NHL Hockey 3d Briefing
×Trade Deadline Activity
NHL trade deadline espn.com approaches Friday with most activity expected to occur at the last minute. Vincent Trocheck espn.com has Western Conference clubs on his 12-team no-trade list, preferring an East Coast destination. The Predators espn.com traded winger Cole Smith to the Golden Knights for prospect Christoffer Sedoff and a 2028 third-round pick. Meanwhile, Wild espn.com acquired veteran center Michael McCarron from Nashville for a 2028 second-round selection.
New Cap Rules Impacting Deadline
NHL cap rules espn.com are frustrating teams and executives ahead of Friday's deadline. The new regulations have complicated trade discussions, with several NHL executives expressing concerns. Oilers espn.com managed to fortify their defense by acquiring Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick.
Coaching Changes and Injuries
Kings espn.com lost their first game since firing coach Jim Hiller and naming D.J. Smith as interim coach. Los Angeles remains three points out of a wild-card spot. Rangers espn.com placed captain J.T. Miller on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, while Knights espn.com captain Mark Stone left his team's game against the Penguins with an undisclosed injury.
Standouts and Other News
Sabres espn.com benefited from a sold-out building and pregame celebration honoring a U.S. hockey Olympian as Tage Thompson scored the decisive goal. Avalanche became the first NHL team with 40 wins this season. Meredith Gaudreau espn.com reflected on the Olympics trip that resulted in gold for U.S. men's hockey. Fantasy hockey players should consider Evander Kane espn.com and Luke Hughes as potential pickups before the deadline.