NHL Pacific Division Brock Boeser Connor McDavid Anze Kopitar

Anaheim Ducks

NHL Rumors: Sharks, Bruins, Capitals, Canucks, Ducks, Kings

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Tomas Hertl was the big trade of the day on Friday, which came a surprise to many. That said, some behind-the-scenes details are emerging detailing how that massive trade came about. In other news, Boston Bruins’ goaltender Linus Ullmark reportedly squashed a trade, while Max Pacioretty said no to a few of options. The Anaheim Ducks were not shopping Trevor Zegras at the deadline, and the Vancouver Canucks ultimately chose not to sign Phil Kessel. Tomas Hertl Took Time to Think About His Future in San Jose Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon put the…

Ducks 2024 Trade Deadline Grades

The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline has passed, and the Anaheim Ducks made several moves. As one of the worst teams in the league, the Ducks were in a position to sell off some expiring assets in exchange for picks and prospects to help build a stronger roster soon. This is general manager Pat Verbeek’s third trade deadline steering the ship in Anaheim, and all have been as sellers. This obviously isn’t his fault, as he inherited a mess of a roster with bad contracts and declining players. After a few years of selling, Bob Murray’s influence on the current roster…

Ducks News & Rumors: Vatrano, Henrique, Zellweger & McTavish

The Anaheim Ducks have several players generating interest ahead of the March 8 trade deadline. The team got a bit of a head start on Thursday (Feb. 29) with the deal that sent Ilya Lyubushkin to the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the price is right, the Ducks possess plenty of forwards who could be up for grabs. That and much more will be examined in the latest News and Rumors roundup.  Ducks Place High Price Tag on Vatrano  According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, general manager (GM) Pat Verbeek has a high asking price for Frank Vatrano. Friedman wrote: “He’d be…

Calgary Flames

NHL Rumors: Sharks, Flames, Oilers

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Logan Couture spoke about the trade deadline and why he wasn’t moved by the San Jose Sharks when Tomas Hertl was. Meanwhile, Noah Hanifin has commented on rumors that he was “holding the Flames hostage” during trade deadline talks. Finally, the Edmonton Oilers were legitimately concerned about team chemistry when they made their moves at this season’s NHL Trade Deadline. That could explain the lack of huge swings. Logan Couture Knows No One Is Trading for His Contract When asked about Hertl being traded and whether conversations with the San Jose Sharks took place that…

Flames’ Conroy Leaves Fans Content With Hanifin Trade

Well, it finally happened. The Calgary Flames traded arguably the biggest fish in the NHL, top-four defenceman Noah Hanifin, to the Vegas Golden Knights. Rookie general manager Craig Conroy has now traded or re-signed all of his big six pending unrestricted free agents this year. To recap: Tyler Toffoli was traded to the New Jersey Devils, Mikael Backlund was re-signed and (finally) named captain, Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm went to the Vancouver Canucks in separate deals, Chris Tanev was shipped to the Dallas Stars, and now Hanifin joins last year’s Stanley Cup champs. Fans and media alike have been…

Power Play Woes Cost Lightning in 6-3 Loss to Flames

The Tampa Bay Lightning returned from their four-day break and took a loss to the Calgary Flames 6-3. It was another tough loss at home as they were swept in the season series of this interconference matchup. The game is now in the review mirror, it’s time to look at a few takeaways and see how it relates to the greater picture of the season. Lightning Could Have Used Noah Hanifin This takeaway is due, in part, to this specific matchup occurring after the potential deadline transaction between the two teams did not come to fruition. Related: Lightning Mock Trade…

Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Roster Pushed to Keep Shopped Trade Deadline D-Man

The Edmonton Oilers were rumored to be in the mix on several trade deadline conversations. Ultimately, what they chose to do was add depth in the form of Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick, and Troy Stecher to go along with their earlier signing of Corey Perry. Time will tell if it was enough, but Holland toyed with other deals that he couldn’t make, or elected not to. One of the names rumored on the trade block was Cody Ceci. Specifically, it was believed that the Oilers were actively pursuing Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames. Reports are that Tanev was open…

NHL Rumors: Sharks, Flames, Oilers

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Logan Couture spoke about the trade deadline and why he wasn’t moved by the San Jose Sharks when Tomas Hertl was. Meanwhile, Noah Hanifin has commented on rumors that he was “holding the Flames hostage” during trade deadline talks. Finally, the Edmonton Oilers were legitimately concerned about team chemistry when they made their moves at this season’s NHL Trade Deadline. That could explain the lack of huge swings. Logan Couture Knows No One Is Trading for His Contract When asked about Hertl being traded and whether conversations with the San Jose Sharks took place that…

Sidney Crosby vs. Connor McDavid Head-to-Head History

It’s a special treat for hockey fans whenever generational talents face off in an NHL game. No two players in the NHL fit that description better than Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. McDavid is in his ninth season, but because they are in different conferences, we’ve only had the pleasure of watching him compete against Crosby 13 times. They would need to play more frequently to develop a genuine rivalry, but looking at the all-time history of Crosby versus McDavid, a few fascinating narratives emerge. Penguins Dominate in McDavid’s Early Years From the beginning, McDavid found a way to find…

Los Angeles Kings

Today in Hockey History: March 11

The rivalry between Boston and Montreal is one of the best in National Hockey League history, and both franchises had numerous memories on this date. The pioneers of the sport started to pave the way for today’s stars, and this was a big date for setting new records as well. It is time for our daily trip through the decades to relive the best moments March 11 has had to offer. A Huge Date for the Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins’ historic run on March 11 began in 1930 when they extended their NHL-record home winning streak to 20 games….

Today in Hockey History: March 10

This date in National Hockey League history was pretty eventful in the state of New York. Plus, a whole slew of Hockey Hall of Famers added to their great resumes and some big names were traded, as well. The THW time machine is warmed up and ready to go. Let’s take our daily trip through the decades and relive all the best from March 10. New York Islanders’ Greats Have Quite a Day The Islanders may have added the final piece to their dynasty’s puzzle on March 10, 1980, when they acquired Butch Goring. They sent forward Billy Harris and…

Rob Blake’s Silence Instills Confidence in the Kings

The Los Angeles Kings were just one of two teams that did not make a move leading up to the trade deadline. They stood pat, holding onto their core and trusting they can do what it takes to make a deep run. At first glance, it may seem as if general manager Rob Blake did not believe there were moves out there that could get this team to the upper echelon of contenders. However, it is far from that. Lack of Options Sports fans love to play armchair GM, sending preposterous trades that fetch their team unrealistic returns. Fantasies of…

San Jose Sharks

NHL Rumors: Sharks, Flames, Oilers

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Logan Couture spoke about the trade deadline and why he wasn’t moved by the San Jose Sharks when Tomas Hertl was. Meanwhile, Noah Hanifin has commented on rumors that he was “holding the Flames hostage” during trade deadline talks. Finally, the Edmonton Oilers were legitimately concerned about team chemistry when they made their moves at this season’s NHL Trade Deadline. That could explain the lack of huge swings. Logan Couture Knows No One Is Trading for His Contract When asked about Hertl being traded and whether conversations with the San Jose Sharks took place that…

Rangers Almost Acquired Alex Barabanov on Deadline Day

The New York Rangers made some solid additions before the trade deadline this season, and have a strong team heading toward the postseason. According to a recent report, the Rangers had one more deal up their sleeves before it fell through because of events that occurred that were out of their control. The reported deal saw the Rangers almost acquire Alex Barabanov from the San Jose Sharks with retained money on the Sharks’ side, but the Sharks could no longer pull the trade off by the deadline. Related: Rangers Had Interest in Predators’ Novak Before Extension The reason the deal…

Recapping San Jose Sharks’ Major Moves at 2024 Trade Deadline

It’s been a few days since the Sharks made major organizational changes at the trade deadline. Emotions ran rampant on Friday, whether it was fans or the players themselves. Some beloved players were traded, and the Sharks received some assets that could become a key part of their future.  Duclair to the Lightning, Simek on the Move Mike Grier’s busy 48 hours started on Thursday night when Anthony Duclair was traded before the Sharks played against the New York Islanders. They received a third-round pick and defensive prospect Jack Thompson, while Duclair and a seventh-round pick went to the Tampa…

Seattle Kraken

What the Eberle Deal Means for the Kraken’s Scoring Woes

News came out on Friday, March 8, that the Seattle Kraken have opted to keep right winger Jordan Eberle for two more years. He and the club agreed to an extension worth $4.75 million per season. This concludes speculation that Seattle may have been shopping Eberle around, but what does it say about the team’s plans to improve its struggling offense? The extension signed between the organization and the 14-year veteran is indicative of where the franchise believes itself to be and what it needs to accomplish for a brighter future. This is only a third-year expansion team that has yet to attain…

Joey Daccord’s Breakout Year with the Seattle Kraken

If the Seattle Kraken complete a successful push for the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, they can look back with pride on victories like the 4-3 nail-biter versus the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. While Andre Burakovsky got the headlines for scoring the late winner, the Kraken’s surprise weapon this season played a crucial role. Rising from the deep is 27-year-old goaltender Joel “Joey” Daccord. Before December, it would have been perfectly understandable for most fans to ask, “Joey who?” In the spirit of transparency, even this author had never heard of Daccord. But when the Kraken’s number one netminder Philipp…

NHL Rumors: Rangers, Devils, Oilers, Bruins, Canucks, Kraken

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, it’s a quick hit of trade deadline rumors with teams having only hours to make their final moves. The focus is on the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, and more. Finally, coming off the trade board is Jordan Eberle, who signed a two-year extension with the Seattle Kraken. Rangers Like Max Pacioretty? Kyle Hall writes: “Per Frank Seravalli, the Rangers are a team to watch for Max Pacioretty. He does have a no-trade clause so he will have the final decision on where he goes. If he does want to…

Vancouver Canucks

Canucks Have Elite Centre Depth with Lindholm Down the Middle

During their first stretch of mediocrity in February, the Vancouver Canucks were struggling to find lines that worked – especially since the breakup of the highly effective third line of Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger and the currently injured Dakota Joshua. Now, they seem to have found some great combos with JT Miller, Elias Pettersson, Elias Lindholm and Blueger each running the show down the middle. Ilya Mikheyev – JT Miller – Brock Boeser Even though Ilya Mikheyev is still mired in a goal slump that has now hit 33 games, he has played some of his best hockey of the…

NHL Rumors: Sharks, Bruins, Capitals, Canucks, Ducks, Kings

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Tomas Hertl was the big trade of the day on Friday, which came a surprise to many. That said, some behind-the-scenes details are emerging detailing how that massive trade came about. In other news, Boston Bruins’ goaltender Linus Ullmark reportedly squashed a trade, while Max Pacioretty said no to a few of options. The Anaheim Ducks were not shopping Trevor Zegras at the deadline, and the Vancouver Canucks ultimately chose not to sign Phil Kessel. Tomas Hertl Took Time to Think About His Future in San Jose Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon put the…

Canucks News & Rumors: Allvin, Hronek, Kessel & More

In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, general manager (GM) Patrik Allvin discussed why the club didn’t make any moves on deadline day. Additionally, the organization offered Filip Hronek a contract extension. Also, the Canucks didn’t sign Phil Kessel. Allvin & Canucks Don’t Make Trade Before Deadline The Canucks didn’t make a trade on deadline day, choosing to go into the end of the regular season and the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with their current group. Allvin said the club needs to move money out to add to their roster. However, he said the Canucks were in…

Vegas Golden Knights

3 Ways the Blues Can Upgrade Center Position for 2024-25

The words inconsistent and confusing come to mind when watching the St. Louis Blues play, and that sentiment appears to be felt league-wide. The team shows up and competes hard on some nights and lacks energy the next. Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts Podcast were discussing the Blues on their episode that was released this past Monday, and they believe “when you have a team as inconsistent as the Blues, it’s because you have guys playing one or two spots too high in the lineup.” It’s hard not to agree with that statement when looking at…

Maple Leafs Missed Out on Potential Tomas Hertl Blockbuster

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a quiet trade deadline this season and didn’t make a huge move to bring in a superstar this season. They did add some depth pieces in Connor Dewar, Joel Edmundson, and Ilya Lyubushkin to bolster their lineup heading down the stretch this season. Still, they didn’t add any pieces that will move the needle in a way that makes them Stanley Cup favorites heading toward the postseason. The Vegas Golden Knights were the unofficial winners of the 2024 Trade Deadline, bringing in Anthony Mantha and Noah Hanifin, but they shocked the hockey world by pulling…

Grading the Golden Knights Blockbuster Trade for Hertl

Well now, if you thought this was going to be a slow trade deadline, the Vegas Golden Knights just reminded us all that the salary cap is simply a state of mind. In what can only be described as a true blockbuster deal, Vegas acquired Tomas Hertl, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for a 2025 first-round pick and David Edstrom. As part of the trade, San Jose will retain 17 percent of Hertl’s contract to make the cap situation work for Vegas. It’s easy to forget how special of a player…