NHL trade deadline 2023: Breaking down all the moves that went down Friday
After a busy run-up to NHL trade deadline day, Friday was not so eventful.
According to Cap Friendly, more than 40 deals took place in the two weeks before deadline day. In the previous 10 years, the website said, the maximum had been 20. Last season, there were 33 trades on deadline day. This year, there were 21.
The Red Wings traded Jakub Vrana to the Blues in a move between two teams on the outside of the playoff picture, but the Wild, Penguins and Devils were among those who looked to bolster a playoff push with their acquisitions before the 3 p.m. ET deadline. There also was a player who almost got traded, but ended up staying put.
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USA TODAY Sports' Mike Brehm tracked and analyzed the moves of deadline day.
Here's a roundup of the trades that happened before deadline day.
James van Riemsdyk remains a Flyer
General manager Chuck Fletcher said he had received a trade "concept" from another team about van Riemsdyk at 1:40 p.m. ET but that was conditional on the other team moving a forward. When that didn't happen, the offer fell through, he said. Van Riemsdyk will be an UFA this summer. The Flyers did move Zack MacEwen to the Kings and Patrick Brown to the Senators.
Predators, Capitals players re-sign
Nashville signed defenseman Dante Fabbro to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. Washington signed forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel for one year at $1.225 million.
Ritchie brothers traded for each other
Nick Ritchie is heading to Calgary and Brett Ritchie is heading to Arizona. Stecher is also a key for the Flames, who have been without injured defenseman Oliver Kylington all season.
Full CAL/ARIZ trade: Stecher and Ritchie for Mackey and Ritchie. Brothers get traded for each other
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 3, 2023
Wild acquire John Klingberg from Ducks
The defenseman signed a one-year deal with the Ducks after not getting a longer deal in the offseason. It pays off as he lands with a playoff-positioned team and has a chance to show what he can do in the postseason. He'll help the Wild's power play, though he and the rest of the Ducks had defensive issues this season. Minnesota, which earlier traded Jordan Greenway to the Sabres, also added center Oskar Sundqvist from the Red Wings. He won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019.
John Klingberg return: #mnwild sending 4th in 2025, Andrej Sustr and rights to Nesterenko. Ducks retaining half the salary of Klingberg.
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) March 3, 2023
Trade deadline passes
It's after 3 p.m. ET, but remember that deal announcements usually trickle out afterward.
Maple Leafs, Flames make deal
We’ve acquired forward Radim Zohorna from the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Dryden Hunt
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 3, 2023
Sabres acquire Jordan Greenway from Wild
He has struggled this season, but is 6-6 and physical, plays well defensively, has two seasons with double digits in goals and will provide depth. He has two years left on his deal with a $3 million cap hit, and the Wild needed to move salary because they have cap issues in coming years.
Buffalo uses the 2nd from VGK (Eichel) and a 5th to acquire Greenway.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 3, 2023
Penguins acquire Nick Bonino from Sharks
The Sharks and Penguins officially announce the terms of the three-team deal. Montreal got involved to retain 50% of Bonino's salary. Bonino, who played for the Penguins during their Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017, will slot into their bottom six. The Sharks get two draft picks and 6-5, 211 Lake Superior State defenseman Arvid Henriksen. Tony Sund, who went to Montreal in the deal, is playing in Sweden.
Good Morning. We have a trade to announce.
We have acquired draft selections for forward Nick Bonino in a three-team trade.— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 3, 2023
Penguins acquire Ducks defenseman Dmitry Kulikov
The Ducks get back forward forward Brock McGinn and a 2024 third-round pick. Kulikov, who has averaged 20 minutes a game, is one of two defensemen that the Ducks are looking to move. He and fellow pending UFA John Klingberg have been sitting out.
Sharks trade Vladislav Namestnikov to Jets
The Sharks get a 2025 fourth-round pick. This is Namestnikov's second trade in two days. San Jose acquired him from the Lightning, where he had 15 points in 57 games. The slumping Jets have dropped to the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Flyers trade Zach MacEwen to Kings for Brendan Lemieux
The two feisty players are swapping teams. Both are about even in penalty minutes this season, but MacEwen has outscored Lemieux four goals to zero. MacEwen was just activated from a broken jaw. Both players have been suspended during their careers, including Lemieux getting five games for biting the hand of Brady Tkachuk. The Flyers also get a 2024 fifth-round pick.
Canucks trade Curtis Lazar to Devils
He kills penalties and has won 51.9% of his faceoffs. Lazar is signed for two more seasons at a $1 million cap hit. The Canucks get back a 2024 fourth-round draft pick and clear out some cap space.
What Flyers are seeking for James van Riemsdyk
TSN's Chris Johnston reports the Flyers are seeking a third-round pick for pending UFA James van Riemsdyk. Johnston says Vegas, Winnipeg and Seattle are among the teams showing interest in the forward.
Red Wings trade Jakub Vrana to Blues
Vrana, who spent time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Player this season, is a talented player who had fallen out of favor in Detroit since being traded from the Capitals in 2021. The 27-year-old has two points in five NHL games, with 11 points in 17 games in the AHL. Vrana has two 20-plus goal seasons in his career and has a $5.25 million cap hit for one more season. The return for Detroit is quite weak: a 2025 seventh-round pick and 27-year-old AHL veteran Dylan McLaughlin, the teams announced. The Red Wings are retaining 50% of Vrana's salary.
Penguins acquire Nick Bonino from Sharks
Bonino played for the Penguins in 2015-16 and 2016-17, the years the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh needed to improve its bottom six and also recently acquired Mikael Granlund. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and The Athletic reported the news, though it's unclear what the return is.
Who still could be moved?
Philadelphia's James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Hayes. Vancouver's Brock Boeser. San Jose's Karlsson. Anaheim's John Klingberg, Dmitry Kulikov. St. Louis' Colton Parayko, Torey Krug. Montreal's Joel Edmundson, Mike Hoffman.
Stars acquire Max Domi from Blackhawks in late-night trade
It was announced before midnight, so technically it's not a deadline day deal. Dallas gets much-needed scoring depth by adding the Blackhawks' leading scorer (49 points in 60 games). American Hockey League goalie Dylan Wells also heads to the Stars, who gave up a 2025 second-round pick and pending UFA goalie Anton Khudobin. Domi has been traded near the deadline two years in a row. The deal wasn't completed in time before Thursday's game, so Domi sat out the matchup against the Stars.
Which contender has been busiest?
Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is in the final year of his contract and faces another first-round meeting with the Lightning. If he's going to go out, he's going out swinging. He has made five trades since Feb. 17, acquiring forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Noel Acciari and Sam Lafferty and remaking the defense by adding Jake McCabe, Erik Gustafsson and Luke Schenn.
Coyotes pay not to play
The Coyotes, who traded forward Nick Bjugstad and defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jakob Chychrun, needed to get to the salary cap floor. So they recently added the contracts of injured Shea Weber and Jakub Voracek. Plus, they took on $2.625 million of Patrick Kane's salary in the Rangers-Blackhawks trade and retained 50% of Bjugstad's $900,000 salary when dealing him to the Oilers. According to Cap Friendly, they're still paying $990,000 a year to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who they traded in 2021, and hold the contracts of Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd and Josh Brown.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL trade deadline 2023 tracker: Breaking down all moves Friday