While the trade deadline is still several weeks away, that didn’t stop a trio of teams from combining on one of the biggest trades we’ve seen in the NHL in quite some time. That’s among the news headlined in our key stories.
Back In The NHL: After he didn’t get a contract over the summer, it looked like Tony DeAngelo’s time in the NHL may have come to an end. But after his request to be released from his KHL team was granted, he quickly resurfaced, signing a one-year deal worth the league minimum with the Islanders. DeAngelo subsequently cleared the rarely-seen entry waivers to officially join the team. The 29-year-old has been a productive blueliner over his career with 210 points in 372 games but hasn’t been able to stay in one spot for long as the Isles are now his fifth different NHL team in as many seasons. He was quickly put to work, logging more than 25 minutes in his season debut on Saturday.
Three Games For Two: The end of last Saturday’s Canucks-Oilers game got a little chippy and a pair of players had the week off as a result of match penalties received in the final minute. The Department of Player Safety handed three-game suspensions to Oilers center Connor McDavid and Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers for cross-checking. It’s the second suspension of McDavid’s career as he received a two-game ban back in 2019 for a check to the head. Meanwhile, it’s the third sit-down for Myers who had a three-game suspension in 2012 for a boarding incident and then received another three-gamer two years later for a hit to the head.
Three-Team Swap: The Hurricanes decided to strike early with their shopping, adding a pair of wingers in a three-team trade. They acquired Taylor Hall, Mikko Rantanen, and prospect Nils Juntorp while Colorado picked up Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round selection. Chicago, meanwhile, reacquired their 2025 third-round pick from Carolina while retaining half of Rantanen’s $9.25MM AAV to facilitate the swap.
For Carolina, they add one of the premier wingers in the league in Rantanen plus a serviceable piece in Hall who helps deepen their attack. Both players are on expiring contracts whereas Necas and Drury are signed through next year (while Drury has two more years of club control). That last part helps justify the trade for Colorado who opens up a bit of cap space, acquires a top-line piece for Rantanen, and gives them some more cost certainty heading into next summer. Rantanen is expected to set an NHL record on his next contract as the richest winger in NHL history and he and the Avs weren’t able to come to terms of that agreement, resulting in them getting a guaranteed return over running the risk of losing him for nothing. As for Chicago, the belief is that they got a slightly higher draft pick by retaining on Rantanen than they would have by retaining on Hall although their portion of the swap is still a bit underwhelming.
Markstrom Out For A While: After a disappointing 2023-24 season, the Devils find themselves in a top-three seed in the Metropolitan Division. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom has played a big role in that but New Jersey will have to do without him for a while as he’s set to miss the next four to six weeks with a knee sprain. The 34-year-old has a 2.20 GAA (fifth-lowest in the NHL) with a .912 SV% in 36 starts. Veteran Jake Allen will take over as the starter in the interim while Nico Daws is expected to be recalled in the coming days to serve as the backup. Markstrom will now miss the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off but the extended break will also reduce how many games he winds up missing.
Five For Borgen: Last month, the Rangers acquired defenseman Will Borgen along with a pair of draft picks in exchange for winger Kaapo Kakko. Borgen was set to be an unrestricted free agent but he clearly made a strong impression on his new team as New York inked him to a five-year, $20.5MM extension. The 28-year-old had two straight seasons of at least 20 points coming into this season but he has been limited to just five in 50 games between the two teams in 2024-25. The Rangers are banking on his track record and his early performance with his new club and have made him a key cog of their back end for the foreseeable future.
Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.