NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Game Results & Player News
Jack Hughes espn.com scored a hat trick with an assist, his first NHL goals since winning gold for Team USA two weeks ago. The New Jersey Devils defeated the rival New York Rangers 6-3 in this Atlantic Division matchup. Elsewhere, Evgeni Malkin espn.com received a five-game suspension for slashing Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during Thursday's game between the Penguins and Sabres.
Trade Deadline Activity
The NHL trade deadline brought significant movement across the league. The Colorado Avalanche espn.com re-acquired forward Nazem Kadri in a trade with the Calgary Flames, bringing back the player who helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. New Jersey Devils capitalized on Hughes' return with a big win over their division rivals. The Detroit Red Wings espn.com strengthened their defense by acquiring 15-year veteran defenseman Justin Faulk from the Blues before also bringing back David Perron from the Senators in a separate deal.
Florida Panthers espn.com decided to keep goalie Sergei Bobrovsky after taking calls but failing to trade him, with the plan now being to negotiate a new contract with the 37-year-old netminder. The New York Islanders espn.com made a move to bolster their playoff chances by acquiring Brayden Schenn from the Blues, sending Jonathan Drouin, two picks and a prospect back to St. Louis.
Contract Extensions
Several teams secured key players with extensions. The Seattle Kraken espn.com signed captain Jordan Eberle to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $5.5 million. The Anaheim Ducks espn.com agreed to a four-year, $15 million extension with forward Ryan Poehling, while the San Jose Sharks espn.com locked up goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic with a two-year extension.
Postseason Picture
The Stanley Cup playoff races espn.com remain wide open with spots, division titles and seeds still up for grabs around the league. The Buffalo Sabres espn.com addressed their defensive needs by trading for Jets defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn after being spurned by Blues star Colton Parayko, who exercised his no-movement clause espn.com to prevent a trade to Buffalo.
Notable Moves
The Washington Capitals espn.com made one of the deadline's biggest surprises by trading veteran defenseman John Carlson to the Ducks. The Toronto Maple Leafs espn.com dealt forward Bobby McMann to the Kraken and Scott Laughton to the Kings, while also trading Nicolas Roy to the Avalanche for a conditional first-round draft choice in 2027 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2026. The Dallas Stars espn.com added forward Michael Bunting from the Predators for a 2026 third-round pick.
League Events
The Professional Women's Hockey League espn.com game on April 4 between the New York Sirens and Seattle Torrent has sold out Madison Square Garden, with a crowd expected to set a U.S. attendance record for professional women's hockey. The NHL will also host a special "Inside Out Classic" game on April 5 between the Capitals and Rangers featuring animated characters from the Pixar film espn.com.