NHL Atlantic

The Boston Bruins signed forward David Pastrnak to an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $11.25 million.

Boston made the announcement Thursday, locking up the best Bruin of this generation through the 2030-31 season.

Pastrnak was originally slated to be a free agent at the end of this season.

The Czech Republic native has spent his entire nine-year NHL career in Boston, making his debut just months after being taken with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2014 draft. He was an instant-impact player from his debut and ascended to a starring role by his third NHL season.

A three-time All-Star, the right wing has accumulated 584 points across 570 appearances in Boston. He led the NHL in goals during the 2019-20 season with a career high of 48 and is on pace to eclipse that total this season.

The 26-year-old sits second in the NHL with 42 goals while adding 38 assists, and his 80 total points are tied for fourth. He's been the leader of a dominant Bruins team, which sits at 47-8-5 heading into Thursday and is the overwhelming Stanley Cup favorite.

The Bruins have a 13-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference.

The Detroit Red Wings are trading Tyler Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins in exchange for multiple NHL draft picks.

Boston confirmed the deal ahead of Friday's trade deadline:

Bertuzzi is a Bruin.

Details: https://t.co/VTXGApXVYu pic.twitter.com/Dlzn2kx6PT

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 2, 2023

TSN's Darren Dreger first reported the agreement.

Thanks to injuries, Bertuzzi's production has fallen off after he enjoyed a career year in 2021-22. Through 29 appearances, he has four goals and 10 assists.

The Red Wings' return in the trade speaks to the 28-year-old's overall value, though. Now that he's healthy and on a much better team, he's bound to look like the player who had 62 points (30 goals, 32 assists) in 68 games with Detroit last year.

The Bruins get even better with Tyler Bertuzzi, a top six forward who is in a bit of a scoring rut this year. pic.twitter.com/oTtwYtBT6m

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) March 2, 2023

The Bruins have the NHL's best record (47-8-5) and their 99 points are 13 more than the next closest team. They're the betting favorites (+475) at DraftKings Sportsbook to lift the Stanley Cup.

Dreger noted, however, the need for Boston to fortify its forward line ahead of the trade deadline.

Injuries factored into this. Taylor Hall is seeking a second opinion for his lower body issue. The follow up assessment will determine how long he’s out of the Bruins lineup. https://t.co/NaM6QliIxi

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 2, 2023

Especially without sending a player to the Red Wings in the trade, the Bruins could be set to place Taylor Hall or Nick Foligno on long-term injured reserve. Both players are battling lower-body injuries, and it's uncertain when either will be back on the ice.

A first-round pick, even one that's protected, is a somewhat steep price to pay for a player who's eligible to hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason.

Bertuzzi doesn't project to be one of the top stars available but should get a solid multiyear offer on the open market. If he helps the Bruins win a title, then it won't matter what it cost and whether he re-signs.

But Boston is clearly banking on him to hit the ground running and make an immediate impact.

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For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.

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The Ottawa Senators announced on Wednesday that they acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes for a conditional first-round pick in 2023, a conditional second-rounder in 2024 (originally from the Washington Capitals) and a 2026 second-round selection.

The 2023 first-rounder is top-five protected, which would become an unprotected 2024 first-round selection if it doesn't convey. The second-round selection in 2024 will become a top-10 protected first-rounder in 2024 if the Senators reach the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. If it becomes a 2024 first-rounder and doesn't convey, it would become a 2025 unprotected first-round pick.

Chychrun, 24, has appeared in 36 games this season, posting seven goals, 21 assists and a plus-8 in over 23 minutes of average ice time. Despite his age, he's already in his seventh NHL season, all with the Coyotes until Wednesday.

He is currently in the fourth year of a six-year, $27.6 million contract. He'll have a cap hit of $4.6 million in each of the final two years of the deal.

"A defenseman we've coveted, Jakob is big and plays imposing," Senators general Pierre Dorion said in the team's statement announcing the deal. "He possesses a quality skill set; he defends hard and is highly skilled. He uses his heavy shot with accuracy and is effective at creating offense as a threat at the offensive blue line."

"He's ecstatic to be coming to Ottawa," says Chychrun's agent Andy Scott of Octagon Hockey #Sens.

— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) March 1, 2023

The Senators are fighting to get back into the playoff picture and currently sit five points (64) behind the Pittsburgh Penguins (69) for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Florida Panthers (66 points), Buffalo Sabres (66), Detroit Red Wings (64) and Washington Capitals (64) are also still in the running.

The Coyotes, meanwhile, have struggled this season and are well out of the playoff picture. Chychrun hasn't appeared in a game for the team since Feb. 10 as Arizona looked for a trade partner ahead of the deadline.

“This is, I can say definitively, a Grand Slam upper deck home run for Pierre Dorion and the Sens.”@frank_seravalli offers up his instant reaction to Ottawa acquiring Jakob Chychrun. pic.twitter.com/dOYucQWGtS

— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) March 1, 2023

I think this is some tidy work by Ottawa. Land Chychrun without having to give up one or Pinto/Greig.

Massive deal and Dorion finally gets his top four D man. https://t.co/gBBa3ScP4R

— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) March 1, 2023

Jakob Chychrun is expected to join the team in New York. He hasn't played in three weeks so a decision on whether he plays won't be made until morning. #Sens

— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) March 1, 2023

While health issues have become a concern—he had offseason surgeries for both a bone spur in his ankle and a wrist issue—he's a talented offensive-minded blue-liner and will bolster Ottawa's defensive pairings.

His acquisition wasn't cheap, but it was a logical move for a Senators team trying to fight its way into the playoffs.

Detroit Red Wings star center Dylan Larkin is already the face of the franchise, and he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

The team announced Wednesday that Larkin has reached an agreement on an eight-year contract extension worth $69.6 million.

HERE. TO. STAY. pic.twitter.com/MymEOFwHmd

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 1, 2023

Larkin has been the lone bright spot for the Red Wings this season, as the team ranks sixth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 28-24-8. In 59 appearances, he leads the team with 22 goals, 35 assists, 57 points, 11 power-play goals, 21 power play-points, four game-winning goals and 185 shots and earned his third career All-Star selection.

The 26-year-old was in the final season of a five-year, $30.5 million deal signed in 2018 after the completion of his entry-level contract. Earning this extension fulfills his desire to remain in Detroit, as ESPN's Emily Kaplan noted he "wanted to play only for the Red Wings."

Larkin is a Michigan native who starred with the Michigan Wolverines before being drafted 15th in 2014 by Detroit, so he has spent his entire career in the state of Michigan. He was named the 37th captain in franchise history in Jan. 2021.

Unfortunately for Detroit, Larkin's individual success has not translated to team success. The last time the Red Wings made the playoffs was Larkin's debut season in 2015-16, the final campaign of a 25-year postseason streak.

Detroit remains in the mix for a potential wild-card spot with six weeks left in the regular season, so perhaps Larkin can help turn things around. The Red Wings will look to end their three-game losing streak when they take the ice Thursday against the Seattle Kraken (33-21-6).

The Toronto Maple Leafs are loading up ahead of the NHL's Friday trade deadline.

Toronto has acquired defenseman Luke Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick, the franchise announced Tuesday.

The news came shortly after the Maple Leafs reportedly traded defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals in exchange for defenseman Erik Gustafsson and a 2023 first-round pick.

Schenn, who is in the final year of a two-year, $1.7 million deal, joins a growing list of new faces in Toronto that includes Gustafsson, Ryan O'Reilly, Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty.

The 33-year-old was one of the more prominent names on the market this winter as his skill set was in high demand for teams making a push for the playoffs. He's a physical stay-at-home defender who should be solid in a depth role for the Maple Leafs.

Schenn has spent the last two seasons of his career in Vancouver. Through 55 games, he has notched three goals and 18 assists for 21 points and is a plus-nine.

Schenn has also spent time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks over his 15-year career. The Maple Leafs selected him fifth overall in the 2008 draft, and he spent his first four seasons with the franchise.

The Saskatchewan native was a member of Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2020 and 2021, so he brings plenty of postseason experience to a Toronto team looking to advance past the first round for the first time since 2004.

The Maple Leafs sit second in the Atlantic Division with a 37-15-8 record (82 points). While it's unlikely they catch the first-place Boston Bruins (46-8-5, 97 points), the franchise is on pace to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Canucks, meanwhile, are in sell mode as they sit 12th in the Western Conference with a 24-31-5 record.

Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight has entered the player assistance program and will be away from the team indefinitely, the NHL and NHL Players' Association announced Friday.

Knight will continue to be paid while receiving treatment and will not be able to return to on-ice competition until cleared to do so by the program's administrators.

The player assistance program, founded in 1996, is available to all players and their families and helps those struggling with mental health, substance abuse and other matters.

Knight was selected by the Panthers 13th overall in the 2019 NHL draft out of Boston College.

The Connecticut native made his NHL debut during the 2020-21 season as a 19-year-old and has appeared in 21 games for the Panthers this season, posting a 9-8-3 record with a 3.18 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and one shutout.

Knight was assigned to the American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday alongside forward Grigori Denisenko.

The Panthers will rely on Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Lyon between the pipes in Knight's absence. Florida sits fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 29-25-6 record.

Because of privacy laws, a player's reasoning for entering the player assistance program is not released.

The NHL and NHLPA's player assistance program has been used by players more often in recent seasons.

In October, Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana entered the program and wasn't reinstated until December. When he was cleared to return, Vrana did not reveal why he entered the program, telling reporters it was a personal matter.

Additionally, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price used the program last season and later revealed he entered it for help with substance abuse and mental health.

"Over the last few years I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn't have the tools to cope with that struggle," Price said in a statement. "Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family.

"Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do. And it was what I needed to do."

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The Boston Bruins acquired forward Garnet Hathaway and defenseman Dmitry Orlov on Thursday in a three-team trade with the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild ahead of the NHL's March 3 deadline.

The Capitals acquired Craig Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick in the deal.

Washington initially traded Orlov to the Wild in exchange for forward Andrei Svetlakov. The Capitals retained half of the defenseman's salary.

The Wild then flipped Orlov to the Bruins for a 2023 fifth-round pick. Minnesota retained 25 percent of Orlov's remaining salary in that deal.

Hathaway is in the final year of a four-year, $6 million deal valued at $1.5 million annually.

The 31-year-old, who is a native of Kennebunkport, Maine, had been with the Capitals since 2019 after beginning his career with the Calgary Flames in 2015. Through 59 games this season, the veteran winger has notched nine goals and seven assists, including a game-winning tally against the Bruins on Feb. 11.

Garnet Hathaway scores, takes a huge hit, then does his celly from the ice 🤣 https://t.co/q15gGDalng

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 11, 2023

Hathaway, a career bottom-six player, has notched 54 goals and 62 assists in 432 games across eight seasons. While he's not known for scoring, his grit and intensity are exactly what Boston needs entering the postseason.

With the departure of Smith, Hathaway figures to slot in on either Boston's third or fourth line. His placement in the lineup will depend on whether head coach Jim Montgomery wants to break up the fourth line of A.J. Greer, Trent Frederic and Nick Foligno, which has been impressive this season.

If Hathaway is placed on the third line, he'd slot in alongside Charlie Coyle and Taylor Hall. If he's placed on the fourth line, it's possible Foligno would move up to play alongside that duo.

As for Orlov, he's in the final year of a six-year, $30.6 million contract worth $5.1 million annually. He had a modified no-trade clause on his contract, per CapFriendly, which means Boston was on his list of teams that he could be moved to.

The 31-year-old has notched three goals and 16 assists in 43 games with Washington this season. He had spent his entire 11-year career with the Capitals, which selected him in the second round of the 2009 draft.

Through 686 games with the Capitals, Orlov notched 60 goals and 256 assists. He boasts a career 104 plus/minus rating and was a member of Washington's 2018 Stanley Cup-winning team.

Boston had been reported to be in the market for a left side defenseman this winter and had even been linked to Arizona Coyotes' Jakob Chychrun and Columbus Blue Jackets' Vladislav Gavrikov.

The move for Orlov, a left defenseman, might rule out a trade for either of those players.

It's unclear where Orlov would slot in on Boston's defensive unit, though he was on Washington's top defensive pairing alongside Trevor van Riemsdyk this season.

Matt Grzelcyk is currently on the left side of Boston's top defensive pair with Charlie McAvoy. Hampus Lindholm and Derek Forbort round out the franchise's left-side defensive unit. Forbort could be forced out of the lineup following the Orlov acquisition.

The Bruins are in action on Thursday night against the Seattle Kraken and have games against the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames coming up before returning to Boston on March 2.

It's reasonable to believe Hathaway and Orlov will join the Bruins on their current road trip, but it's unclear when they will make their debuts.

The Eastern Conference has been trending toward being more competitive than the West for years.

That doesn't necessarily mean the top teams in the East are better—the most recent Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, would like a word. But it does make punching a ticket to the playoffs more challenging.

Just take a look at the Atlantic Division. After the historically dominant Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Lightning are separated by one point in the standings. Then the Panthers (62 points), Red Wings (60 points), Sabres (58 points) and Senators (56 points) are all descending in two-point increments.

Then you've got the Metropolitan Division. Behind the No. 1 Hurricanes, the Devils and Rangers are separated by one point. Then the next tier is the Penguins (63 points), Islanders (63 points) and Capitals (62 points).

This means two things. No. 1, the once-relatively accurate playoff picture at American Thanksgiving might be gone. And No. 2, teams are looking over their shoulders at their peers' trade-deadline moves more than ever. Gone are the days of "we're worrying about ourselves" cliches, and you're seeing that with so much buzz starting weeks before the actual March 3 trade deadline.

The Islanders surprised most of us when they kicked things off, acquiring Bo Horvat in a move that very much helped them back into the playoff conversation. The Rangers were next up, winning the Vladimir Tarasenko sweepstakes last week, and he also immediately made an impact on his new team.

Of course, the St. Louis Blues weren't trading Tarasenko and putting one foot in and one foot out—you knew a Ryan O'Reilly swap was coming to complete their teardown.

On Friday, the Maple Leafs acquired O'Reilly and Noel Acciari for Mikhail Abramov, Adam Gaudette, their first-round pick in 2023 and second-round pick in 2024, and Ottawa's third-round pick in 2023. This was a three-way trade that saw Minnesota jumping in to receive Toronto's fourth-round pick in 2025, and the Leafs got Josh Pillar from Minnesota.

The gigantic kicker? St. Louis will retain 50 percent of O'Reilly's $7.5 million cap hit, while Minnesota will retain 25 percent.

O'Reilly, a Selke Trophy winner as the NHL's best defensive forward in 2019, is a great fit for the Leafs as a third-line center behind Auston Matthews and John Tavares. He brings veteran Stanley Cup experience, center depth, the ability to chip in on offense when required and a much-needed calming defensive presence (if we forgive his part in Blues' poor defensive play as a whole this year—which we should if we're assessing O'Reilly's potential impact on this far superior Leafs team).

Arguably the biggest trade of general manager Kyle Dubas' career landed the Leafs O'Reilly for only $1.875 million, with the added kicker of playoff role-player Acciari. The latter is a little pricey for a fourth liner at $1.25 million, but both of those salaries combined are still considerably cheaper than O'Reilly's actual salary.

The Leafs gave up four draft picks including a first-rounder, sure, but can anyone blame them? Folks have criticized Dubas for being too patient, but now he and the rest of the team seem to be in sync: If not now, when?

The Leafs can't let desperation get the best of them, but the urgency is real as they have been searching for a playoff series win since 2004. It's smart of them to go all-in at this deadline, especially with a probable first-round matchup with the battle-tested Lightning.

And it brings us to our larger point. If the Leafs didn't pick up O'Reilly, it's likely a division rival would've. The Leafs are giving their competitors one fewer option in a conference that keeps seeking reinforcements from the West.

So where are we now?

Patrick Kane, who said he wasn't thrilled when the Rangers traded for Tarasenko, therefore taking the team away as an option for him, is still on the table. But the Rangers were wary for a good reason: Kane's documented hip troubles and his unproductive start to the season.

Besides, TSN's Carlo Colaiacovo reported that Kane, who has a full no-movement clause, would likely only waive that clause for the Rangers or the Leafs. Looks like he might end up staying in Chicago after all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9xqQNbhYPk

Timo Meier in all his 30-plus-goal glory and potential $10 million qualifying offer is probably the most coveted winger available, and he's been linked to the Devils and Hurricanes, per SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman. I know the Bruins have their eye on defensemen Jakob Chychrun and Vladislav Gavrikov. We could go on and on with trade rumors, and we will.

But the moral of the story is the competitiveness of the East is no rumor, and with every trade, the stakes are only getting higher for every team in the conference. The Islanders, Rangers and Leafs have come calling, and you wonder how the rest of the conference will respond.

The trade deadline has already delivered more than usual this year, and it should only get more intense over the next two weeks.

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:

We have acquired Ryan O’Reilly & Noel Acciari in a three-team trade with St. Louis & Minnesota.
 
STL receives Mikhail Abramov & Adam Gaudette, TOR's 1st round pick in '23, OTT's 3rd round pick in '23 & TOR's 2nd round pick in '24. MIN receives TOR's 4th round pick in '25. pic.twitter.com/QAOUZvUZfH

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 18, 2023

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.