes on the Rangers as a possible destination if traded, adding that he was disappointed to hear that they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues instead.

"It's not like the happiest I've been to hear about a trade," Kane said when asked about the Tarasenko deal. "I think the Rangers are a team that you definitely pay attention to and definitely are intrigued by, for obvious reasons."

New York's decision to trade for Tarasenko doesn't completely eliminate the franchise from making a deal for Kane, but it makes it far less likely to happen, especially with the winger's $10.5 million cap hit.

That said, Kane is in the final year of an eight-year, $84 million contract, so it's possible Chicago would be willing to eat some of his remaining salary to facilitate a trade.

The Rangers have long been a top destination for some of the NHL's elite. Beyond playing at the world's most famous arena in Madison Square Garden, the team is perennially competitive and gives players the chance to compete for hockey's most coveted trophy—the Stanley Cup.

The Rangers currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division with a 31-14-8 record and are just six points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes for first in the division. With the team on pace to make the postseason, it's no surprise Kane is eyeing a move to Manhattan.

Toronto, meanwhile, sits second in the Atlantic Division with a 32-14-8 record. Like the Rangers, the Maple Leafs have been competitive in recent seasons, though they've struggled to make it past the first round of the postseason, not having done so since 2004.

It would be more of a challenge for the Maple Leafs to fit Kane under the salary cap. With Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and John Tavares each earning $10.9 million or more per season, adding Kane's $10.5 million salary wouldn't be easy, and the Blackhawks would almost surely have to eat some of that money.

Beyond playing for a competitive team in front of some of the best fans in hockey, Toronto might be a desirable destination for Kane given its proximity to Buffalo, New York, where the winger is from.

If Kane does decide to move on from Chicago, it will certainly be interesting to see where he ends up and what kind of package the Blackhawks get in return for him. Kane has a no-move clause in his contract, so he can essentially control where he ends up if moved.

The Blackhawks, which sit last in the Central Division at 16-30-5, signaled they'd be entering a rebuild this summer by trading Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for draft assets.

If Kane doesn't move on now, he'll likely have to move on from Chicago in free agency this summer anyway.

Patrick Kane still hasn't made a decision regarding his future with the Chicago Blackhawks, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't have his eyes on the New York Rangers before they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko on Thursday.

"It's not like the happiest I've been to hear about a trade," Kane told reporters when asked about the Tarasenko deal. "I think the Rangers are a team that you definitely pay attention to and definitely are intrigued by, for obvious reasons."

Kane also admitted that the Rangers were one of the teams on his radar if he were to request a trade from the Blackhawks. However, the Tarasenko deal essentially eliminates New York as a possible landing spot for the veteran winger.

"If things were going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at," Kane said. "It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal, so it is what it is."

The St. Louis Blues traded Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola to the Rangers on Thursday in exchange for Sammy Blais, prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick.

Tarasenko, who spent the first 11 seasons of his career in St. Louis, requested a trade from the franchise in July 2021. He was reportedly upset with how the Blues handled his multiple shoulder surgeries, which fractured his relationship with the team.

The Blues went on to leave Tarasenko unprotected in the Seattle expansion draft that same month, though he went unclaimed by the Kraken, which instead selected defenseman Vince Dunn.

With Tarasenko in the final year of an eight-year, $60 million contract, there was always a possibility for him to be moved ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.

Like Tarasenko, Kane is also in the final year of an eight-year, $84 million contract and is a candidate to be moved ahead of the deadline with the Blackhawks gearing up to enter a full-scale rebuild.

Chicago indicated it would be entering a rebuilding period during the 2022 NHL draft when it traded Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators and Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens for draft picks.

Kane had long been linked to the Rangers. However, New York opted to acquire Tarasenko over Kane and San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier because it felt the asking prices for both players were too high, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

The Rangers also weren't keen on waiting for Kane to make a decision about his future, and they expressed concerns over his hip injury, Kaplan added.

The Athletic's Arthur Staple also wrote in January that it "seems like the whole league knows now that Kane needs hip surgery" and that "if he doesn't shut down the season and get the surgery soon to be ready for free agency and 2023-24, he's going to be damaged goods."

Before the start of the 2021-22 season, Kane confirmed he had been dealing with a nagging, undisclosed injury since before the start of the 2020 playoffs in the Edmonton bubble. He added that he was hoping to get the issue fixed before the 2021-22 campaign began, but that didn't happen.

Kane went on to play 78 games last season and only missed time because of the NHL's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. This season, his injury appeared to resurface in a January matchup against the Sharks, and he later found himself on injured reserve.

Since returning to the Chicago lineup on Jan. 14, Kane hasn't missed any time, but it's clear that his injury is still an issue. That said, he thinks his hip ailment has been overblown.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm not sure what the story is to be honest with you, but I feel better than I did last year," Kane told reporters Thursday. "It's just one of those things that maybe the story leaks out and it piles up a little bit."

If Kane decides he wants a trade before the March 3 deadline, he'll more than likely have numerous suitors despite the ailment. However, he has a full no-trade clause, which means he'll have a say in where he ends up.

Kane would be a valuable addition to any contending team, especially considering he's a three-time Stanley Cup winner. Through 46 games this season, he has notched nine goals and 26 assists for 35 points.

The 34-year-old's situation is going to continue to be a hot topic as we get closer to the deadline, but it's safe to say we can cross the Rangers off the list of possible landing spots.

The Minnesota Wild announced they have signed forward Matt Boldy to a seven-year extension worth $49 million.

The 21-year-old also had a message for the fan base after the deal:

Boldy is in his second NHL season, totaling 12 goals and 17 assists in 42 games. He's played a key role for the Wild, which entered Monday with 52 points to sit third in the Central division.

In 2021-22, Boldy had 15 goals and 24 assists on his way to finishing eighth in voting for the Calder Trophy, the league's Rookie of the Year award. He was plus-17 on the ice last year as the Wild finished with 113 points, second-most in the Western Conference.

While the production has been solid to this point, the Wild are paying for the left wing's upside.

The No. 12 overall pick in the 2019 draft has flashed his potential as a difference-maker who can rack up a lot of points in his career.

Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin recently gave his thoughts on the young player.

"I think Matt's a really good player. I do," Guerin said, per Joe Smith of The Athletic. "I think Matt's got a lot of ability to make plays. We want him to shoot the puck more. I think he tries to get too cute at times, but that's what playmakers do."

If he can refine his game, Boldy could give the Wild excellent value in his contract over the next seven years.

The former Boston College player was set to become a restricted free agent in the offseason without a new deal.

Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler will return to the lineup Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning after suffering a ruptured testicle last month.

Wheeler suffered the injury Dec. 15 when he was hit by a shot from Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in a matchup against the Nashville Predators. He missed nine games with the ailment.

The 36-year-old was previously hit in the groin when he blocked a shot in Game 4 of Winnipeg's first-round sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2021 postseason.

"I've got three beautiful kids, we're not having any more, so what the hell," he said at the time.

Wheeler's comments about his injury last month were a bit different. The Minnesota native finished the game against Nashville and told reporters Thursday he didn't realize he had ruptured a testicle.

"There's a difference between being hurt and being injured. I didn't know I was injured until the next day," he said.

Wheeler was having a solid season prior to the injury, notching nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 29 games. The Jets have gone 5-4-0 in his absence, improving to 24-13-1 on the season and sitting second in the Central Division behind the Dallas Stars.

Wheeler has been with the Jets organization since the Boston Bruins traded him and defenseman Mark Stuart to the then-Atlanta Thrashers in 2011 in exchange for Rich Peverley and Boris Valábik.

He has tallied 255 goals and 528 assists for 783 points in 854 games across 12-plus seasons with Winnipeg. He's under contract with the Jets through the 2023-24 season.

In addition to Wheeler, Nikolaj Ehlers, Cole Perfetti and Nate Schmidt are expected to return for the Jets on Friday. The return of all four players is a boost even though the team has found success without them this season.

Winnipeg enters Friday's game against Tampa Bay three points behind the Stars for first place in the division. The Jets also have two games in hand on Dallas.