Latest news with #MacFarland
New York Times
10-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Inside the Mikko Rantanen sweepstakes and an Avalanche-Stars arms race on a playoff collision course
If the Stanley Cup playoffs began Monday, the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche would be matched up right out of the gates based on current standings. Holy mama. And given the Minnesota Wild's injuries and Winnipeg Jets' padded points total in first place, it sure looks probable that Stars-Avalanche will be the No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup in the Central Division to kick off the playoffs. Advertisement The Mikko Rantanen Bowl. Hockey gods, please make it so. Two of the most aggressive teams in adding pieces in-season, and one of them would go home early, which seems unfair. But that's life in the modern-day NHL. 'Last year we went through the same thing: We were first overall in our conference and ended up playing Vegas and next round we played Colorado,' Stars general manager Jim Nill said this weekend of the potential for a Colorado matchup. 'You know what? That's what makes the playoffs great. The first round is always the toughest round. It will be no different this year. It's going to be great hockey.' There's no easy path to the Stanley Cup in the salary-cap era, but Avs-Stars would be above and beyond. 'You're bang on,' Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland said. 'There's great teams on both sides, but in the West, it seems like every matchup you look at feels like a Western Conference final matchup. 'There's so many heavy hitters that are so good. Winnipeg has been the lead horse all year. The Dallas Stars have been a great team for a long time, and they add Mikko, and that's a massive get for them. And Vegas and Edmonton and the teams batting to get in are tough teams, too. The West is going to be a gauntlet.' Nill and MacFarland spoke with The Athletic in separate interviews this weekend, shedding light on their deadline moves. But long before the deadline, the additions of Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci from San Jose a month ago were huge for Dallas. Colorado? Geez, where to start. They swapped out their entire goaltending tandem, led by the acquisition of new No. 1 Mackenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 9. They did the Rantanen blockbuster with the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 24 and brought back a nice return in Martin Necas and Jack Drury. They then added blueliner Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers on March 1 and, finally, the headliner in center Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders on the eve of the deadline before the splashy Charlie Coyle trade on deadline day. They also brought back defenseman Erik Johnson. Advertisement Take a breath, everyone. 'He's done a great job,' Nill said of MacFarland. 'You know, he's rebuilt that roster in the last four months. That's not easy to do during the season. My hat goes off to him. I got so much respect for Chris. We got into the manager business around the same time. He's done a great job in Colorado.' There's a clear, mutual respect between the two hockey execs. 'Jimmy is one of the best, man. He's a gentleman, and he's unreal at his job,' MacFarland said. 'He's a guy I lean on and talk to. He's a super, super hockey guy and a dynamite person. I mean that, he's world-class.' As noted above, MacFarland has been incredibly busy this season making moves, which is normally hard in the salary-cap NHL. And it was not exactly the plan. 'It certainly wasn't by design,' MacFarland said. 'In September, you're not thinking you're going to have to do all these changes. I think you have an idea on some potential holes or areas that you're going to have to try and find a way to tinker with or improve. Our depth was challenged this year with injuries, and everyone knows our cap challenges. 'For us, the two moves that were probably the ones that we weren't really thinking about or focused on going into the year was the goaltending moves. To make two trades on that front certainly wasn't planned or contemplated in training camp.' Adding on the blue line, as they did with Lindgren and Johnson, was a more foreseeable play, MacFarland said. The Rantanen blockbuster was fueled by an inability to sign him, and the Nelson trade was motivated by the need to upgrade on a struggling Casey Mittelstadt. Mittelstadt as the second-line center just wasn't working anymore, which is too bad because he had a solid playoffs for them last spring, as MacFarland noted. It just didn't translate to this season. Enter Nelson, whom Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello grudgingly moved after he was unable to extend him. The Avs swooped in and paid a hefty price to be sure to get him. But with so many teams after Nelson, that was the market price. Advertisement 'Lou is a straight shooter; he's a good, honest guy to deal with,' MacFarland said. 'Brock Nelson was a hard one, I'm sure, for them to trade. While I'm not privy to what they were trying to do with the player, I'm sure it's a guy they wanted to bring back. No different than us with Mikko; he's a homegrown player on your team that's a good hockey player like Brock was for them. Those are tough ones. 'It was a big price. The Islanders got a first-round pick and a really good player in Calum Ritchie — a guy that we were hard-pressed to give up. But I think for the timing of where we're at and our situation, Brock Nelson was too good to pass up. He's a big man who skates well and scores, and he'll touch every part of our team.' Trading for Coyle on deadline day was the finishing touch, but it's not because the Avs absolutely wanted to move Mittelstadt. 'Casey cares. He's a good hockey player, he's a good person. He's going to be good for Boston,' the Avs GM said. 'We were content keeping him after we got Brock. We didn't have to move Casey; we were thinking about permutations of Nathan (MacKinnon), Brock and Casey (down the middle). But then things started percolating with Boston.' And Coyle was tempting for many reasons. 'He was signed. He's a big body — probably more prototypical of a third-line guy that we were lacking,' MacFarland said. 'That one made sense to us, a little bit looking ahead — potentially we're going to butt heads with some big teams in the playoffs.' About two weeks ago, Nill said he heard from Carolina as the Hurricanes began to prepare for all scenarios on Rantanen. 'They started making calls,' Nill said. 'There was a certain market for him. Carolina was doing the right thing. They had to make a decision — could they sign him, and if they couldn't sign him, were they still going to keep him, go for a big run with the intention of signing him after? So there were a lot of variables. They're doing their job by calling around to the teams that he'd either be willing to sign with or make sense as a trade. They started doing their work about two weeks before. We started talking and kept in touch. As the deadline got closer, it probably intensified in the last four, five days.' Advertisement There was a long list of teams interested, including the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings. The Panthers and Maple Leafs certainly pushed hard. My TSN colleague Ryan Rishaug in Edmonton revealed Saturday that the Oilers made an offer. According to league sources, Utah Hockey Club, the Calgary Flames, the Anaheim Ducks and the Seattle Kraken also showed interest, to varying degrees. Undoubtedly there were others. All of which underlined how rare it is for a player of Rantanen's caliber to be available, let alone twice in six weeks. Dallas felt like a front-runner from the get-go, in large part because that's where Rantanen wanted to go. It culminated in the Canes and Stars grinding away at trade parameters late Thursday on the eve of the deadline. There was one major sticking point: There would be no trade unless the Stars had Rantanen extended as part of it. 'Yeah,' Nill confirmed. 'With the assets I was giving up … Logan Stankoven is a great young man, he's a guy that we drafted and developed and was a big part of our team; giving him up and the picks I was going to give up, I knew I couldn't risk losing the player (July 1). I knew I had to get him signed to do that.' The Stars didn't want to just take a one-year swing at it. 'You're also planning for your team not just in this year's playoffs but for a couple of years after,' Nill said. 'You've got to know where your contracts are and the cap and all that, so that goes into it. How do you work all these different variables going forward?' It wasn't smooth sailing. We'll get more into the actual contract negotiation later below, but the trade was on again, off again and finally on again. One of the interesting parts of the process was that the Canes did not allow teams to speak directly to Rantanen and his camp until they picked the one team they would trade with. Part of the reason is depending on how the trade offers presented themselves in the end, there was always the sincere option of keeping Rantanen as a rental from Carolina's point of view. So the Canes didn't want him talking to all these teams ahead of time, just in case they didn't move him. Advertisement The Stars got permission to talk to the player's camp overnight between Thursday and Friday. It left a pretty short window to get an extension done. One key element that got underrated in all the Rantanen trade speculation over the past week: Chicago retaining 50 percent of his original $9.25 million cap hit as part of that Jan. 24 blockbuster trade. Rantanen as a $4.625 million player is a different thing. 'That changed the whole market for Carolina,'' Nill said. 'It changed the availability for having teams like us being able to get him.' It goes without saying, but the last thing MacFarland would have predicted when he dealt Rantanen to Carolina is that the player would end up back in his own division six weeks later. 'No, I mean, obviously you make the hard decision, you make a hockey trade and the one thing you do know is that you're giving up a great player like Mikko is, a superstar, a proven points-producing player and a really, really good person,' MacFarland said. 'Whether he's on the Carolina Hurricanes or the Dallas Stars, that doesn't change. They added a super human being and an impact NHL forward. They definitely got better. Mikko's a superstar. That's a big add for them.' Talk about a unique situation. I can't think of the last time a player of Rantanen's stature was traded twice in-season, not to mention being involved in three separate contract negotiations within a two-month period. Here's my understanding of what went down with all those negotiations: First, failed contract talks with Colorado led to his Jan. 24 trade to Carolina. Colorado's final offer to Rantanen in January was $11.65 million per year on a max-term deal. It's important to note here that while Rantanen wasn't ready to sign that, his camp, led by agent Andy Scott from Octagon, figured they would keep negotiating for months ahead of July 1. Instead, they got blindsided with the trade to Carolina. Advertisement Then, contract talks with Carolina culminated in the Hurricanes offering $12.5 million a year on a max-term deal, with the team expressing a willingness to move upward from there if there was a genuine interest in negotiating. But it was never about money for Rantanen; he just wasn't feeling the fit in Carolina, especially not in the here and now — being pressed to make a decision by the March 7 trade deadline. So no, he wasn't ready to sign with them at this juncture. And finally, there was the drama-filled negotiation with Dallas, which for a few hours had the proposed trade all but nixed (and other teams, including Florida and Toronto, trying to get back in). As TSN colleague Darren Dreger reported during TradeCentre, the ask from Rantanen's camp was $13 million Friday morning and the Stars were not backing down from $12 million. Someone had to blink. In the end, Rantanen is the one who said he would take the Stars' offer and save the trade. He left money on the table as far as July 1 is concerned. I do believe some teams would have been willing to pay $14 million on the open market this summer, but Rantanen really wanted to be in Dallas. And given the tax-free state he's now living in, that $12 million a year is like making $14 million in some other NHL markets. So, it finally got figured out contract-wise, but not before a few months of high drama and three different teams involved. In Dallas, Rantanen has joined fellow Finns Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Mikael Granlund. Nill wasn't shy about canvassing those guys before he pulled the trigger on the trade. 'Oh yeah, I talked to the players. They know him. I wanted to make sure,' Nill said. 'Now, I think I knew Mikko was a high-character individual, but I talked to my players. We're always trying to get more information. Roope Hintz is real tight with him. They're real good friends. That's what makes this intriguing: the fit, the friendship with the Finns, playing with the Finns. Granlund is the elder statesman. He's looked up to as kind of the father of the group. It's a nice real mix here, and that really helps transitioning players in.' The Stars insist they weren't overly concerned about a potential offer sheet, but that they finalized a contract extension for Wyatt Johnston on the same day of the Rantanen trade (and extension) is hard to ignore, if for no other reason than the same agent reps both players. But Nill says the reality is talks had been ongoing for a while on Johnston. Advertisement 'We started talking actually back in late October/early November. We had just got Jake Oettinger and Esa Lindell signed,' Nill said. 'So I was going through my roster getting guys signed. So Wyatt was the next guy. We continued negotiations during the year. This trade really didn't have too much to do with it; it was really more certainty for the summer. The talks picked up around 4 Nations. The important thing for us was having certainty for the summer. Wyatt's a big part of our team. He's a young man we drafted who has exceeded expectations at his young age and he's grown into our leadership group at 22.' One of the reasons it was so important to have Rantanen signed as part of the trade for Dallas is that this isn't about just this year. The Stars are poised to take multiple swings at it in the near future. There's stability in their core. Younger guys like Thomas Harley, Lian Bichsel and Mavrik Bourque are just scratching the surface. Johnston is already a star, but there's still more ceiling there. There's certainty with so many of the key players signed for multiple years. And now the Rantanen addition is the cherry on top. 'That's a compliment to our scouting staff,' Nill said. 'They've done such a good job that it allowed me to make these moves like the one I made yesterday. I know that there's enough good players within the team and within the system that we're not going off a cliff here within one or two years. We can sustain it for a while.' The Avs and Stars both gave up a lot of future assets at the deadline. But like the Tampa Bay Lightning and GM Julien BriseBois, taking swings when you can still win is worth the price. 'Jim Nill and Julien BriseBois, guys that I look up to. You know the Lightning have been the blueprint; they've done a great job for so many years,' MacFarland said. 'You look at it and you have these really good hockey players in the prime of their careers — they're so committed and so dialed in, you obviously have to manage for today and tomorrow. But for today, you have swings that you have to take. As opposed to when you're building towards this crescendo, and how long will the crescendo last? Advertisement 'But we feel with Nathan and Cale (Makar) and Valeri Nichushkin and Devon Toews and Mackenzie Blackwood, we think we owe it to them. In the offseason, we'll figure some of that other stuff out.' Avs, Stars. Two veritable Cup contenders on a collision course, with the Rantanen factor in the middle of it all. Did I mention they play each other Sunday afternoon, too? Oh baby. (Photo of Mikko Rantanen: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images)
CBS News
08-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Colorado Avalanche, Jets and Stars raise stakes in NHL's Central Division with big trades at the deadline
Just before midnight on the eve of NHL trade deadline day, Chris MacFarland bolstered the Colorado Avalanche for a long playoff run by getting center Brock Nelson. His rival general managers in the Central Division slept on it, then responded big time. Jim Nill's Dallas Stars acquired the top player available, Mikko Rantanen, without having to give up more than one of his blossoming young stars, while Kevin Cheveldayoff's league-leading Winnipeg Jets got tougher and deeper with forward Brandon Tanev and rugged defenseman Luke Schenn. Oh, and MacFarland wasn't done, shoring up Colorado's lineup down the middle with Charlie Coyle and deepening the blue line by bringing back Erik Johnson. The arms race heated up in the Central and the Atlantic, where defending Stanley Cup champion Florida looks even more formidable with Brad Marchand, first-place Toronto added help up front in Scott Laughton and on the back end in Brandon Carlo, and Tampa Bay traded multiple first-round picks for Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. "Wow, what a first-round matchup it's going to be in our division, what a first-round matchup it's going to be between Florida, Toronto or Tampa (and) Colorado, Winnipeg, Dallas," St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "It's going to be great hockey. The league is going to be the massive benefactor of it. But someone's going to be really unhappy 14 days after the season ends." Even if there weren't a lot of sellers making players available, the moves made shifted the balance of power in the Eastern and Western conferences. The Stars and Panthers are now co-favorites to hoist the Cup, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Central Division As long as Miro Heiskanen can return from knee surgery in time for the playoffs, the Stars made the most of losing their Norris Trophy-caliber No. 1 defenseman for much of the second half of the season. Putting him on long-term injured reserve along with center Tyler Seguin cleared the salary cap space necessary to get Rantanen, who had 101 points in 81 postseason games with Colorado and was a key part of the 2022 Cup run. The Avalanche sure weren't expecting to have Rantanen back on their side of the bracket after trading him to Carolina in January. Now he's squarely in their path to another title for the better part of the next decade thanks to an eight-year, $96 million extension Colorado was worried about affording. "We made a really hard decision, and it was a hockey decision," MacFarland said. "We got some really good hockey players. Mikko is a great hockey player and a great person, and I'll always wish him the best. But no, we don't spend much time on seeing what other teams may or may not do. I think the Dallas Stars got a great hockey player and a great person." It is Winnipeg that is atop the standings and the front-runner for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs behind goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. And the Jets filled two important areas of need with Schenn and Tanev. So did the Avalanche. It was clear to MacFarland that a couple of big centers were needed. "Those two guys have been in deep runs, and they've been around a long time," reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon said of Nelson and Coyle. "Two huge bodies down the middle. I think both can play wing or whatever. Versatility's great, and I'm really excited." Atlantic Division Lightning GM Julien BriseBois stole the show earlier in the week. Florida counterpart Bill Zito got the last laugh by sending a draft pick to Boston for Bruins captain Brad Marchand. Adding Marchand to a group that already includes Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett makes the Panthers even tougher and harder to play against than they were before - and increases the odds of the final including a team from the Sunshine State for a sixth consecutive season. Toronto has a Cup-winning coach in Craig Berube, and Laughton and Carlo give them a better chance of hanging with the Panthers or Lightning. But Florida not only got Marchand but in previous days added top-four defenseman Seth Jones and depth center Nico Sturm to remain the team to beat in the East. Metropolitan Division The Hurricanes' midseason gamble for Rantanen - sending leading scorer Martin Necas and young forward Jack Drury to Colorado while adding winger Taylor Hall - did not work out the way they had hoped. Carolina added an intriguing talent in getting 22-year-old Logan Stankoven and plenty of high draft picks from the Stars but fell short in adding elite talent to help this season. East-leading Washington made only one move, sending a second-round pick to Pittsburgh for winger Anthony Beauvillier. Third-place New Jersey added some players but won't have No. 1 center and leading scorer Jack Hughes for the rest of the season and playoffs, while the New York Rangers traded away pending free agents Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith. Capitals' general manager Chris Patrick was happy to see so many players go West, but he doesn't think the Metro is easy to get through. "You're going to have to be ready to play at a high level and relatively mistake-free hockey, so that's what we're expecting," Patrick said. "It doesn't matter who's in or who's out for these teams. These are the top teams in the East, and we have to be ready to match their play." Pacific Division Vegas reacquired Smith, who was part of the 2023 Cup team, Edmonton added offensive-minded defenseman Jake Walman and rough-and-tumble forward Trent Frederic, and Los Angeles boosted its scoring potential by getting Andrei Kuzmenko. Those seem like minor moves compared to the colossal activity in the Central. But the Oilers got to Game 7 of the final last year, still have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and could still get Evander Kane back in the playoffs. The Golden Knights are stacked for another deep run. "We liked our team," Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said. "We like our centers, we like our defense - I think they're among the very best in the NHL." By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer
Fox Sports
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Avalanche, Jets and Stars raise stakes in NHL' s Central Division with big trades at the deadline
Associated Press Just before midnight on the eve of NHL trade deadline day, Chris MacFarland bolstered the Colorado Avalanche for a long playoff run by getting center Brock Nelson. His rival general managers in the Central Division slept on it, then responded big time. Jim Nill's Dallas Stars acquired the top player available, Mikko Rantanen, without having to give up more than one of his blossoming young stars, while Kevin Cheveldayoff's league-leading Winnipeg Jets got tougher and deeper with forward Brandon Tanev and rugged defenseman Luke Schenn. Oh, and MacFarland wasn't done, shoring up Colorado's lineup down the middle with Charlie Coyle and deepening the blue line by bringing back Erik Johnson. The arms race heated up in the Central — and the Atlantic, where defending Stanley Cup champion Florida looks even more formidable with Brad Marchand, first-place Toronto added help up front in Scott Laughton and on the back end in Brandon Carlo, and Tampa Bay traded multiple first-round picks for Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. "Wow, what a first-round matchup it's going to be in our division, what a first-round matchup it's going to be between Florida, Toronto or Tampa (and) Colorado, Winnipeg, Dallas,' St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "It's going to be great hockey. The league is going to be the massive benefactor of it. But someone's going to be really unhappy 14 days after the season ends.' Even if there weren't a lot of sellers making players available, the moves made shifted the balance of power in the Eastern and Western conferences. The Stars and Panthers are now co-favorites to hoist the Cup, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Central Division As long as Miro Heiskanen can return from knee surgery in time for the playoffs, the Stars made the most of losing their Norris Trophy-caliber No. 1 defenseman for much of the second half of the season. Putting him on long-term injured reserve along with center Tyler Seguin cleared the salary cap space necessary to get Rantanen, who had 101 points in 81 postseason games with Colorado and was a key part of the 2022 Cup run. The Avalanche sure weren't expecting to have Rantanen back on their side of the bracket after trading him to Carolina in January. Now he's squarely in their path to another title for the better part of the next decade thanks to an eight-year, $96 million extension Colorado was worried about affording. 'We made a really hard decision, and it was a hockey decision,' MacFarland said. 'We got some really good hockey players. Mikko is a great hockey player and a great person, and I'll always wish him the best. But no, we don't spend much time on seeing what other teams may or may not do. I think the Dallas Stars got a great hockey player and a great person.' It is Winnipeg that is atop the standings and the front-runner for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs behind goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. And the Jets filled two important areas of need with Schenn and Tanev. So did the Avalanche. It was clear to MacFarland that a couple of big centers were needed. 'Those two guys have been in deep runs, and they've been around a long time,' reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon said of Nelson and Coyle. 'Two huge bodies down the middle. I think both can play wing or whatever. Versatility's great, and I'm really excited.' Atlantic Division Lightning GM Julien BriseBois stole the show earlier in the week. Florida counterpart Bill Zito got the last laugh by sending a draft pick to Boston for Bruins captain Brad Marchand. Adding Marchand to a group that already includes Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett makes the Panthers even tougher and harder to play against than they were before — and increases the odds of the final including a team from the Sunshine State for a sixth consecutive season. Toronto has a Cup-winning coach in Craig Berube, and Laughton and Carlo give them a better chance of hanging with the Panthers or Lightning. But Florida not only got Marchand but in previous days added top-four defenseman Seth Jones and depth center Nico Sturm to remain the team to beat in the East. Metropolitan Division The Hurricanes' midseason gamble for Rantanen — sending leading scorer Martin Necas and young forward Jack Drury to Colorado while adding winger Taylor Hall — did not work out the way they had hoped. Carolina added an intriguing talent in getting 22-year-old Logan Stankoven and plenty of high draft picks from the Stars but fell short in adding elite talent to help this season. East-leading Washington made only one move, sending a second-round pick to Pittsburgh for winger Anthony Beauvillier. Third-place New Jersey added some players but won't have No. 1 center and leading scorer Jack Hughes for the rest of the season and playoffs, while the New York Rangers traded away pending free agents Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith. Capitals general manager Chris Patrick was happy to see so many players go West, but he doesn't think the Metro is easy to get through. 'You're going to have to be ready to play at a high level and relatively mistake-free hockey, so that's what we're expecting,' Patrick said. 'It doesn't matter who's in or who's out for these teams. These are the top teams in the East, and we have to be ready to match their play.' Pacific Division Vegas reacquired Smith, who was part of the 2023 Cup team, Edmonton added offensive-minded defenseman Jake Walman and rough-and-tumble forward Trent Frederic, and Los Angeles boosted its scoring potential by getting Andrei Kuzmenko. Those seem like minor moves compared to the colossal activity in the Central. But the Oilers got to Game 7 of the final last year, still have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and could still get Evander Kane back in the playoffs. The Golden Knights are stacked for another deep run. "We liked our team," Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said. 'We like our centers, we like our defense — I think they're among the very best in the NHL.' ___ AP Sports Writers Pat Graham and Alanis Thames and freelance writers W.G. Ramirez and Denis Gorman contributed. ___ AP NHL: recommended
Washington Post
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Avalanche, Jets and Stars raise stakes in NHL' s Central Division with big trades at the deadline
Just before midnight on the eve of NHL trade deadline day, Chris MacFarland bolstered the Colorado Avalanche for a long playoff run by getting center Brock Nelson . His rival general managers in the Central Division slept on it, then responded big time. Jim Nill's Dallas Stars acquired the top player available, Mikko Rantanen, without having to give up more than one of his blossoming young stars, while Kevin Cheveldayoff's league-leading Winnipeg Jets got tougher and deeper with forward Brandon Tanev and rugged defenseman Luke Schenn. Oh, and MacFarland wasn't done, shoring up Colorado's lineup down the middle with Charlie Coyle and deepening the blue line by bringing back Erik Johnson. The arms race heated up in the Central — and the Atlantic, where defending Stanley Cup champion Florida looks even more formidable with Brad Marchand, first-place Toronto added help up front in Scott Laughton and on the back end in Brandon Carlo, and Tampa Bay traded multiple first-round picks for Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. 'Wow, what a first-round matchup it's going to be in our division, what a first-round matchup it's going to be between Florida, Toronto or Tampa (and) Colorado, Winnipeg, Dallas,' St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. 'It's going to be great hockey. The league is going to be the massive benefactor of it. But someone's going to be really unhappy 14 days after the season ends.' Even if there weren't a lot of sellers making players available, the moves made shifted the balance of power in the Eastern and Western conferences. The Stars and Panthers are now co-favorites to hoist the Cup, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. As long as Miro Heiskanen can return from knee surgery in time for the playoffs, the Stars made the most of losing their Norris Trophy-caliber No. 1 defenseman for much of the second half of the season. Putting him on long-term injured reserve along with center Tyler Seguin cleared the salary cap space necessary to get Rantanen, who had 101 points in 81 postseason games with Colorado and was a key part of the 2022 Cup run. The Avalanche sure weren't expecting to have Rantanen back on their side of the bracket after trading him to Carolina in January. Now he's squarely in their path to another title for the better part of the next decade thanks to an eight-year, $96 million extension Colorado was worried about affording. 'We made a really hard decision, and it was a hockey decision,' MacFarland said. 'We got some really good hockey players. Mikko is a great hockey player and a great person, and I'll always wish him the best. But no, we don't spend much time on seeing what other teams may or may not do. I think the Dallas Stars got a great hockey player and a great person.' It is Winnipeg that is atop the standings and the front-runner for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs behind goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. And the Jets filled two important areas of need with Schenn and Tanev. So did the Avalanche. It was clear to MacFarland that a couple of big centers were needed. 'Those two guys have been in deep runs, and they've been around a long time,' reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon said of Nelson and Coyle. 'Two huge bodies down the middle. I think both can play wing or whatever. Versatility's great, and I'm really excited.' Lightning GM Julien BriseBois stole the show earlier in the week. Florida counterpart Bill Zito got the last laugh by sending a draft pick to Boston for Bruins captain Brad Marchand. Adding Marchand to a group that already includes Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett makes the Panthers even tougher and harder to play against than they were before — and increases the odds of the final including a team from the Sunshine State for a sixth consecutive season. Toronto has a Cup-winning coach in Craig Berube, and Laughton and Carlo give them a better chance of hanging with the Panthers or Lightning. But Florida not only got Marchand but in previous days added top-four defenseman Seth Jones and depth center Nico Sturm to remain the team to beat in the East. The Hurricanes' midseason gamble for Rantanen — sending leading scorer Martin Necas and young forward Jack Drury to Colorado while adding winger Taylor Hall — did not work out the way they had hoped. Carolina added an intriguing talent in getting 22-year-old Logan Stankoven and plenty of high draft picks from the Stars but fell short in adding elite talent to help this season. East-leading Washington made only one move, sending a second-round pick to Pittsburgh for winger Anthony Beauvillier. Third-place New Jersey added some players but won't have No. 1 center and leading scorer Jack Hughes for the rest of the season and playoffs, while the New York Rangers traded away pending free agents Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith. Capitals general manager Chris Patrick was happy to see so many players go West, but he doesn't think the Metro is easy to get through. 'You're going to have to be ready to play at a high level and relatively mistake-free hockey, so that's what we're expecting,' Patrick said. 'It doesn't matter who's in or who's out for these teams. These are the top teams in the East, and we have to be ready to match their play.' Vegas reacquired Smith, who was part of the 2023 Cup team, Edmonton added offensive-minded defenseman Jake Walman and rough-and-tumble forward Trent Frederic, and Los Angeles boosted its scoring potential by getting Andrei Kuzmenko. Those seem like minor moves compared to the colossal activity in the Central. But the Oilers got to Game 7 of the final last year, still have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and could still get Evander Kane back in the playoffs. The Golden Knights are stacked for another deep run. 'We liked our team,' Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said. 'We like our centers, we like our defense — I think they're among the very best in the NHL.' ___ AP Sports Writers Pat Graham and Alanis Thames and freelance writers W.G. Ramirez and Denis Gorman contributed. ___ AP NHL:
Associated Press
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Avalanche, Jets and Stars raise stakes in NHL' s Central Division with big trades at the deadline
Just before midnight on the eve of NHL trade deadline day, Chris MacFarland bolstered the Colorado Avalanche for a long playoff run by getting center Brock Nelson. His rival general managers in the Central Division slept on it, then responded big time. Jim Nill's Dallas Stars acquired the top player available, Mikko Rantanen, without having to give up more than one of his blossoming young stars, while Kevin Cheveldayoff's league-leading Winnipeg Jets got tougher and deeper with forward Brandon Tanev and rugged defenseman Luke Schenn. Oh, and MacFarland wasn't done, shoring up Colorado's lineup down the middle with Charlie Coyle and deepening the blue line by bringing back Erik Johnson. The arms race heated up in the Central — and the Atlantic, where defending Stanley Cup champion Florida looks even more formidable with Brad Marchand, first-place Toronto added help up front in Scott Laughton and on the back end in Brandon Carlo, and Tampa Bay traded multiple first-round picks for Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand. 'Wow, what a first-round matchup it's going to be in our division, what a first-round matchup it's going to be between Florida, Toronto or Tampa (and) Colorado, Winnipeg, Dallas,' St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. 'It's going to be great hockey. The league is going to be the massive benefactor of it. But someone's going to be really unhappy 14 days after the season ends.' Even if there weren't a lot of sellers making players available, the moves made shifted the balance of power in the Eastern and Western conferences. The Stars and Panthers are now co-favorites to hoist the Cup, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Central Division As long as Miro Heiskanen can return from knee surgery in time for the playoffs, the Stars made the most of losing their Norris Trophy-caliber No. 1 defenseman for much of the second half of the season. Putting him on long-term injured reserve along with center Tyler Seguin cleared the salary cap space necessary to get Rantanen, who had 101 points in 81 postseason games with Colorado and was a key part of the 2022 Cup run. The Avalanche sure weren't expecting to have Rantanen back on their side of the bracket after trading him to Carolina in January. Now he's squarely in their path to another title for the better part of the next decade thanks to an eight-year, $96 million extension Colorado was worried about affording. 'We made a really hard decision, and it was a hockey decision,' MacFarland said. 'We got some really good hockey players. Mikko is a great hockey player and a great person, and I'll always wish him the best. But no, we don't spend much time on seeing what other teams may or may not do. I think the Dallas Stars got a great hockey player and a great person.' It is Winnipeg that is atop the standings and the front-runner for home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs behind goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. And the Jets filled two important areas of need with Schenn and Tanev. So did the Avalanche. It was clear to MacFarland that a couple of big centers were needed. 'Those two guys have been in deep runs, and they've been around a long time,' reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon said of Nelson and Coyle. 'Two huge bodies down the middle. I think both can play wing or whatever. Versatility's great, and I'm really excited.' Atlantic Division Lightning GM Julien BriseBois stole the show earlier in the week. Florida counterpart Bill Zito got the last laugh by sending a draft pick to Boston for Bruins captain Brad Marchand. Adding Marchand to a group that already includes Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett makes the Panthers even tougher and harder to play against than they were before — and increases the odds of the final including a team from the Sunshine State for a sixth consecutive season. Toronto has a Cup-winning coach in Craig Berube, and Laughton and Carlo give them a better chance of hanging with the Panthers or Lightning. But Florida not only got Marchand but in previous days added top-four defenseman Seth Jones and depth center Nico Sturm to remain the team to beat in the East. Metropolitan Division The Hurricanes' midseason gamble for Rantanen — sending leading scorer Martin Necas and young forward Jack Drury to Colorado while adding winger Taylor Hall — did not work out the way they had hoped. Carolina added an intriguing talent in getting 22-year-old Logan Stankoven and plenty of high draft picks from the Stars but fell short in adding elite talent to help this season. East-leading Washington made only one move, sending a second-round pick to Pittsburgh for winger Anthony Beauvillier. Third-place New Jersey added some players but won't have No. 1 center and leading scorer Jack Hughes for the rest of the season and playoffs, while the New York Rangers traded away pending free agents Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith. Capitals general manager Chris Patrick was happy to see so many players go West, but he doesn't think the Metro is easy to get through. 'You're going to have to be ready to play at a high level and relatively mistake-free hockey, so that's what we're expecting,' Patrick said. 'It doesn't matter who's in or who's out for these teams. These are the top teams in the East, and we have to be ready to match their play.' Pacific Division Vegas reacquired Smith, who was part of the 2023 Cup team, Edmonton added offensive-minded defenseman Jake Walman and rough-and-tumble forward Trent Frederic, and Los Angeles boosted its scoring potential by getting Andrei Kuzmenko. Those seem like minor moves compared to the colossal activity in the Central. But the Oilers got to Game 7 of the final last year, still have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and could still get Evander Kane back in the playoffs. The Golden Knights are stacked for another deep run. 'We liked our team,' Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said. 'We like our centers, we like our defense — I think they're among the very best in the NHL.' ___
