NHL Pacific

Connor McDavid is built different.

The Edmonton Oilers superstar became just the sixth player in NHL history to hit 150 points, and the first since Mario Lemieux in the 1995-96 season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who scored 161 points that season.

McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky—who scored 160 or more points in a season nine times during his career, an astonishing achievement—Lemieux (four times), Phil Esposito, Steve Yzerman and Bernie Nicholls.

The 26-year-old has a whopping 63 goals and 87 assists this season. Both marks lead the NHL, while his teammate Leon Draisaitl is second in points with 123. Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is eighth at 100 points for the year. Only eight players have hit triple-digit points this season.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner has been accused of fraud by a major lender in his bankruptcy case.

Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reported creditor Aliya Growth Fund is seeking the $4.75 million loan it paid to Lehner six weeks before his bankruptcy filing to be repaid rather than be part of the Chapter 7 filing.

The company accuses Lehner of fraud on several occasions, claiming he and his wife, Donya, obtained the money "by making materially false and misleading representations." Aliya also alleges the couple failed to fully disclose its debts in the original loan application.

The Lehners filed for bankruptcy in December, claiming $5.2 million of assets and $27.3 million of liabilities.

Lehner is in the third year of a five-year, $25 million contract but currently on long-term injured reserve because a hip injury. The team announced in August he would miss the entire 2022-23 season.

Most of Lehner's debt is tied to SolarCode, his family's company that is being sued for $3.9 million over an unpaid business loan.

Connor McDavid is speaking out in regards to how his club feels about Pride Night celebrations around the NHL, which have become a contentious topic for some players over the last few months.

The Edmonton Oilers will celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Saturday's Pride Night game against the Vegas Golden Knights, and team captain McDavid made it clear Friday that the organization fully supports the initiative.

McDavid told reporters:

"Certainly can't comment on other players and their beliefs and other organizations and what they're up to. I know here in Edmonton we strongly believe hockey is for everyone and strongly support Pride Night. Looking forward to it.

"I think we were the first team to use the pride tape in warmups. We're firm believers in the celebration that is the pride night and looking forward to it."

Oilers forward Zach Hyman echoed McDavid's comments during his media session on Friday:

"Everybody has their own personal opinion. To me, it's an obvious no-brainer. If I was in that position I'd wear one. It doesn't go against any of my beliefs. On the contrary, I think it's extremely important to be open and welcoming to that greater community just because they're a minority and they face a lot of persecution over the years and to show that we care, and that we're willing and ready to include them in our game, in out sport is extremely important to me. It's a hard question just because people have their own personal beliefs. I just don't agree with them."

Pride Nights around the NHL have become a hot-button topic since Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov opted against wearing the team's rainbow-colored pride jersey during warm-ups ahead of a Jan. 17 matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.

Since then, San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer and Florida Panthers teammates and brothers Eric and Marc Staal have chosen not to participate in their teams' Pride Night celebrations, which include wearing pride jerseys during warm-ups.

Provorov, Reimer and the Staal brothers all said that wearing the jersey and taking part in the festivities would go against their religious beliefs. Provorov is Russian Orthodox, while Reimer and the Staal brothers are Christian.

The New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks have also pulled the plug entirely on having their players wear pride jerseys during warm-ups this season.

The Blackhawks and Wild reportedly cited concern for the safety of Russian players as the reason for opting against wearing the jerseys. Chicago's Pride Night is scheduled for Sunday, and the team still has various initiatives scheduled.

Russia expanded its ban on "gay propaganda" in December, making it "illegal to promote or 'praise' LGBTQ relationships, publicly express non-heterosexual orientations or suggest that they are 'normal,'" according to CNN's Ivana Kottasova and Anna Chernova.

The Blackhawks and Wild have several players who are from Russia or are of Russian descent on their rosters, including Philipp Kurashev, Anton Khudobin, Nikita Zaitsev—all of Chicago—and Kirill Kaprizov, who plays for Minnesota.

However, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic's Scott Powers on Friday that the league has "no information that would suggest there is any material threat that would exist (in Russia or otherwise) related to a Russian player participating in a club's Pride activities."

The Blackhawks sent Powers a response to Daly's statement:

"We are unaware of any direct, material threat on an individual currently. That being said, we understand that there is a more general threat toward certain players and believe we need to respond accordingly. We will not have any further comment on this matter at this time. We wish to reiterate that our overall Pride night will go on as planned, and we are excited for all of the activities and LGBTQIA+ community members who will be in the spotlight."

While the Rangers have several prominent Russian players on their roster—Igor Shesterkin, Vladimir Tarasenko and Artemi Panarin—the club cited "everyone's individual right to respectfully express their beliefs" as the reason for not having players wear pride jerseys during warm-ups on Jan. 27.

The Islanders, meanwhile, noted an organizational policy as the reason players didn't wear pride jerseys during warm-ups on Feb. 9.

Several teams still have Pride Night celebrations scheduled ahead of the end of the regular season in April. It's unclear if any other teams or players are considering not wearing pride jerseys.

The Ritchie brothers have been included in a trade between the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes ahead of Friday's deadline.

The Flames are acquiring defenseman Troy Stecher and forward Nick Ritchie from the Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Connor Mackey and forward Brett Ritchie.

Nick Ritchie was selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2014 draft. He spent four-and-a-half seasons with the franchise, tallying 43 goals and 66 assists, before being traded to the Boston Bruins during the 2019-20 season.

Following his season-and-a-half with the Bruins, Nick Ritchie joined the Toronto Maple Leafs and was traded to the Coyotes during the 2021-22 season. The depth forward has notched 80 goals and 101 assists in 465 games across eight seasons, failing to live up to his draft status.

The Dallas Stars selected Brett Ritchie in the second round of the 2011 draft. He spent the first five seasons of his career in Dallas, notching 33 goals and 21 assists in 241 games, before joining the Bruins, alongside his brother, for the 2019-20 season.

Brett Ritchie has spent the last three seasons of his career in Calgary. In 375 games across nine seasons, he has notched 48 goals and 32 assists. Like his brother, he is also considered a depth forward who can play in the bottom six.

Stecher, meanwhile, played for the Vancouver Canucks for the first four seasons of his career, tallying 11 goals and 64 assists in 286 games. He also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings before joining the Coyotes this season.

The 28-year-old has notched seven assists in 61 games with the Coyotes this year.

Mackey, 26, made his NHL debut with the Flames during the 2020-21 season. In 19 games across three seasons, he has tallied three goals and four assists.

This is primarily a depth move for both teams that allows players on both sides an opportunity to try to get going with a new franchise for the remainder of the season.

While the Coyotes are out of a playoff spot with a 21-31-9 record, seventh in the Central Division, the Flames are battling for a wild-card spot with a 27-22-13 record that leaves them five points away from the Winnipeg Jets for the last berth.

One day after being traded by the Los Angeles Kings, Jonathan Quick is on the move again.

The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have acquired Quick from the Columbus Blue Jackets for Michael Hutchinson and a seventh-round draft pick in 2025.

The Kings announced Wednesday they acquired Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo from Columbus for Quick, a conditional 2023 first-round draft pick and a 2024 third-round pick.

Los Angeles' decision to trade Quick, who spent his entire 16-year career with the franchise, was met with some skepticism. The Athletic's Eric Stephens called the deal one of the "iciest" in franchise history.

Seravalli noted Quick wasn't too thrilled to be traded by the only franchise he's ever known.

Quick was the face of Kings hockey for nearly two decades. He was the starting goalie for their two Stanley Cup-title teams in 2012 and 2014, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy for the 2012 playoff run.

Amid his struggles early this season, Quick lost playing time to Pheonix Copley. The combination of his age (37) and impending free agency likely made it easier for the Kings to move on from a franchise stalwart.

It never made sense for the Blue Jackets to keep Quick if they could find a trade partner before Friday's 3 p.m. ET. Their 46 points are the fewest in the NHL, and they are looking toward the future.

The Golden Knights needed goalie depth with Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit on injured reserve with lower body injuries.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters Wednesday that Thompson, an All-Star this season, is "nowhere near being on the ice."

Quick hasn't been the same player he was at his peak. He has a 3.50 goals-against average and .876 save percentage in 31 appearances for the Kings.

This is a chance for Quick to get some revenge against his former team. The Golden Knights are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and have a two-point lead over the Kings for the top spot in the Pacific Division.

The UMass product had a 2.72 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in the previous three years. If he can play anywhere close to that level down the stretch, Vegas will be set up well for a deep playoff run.

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.

The Nashville Predators are trading defenseman Mattias Ekholm and a sixth-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

In exchange, Nashville will receive Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick.

The Predators are also retaining four percent of Ekholm's remaining salary, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

The Oilers had been in the trade market for a defenseman for quite some time, and TSN's Darren Dreger reported Tuesday that, in addition to Ekholm, Edmonton had shown interest in the Arizona Coyotes' Jakob Chychrun and Columbus Blue Jackets' Vladislav Gavrikov.

LeBrun added that the Predators told teams last week that the price for Ekholm "started with two first-round picks."

Ekholm is in the first season of a four-year, $25 million deal he signed with the Predators in October 2021. He has an annual cap hit worth $6.25 million through the 2025-26 season, according to CapFriendly.

The 32-year-old Swede had spent his entire 12-year career in Nashville, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. Through 57 games this season, he has notched five goals and 13 assists for 18 points.

In 719 games with the Predators, Ekholm has tallied 62 goals and 206 assists for 268 points. He also boasts a career plus/minus of plus-104 and has averaged 21:48 of time on ice over 12 seasons.

Adding Ekholm helps solidify the Oilers as one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Edmonton already boasts the NHL's best offense, averaging 3.80 goals per game thanks to the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. However, it desperately needed some help on the blue line as it was also allowing 3.28 goals per game.

For comparison, the Boston Bruins, which lead the league with 97 points, have scored 3.73 goals per game and are allowing just 2.08 goals per game, proving they have the perfect combination of scoring and defense needed to win a title.

Ekholm will now anchor a defensive unit that also includes Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci, Brett Kulak, Philip Broberg and Evan Bouchard.

It's unclear if the Oilers, which sit third in the Pacific Division with a 32-21-8 record and 72 points, will make any more moves ahead of the NHL's Friday trade deadline.

Nashville, meanwhile, is in selling mode as it sits fifth in the Central Division with a 29-22-6 record and 64 points.

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.

The Vegas Golden Knights have acquired Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospect Zach Dean.

Darren Dreger of TSN first reported the deal.

The 27-year-old has posted 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 59 games during the 2022-23 campaign.

While Barbashev hasn't matched last year's career season, when he scored 60 points in 81 games, he's a solid two-way option who should bolster the Golden Knight's third line. He can play on the wing or at center and is solid on both the power play and penalty-killing units.

Former NHL scout and current Sportsnet analyst Jason Bukala offered the following scouting report on the veteran:

The St. Louis Blues forward plays an energy game and has the ability to contribute more than secondary offense. He has the skill set to be used in all situations, and he can play the wing and the middle. Barbashev is the kind of player who can open up ice for his linemates with his tenacity. He scored 26 goals and 34 assists last season, which was a career high. I'm not sure he's a 60-plus point player, but he is better than (the totals) he's posted this year.

He had spent the entirety of his seven-year career with the Blues up until this point. With unrestricted free agency pending, and the Blues fairly well out of playoff contention at this point, a divorce seemed inevitable.

The Blues have undergone a fire sale, dealing Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola to the New York Rangers and Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dean, 20, was selected with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft and has posted 49 overall points (24 goals and 25 assists) with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Gatineau Olympiques.