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There is less than one week until the 2025 NHL trade deadline, after which rosters are set for the great chase of the Stanley Cup. When the final buzzer sounds at 3 p.m. on March 7, that’s it, and it will be time for general managers to put down their pencils and hand in their work.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will not be part of that Cup chase, but they could significantly alter it by choosing with whom they deal on the trade market. Defenseman Erik Karlsson is the player who could make the biggest impact on a new team, but his salary and history of team failure almost necessarily mean he will not fetch a significant return.
Perhaps many incorrectly assume the Penguins could complete a deal for Karlsson before the deadline. Few teams can take on his $10 million salary cap hit, putting Penguins GM Kyle Dubas in a somewhat uncomfortable position of gambling that he can get a greater value by waiting until the summer or making the trade now.
The salary cap will increase by $7.5 million beginning on July 1, which is the same day Karlsson is due a $5 million signing bonus. On the plus side, Karlsson would be due just $4 million in salary after that, according to PuckPedia.com.
Even cap-strapped teams will have a lot of money to spend after July 1, but will they choose to use the windfall on the soon-to-be 35-year-old Karlsson?
To the Penguins’ detriment, a similar defenseman five years younger is garnering trade talk. The Chicago Blackhawks and Seth Jones have discussed trading him away from Chicago. Jones is 30 years old and commands a hefty $9.5 million salary cap hit.
Unlike Karlsson, Jones has not won three Norris Trophies. Like Karlsson, Jones skates like the wind and can provide copious amounts of offense while sometimes forcing his head coach to keep a cabinet full of extra-strength TUMS to deal with his defensive deficiencies.
Competition in this retail space is not a good thing for the Penguins.
Worse, the Penguins do not have a plethora of trade chips, which is precisely why they won’t make the NHL playoffs this season, just as they’ve watched the postseason on television in each of the last two seasons.
Dubas and his colleagues are still grinding toward the deadline, but the Penguins’ lack of chips at the table puts the focus on Karlsson.
He is a marquee player who lifted Team Sweden to being within an overtime goal of playing Team USA in the Four Nations Face-Off Final. Yes, the hockey world was a bouncing puck away from being denied a rematch of Canada vs. USA in the Final.
Karlsson is that good but has baggage.
The list very well could change in the offseason. For the moment, we’ll focus on potential trades in the next week.
Potential Karlsson Trade Partners–NHL Trade Deaedline
1. Florida Panthers
Karlsson badly wants a Stanley Cup. The Florida Panthers are the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion and the defending Stanley Cup champion. Florida has heart, grit, scoring, and goaltending.
However, Florida has a significant hole on the right side as they have not adequately replaced Brandon Montour, and Aaron Ekblad is in the final year of his contract. Injuries have also slowed the 29-year-old Ekblad.
Coach Paul Maurice is an engaging coach who has extracted the most out of his team while simultaneously fostering an environment that has enticed players to stay.
Florida is tight on cap space, but ring leader Matthew Tkachuk is dealing with a serious injury suffered in the Four Nations tournament. Should Tkachuk not be ready until the playoffs, which are just six weeks away, Florida could easily acquire Karlsson, provided the Penguins take back a modicum of NHL salary or hold back a few million.
Before they place Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve, the Panthers have about $3 million cap space, which would shoot their deadline space to over $6 million when the LTIR designation is applied.
If Florida acquired another player in the $3 million range, their LTIR pool would rise to about $9.5 million. What does Bill Zito think of Noel Acciari?
Karlsson would immediately add an indefensible layer to Florida’s game and most likely would be engaged by the round-table approach to Panthers’ leadership.
2. Detroit Red Wings
Cap space. Desperately trying to end a long playoff drought. Youth.
Detroit needs to upgrade the right side of its defense and has more than enough salary cap space to make it happen without additional moves. The Motor City should be plenty motivated to make a splash.
It’s been nine years since Detroit put on their Sunday best to go to the big dance, and it’s time they go for it. Whether Karlsson would become their first or second-pairing defenseman is irrelevant. He would add offense to a team that is the third-lowest scoring team amongst the Eastern Conference playoff contenders.
Detroit has scored only 173 goals this season, which leads only Ottawa (161) and Boston (164) among the teams with a realistic chance.
Karlsson’s salary and style fit with Detroit. President of hockey operations Steve Yzerman has been slow to act and react in Detroit, choosing to stay the course for his Yzer-plan, but April will mark six years on the job. It’s time Detroit moved forward, and Karlsson could be that big move.
Yzerman is big on value, and he won’t get a better player for less return than Karlsson.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
Last but certainly not least, the Carolina Hurricanes. The Research Triangle was the other finalist for Karlsson in August of 2023 before Dubas pulled off the bank shot with the help of the Montreal Canadiens holding salary by acquiring Jeff Petry and Casey DeSmith (only to deal them away in the following days).
Carolina d-man Brent Burns turns 40 next week and will be a free agent following the season. Could Carolina call a redo on the trade they didn’t make and get Karlsson for little more than a song this time? Carolina is pressed tightly to the cap, BUT might acquiring a player of that status entice Mikko Rantanen to sign that $100 million mega-deal GM Eric Tulski has put in front of him?
Carolina is reaching critical mass on its setup. Despite great regular seasons under coach Rod Brind’Amour, the team has had little playoff success, and it seems top-shelf offensive players aren’t keen on sticking around (Jake Guentzel, Rantanen).
Carolina has some undesirable contracts on the books, including center Jesper Kotkaniemi, whom they signed as an RFA from the Montreal Canadiens. Kotkaniemi hasn’t put up numbers equivalent to a player on a long-term deal making just over $4.8 million. Perhaps getting out of Carolina’s system, which can suppress offense or a different situation, Kotkaniemi would thrive.
Carolina and the Penguins would need to find another $5 million, but between a holdback or third team, it’s entirely possible. Perhaps the question would be–which side would compensate the third team?
4. Surprise!
There are a handful of teams that could be lurking in the shadows, willing to make a big move. No one has ever mentioned the Utah Hockey Club, yet they have the cap space to do it, a new fanbase to impress, and they’re just two points out of a playoff spot.
Utah’s Mattias Maccelli is a talented 24-year-old who is losing his way in the lineup yet makes over $3.4 million—the exact type of player Dubas has been scouring the planet to find. Maccelli had 17 goals and 57 points last season but just eight goals and 18 points this season.
Also: Add Maccelli to your list of potential Penguins trade targets.
Columbus Blue Jackets? They are in a spot no one thought possible after the summer tragedy of losing Johnny Gaudreau in an accident with an alleged drunk driver. As of publishing, Columbus is IN a playoff spot. They have nearly $19 million in salary cap space currently, and that organization could use something good for once. Superstars had avoided Columbus until Gaudreau signed a free agent deal there–perhaps Karlsson looks at the scrappy young team and decides he can help.
Columbus already has Ivan Provorov on the right side, but Provorov has not yet signed an extension and is a free agent after the season. They could demand the Penguins take back an unwanted salary in the deal–such as tough right-handed defenseman (and brief Penguin) Erik Gudbranson, who makes $4 million for two more seasons. Columbus also has a young defenseman acquired in the Patrik Laine trade, Jordan Harris, who has been out of the lineup.
The Tampa Bay Lighting has a defensive corps that could use some offense and a bit of a tweak. GM Julien BriseBois has been one of the most creative team managers in the league. A third team holding a salary or the Penguins holding a big chunk salary would be necessary.
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6 extended takeaways from Day 1 of Maple Leafs training camp
TORONTO — The on-ice component of training camp is underway as the Toronto Maple Leafs took the ice at the Ford Performance Centre on Thursday, with new line combinations taking shape. Matias Maccelli received the first look with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies during the Group 1 session, and he may be the favourite to start the year on this line. William Nylander and John Tavares were paired together in Group 2 alongside Bobby McMann, and it’s clear that Craig Berube will be experimenting throughout training camp, in a search for his optimal combinations. “I think more than anything, we want to have a good first day. It’s a tough day,” Berube said. “It’s a lot of battling. It’s intense. Players, they could go and make it as intense as they want, but I thought it was really intense, which is what we want.” Here’s what you need to know from the first day of Maple Leafs’ training camp: It’s too early to be worried about Auston Matthews Auston Matthews said he’s fully confident about his health during Wednesday’s media availability, and Thursday provided a first opportunity to get a look at how the Maple Leafs’ captain is feeling. Matthews submitted a mixed performance during Thursday’s practice, with the extremely obvious caveat that it’s the first day of practice, and it’s too early to be genuinely concerned. Matthews’ puck skills remain otherworldly and during a sequence early in practice, he dangled Noah Chadwick rather easily to get to the net. In another sequence, Matthews beat Philippe Myers to the puck in the corner and fished it out for Matthew Knies in front of the net. He used his frame throughout the session to shield off defenders, win back pucks and instruct his teammates on where he wanted them to go in the offensive zone. And again, with the caveat that it’s way too early to be concerned: Matthews didn’t have the usual velocity on his shot throughout the majority of the session and Morgan Rielly won the majority of 1-on-1 battles against him. Matthews skates and fought through contact with his usual force, but we’ll be keeping our eyes and ears out to see if he gains the same velocity he had during his 69-goal campaign in 2023-24. There’s also a clear example of Matthews ripping the puck with his usual force early in the session, so it may just be a matter of Toronto’s captain rounding into form during the preseason. Berube didn’t seem remotely concerned and raved about Matthews’ leadership after Group 1 finished their session. “I thought he grew quickly as a leader. You guys don’t see it, the in-game things, in the room where he’s commanding,” Berube said of Matthews. “He’s not the only guy. We have a lot of strong leaders who don’t have to wear an A or a C.” Matias Maccelli gets first look on Toronto’s first line, but this could change when Max Domi returns Matias Maccelli was eager to prove himself on Toronto’s first line throughout practice and for now he’s getting the first look, although this could change when Max Domi returns from a lower-body injury. “ Just doing my best with the puck, without the puck, working hard,” Maccelli said, about what he’s focusing on when playing with Knies and Matthews. “ With the puck, trying to make plays, trying to play the same way they do. As we get going with the games, they’ll tell me what they expect and what they want, and then I’ll do the same thing.” Berube addressed reporters and he admitted that he initially planned to place Domi on the first line with Knies and Matthews. “Max went down. He was obviously a guy that I was going to put there. But Max should be back pretty quick, and then we’ll go from there,” Berube said. “I mean, it’s one day. (Maccelli is) in the process of just kind of feeling things out. And you get thrown on the line with Matthews and Knies, I mean, it’s a big step. He’s a guy that can make plays, we know that. “So that’s going to be a big part of it all if he’s making the right plays and the right decisions with the puck. Is he getting Matthews the puck enough for some opportunities and things like that? And then it’s just about him playing 200 feet, too. That line’s going to play against good lines, so he needs to be solid defensively, too.” Maccelli said he’s equally comfortable playing on either wing, but it may be a work in progress. He seemed to be a half-step behind Knies and Matthews in rushes, and when Domi is healthy again, it appears that Berube wants to try this combination out for opening night against the Montreal Canadiens. During camp, Maccelli will get a first look with Matthews and Knies, and it will be a combination that Berube will surely test out throughout camp, but the 24-year-old winger will need to earn his head coach’s trust before he’s affixed to Toronto’s top line. “It’s always weird to come to a new team when you don’t know anyone,” Maccelli said. “ I’ve only been in one spot and knew all the people there, so it’s different. But everybody’s been super welcoming and nice. So it’s been an easy adjustment.” Calle Jarnkrok stood out during Group 1 practice session, may be back to 2023-24 form Calle Jarnkrok was in excellent form during the first practice session and while we’re not pencilling him into the opening night lineup just yet, it’s an encouraging sign from the 34-year-old. Jarnkrok was paired alongside David Kampf and Michael Pezzetta and was the clear standout on the line, ripping his slot with the velocity we’re used to seeing. He roofed the puck past Dennis Hildeby twice off rush drills and wasn’t hesitant to win back pucks in battle drills. The veteran forward underwent groin and sports hernia surgery after suffering an injury during last year’s training camp and only returned to the lineup in March, where he registered a goal and seven points in 19 games, before adding one assist in 12 playoff games, primarily operating in a fourth-line role. Jarnkrok could very well be watching from the press box on opening night, but Thursday was a great start towards cementing his spot to begin the year. Anthony Stolarz wants to get deal done before the season Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz wants to be with the team for the foreseeable future and there’s a sense of urgency regarding his next contract. Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving hinted Wednesday that a new extension could be imminent, and Stolarz wants to get the deal done before the year begins. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup, so once the season starts, that’s all I want to focus on,” Stolarz said. “I’ll let my agent and Treliving talk that out and hopefully we can get something done here soon.” Stolarz recently appeared on Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill, where he outlined what he wants from his next contact, and how he’s fully recovered from a season-ending concussion. Easton Cowan improves throughout practice, builds partnership with Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy Easton Cowan will be afforded every chance to make the roster and he improved as Thursday’s afternoon practice session went on. Cowan was paired with Dakota Joshua in 2-on-2 drills, where Joshua emerged as one of the best players overall through both practices. During controlled 3-on-2 rushes, Cowan was on the right wing, Joshua was on the left wing, with Nicolas Roy playing through centre, and it was a compelling trio that won puck battles and communicated well. It’s the first day of camp and nothing is finalized, but Cowan could find himself with a real chance of unseating the incumbents with a stellar camp. During battle drills, Cowan worked relentlessly, especially during a session against former London Knights teammate Landon Sim. It will be curious to see where Cowan slots into the lineup, when Max Domi returns to the lineup, but he’s firmly in the mix for a top-nine role and like Joshua, was among the best players from the opening day of camp. This line may get some extended looks together during Sunday’s preseason opener against the Ottawa Senators, and all three players are eager to make a strong first impression. Chris Tanev was among the several Leafs who complimented Roy’s ‘extremely underrated’ game, as he moves very well for a player his size, getting to the high-danger areas with relative ease. Joshua was dominant against several younger camp invitees, using his speed, size and hockey intelligence to great effect throughout the day. We can’t wait to see this line in action. John Tavares and William Nylander were the best players Thursday, Bobby McMann joins the line John Tavares and William Nylander were the best overall players from Thursday’s practice sessions, with Chris Tanev and Morgan Rielly earning honourable mentions. These designations are built from what we observed in controlled drills, so it’s worth putting into perspective, but Tavares and Nylander were making high-end plays with ease, and Bobby McMann joined the group, with Berube watching closely. “I think Bobby can take another step in his game,” Berube said. “You know, doing some things a little bit differently. Especially playing with those two guys [Tavares and Nylander], getting those guys the puck more, getting to the net more. I like a big guy with those two guys, to forecheck, get in there and create loose pucks, help out JT in those situations. Willy’s gonna do his thing, we all know that. But Bobby, I feel, can take another step in his game.” McMann-Tavares-Nylander played 158:09 at 5-on-5 with a plus-six goal differential and a 60.4 percent share of the expected goals last season via Natural Stat Trick. There is some proof of concept that this line could work, but McMann simply cannot go 24 games without a goal like he did to conclude the 2024-25 season. “He was basically just saying we want a certain identity. We want to play hard. Don’t take any shifts off, don’t take any seconds off, pushing each other all the way through,” McMann said. “It started from the first drill. You’re chasing the guy down all the way through. You’re playing one-on-ones, two-on-twos. It’s just not giving up an inch.” McMann’s elite straight-line speed and ability to get to the high-danger areas certainly compliment Tavares and Nylander’s skill sets, but there will be some experimentation on the top line, and the challenge has been set for the 28-year-old with several players vying for a chance in the Maple Leafs’ reshuffled top-six.
Reporter offers theory on why Kirk Cousins has not been traded
There have been multiple injuries to starting quarterbacks through the first two weeks of the NFL season, which has led to speculation that the Atlanta Falcons might finally trade Kirk Cousins. It does not sound like that is close to happening. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Thursday that no teams have reached out to the Falcons about trading for Cousins despite injuries to Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy, New York Jets' Justin Fields and Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels. Cousins was once considered the type of player who would generate buzz if a team's starting QB were to go down. So why hasn't it happened? According to Rapoport, the Falcons have no real incentive to trade Cousins. Cutting the 37-year-old never made sense, as Atlanta has to pay Cousins anyway, hence why the asking price has not dropped significantly. "He is a proven starting quarterback who happens to be the backup quarterback. If Michael Penix gets hurt, Cousins will step in there," Rapoport said. "That allows the Falcons to drive a very, very hard bargain. In other words, if you're going to trade for Kirk Cousins, if you're a team that says, 'Alright, we gotta have this guy,' you're gonna have to pay some of the salary and you're gonna have to give up a real draft pick. That is the luxury the Falcons have. "If they've got to keep him, they can just keep him because he's an excellent, excellent backup quarterback. Perhaps that is why we have not seen a deal yet, but every time there is a real, long-term quarterback injury, we're gonna have the same conversation this season." Kirk Cousins was benched for poor play in 2024 Cousins lost his job to Michael Penix Jr. midway through the 2024 season. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback got off to a decent start in his first season with Atlanta, but then played poorly for a stretch. Cousins finished with 3,508 yards, 18 touchdown passes and a career-worst 16 interceptions. There were numerous trade rumors involving Cousins during the offseason, but nothing materialized. That is mainly because he is only in the second year of a four-year, $180M contract. The Falcons do not seem eager to eat much of that salary in a trade, unless a team were willing to make it worth their while with draft-pick compensation. A desperate team could still want Kirk Cousins The Bengals are bracing for a lengthy absence for Burrow, who could potentially miss the remainder of the season. The other quarterbacks who have gotten hurt are not expected to be sidelined for very long. It is possible that teams aren't desperate enough this early in the season to give up assets for Cousins. There also seems to be a belief among some that Cousins' skills have declined, which makes it tougher for the Falcons to ask for much in a potential deal.
Braves claim longtime Orioles pitcher
The Braves have claimed righty Carson Ragsdale off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, per an announcement from the O’s. Atlanta has not yet announced the move, but David O’Brien of The Athletic reports that outfielder Jake Fraley is being transferred to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster spot. Baltimore designated Ragsdale for assignment on Monday. Baltimore originally claimed Ragsdale off waivers from San Francisco following the trade deadline. The 27-year-old is a longtime Giants farmhand but never pitched in the majors until a brief three-inning cup of coffee with the O’s. He was tagged for eight runs on nine hits and a walk with two punchouts during that initial MLB audition. A look at Carson Ragsdale's career A 2020 fourth-round pick by the Phillies (who traded him to the Giants for Sam Coonrod), Ragsdale has solid numbers throughout his minor league tenure, but appeared to hit a roadblock in Triple-A this season, logging a subpar 4.87 ERA with a 19.7% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate that are both worse than average. That said, he posted a 2.93 ERA in High-A and a 3.49 mark in Double-A before stumbling in Triple-A. He’s averaged 92.6 mph on his four-seamer this year and paired that pitch with a splitter and a curveball that sits in the high 70s. Ragsdale has a pair of minor league option years remaining beyond the current season. For the Braves, Ragsdale adds some optionable depth to a rotation mix that’s been absolutely hammered by injuries this season. Spencer Strider began the year on the injured list rehabbing from last year’s UCL surgery, and he’s looked shaky in his return while also missing time due to a hamstring injury. Chris Sale was out for two months due to fractured ribs. Reynaldo Lopez made just one start before undergoing shoulder surgery. Young righty AJ Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June. Spencer Schwellenbach suffered a fractured elbow just a couple of weeks later. Righty Grant Holmes suffered a partial tear of his UCL in late July. He’s attempting to rehab without surgery (knowing that late-July/early-August surgery would’ve wiped out his entire 2026 campaign anyhow). There’s no guarantee that Ragsdale will last the entire offseason on Atlanta’s 40-man roster, but with so many of those pitching injuries extending into next season, it’s understandable that they’d take a late look at an optionable depth arm who won’t turn 28 until late next May. Bolstering the rotation will be a point of focus for Atlanta this offseason, but stockpiling depth in this fashion will be plenty important in its own right.
Data shows who is to blame for the offensive struggles, and confirms the one area the Commanders must improve in
The Washington Commanders' passing offense hasn't been what we're used to through the first two weeks, and a lot of people are trying to pinpoint what's going on. The passing struggles were expected with a new offensive line, new weapons on offense, and Terry McLaurin missing a lot of time right before the season, but the data shows it's much more than that. The offensive line hasn't helped the passing game at all, but the real story is what the wide receivers are doing, and not doing downfield. The real factor in the lack of production Jayden Daniels has done everything possible with what he's been given, but we all expected the offense to be clicking with all the new additions this offseason. Through the first two games, Daniels has had his worst performances to date, and has a completion percentage of only 59.7%. When you watch the film, though, he's not getting much help downfield with wide receivers getting separation, and the data backs it up. As a whole unit, the Commanders' wide receiver corps has the worst overall separation score in the league. Noah Brown has the best separation score for the Commanders, and he's barely in the positives. Meanwhile, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Jaylin Lane are all in the negatives. Kingsbury expects improvement Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury talked about the offensive struggles and what he expects moving forward. "As far as Green Bay went," Kingsbury said. "First off, you gotta give them a lot of credit. I think that the defensive staff does a tremendous job there. They have a really good defense, a talented defense, and they got after us. Any opportunities we had, we didn't seem to make the most of, but it's week two. Gotta keep getting better, gotta keep learning together. We haven't been together that much as a complete unit, getting on the same page, and so it was good to get back this week and actually practice and get out there and try to build. But yeah, I just think we're a work in progress right now.” McLaurin is obviously the biggest part of the offense, and he only has 75 yards, which is third on the team, and has yet to find the endzone. There have been a couple of missed opportunities by Daniels, but a big factor is the lack of separation on offense, which can be blamed on both skill and scheme. Both are fixable, and the Raiders' secondary allows the offense to open up regardless of who plays QB on Sunday.
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